New plant manager hired at Continental Tire Sumter Plant
Continental Tire Sumter Plant, the county's biggest industry in terms of employees, recently welcomed a new plant manager.
Ahmed Boualam succeeds Craig Baartman, who accepted new responsibility within the company at its Fort Mills head office, according to Pradeep Rai, a spokesman for the Sumter plant, which produces passenger and light truck tires for original equipment and replacement markets. The zero-landfill manufacturing facility employs about 1,300.
Boualam, a production management engineer with a masters in management, is an "expert in continuous improvement in operations through process improvement, employee involvement and having hands-on experience of manufacturing in big tire plants." He most recently worked as the production manager at Continental's Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa and previously worked for the company in Sarreguemines, France.
"It is a great privilege to be a part of the success of Continental Tire Sumter Plant and becoming a member of the Sumter community," Boualam said in a news release. "I am delighted to be taking over the responsibility of the Sumter plant, which is in great shape and ready for the future, all thanks to the great work done by my predecessor, Craig Baartman, and our team."
Boualam said there are new projects and initiatives planned that "speak well for a bright future."
Boualam started his career as a production management engineer in 2007 and brings a professional experience of more than 11 years in the tire industry.