Jiangsu General Technology establishes US tyremaking subsidiary
Jiangsu General Technology Co., Ltd. is establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Georgia, US, which is likely to be called General Rubber (North America) Limited.
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ZC Rubber installs artificial intelligence system
ZC Rubber has installed a smart factory project based on the ET industrial brain artificial-intelligence (AI) service system for manufacturing launched by Alibaba Cloud. The goal is to “greatly improve the production in the factories”, according to the company. The cooperation between ZC Rubber and Alibaba Cloud reportedly started at the end of 2016.
Michelin unveils European Distribution Centre in Stoke-on-Trent
Michelin Tyre has unveiled a new 53,500 square metre European Distribution Centre (EDC) at its UK headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent. The EDC came following £10 million of investment and has helped create 100 logistics and customer service jobs over the last 12 months.
In addition, work has begun on an additional 12,000 square metre warehouse for Michelin’s truck retread factory, also on Campbell Road. This new project is due to be completed by the end of this year.
Intermediate segment tyre production to benefit from Michelin investment in Romania
An investment of 33 million euros is planned for the Michelin factory in Zalău, Romania in order to equip it to produce commercial vehicle tyres for the intermediate segment of the market, including Tigar brand products. In a press release, Michelin shared that the investment will lead to 100 new jobs at the plant by 2021, increasing the facility’s workforce to more than 1,200. This latest investment follows Michelin’s decision to invest 60 million euros in its tyre cord facility in Zalău.
Linglong Serbia plant talks continue
On 23 June Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić’s inauguration ceremony was held in Belgrade. Wang Feng, chairman and president of Linglong Tire, was invited to attend the inauguration ceremony in a move that suggests communications relating to Linglong’s proposed investment in a European tyre manufacturing plant are still open.
Kerr’s Tyres & Auto to invest £2 million creating 15 new jobs
Kerr’s Tyres & Auto, a family-run business first established in 2002, has announced plans to invest in its current premises throughout the province with plans to open a further two additional centres over the next two years. This means investing up to £2 million in the business, creating at least 15 new jobs and a new training facility designed to help with upskilling fitters.
New Algerian tyre plant to feature Cimcorp logistics automation
Cimcorp has received an order to supply logistics automation facilities to a brand-new tyre plant in Algeria. The factory is a new venture for the Algerian consumer electronics and household appliances group, Saterex. With huge growth in sales of products marketed under its leading ‘Iris’ brand, Saterex is diversifying into tyre manufacture. The new plant is being built in Setif, 300 km east of Algiers, and will be the first tyre factory in Algeria since Michelin Group closed its plant in the capital in 2013.
Scottish Enterprise investing £4.5 million in Michelin Dundee plant project
Demand for larger tyre sizes continues to increase, and Michelin intends to better equip its Dundee factory for their production through a project being implemented at a total cost of £16.5 million. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday that Michelin’s own investment will be supported by a £4.5 million Environmental Protection Grant from Scottish Enterprise.
Millbrook expanding Test World facilities in Finland
Millbrook Group is to expand its Test World site in Finland, which will see it become Europe’s leading location for tyre testing. The project will increase the capacity for testing on natural snow and ice, and introduce wet and dry braking, aquaplaning and split friction surfaces. News of the expansion project was announced on 12 June.
CAMCE signs to build Morocco tyre plant with Tijan Petroleum
On 15 May CAMCE signed a commercial contract with Tijan Petroleum Co. Ltd. to build a new tyre plant in Morocco. According to local news reports, CAMCE vice president Hu Wei signed the contract with Tijan vice president Ibrahim Khayat witnessed by chairman Luo Yan of CAMCE and executive vice president Ahmed Khayat of Tijan.
Evonik and Wacker back German technology fund
Evonik and Wacker Chemie are among the investors in a $335 million fund intended to finance young start-up firms in Germany, both companies announced. The country’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the German state-run KfW Development Bank are the main investors in the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) III, which will also help the start-ups put their business concepts into practice.
Linglong considering European factory
Shandong province, China-based Linglong Tires is considering a European factory. In the wake of media reports, Tyres & Accessories spoke with company representatives and learnt that a number of locations in both Eastern and Western Europe are being considered.
Nokian to invest $360 million in new US tyre factory
Nokian Tyres’ board of directors has authorized its management to sign a letter of intent with the respective authorities to build a new tyre manufacturing facility in America. The new greenfield factory will be located in Dayton (Rhea County), Tennessee, USA. It will concentrate on the production of passenger, SUV and light truck tyres that are sold exclusively or primarily in the North American market. The annual capacity of the factory will be 4 million tyres with an expansion potential in the future. About 400 people are expected to be employed.
Continental to continue investing in China
During the Continental AG press conference at the Auto Shanghai show in China, chief executive officer Dr Elmar Degenhart confirmed that the company intends to continue investing in China “at a comparable level” to recent years. Continental has invested €1.3 billion in the country over the past half a decade. Degenhart also commented that Continental anticipates its sales will grow at a faster rate than the market in China, particularly in the field of mobility services.
Continental: Total Lousado investment to reach €150M
Continental is to realise a substantial increase in production capacity at its tyre plant in Lousado, Portugal. The company’s Tire division intends to invest a total of some €150 million by the end of 2018. The aim is not only to further expand annual passenger car tyre production capacity from its current level of approximately 18 million units, but also to set up a production facility for agricultural tyres in Lousado. At present, production at the site mainly focuses on standard car van and light commercial vehicle tyres.
