Continental set to ramp up hiring for new $110M facility in New Braunfels | Community Alert

Continental Automotive carries on development on a new, condition-of-the-artwork $110 million manufacturing facility in New Braunfels, with an predicted opening planned for fall, officials with the Hanover, Germany-centered technology company stated.

The 215,000-sq.-foot plant off I-35 and Kohlenberg Highway will manufacture products and solutions for State-of-the-art Driver Guidance Programs ­— the foundation of assisted and automated driving.

Continental develops key components for assisted and automatic driving all about the planet. The new location positions the firm to increase its investigate and growth and production abilities in the United States as need for smart basic safety features will increase.

“Construction is coming along, regardless of some problems with COVID and subcontractors and acquiring individuals,” Project Supervisor Ryan French explained. “We are in the course of action of finding shut to where we’re heading to start ramping up output. Later on this 12 months, we’ll start off output, and we’re starting off to retain the services of.” 

Continental commenced looking into sensors, software and smart connectivity much more than 20 yrs back. 

The New Braunfels facility will serve as an extension of that get the job done as the business boosts investments in assisted and automatic driving. 

When the plant opens, local staff will create radar sensors, which are crucial for many complex security functions these as blind-spot detection and forward-collision warning. 

“In the long term, we’ll incorporate other units in the exact same family members,” French explained. “To start out with, we’ll adhere with radar. Units are built from PCBs — eco-friendly circuit boards. We populate all those circuit boards on a person half of the approach, and on the other 50 %, we package deal them into a thing that will be fitted into a vehicle. We also do a good deal of testing to make certain it’s heading to conduct as it ought to in the field.”

The New Braunfels facility will provide as the company’s 2nd automotive production area in the point out. 

French mentioned the workforce is up to about 50 ideal now, and it is time for the firm to convey in people to operate the strains and to do the initial qualification builds, which will choose place this month.

“We’ll have the begin-up of generation later this yr — that’s however the unique program and on keep track of,” French reported. “We’ll see a significant ramp-up in 2023 as we’re bringing in a lot more products from the Seguin facility to this 1.

“Continental sees automation as the future, and safer driving is one particular of our most vital ambitions. The products that we create provide protection to every person driving, but also the building blocks for automated driving in the long term. You have to have these devices to develop up the automated units that you have, but in the meantime, they are already out there and conserving lives.”

With the new spot, Continental will give 580 effectively-spending careers with excellent positive aspects around the next four yrs in New Braunfels. The company programs to employ the service of 100 people today this summer time in preparation for the facility’s drop opening.

Continental has invested about $3.5 billion in manufacturing, technology, services and merchandise development in the United States since 2011. In addition, it employs a domestic workforce of more than 19,000 people today.

“It’s a expanding small business in the automotive globe by itself,” Plant Supervisor Juergen Martin mentioned of automation engineering. “Of course, Continental is one of the leaders in this facet. We want to commit in individuals who want to be section of 1 of the leaders. We have technicians. We have engineers. We have experienced and unskilled people, but we present chances for anyone to improve with the organization and also produce skills for a personalized career path. I feel this is a fantastic opportunity for people today.”

Comal County commissioners and New Braunfels City Council associates individually agreed in 2019 to incentivize Continental’s multi-million financial commitment in the group. The arrangement provides a multi-12 months refund of residence taxes paid out on the improvements and business’ individual home in exchange for the business satisfying specified work and wage concentrations.

If the organization meets all the benchmarks, it could full up to $3.3 million in land acquisition grants, up to $1.8 million for infrastructure enhancements and up to $270,000 in roadway effects service fees to increase Kohlenberg Street.

Continental will acquire a 15% city property tax rebate about 10 years if it reaches and maintains the set range of comprehensive-time positions, and the county accredited a 47% residence tax rebate dependent on the identical phrases around the up coming decade.

For information on Continental professions, stop by www.continental.com/careersus.