Conti adding passenger car tire capacity in Thailand

Rayong, Thailand – Continental Tires is expanding its production facility in Thailand, in response to ‘growing demand for premium tires’ in the region and elsewhere.

Phase II of the plant in Rayong will see the facility expand the production of passenger car and light truck (PS/LT) tires, said Continental in a Thai-language press release 3 July.

The release did not specify the capacity increase or the investment size of the project but said it will expand the plant area by 35,000 m2.

The project follows an initial €250 million investment in 2017 to build PS/LT tires in Rayong, followed by a €26 million investment in 2019 to build a motorcycle tire plant.

Set for operation in 2029, the expansion project will create 900 jobs, once fully ramped up, Continental added.

According to the tire maker, the project is in response to “growing  demand for premium tires in Thailand, as well as in the Asia Pacific and Americas regions.”

The facility, Continental said, will be equipped with “state-of-the-art” tire production technology from Germany to deliver “the highest quality and performance tires” to customers worldwide.

Operational since 2019, the Rayong plant currently has a nameplate capacity to produce 4 million PS/LT tires per annum. The production capcity of the two-wheeler tire facility has not been disclosed.