Nokian Tyres Opening First US Vianor Outlets

Nokian Tyres is expanding its Vianor retail chain into the US following the purchase of the Goss Tire Company on October 25. The five tyre outlets in the state of Vermont and one in New York State operated by the US retailer will bring the total number of Vianor outlets in operation up to 340, but will be the first outside of Europe and the former Soviet bloc countries.

The acquisition of Goss Tire enables Nokian to increase its tyre sales and gain access to consumer sales in the US market. Vianor Holding Oy managing director Seppo Kupi said that the company is aiming in the near future to further expand Vianor’s US operations in the area of winter tyres. The 40 people employed by Goss Tire will continue working for the new US Vianor operation.

Vianor now operates outlets in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and the USA. Nokian Tyres owns 174 outlets and the others operate on a franchising basis. The Vianor chain is currently undergoing rapid expansion, particularly in Russia, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine.