In 1992, when Continental Corporation’s Morganton (NC) operation opened its facility doors, it was an exciting day in Burke County. Over the years, Continental has hired many WNC residents and helped them reach their professional goals.
On October 17, 2017, Continental hosted an anniversary celebration to mark its 25 years in business. Members of Friday Services were happy to attend this occasion, where presentations were delivered by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper; NC Senator Warren Daniel; NC Representative Hugh Blackwell; City of Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson; Chairman of the Burke County Commissioners Jeff Brittain; and Samir Salman, CEO of Continental of North America.
Gratitude for Continental from Friday Services
Friday’s has been honored to partner with Continental for these past 25 years. Many Friday Services employees have been hired by Continental during that time—and the numbers keep growing! Whenever we are able to match candidates with jobs at Continental, we know for certain those workers have a great opportunity ahead of them.
Expansion & Growth for 2018
At their anniversary event, Continental also shared exciting news on an 82,000-square-foot expansion project set to be completed in March 2018. These changes will allow the global firm to supply state-of-the-art braking systems to leading automobile manufacturers. The two-phase, $50 million expansion project will add production floor space to meet the growing demand for Continental’s next generation MKC1 integrated brake system. It will also extend the warehouse and supporting areas to accommodate increasing production and logistics. The Morganton facility currently produces Continental’s MK100 brake systems.
“We expect to be shipping full series product by the second quarter of 2019,” says David Jones, Plant Manager for Continental’s Morganton facilities.
The $50 million+ investment in the Morganton plant will generate 150 new full-time jobs. Jones says the company has started interviewing on a limited basis for key engineering positions. The pace of employee recruitment will accelerate as the expansion project evolves over the next 12 months. “We will be hiring people for manufacturing and engineering, quality control, logistics, maintenance technicians, material handlers and hourly assembly,” says Jones.
This project is supported with financial incentives from North Carolina, Burke County, and the City of Morganton. “It’s encouraging when a major manufacturer decides to keep expanding right here in North Carolina,” says North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “I’m confident that Continental will find the skilled workers they need to fill these new jobs and put more money in the pockets of people in Burke and neighboring counties.”
Staying Ahead of the Curve
“The Morganton Plant has a proven record for producing the current brake system and is a natural fit for expansion to meet the production needs of our newest product,” says Salman, CEO of Continental, North America. “Continental is working to make mobility safer, more efficient and convenient and the MKC1 makes a major contribution to safe and dynamic driving, as well as energy efficiency.”
We are looking forward to supporting Continental’s growth and success. Continental currently employs more than 227,000 people in 56 countries. Interested in joining a globally recognized technology company? We’d love to hear from you! Contact our office today or fill out an online application to get started!
