Bridgestone & Towell Open Oman Bandag Retreading Plant

Bridgestone and its exclusive distributor in Oman, Towell Auto Centre LLC, have jointly opened a Bandag retreading facility near the capital city Muscat. The plant, located in Mabella, has the capacity to retread 26,000 tyres per annum. Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE president Shoichi Sakuma indicates that approximately $1.5 million has been invested in the facility. “This is our fifth retread facility in the region,” Sakuma commented. Bandag also operates plants in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The new factory will, in accordance with local regulations, restrict its retreading activities to commercial vehicle tyres for 20-inch and larger rim sizes.

Retread usage in Oman is relatively low. “Currently, our study shows that retreading is only 16 per cent of the new replacement market in truck and bus segment in Oman,” reported Sakuma while visiting Oman for the facility’s official opening. “The developed nations have a ratio of 40 to 50 per cent to that of new replacement market. So, we have sufficient market potential to achieve our targets.” He further commented that the Bandag retreads produced there will be able to offer a “very cost efficient” product – one that delivers 80 to 90 per cent of a new tyre’s life at 50 per cent of the cost.