SRI Breaks Ground of Thailand Factory

Construction work for Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd.’s Thailand factory officially got underway following a groundbreaking ceremony on 1 August. Approximately fifty people including government officials, police representatives and other guests as well as Thai president Tetsuharu Mino attended the ceremony. The factory is due to start production early in 2007. It will produce high quality tyres under a new efficient production system named Taiyo. Capacity is expected to reach 8,000 units per day by the end of 2007. SRI told local news sources that it is aiming for a 10 per cent market share in the ASEAN nations in the coming years.