Continental has announced plans to build a new highly automated finished-goods warehouse at its Mount Vernon tire manufacturing facility in Illinois, USA, as part of its strategy to strengthen operations and meet growing demand in North America.
The company will invest approximately $76 million in the project. Spanning an area larger than six American football fields, the new warehouse will have the capacity to store nearly 500,000 passenger car tires. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2026, with operations scheduled to commence in 2027.
Commenting on the investment, Tansu Işık, CEO of Continental Tires Americas, said the facility reflects the company’s long-term growth ambitions in the region.
“Our new highly automated finished-goods warehouse underscores our growth ambitions in North America,” Işık stated. “The new facility will enhance our ability to serve customers with greater speed and flexibility while strengthening our overall distribution network in the region.”
Nik Pearce, Plant Manager of Continental’s Mount Vernon tire plant, said the investment would further modernise operations and improve logistics efficiency at the facility.
“This investment is a strong signal for the future of our Mount Vernon plant,” Pearce said. “It enhances our capabilities, further modernizes our operations, and makes our plant logistics more efficient. At the same time, it strengthens our operations at the local level and creates new development opportunities for our employees.”
The Mount Vernon facility is Continental’s largest tire manufacturing plant in the United States and plays a key role in the company’s Americas production and supply network. Tire production at the site dates back more than 50 years. Originally opened in 1974, the facility was acquired by Continental in 1987 and currently manufactures tires for passenger cars, light trucks, and commercial vehicles.
The plant spans over 320,000 square metres and has an annual production capacity of approximately 11.4 million tires. More than 3,500 employees currently work at the Mount Vernon location.
Continental said it continues to invest in digitalisation and automation across its global manufacturing footprint, which includes 19 tire plants across 16 countries. The company’s focus areas include advanced production technologies, sustainable materials, environmentally responsible manufacturing processes, and improvements in logistics efficiency.
