Dubai (MMD Newswire) October 11, 2012 -- Global automotive supplier Continental Tires, which operates in the Middle East through its office in Dubai, has opened a service company in Morocco to strengthen its stronghold in the domestic market and reiterate long-term commitment to the North African region.
The Executive Vice president of marketing & sales for the Continental replacement business in Europe and Africa, Dr.Hartmut Wöhler declared that "Morocco has become an important hub for our activities in the North African region, and is our best proposition for a new regional office. When compared to its neighbours, Morocco is relatively free of spurious and inferior products, and more importantly, is able to consistently deliver the same standard of services that our customers are used to in developed international markets such as Europe. GDP growth is much stronger, and inflation is much lower."
Wöhler announced the launch of the new company as a significant step towards consolidating Continental Tires' presence in the region. "Although we started doing direct business in Morocco several years ago, this office signifies an escalation of our activities - both in the country and across the region", he explained.
The Regional Sales Manager of Middle East and North Africa, Sebastian Vanderperre, has concurrently been appointed as the head of Continental's new Moroccan firm. With more than 10 years of experience in the tyre industry, he has ambitious growth plans. He emphasises that although Continental has already established excellent customer awareness and built solid relationships in the Moroccan market, future plans will concentrate on market penetration. "We already have a great competitive edge - with our intrinsic understanding of the market, premium products and services, and professional teams.
"Our immediate focus is to deploy a multi-brand approach to engage and satisfy all our stakeholders, and the next phase of our regional expansion programme will commence in 2016," he said. "These steps will make us grow closer to our customers and clients by keeping abreast of their requirements, and responding more quickly and accurately to market conditions." Continental has more than 15 brands in tyres, automotive and technical products including General, Uniroyal, Semperit, Matador, Viking, and Ate.
Morocco is strategically located within a three-day reach of a potential market of about 4.2 million vehicles, and its car carrier terminal in Tanger Med Port provides easy access to significant container traffic. The Moroccan government's strategy to boost the automotive industry includes tax exemptions and aid for new entrants. As a result of these factors, the country's automotive sector has witnessed a boom over the past five years, and Morocco is well on track to become a leading destination for automotive investments.
According to industry experts, the Moroccan tyre market continues to grow at approximately 2.4 per cent per annum, and it is dominated by international players who have production facilities in Europe. Approximately 50 per cent of the total market share is commanded by these premium international brands, including Continental.
"We have the great advantage of working with reliable and professional partners who are dedicated to growing their business in the coming years, and we are fully committed to supporting and enhancing their growth plans," Vanderperre added.
Continental Tires' new Moroccan office is located at Zenith, in Casablanca. The junction site was chosen for its highway access, and its proximity to the Mohammed V International Airport.
From the left: Martin Buday, Region Manager MENENA Continental, Michael Witter, German Ambassador in Morocco, Dr Hartmut Wohler, Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales Replacement, Marco Wiedermann, German Chamber of Commerce in Morocco
Dr Hartmut Wohler, Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales Replacement
Continental Corporation
With sales of €30.5 billion in 2011, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 169,000 employees in 46 countries.
Tire Division
Effective August 1, 2011 the business of Passenger and Light Truck Tires, Truck Tires, Bus Tires and Industrial Tires, as well as the Two-Wheel Tire activities have been organised into one Tire Division. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers, with more than 41,000 employees, the division achieved cumulative sales of more than €8.8 billion in 2011. Today, the Tire division has 22 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility.
Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental is one of Europe's leading passenger and light truck tire manufacturers and is the world's fourth largest passenger and light truck tire manufacturer in the original equipment and replacement business sectors. Product development for the Continental premium brand focuses on optimizing all safety-related features while at the same time minimizing rolling resistance.
Commercial Vehicle Tires
The Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit had sales of more than €1.8 billion in 2011, making it one of the largest manufacturers of truck, bus and industrial tires worldwide.
www.continental-truck-tires.com
Sponsorship
Continental's Tire Division is an Official Sponsor of the German DFB Cup, the UEFA EURO 2012TM in Poland and the Ukraine, and the 2014 FIFA World CupTM in Brazil.
Contacts: Alexander Bahlmann Head of PR, Passenger/Light Truck Tires Tire Division Continental AG I Rubber Group Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH Büttnerstrasse 25 30165 Hanover Phone: +49 (0) 511 938 2615 Fax : +49 (0) 511 938 2455 E-mail: alexander.bahlmann@conti.de Lamiaa Farrag Marketing Communication Manager Middle East/ Near East / North Africa Continental Middle East Reef Tower, 5th Floor, Office 501 P.O. Box 115738Dubai - U.A.E Phone: 00971 4 43 90 180 Mobile: 00971 56 11 566 94 Fax: 00971 4 43 62 318 E- Mail: lamiaa.farrag@conti.de