Technology company Continental is investing approximately $12 million in its ContiTech PVC hose business in North America and is expanding its manufacturing capabilities and production capacities into a new state-of-the-art competence center at its upgraded plant in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to modernize the industry hose production. “Continental continuously works to improve its competitiveness regarding all processes along the value chain. Our primary goal is to become one of the leaders in technology and efficiency,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, global head of Continental’s industrial fluid solutions business unit.

“The expansion in Mt. Pleasant allows us to drive synergies and combine technologies in both PVC and rubber hose operations under one roof. It culminates a comprehensive and strategic plan to increase our long-length and PVC hose capacity in North America by more than 20 percent. The leap in production technology gives us the bandwidth, capacity and ongoing support to better serve our customers’ needs,” Gerstenberger added. Continental is committed to remaining in the market, for the market with U.S. and North American manufacturing for our customers and associates. The expansion will bring more than 40 jobs to the Mt. Pleasant location.

In 2016 Continental already invested approximately $8 million into a brick-and-mortar expansion project at its rubber hose operations in Mt. Pleasant.