Pyramids Tires, a new tyre manufacturer based in Port Said, northeast Egypt, saw its first tyres roll off the production line on 9 May 2020. The factory currently manufactures motorcycle, forklift and agricultural tyres as part of the first phase of the plant’s development. The second phase, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, will see the company add passenger car, truck and OTR tyres to its portfolio.
Nokian Tyres’ new Dayton, USA manufacturing plant has been awarded ISO 9001 certification. The certification requires companies to meet specific quality management system requirements and thus affirms the company’s commitment to premium quality.
Apollo Tyres has commissioned its seventh tyre factory globally and its fifth in India, with the first tyre rolling off the production line from the Andhra Pradesh greenfield facility in the southern part of the country on 25 June. Chairman, Onkar S Kanwar, vice chairman and MD, Neeraj Kanwar, supervisory board members along with the entire senior management team participated virtually in this momentous occasion.
Lay-off talks between Vredestein and employees at its Enschede factory in The Netherlands have not resulted in an agreement. The talks were prompted by the management’s announcement in early March that the firm is moving much of its production to Hungary. Since this will result in laying off around 750 of the 1,200 employees, a works council was developed in order to formulate an alternative proposal. However, according to various local news reports, the proposal was not received positively by the company management.
Prinx Chengshan reports that its new tyre factory in Thailand produced its first commercial vehicle all-steel radial on 25 March. The first phase production project at the Prinx Chengshan Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is now expected to be concluded in the second quarter of this year, giving the facility an annual capacity to produce 800,000 TBR tyres. The plant is also capable of manufacturing 4 million passenger car and light truck tyres a year.
On the evening of 10 March, Pirelli announced that one of the employees at its Turin factory has tested positive for Covid-19. The third statement in two days from Pirelli said that company was informed by the family of an employee at its Settimo Torinese factory, with the subsequent confirmation of healthcare authorities. In response, the company has slowed down production, but says that it continues to guarantee supply to clients:
Continental celebrated the grand opening of its Clinton, Mississippi, tyre factory on 16 October 2019. with a grand opening ceremony yesterday. The celebration marks the completion of the construction process, which began in 2016. Approximately 300 guests, including state and local officials, along with community members, customers, and suppliers as well as 250 Continental employees joined the event.
Toyo Tire Corporation has announced that it is investing 390.5 million euros in the construction of a new tyre manufacturing facility in Indijia City, Republic of Serbia. Construction of the Serbia plant will start in May 2020, with a view to initiating tyre manufacturing operations in January 2022.
Nexen Tire Europe is due to begin trial production at its new facility in Zatec, the Czech Republic. The news marks the virtual completion of the project that started in October 2015.
Hella, the global automotive supplier, has opened a second electronics plant in India. The new production facility in Mehsana, India, north of the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, will meet the growing demand for electronic components and strengthen proximity to its local customers.
On 26 March 2019 the Iris Group announced “the success of the first test phase” of its “100 per cent made in Algeria” tyre factory. Celebrating the news, the company thanks its partnership and stakeholders for their efforts up to this point: “All this could not have been done without the perfect involvement of our collaborators, a big thank you to all!”
Following media reports the day before, on 19 February Honda confirmed it will close its Swindon car manufacturing facility with the loss of around 3500 jobs. According to Honda, the closure forms part of wider global restructuring plans. Honda also said the news comes as the Japanese firm “accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry”.
Having rejected earlier plans for a new tyre factory in Malaysia, Prinx Chengshan has invested 170.6 million yuan (£19.464 million) in buying at least 433,600 square metres of land in at Tambon Nong Suea Chang, Amphur Nong Yai, and Tambon Klong-Kew, Amphur Ban-Bung, Chonburi province in Thailand. According to stock exchange filings dated 25 December 2018, the deal comprises “several plots of land” and will be funded by the company’s recent global share offering.
Pyramid Tires
Nokian