Cooper/Kenda Facility Reaches Milestone Ahead of Schedule

Cooper Tire has reported the most successful ramp-up programme ever achieved by the company. In August, Cooper Kenda Tire reached the milestone of building and curing more than 10,000 tyres a day – a significant accomplishment, considering the CKT factory in Kunshan, west of Shanghai, has only been in production for 17 months. According to Hal Miller, president of Cooper International Tire Division, the team at CKT reached a monthly schedule that has never been seen before at the company’s other plants, a feat he attributes to the dedicated Cooper Kenda staff, and the leadership of CKT general manager John Ebert. Significant support from Cooper North American and European operations also contributed, added Miller.

Mr. Ebert said he was extremely proud of the accomplishment. The manufacturing facility has already reached 25 per cent of its ultimate capacity in just 17 months, Ebert further commented, adding that he was impressed that the 10,000 tyre milestone was reached a month or two ahead of plan. Groundbreaking for the factory took place on February 19, 2006, and production commenced on March 21, 2007.