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Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) is still basking in the euphoria of its celebration of a significant milestone as the company marks its 70th year of operations in South Africa this January.
And who will blame them? Seven decades of successful operations is not in any way a tea party.
Originally founded as a joint venture between General Tire International in the US and the local Williams Hunt Group, the General Tire and Rubber Company South Africa was officially registered in January 1947.
The local operation was acquired by Continental AG in 1998 and renamed Continental Tyre South Africa (Pty) Ltd, creating the foundation to become one of SA’s leading tyre manufacturers and an integral part of Continental’s global family.
Over the past seven decades, Continental has become one of the industry leaders in South Africa, both within the automotive sector and in the development of Port Elizabeth as a world-class manufacturing hub.
“The 70th anniversary for Continental Tyre SA is a proud achievement for the company, and for all our people that have helped us reach this significant chapter in our proud history,” Managing Director of CTSA, Shaun Uys, said.
“Over the past seven decades, the company has expanded significantly, meeting the growing demand for Continental and General Tire-branded products in the crucial original equipment and replacement tyre sectors,” he added.
“Our Port Elizabeth plant has benefitted from investments and upgrades with almost R1-billion over the past five years to introduce the latest technologies, cutting-edge production processes and the most advanced tooling.”
The investments have also facilitated the expansion beyond the traditional automotive segment to produce a new range of commercial specialty tyres for the heavy-duty mining and earthmoving applications to meet the needs of the industrial sector.
In addition, it has enabled the company to improve environmental sustainability by lowering its CO2 emissions, cutting back on energy and water consumption and reducing the amount of waste generated.
A special laurel wreath logo was created to celebrate the 70th anniversary, showcasing Continental Tyre South Africa’s proud legacy.
“The concept of the 70th anniversary logo is to highlight the company’s wonderful history and heritage, and was chosen as a symbol of success and triumph,” Uys said. “The wreath creates a winning association with the Continental stallion proudly displayed in our main logo, while the laurel leaf pattern is a natural element, and mimics to tread pattern of a tyre.”
