Kal Tire opens Chile retread and repair centre

Kal Tire reports that its Mining Tire Group has opened a new off-the-road (OTR) tyre retread and repair facility in Antofagasta, Chile.

“Kal Tire has been supporting the Chilean mining industry for many years,” said Pedro Pacheco, vice president operations at Kal Tire Latin America. “Our customers here have been asking us for the ability to retread their tyres, so we’re looking forward to delivering this service to help them grow and remain competitive.”

The new facility, which is approximately 20,000 m2, was built in La Negra, an industrial complex east of Antofagasta located between the port city and an important mining region. Like any Kal Tire OTR retread and repair facility, it will accommodate all tyres sizes up to 63 inches in diameter. There is also room allocated for tyre storage, office space and support services.

“This modern facility will bring to Chile’s mining industry the same value-added services our customers enjoy in Canada, Ghana and England,” continued Pacheco. The plant brings the number of earthmover and retreading plants to five on four continents.

Kal Tire began operating in Chile almost 20 years ago. It was the first international expansion for the organisation. Year-on- year the company has seen growth in both tyre services and sales. “We’ve been doing tyre repairs and retreading truck tyres for approximately 16 years,” explained Pacheco. “But our new facility will enable us to add to our capacity, now offer OTR retread services and deliver in shorter times.”