Continental and Wildlife Mississippi Partner to Conserve Wetlands, Streams

- The $5 million investment will support the purchase, restoration and stewardship of approximately 1,000 acres of wetlands and streams along the Bayou Pierre River.

- The partnership is part of Continental's selection of Hinds County for a new commercial vehicle tire plant.

- First two plant employees hired - both are Mississippians.

News provided by

Continental

Oct 05, 2016, 02:30 ET

JACKSON, Miss., Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Tire is partnering with the charitable, nonprofit conservation organization Wildlife Mississippi to conserve approximately 1,000 acres of wetlands and streams located along the Bayou Pierre River. The partnership represents a $5 million investment supporting the purchase, restoration, protection and long term stewardship of the land. It accompanies Continental's selection of Hinds County as the location for its new commercial vehicle tire plant.

"It is important for Continental to work with local environmental groups to conserve the areas where we're investing," said Grant Bovim, Continental Project Manager. "Since selecting central Mississippi as the new site of our tire plant, we are working closely with the state and local entities to identify needs and ways to support the community. Restoring and protecting these wetlands and streams is crucial to us as a leader in sustainable development."

Continental provided the funds for the purchase of the land, and Wildlife Mississippi will lead the restoration, protection and stewardship of it. With its close proximity to the river, the land contains critical habitats of various species, including the bayou darter, which is a federally threatened species found nowhere else in the world aside from the Bayou Pierre and its tributaries.

"The land we acquired with Continental will help ensure the future of this fish species and improve one of Mississippi's most unique rivers," said James L. Cummins, Wildlife Mississippi Executive Director. "It is most gratifying to be a part of a partnership that will not only provide thousands of jobs for hardworking Mississippians, but is a tremendous investment in our state's environment. In the end, this partnership will make Mississippi a better place to live, work and raise a family."

The site's future use and accessibility is being evaluated and will be determined as restoration efforts continue. Restoration efforts include the planting of more than 10 different species of indigenous bottomland hardwoods and the control of invasive species that compete with plants native to Mississippi.

Earlier this year, Continental announced it had selected a site in Mississippi for its new commercial vehicle tire plant. Continental has committed for a long term investment totaling approximately $1.4 billion and bringing 2,500 new jobs to Central Mississippi. The environmental efforts are part of Continental's commitment to the state of Mississippi as it prepares for construction in Hinds County. Since announcing the new plant's site selection, Continental has hired a civil engineer and accountant for the future location who are both from Mississippi.

Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2015, the corporation generated sales of €39.2 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tires, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs approximately 215,000 people in 55 countries.

The Tire Division currently has 24 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers with more than 47,000 employees, the Tire Division achieved sales of €9.8 billion in 2014.

Continental Commercial Vehicle Tires is one of the largest manufacturers of truck, bus and commercial specialty tires worldwide. The business unit is continuously developing from a pure tire manufacturer to a solution provider, offering a broad range of products, services and tire-related solutions.

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SOURCE Continental