Companies in Hanover

Continental was founded in 1871 in Hanover as a rubber factory — six months after the German Empire was proclaimed — and made its name first with soft rubber products, then bicycle tires, then the studded tire it invented in 1904. More than 150 years later, the company has become something rarer than a tire maker: a tier-one automotive electronics supplier that still sells tires, straddling two very different businesses under one roof. The tire division makes passenger, truck, and specialty tires (including the winter tires where Continental holds a premium reputation), while the automotive division supplies brake systems, air suspension, sensors, displays, and the software that binds them — including the camera and radar systems behind advanced driver assistance. Continental's ContiTech unit adds industrial hoses, conveyor belts, and automotive interior materials. With about 200,000 employees and annual revenue near €41 billion, Continental is in the middle of the industry's biggest transition: it has restructured around 'autonomous mobility, software, and sustainability' while spinning off parts of its automotive business. For vehicle buyers, it offers a rare combination — tires and electronics from one supplier, which is why virtually every global automaker has a Continental contract of some kind.