Continental closes Akron Testing Center

Feb. 19, 2005

Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) will discontinue operations at its Akron (Ohio) Test Center as part of the company's overall restructuring. The facility will close May 31, 2005.

The activities and most of the equipment at the Akron Test Center will be transferred to parent company Continental AG's main testing location in Europe. All 20 Akron employees will be offered severance packages and additional outplacement assistance.

The consolidated expertise and technologies will ensure the same response time and service to CTNA's customers, according to the company.

"I want to thank the employees at our Akron facility for their years of service and dedication to Continental," says Martien de Louw, CEO and president of CTNA. "Our customers and business partners will continue to receive the same level of service they’ve come to expect from us."

CTNA has almost 6,500 employees in North America and operates plants in Bryan, Ohio; Charlotte, N.C.; Mayfield, Ky.; Mt. Vernon, Ill.; Barnesville, Ga.; and San Luis Potosi, Mexico.