German end-of-life tyre (ELT) recycling specialist Pyrum Innovations AG plans to build a Pyrum pyrolysis plant in the Czech Republic together with a local energy company. This facility, located near the border with Germany, will have the capacity to process 20,000 tonnes of ELTs a year and is scheduled to start operations in 2025.
Nexen plans to expand its production capacity by 40 per cent within five years. It plans to achieve this by building a new tyre factory in the United States and to expand its existing Czech factory. According to Korean media reports, Nexens’ factory in Zatec, Czech Republic, will complete the expansion project in September this year, following its 2019 official opening. Progress on the expansion project, which commenced immediately after opening, was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Nexen has invested 1.2 trillion won (approximately £732 million) in the expansion of the Czech factory. Before the expansion, the factory was able to produce 5.5 million tyres per year. After the expansion phase in 2024, the production capacity is expected to be 9.2 million tyres. By 2025, it is expected the production capacity to increase further to 11 million tyres.
Goodyear EMEA is opening two new distribution centres in Cheb, the Czech Republic, and Amiens, France. The announcement coincides with the news that Goodyear is closing its Philippsburg, Germany operation. Goodyear announced that it was closing its Philippsburg, Germany tyre factory in 2016 and production ceased in 2017. Since then, it has been run as a tyre distribution centre in conjunction with a third-party logistics firm. Tyres & Accessories understands that the Philipsburg tyre distribution operation is no longer as efficient and effective as Goodyear had hoped. The company is now consulting with employees regarding the future of 15 jobs in Philippsburg.
Synthos is closing its synthetic rubber Emulsion-SBR (ESBR) production line in the Czech Republic due to “the unsustainable market environment for ESBR due to unpredictable costs in Europe”. Synthos will cease ESBR production at its Kralupy, Czech Republic operation in the second quarter of this year.
On 19 September 2022, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co was found guilty of misappropriating five of 12 alleged trade secrets relating to self-inflating tyres in a case brought by Czech company Coda Development SRO. As a result of the jury’s verdict, Coda was awarded a total of $64 million.
Nexen Tire has begun sponsoring SK Slavia Praha (Prague) Football Club for the 2021/22 season. The two-year partnership kicked-off during the Club’s first home league match on 7 August. Throughout the deal, Nexen Tire’s brand will be visible at the Eden Arena, home of SK Slavia Praha.
Trelleborg Group has signed an agreement to divest a technical rubber products operation. It is selling the company, which has its main business located in Nachod, Czech Republic, to Kaprain, a Czech investment group.
This year, retreading materials manufacturer Vipal Rubber is celebrating what it views as an important milestone – 15 years of operations in Eastern Europe. Vipal’s activities within this region began with the opening of a distribution centre in Slovenia in 2006, and today it supplies treads and other retreading products to approximately 50 customers there and in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland as well as to markets in the Balkan and Baltic regions.
During its Board of Directors meeting on 14 April, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association welcomed Nexen Tire Europe and the Czech Republic and Slovakia Tyre Producers’ Associations as new members of the Association, as of 2022. With their addition, the ETRMA will represent 15 global tyre manufacturers and 11 national sector Associations.
Nexen Tire shares that it began shipping tyres to Hyundai for original equipment fitment on the fourth-generation Tucson in January. Hyundai Tucson models sold in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America wear the Nexen N’Fera Primus in sizes 215/65R17, 235/55R18, and 235/50R19. This deal represents the first occasion that Nexen’s European manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic has supplied OE tyres.
One of the biggest football clubs in the Czech Republic, SK Dynamo České Budějovice, has named Tomket Tires as its back of shirt partner. The latest investment comes shortly after Tomket Tires announced its partnership with another leading Czech team, FC Zbrojovka Brno. The two Czech football sponsorship moves see Tomket Tires return to the company’s historic roots by sponsoring teams at the forefront of Czech football in the same manner as it does other teams in the top five leagues in global football.
Much has changed at Nexen Tire of late, a phenomenon particularly noticeable within the South Korean tyre maker’s European operation. In the past two years, the company has set up a new production facility in the Czech Republic and a European headquarters in Germany as part of its ‘Global Nexen’ strategy. This expansion is occurring parallel to similar growth in Korea and the USA.
Magna Tyres Group has opened a sales office in the Czech Republic. It said the move has been in response to demand for the Magna range of OTR ad specialist tyres in Eastern Europe. It added that it has been encouraged by “unutilised market potential in this region.” The region was previously serviced by its Polish office.
Fans of Czech First League club FK Mladá Boleslav will see a lot more of Kumho Tyre in future. As exclusive tyre partner for the coming three years, Kumho Tyre gains a logo presence on the back of players’ shirts and the front of their shorts during all First League and cup matches as well as on digital signage along the length of the playing field. The sponsorship arrangement also covers hospitality options and a presence within the club’s media activities.
An official opening ceremony is being held today for Nexen Tire’s new tyre factory in Žatec, Czech Republic. Numerous dignitaries have attended the event, including Petr Očko, the country’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Travis Kang, Nexen Tire’s global chief executive officer, and Byung-Joong Kang, the company’s chairman.
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Nexen
Arno Borchers/Profil-Verlag
Dynamo; Tomket Tires
NRZ/Arno Borchers
Magna Tyres