Nokian Heavy Tyres is once again celebrating an important achievement – an entire year without the occurrence of occupational accidents that led to absence. praises Marko Oksanen, production engineer for Nokian Heavy Tyres, describes an accident-free 2020 as “an extremely important milestone” that the workforce has achieved together.
It’s almost two years since the reign of the Nokian Tractor King began, and this regally-titled agricultural tyre range has more than doubled in size since coming to market. It is growing again in 2020 with the addition of a dimension that Nokian Heavy Tyres says expands the tyre family’s potential even further.
Employee cooperation negotiations concerning Nokian Tyres’ workforce in Finland have concluded. The outcome of these negotiations is that all 1,630 employees of Nokian Tyres plc, Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd, Vianor Holding Oy and Vianor Oy will be temporarily laid off. The length of time that each employee will be laid off depends upon their function within the company, however Nokian says nobody will be laid off for more than 90 days this year or, in the case of Vianor Oy, between now and February 2021.
Sales of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck E winter tyre and compatible Noktop Hakkapeliitta E retreading materials have exceeded a million units during their decade or so on the market. But all good things come to an end, and it is time to make way for an improved product. Nokian Tyres is introducing the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck E2 as a “true next-generation drive axle tyre for extreme winter conditions.”
In spite of what it calls a “soft” market for car tyres in Europe last year, Nokian Tyres maintained its level of net sales throughout the period. Operating profit was lower year-on-year, and profit considerably increased. Operating profit is expected to take another tumble in 2020.
Two new sizes have been added to the Nokian Mine King range, extending the the E-4 underground mining tyre’s suitability to an even wider range of vehicles. The launch of the 14.00-24 size in August has been followed by the introduction of a size 12.00-20 tyre this month. The Nokian Mine King E-4 was initially launched in 14.00-20,
According to Nokian Tyres, global demand for premium heavy tyres is rising and new, larger tyres for bulkier machinery need to be developed. To meet this demand, the tyre maker’s Nokian Heavy Tyres unit will erect a new research and development centre in Nokia, Finland next year.
Nokian Heavy Tyres has introduced a successor to the Nokian MPT Agile, and it says this new-generation tyre offers “several improvements over the original.” The Nokian MPT Agile 2 takes up its predecessor’s remit of offering manoeuvrability, grip and reliability both on and off the road and at any speed; the tyre is aimed at defence and peacekeeping applications, rescue vehicles and off-road trucks.
Two new heavy vehicle tyre lines have arrived in the Nokian portfolio. The Finnish manufacturer has unveiled the Nokian R-Truck, an on- and off-road tyre designed for trucks engaged in applications such as earthmoving and forestry, as well as the Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck T winter tyre for truck trailers.
All hail, the reign of the Tractor King has commenced. This regally-titled tyre was developed to provide “the heaviest of machinery” with a fitment for use in the “most difficult terrain in forestry, earthmoving and road construction.” Nokian Tyres says the design of the Nokian Tractor King, from its all-new tread pattern to its strengthened casing, is “nothing short of revolutionary in a tractor tyre.”
Although held back by exchange rate effects, net sales at Nokian Tyres were higher in the first three months of 2018 than a year earlier. Sales were up 3.1 per cent to 336.0 million euros; had the exchange rate effect been neutral, the tyre maker estimates that net sales would have increased 9.3 per cent year-on-year. Nevertheless, Hille Korhonen, president and chief executive officer of Nokian Tyres, referred to the result as “a good start of the year.”
With a new tyre aimed at urban excavation applications, Nokian Heavy Tyres says it is introducing a tyre “designed to start a new era of excavation work in city environments all over the world.” It adds that the Nokian Armor Gard 2 resolves the “key issues” of urban excavation – ensuring safety and stability even in the most demanding tasks and preventing tyres from wearing rapidly during long on-road transitions.
Through an investment of around 70 million euros in its factory in Nokia, Finland, Nokian Tyres group company Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd. will increase its production capacity by 50 per cent over the coming three years. The maximum capacity for heavy tyre production will grow from approximately 20 million kilogrammes a year to 32 million kilogrammes. Alongside this capacity boost, approximately 50 additional people will be hired for the production of heavy tyres.
When it comes to winter driving, Nokian Heavy Tyres observes that an extra couple of percentage points improvement in grip “makes all the difference.” This is why when developing a successor to the Hakkapeliitta Truck F, the Finnish tyre maker says it wanted to make an “already excellent” steer tyre “even better.” The Hakkapeliitta Truck F2, it adds, is a completely redesigned tyre with a “more aggressive tread pattern” that maximises grip.
Nokian Tyres
Matti Immonen/Nokian Tyres)