Continental to stop production at five German plants in response to ‘persistent decline’ in customer demand
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Continental’s ContiTech group sector is preparing further structural changes at German locations in 2025. Production is to be discontinued at the locations in Bad Blankenburg (Thuringia), Stolzenau (Lower Saxony) and Moers (North Rhine-Westphalia), while toolmaking is to be halted at the dual location in Frohburg and Geithain (Saxony).
In addition, activities of the future independent business area Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) are to be scaled back at the Hamburg location. As part of the planned spin-off of Continental’s Automotive group sector, a production line is also to be relocated from the ContiTech site in Hanover-Vahrenwald to an Automotive site. A total of around 580 jobs are expected to be affected in the ContiTech group sector.
“With these planned measures, we are responding to market changes in individual customer sectors – particularly the severe, persistent declines in demand. Developments in the automotive industry and lignite mining in Europe are posing challenges for us,” explains Philip Nelles, member of the Continental Executive Board and head of the ContiTech group sector. “The painful steps we are initiating are necessary to reposition the company for sustained economic growth. Given the current economic headwinds and accelerating pace of technological transformation, we must take action now to safeguard our future and drive forward our strategic realignment,” Nelles continues. “We are committed to structuring the planned measures in a way that is as socially responsible as possible and giving as many employees as we can the opportunity to transfer to other parts of the company.”
ContiTech specializes in development and materials expertise for products and systems made from rubber, plastic, metal and textiles. The group sector has been operating in a new organizational structure since the beginning of 2024, creating a basis for it to focus on expanding the industrial business.
The planned measures aim to streamline this focus, create locations that are more economically resilient and adapt the product portfolio to shifting demand.
ContiTech employs around 39,000 staff worldwide in 37 countries and markets. In Germany, ContiTech has 22 locations with a total of around 11,000 employees.