Continental closes textile plant in the USA

On November 14, Continental announced that its plant in Barnesville (Georgia, USA) will be closed by the end of 2026. The facility, which was acquired in 1988, employs around 230 people and produces textile products used in the manufacture of tire cord and hoses, which are supplied to Continental's tire plants and to the ContiTech division.

Continental notes that the decision to close the plant was made after a comprehensive analysis of the situation and is intended to maintain the profitability, competitiveness, and efficiency of the company's business in North and South America. "Despite all efforts to improve profitability, the plant has not been competitive for many years," Continental says, adding that the decision to stop production is also due to changes in the global market.

The company emphasizes, however, that the US market remains important, and the plants in Plymouth (Indiana), Clinton (Mississippi), Sumter (South Carolina), and Mount Vernon (Illinois) are capable of producing over 16 million tires per year. In total, Continental's workforce in the US comprises around 8,000 people, who work in the tire division and ContiTech.

Over the past decade, Continental has invested around $1.5 billion in its tire production in the US, and in October, it was announced that $85 million would be invested in the expansion of the ContiTech plant in Iowa. Additionally, in September last year, construction began on the first distribution center in the country, which is fully owned by Continental, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The opening is scheduled for early 2026, and it is expected that the new complex will improve customer service efficiency, adding to the seven other distribution centers in the country used by Continental's tire business.