Following the news that Prinx Chengshan is recalling >500,000 tyres in North America, company representatives confirmed to Tyres & Accessories that the recall only relates to the USA and is not related to Europe or the European markets.
Up to around 541,600 Fortune and Prinx branded tyres are subject to recall in North America. According to information published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Prinx Chengshan Tire North America’s voluntary recall involves certain Fortune Tormenta and Prinx Hicountry light truck tyres sold in the Aftermarket. Documentation related to the recall indicates that the tyres are marked with a sidewall symbol they’re not entitled to in North America.
From the start of September 2024, tyre maker Prinx Chengshan has switched to exclusively using ‘EUDR-ready’ natural rubber. This changeover occurred several months ahead of the European Union’s official deadline of 30 December 2024 and ensures that Prinx Chengshan complies with all regional requirements.
In the UK, Prinx Chengshan is primarily represented in the truck tyre segment by the Fortune brand, with the company also marketing these products across other parts of Europe under the Austone name. While the flagship Prinx brand is exclusively associated with consumer tyres in our region, the manufacturer has now introduced a range of Prinx truck tyres in its domestic market. On 21 August, Prinx Chengshan held a major product launch event in Rongcheng, Shandong, where it unveiled the first high-end Prinx truck tyres for the Chinese market.
In addition to presenting a wide range of new products at The Tire Cologne, Prinx Europe will share details of its newly forged alliance with retreading specialist Marangoni. The company invites visitors to find out more at Hall 8, Stand C 038/D 039 between 4 and 6 June.
Prinx Europe’s Fortune brand is being distributed by Fagdekk, Point S’s Norwegian representative. The collaboration was launched at a gala dinner in Oslo last month. 225 guests from the industry met at the Clarion Congress and Hotel in Oslo on 6 February.
The Fortune brand is a relative newcomer in the UK commercial vehicle tyre market, but behind the range is one of China’s largest and fastest-growing tyre makers. Prinx Chengshan produces the entire Fortune truck tyre line-up in a state-of-the-art facility in Chonburi, Thailand, and recently invited distribution partners from the UK and Europe to see the technology behind this Industry 4.0 plant for themselves. This visit also served as an opportunity to forge stronger business ties as well as to present the latest products within the Fortune portfolio.
During a ceremony held in China on 6 March, TÜV SÜD Group acknowledged Prinx Chengshan with certification that will “serve as a milestone” to “accelerate” the tyre maker’s entry into the European market. The certification agency awarded Prinx Chengshan the VECTO-based (EU) 2017/2400 carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption certification for three commercial vehicle tyre models sold in Europe under the Fortune and Austone brand names – AR 603, TH 135 and TH 155.
In addition to manufacturing truck and passenger vehicle tyres – the former sold in the UK under the Fortune brand name and the latter as Fortune and Prinx tyres – Prinx Chengshan is staking its claim in the off-highway segment. So far, the company has restricted its activities in this area to China, where it has introduced OTR tyres for wide-body mining vehicles, smooth tyres for underground applications, and on-road mining crane tyres. It recently added to this portfolio with two further tyres for wide-body mining vehicles, the ET06 and ET07 in size 16.00R25.
Prinx Chengshan’s 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report (ESG Report) tells us that the company employs 6,144 people, manufactures tyres at plants in China and Thailand, and sells these in three main regions – China, North America and Europe. Its key brands are Prinx, Chengshan, Austone and Fortune.
The tyre industry has long been considered a high-energy consumption industry, and manufacturers based in China have therefore been profoundly impacted by their government’s carbon neutrality and carbon peaking policies. Prinx Chengshan comments that Shandong Province, where its factory in China is located, frequently issues guidance to aid qualitative development within the tyre industry.
From 1 June 2023, Huang Xiaolei will succeed Shi Futao as the chief financial officer of Prinx Chengshan Holdings Limited, the company behind the Prinx, Austone, Fortune and Chengshan tyre brands.
New for 2023, growing wholesaler International Tyres has taken on Blacklion Tyres and Fortune Tyres as exclusive additions to the company’s product portfolio.
Prinx Chengshan Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries report selling 9.394 million tyres during the six months to 30 June 2022, a year-on-year increase of 3.3 per cent. From this total, 3.333 million were all-steel radial tyres and 5.919 million semi-steel radials. Cross-ply tyres accounted for some 142,000 pieces.
Prinx Chengshan is rolling out a new range of European market truck tyres under the Austone and Fortune brand names, and its efforts recently gained a boost when TÜV SÜD awarded the DR606 drive axle pattern its test mark. The tyre maker officially received this distinction during The Tire Cologne, when the head of the TÜV SÜD tyre testing team presented Prinx Chengshan its certification.
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Hasselman; Unsplash