Vianor enters Italian market

Nokian’s Vianor fast-fit network entered southern Europe on July 27 with the opening of an outlet in Montebelluna, Italy. This first Vianor outlet in the region is also the 800th centre the Finnish manufacturer has launched since the first opened for business more than a decade ago.

The company’s entry into the Italian market follows the signing of a master franchise agreement with local tyre distributor, Centro Gomme. Nokian intends to actively expand its Italian network from its new base, which is located some 50 kilometres northwest of Venice; the tyre maker says it will particularly focus upon regions that have winter conditions and winter tyre recommendations.

“The Italian winter tyre market has grown rapidly, and there is great demand for our products,” commented Olli Nuutila, business manager at Nokian Tyres. “Therefore, expanding our distribution channels in Italy is a natural step forward for us. The mountainous regions of northern Italy feature snowy conditions and call for winter tyres that function reliably even in extreme weather. Vianor’s presence in Italy efficiently enables us to offer Nokian winter tyres in these regions. Next, we will develop our sales outlet network to cover all of northern Italy.”

The Montebelluna outlet will serve as a showcase for new Vianor outlet partners in the region, Nokian reports. The centre is equipped with several mounting stations and also offers car servicing and tyre hotel services, with nearly 800 sets of tyres already accommodated on the premises.