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John Cox
the retread market,” added John Cox, Continental’s Head of Re- tread for the North American market. Retreading is a big oppor- tunity for us, especially in digital solutions, and our plan over the next 5-10 years is to move ourselves onto that path. We are re- ady to meet the challenge and have identified many customers who are ready to convert. We believe we are in a position to dou- ble in size.”
Unlike in Europe, where Continental’s retread business has been mainly concentrated on mould cure retreading, the development of the ContiLifeCycle plant in Hannover, and the acquisition and integration of Bandvulc in the UK, the company’s strategy in Nor- th America is to concentrate on the precure sector, which makes up the vast majority of the market. Furthermore, the company emphasises that it plans to appoint and work with nominated retread partners rather than operate company-owned facilities. Any “white spots” in the market can be filled in by Continental’s network of 30 Best Drive centres, of which there are currently around 30 in the US.
Continental says it is looking to increase the size of its networks, both in terms of retread production partners and its service ne- twork, but it was hesitant to state its targets publicly.
Continental’s facility in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, and another in Mexi- co produce tread rubber for the retread plants.
NEW CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS OPENED
The opening of Continental’s Retread Development Centre coin- cided with an open-house event to mark the official opening of Continental Tire the Americas new sustainably designed corpo- rate headquarters in nearby Fort Mill, S.C. Local and state offi- cials attended the official opening, including the Governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, key building project represen- tatives and corporate social responsibility partners. The state- of-the-art, 90,000-square-foot building, which sits on 33 acres in northern Lancaster County, has a capacity for 350 employees and is designed and built for future expansion potential.
FEATURE
REPORT
ding,” explained Jochen Etzel, Continental Tire the Americas CEO. In the past, the office was a place you had to come to—our objective for this building was to create a workplace destination that you want to come to.”
Inspired by nature and incorporating timeless and modern design elements, the building allows natural light to flood the interior year-round. Collaborative spaces of various sizes are located on all three levels and offer numerous quiet areas for focused work. The building is surrounded by a wooded area that is planned for future outdoor trails.
SUSTAINABILITY GUIDED DESIGN VISION
From the site layout to the building designed to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification to incorporating energy-saving and efficient materials, the project was carefully planned to be an example of Continental’s sustai- nability ambitions. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. The project incorporated key LEED building standards, including sustainable site development, wa- ter savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor en- vironmental quality. The open office layout incorporates natural materials installed by local artisans, creating a unique and colla- borative environment. The building utilises LED lighting for cost savings and contains recycled content carpet tiles and low VOC paint.
On the exterior, the parking area, optimised for a decreased heat signature, includes 10 EV charging stations that may be used for electric vehicles or motorcycles. 840 solar panels are located on the roof and in the parking area. These panels contribute up to 25 per cent offset of the building’s total energy consumption. Rainwater harvesting will be utilised to irrigate the plantings and lawn area. The project was designed by Gresham Smith and cons- tructed by Edifice.
Inside Contnental’s new HQ building in Fort Mill
“This new structure is so much more than the typical office buil-
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