Goodyear to expand Slovenia manufacturing facility
Goodyear will increase capacity at its Slovenian plant by 25 per cent over the next two years
Goodyear announced that it will expand its manufacturing facility in Slovenia to meet the growing demand for premium tyres in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The plant, in Kranj, will be expanded to house new tyre building machinery intended to increase its capacity by a quarter, creating more than 150 new jobs, and reaching full capacity by 2021.
“The demand for premium, larger-rim-diameter consumer tyres is growing across EMEA. To ensure the sustainable growth of our business, Goodyear plans to invest 94 million euros in its plant in Kranj, Slovenia to increase its capacity in this profitable segment,” announced Henry Dumortier, Goodyear’s vice president consumer Europe.
The investment will add 5400 square meters to accommodate advanced tyre building machines, increasing the plant’s overall capacity by approximately 25 per cent. This will allow for production of an additional 1.8 million premium consumer tyres annually. Production will focus on 17- to 19-inch replacement tires in EMEA.
The company expects to create about 160 new positions in Sava, mainly in the production area. The first phase of construction will begin in January 2019, with additional phases planned for 2020 and 2021 to reach full capacity.
“We are extremely proud that Goodyear decided to make this important investment here in Kranj. The decision reflects the company’s trust and confidence in our local team’s high-quality production and is a great recognition of our performance over the last 20 years,’ emphasized Matej Zavrl, managing director of Goodyear’s Slovenian entity.
Since 1998, Goodyear has invested more than 270 million euros to develop its Kranj facility. Continuous improvements enabled Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires (GDST) to grow into one of the biggest and most successful companies in Slovenia, and one of the country’s biggest employers. GDST developed from a local manufacturer of low and middle price range tyres under a single trademark, into a manufacturer of high-quality premium segment tyres. Since first established in 1998, the company has produced more than 130 million tyres.
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