The recent opening of a plant in Serbia testifies that Shandong Linglong Tire has big plans for Europe. One of its key markets within the region is Germany, and the tyre maker has now found a new distribution partner for this country, as well as for Austria and Switzerland – the ‘DACH’ region. German tyre wholesaler and retailer Reifen Straub has taken on this role.
Shandong Linglong Tire Co. Ltd is investing 6.066 billion yuan (£669.678 million; 779.348 million euros; US$949.830 million) in its latest tyre factory. Tyres & Accessories has confirmed that the roughly billion-dollar Tongchuan City factory project will put sustainability at the heart of its plans, which include largescale retread capacity.
Shandong Linglong Tire recently unveiled a new range of bio-based rubber tyres. Developed in joint collaboration with Beijing University of Chemical Technology over the past three years, the tyres utilise a number of sustainable rubber ingredients.
Linglong Tire has entered into a cooperative agreement with Chinese car-making joint venture company SGMW. The new partnership commenced with the signing of a strategic cooperation framework agreement at SGMW’s headquarters on 30 December. Under the agreement, the two parties will collaborate on product design, development, application, quality assurance, cost optimisation and manufacturing over a long-term basis.
Linglong Tire has signed an extension to its partnership agreement with VfL Wolfsburg, continuing as its “club of Champions” partner. Li Wei, vice present of Linglong Tire, attended the signing ceremony held by VfL Wolfsburg in Foshan China on 23 May, 2019. He said: “as an old friend of VfL Wolfsburg, Linglong is very glad to continue to cooperate with the club and give full play to the brand effect of both sides.”
Shandong Linglong Tire’s plans to set up a tyre factory in Serbia gained a further boost on 17 September with the finalisation of an investment framework agreement with the country’s Ministry of Finance. The document was signed by Linglong chairman Wang Feng and Siniša Mali, Serbia’s Minister of Finance, at a ceremony in Beijing also attended by Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia.
Shandong Linglong will ship original equipment tyres to Volkswagen and Renault from its planned factory in Serbia. This is the news shared by Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić on his website today. Vučić writes that Wang Feng shared news that the factory would supply the two vehicle manufacturers once production begins in 2020.
On 1 September 2018, Chinese vehicle manufacturer FAW Group Corporation signed a product technical cooperation framework agreement with Shandong Linglong Tire. The two parties intend to collaborate on the development of tyres for new models produced by FAW.
Linglong Tire is examining tyre pyrolysis technology and its application to waste tyre recycling. The tyre maker shares that it organised a conference on the subject at its headquarters in Zhaoyuan, China on 24 July, an event attended by 13 academics and experts from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sichuan University, Zhejiang University and Beijing University of Technology.
Shandong Linglong Tyre Co., Ltd. has selected Cimcorp as its strategic partner for tyre plant automation, and the Finnish manufacturer and integrator of turnkey robotic tyre-handling and order fulfilment solutions is currently working on two projects for Linglong. In addition, Cimcorp will provide solutions for Linglong Tire’s new greenfield facility in Jingmen, China.
On Saturday 17 March, vehicle manufacturer Geely Auto held its Annual Supplier Conference in Sanya, China, and one of the companies honoured with a ‘Best Partner’ award during the proceedings was Linglong Tire. The tyre maker states that this award from Geely represents the “biggest affirmation” of its activities last year.
As Linglong Tire notes, China imports more than 80 per cent of the natural rubber its manufacturers use. The company views rubber sourced from dandelions as a potential strategic raw material in the coming years, and in order to promote the industrialisation of dandelion rubber, it plans to invest RMB 30 million (£3.4 million) to set up a new company. The tentative name for this firm is Linglong Dandelion Science and Technology Development Company.
The establishment of Atlas as Shandong Linglong Tire’s flagship tyre brand in China has been further reinforced by the opening of the first Atlas-branded retail outlet within the country. The centre in Guangzhou aims to meet the “highest industry standards” in regards to design, equipment, products, service, scale and professionality, comments the tyre maker.
Joint developmental work between Shandong Linglong Tire and the Beijing University of Chemical Technology recently bore fruit with the successful production of 3D printed polyurethane tyres. The tyre maker comments that this 3D tyre printing is a first in China.
Chinese tyre maker Shandong Linglong Tire co. Ltd. has opened new subsidiaries in Luxembourg and Mexico City. According to Linglong Tire the Mexico tyre unit, Elite Faith Mexico, S.A. DE C.V., and Luxembourg investment unit Linglong Luxembourg S.à r.l, will engage in the import and export of tyres and raw materials required for their manufacture.
