Continental is one of the most prestigious tire brands today. The company has developed a reputation for innovation and quality, pioneering tire technology that can be found in various types of vehicles.
Today, we will find out who owns Continental Tires. Well, it is none other than the German-based Continental AG company, one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive parts and systems.
Not satisfied just yet? Then keep on reading as we explore the Continental company, highlighting its origin as well as the current ownership structure.
Table of Contents
History of Continental Tire
Founded on the 8th of October 1871, Continental started its business in Hanover, Germany, with soft rubber products as its initial offerings. And 21 years later, the company decided to add bicycle tires to its products.
Continental’s venture expanded into automobile tires in the 1900s. It took 20 years for Continental tires to gain global recognition, receiving critical acclaim regarding quality.
Over the years, Continental focused on improving its tires by implementing innovative technologies. This guarantees the tire performance and gives Continental a fighting chance against other giants such as Goodyear and Michelin.
As of now, the Continental Tire brand continues to expand all over the world. Continental headquarters can be seen in different countries, such as the US, China, and Brazil.
Current Ownership Structure
Continental AG, which owns the tire brand, has a shareholders structure that varies with a mix of institutional and private investors and individual shareholders involved. Moreover, it is a listed corporation on the German Stock Exchange.
The Schaeffler Group, a commercial conglomerate focusing on automobile parts and industrial components, has become Continental AG’s latest major shareholder.
This organized and diverse ownership structure led Continental to acquire both Uniroyal and General Tire brands today. Plus, it helps a lot in making the Continental Tires popular throughout different continents of the world, including Europe, North America, and Asia.
The biggest of all Continental’s major shareholders is the IHO Group. This holding company belongs to the Schaeffler Group, based in Herzogenaurach, Germany. In 2013, IHO Group sold 7.8 million Continental shares, lowering its stake from 49.9% to now at 46% (2022).
The remaining 54% of the company shareholder’s structure is accounted as “free float.” This refers to shareholdings below 5% of the company that cannot be attributed to a shareholder who owns more than 5%, as defined by Deutsche Börse AG.
Below you will find a breakdown of Continental’s free-float shareholders by country.
Continental AG Subsidiaries
Below is the break-down of divisions/subsidiaries of Contintental AG:
- Chassis and Safety
- Tires
- ContiTech
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Conclusion
We hope you find this article about who owns Continental Tires, their stakeholder structure and subsidiaries informative and helpful.
This has been a fairly technical topic, but we hope we were able to make it simple and understandable for you. Stay tuned for more interesting tire-related articles ahead. See you in the next post!
