Helmut Werner, former Continental Tire chairman, dies

Feb. 10, 2004

Helmut Werner, chairman of Continental Gummi-Werke A.G. of Hanover, Germany, in the 1980s, has died. He was 67.

Werner moved to Stuttgart-based Mercedes-Benz after many years at the helm of Continental.

He was responsible for starting up the first Mercedes factory in the United States, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

He started to work for the Mercedes heavy truck division in 1987, switching to the luxury automobile side in 1993.

In 1996, Business Week included Werner on its 1996 list of the 25 most successful top managers.

Werner is survived by his wife and two children.