Kraiburg and Nortenha See EM Potential

Kraiburg, the Austrian-based supplier of retreading materials and equipment, has been working in partnership with Portuguese retreader, and ex-Recamic licensee, Nortenha since the beginning of 2007.
As well as co-operating closely in the heavy truck tyre retreading segment, both companies see great potential for more intensified co-operation in the earthmover segment; a segment which Kraiburg Sales & Marketing Director Holger Düx was highlighted on the company’s stand at this year’s Essen show.

With its newly-established EM segment, Kraiburg says that it is now one of the few suppliers to cover all processes, i.e. the precure, mould cure and smooth and groove processes. Northenha recently invested in these segments, adding a 300,000 euros robot-controlled “MGT One 63″ buffing machine, including a peeling and grooving unit, plus a new extruder and autoclave. These investments mean that smooth and groove and precure retreading can now be offered for tyre sizes of up to 57”.

Nortenha is more than just a retreader, covering the tyre life cycle from cradle to grave; not only is the company one of Portugal’s largest retailer of new tyres, it produces car, truck and earthmover retreads as well as mats and rubber granulate from shredded tyres. Scrap tyres are also used in heat generation, making Nortenha an energy supplier into the bargain.
Managing Director José Gomes says: “It is not only our size, but also the wide range of our activities that make us one of the leading retreaders in Portugal, which is a market in which some 30 retreaders are still active.” Northenha looks well placed to be successful on the Iberian Peninsula for the future too, with a distribution network that covers all of Portugal (including the islands) and parts of Spain. Products are predominantly sold to fleets under mileage-based agreements and to building sites and mining enterprises.

The company was founded by Antonio Gomes almost 50 years ago and has been under the management of his sons José, Antonio and Lurdes since 1990. In 1996, the company moved from Porto to Penafiel, where the production facility was rebuilt out of town. The complex also includes an administration block and one of Nortenha’s 10 tyre sales outlets, complete with integrated service station. Around 200 staff are employed.

José Gomes paid tribute to “the successful co-operation and professional support” shown by Kraiburg since the beginning of the partnership and looks forward to its continuation, adding: “With a strong partner like Kraiburg, we are confident that we will be able to master the coming challenges posed by an increasingly globalised market.”