NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technology company Continental today celebrated a major milestone with an official grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing facility in New Braunfels, Texas. The event, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marks the completion of the construction process, which began in 2020. Approximately 150 guests, including state and local officials, community members and employees joined the festivities, which included an exclusive tour of the facility.
The new automotive manufacturing location is the company’s first greenfield plant to be built in the U.S. dedicated to Continental’s Autonomous Mobility business area. The facility is an investment of more than $110 million (about €100 million) in the future of mobility and the New Braunfels community, creating more than 500 well-paying jobs with excellent benefits over the next few years.
Production has recently begun in the new, 215,000-square-foot facility that manufactures products for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) – the foundation of assisted and automated driving. With this new location, the company is expanding its R&D and manufacturing capabilities in the United States. This is especially important as demand for intelligent safety functions continues to increase.
“For more than 25 years, Continental has researched and developed driver assistance systems that are essential features in vehicles today. We have tremendous growth in this area of our business and the addition of this new production facility will help us continue our trajectory to advance technology even further,” said Frank Petznick, member of the Automotive Board and Head of Business Area Autonomous Mobility, Continental. “At Continental, we’re always seeking new opportunities to make drivers safer. New Braunfels will play a critical role as we continue to grow our ADAS business in North America and support our goal of vision zero - zero traffic fatalities, injuries and crashes on our roadways.”
“Continental develops key components for assisted and automated driving all over the world. The completion of our new automotive plant signifies a major step in our long-term strategy for advancing growth and innovation in autonomous mobility,” said Juergen Martin, New Braunfels Plant Manager, Continental North America. “The City of New Braunfels, Comal County, New Braunfels Utilities, Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and the New Braunfels Economic Development Committee have all been outstanding partners to help us create this remarkable site, which will provide excellent jobs and opportunities for decades to come.”
As part of the company’s longstanding commitment to supporting manufacturing and technical education programs and as a new member of the New Braunfels community, Continental announced a donation totaling $20,000 to neighboring school districts. The New Braunfels and Comal Independent School Districts were presented with a $10,000 donation as part of the company’s ribbon-cutting celebration. The funds will be used to support the Career and Technical Education Manufacturing programs offered in both districts.
“We’re excited to see Continental grow in our local community,” said Rusty Brockman, Mayor of New Braunfels. “Not only will strong jobs be created in engineering and manufacturing, but New Braunfels is going to play a major role in the future of mobility with this new facility. Continental has been a wonderful partner throughout this process, and we look forward to continuing working with them to create even more opportunities for residents.”
Continental is a global leader in ADAS development and is one of the world’s largest automotive and technology suppliers. Since 2011, Continental has invested about $4 billion in manufacturing, technology, facilities and product development in the United States. It employs a domestic workforce of more than 15,000.
For information on Continental careers or to search for available opportunities, please visit www.continental.com/careersus.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2021, Continental generated sales of €33.8 billion and currently employs more than 190,000 people in 58 countries and markets. On October 8, 2021, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary.
