Under what it calls a “historic investment,” Bridgestone EMEA will increase production capacity, particularly for 18-inch and larger rim diameters, at its Burgos passenger vehicle tyre manufacturing site in Spain. The company intends to invest up to 207 million euros in a project that aims to “raise tyre manufacturing to the highest level of excellence and sustainability.”
In November Michelin announced it would lay off 176 workers at two Spanish plants in response to forecasted weak demand, and this month it will – albeit for an entirely different reason – halt production at four facilities within the country for a two-day period.
Nokian Tyres has extended the availability of its Intuitu smart tyres to the Spanish market, following their launch in Finland and France. The product is designed to bring digital transformation to farming, agricultural and municipal contracting tyres, making a fleet’s vital tyre data available on a smartphone. The plug-and-play product was released in 2020; Intuitu tyres have sensors mounted on the inner lining, which send pressure and temperature readings directly to the driver’s smartphone via a downloadable app.
The gradual rollout of the Nokian Tyres Intuitu smart tyre solution for agricultural and contracting applications continues with the extension of availability to a third market. In addition to Finland and France, Nokian Tyres Intuitu is now marketed in Spain.
During the second quarter of 2023 exports of Spanish automotive equipment and components rose +7.6 per cent year-on-year, totalling 8,049 million euros. Between May and August, EU27 countries represented the biggest export grouping, amounting to a 67.1 per cent share of global export figures. The value of exports to EU countries rose +11.4 per cent in the period, reaching €5,400 million.
Tiresur, a major distributor of passenger vehicle, commercial and off-highway tyres in the Iberian Peninsula, has begun work on its sixth warehouse. When completed, the 20,000 square metre facility in the Spanish city of Burgos will provide storage for more than 450,000 tyres and boast 20 loading bays. The wholesaler says this new facility will bring it even closer to customers within the region and in Europe.
Point S reports “impressive early growth” in its Spanish network. Since launching in this Iberian market in April 2023, nine points of sale in locations such as Barcelona, León, Bilbao, and Navarra have joined the global Point S family.
Hankook’s newest Ventus Race tyre, the C54 H, a slightly lighter model than its predecessor, made its debut at the Hankook 24H Barcelona. The European finale of the 24H Series powered by Hankook proved a fitting challenge for the new tyre, subjecting it to high levels of stress on the coarse asphalt and unique kerbs of the Formula 1 hosting circuit in Catalonia. Hankook says the new Ventus Race passed these tests with flying colours, helping the overall winner to set a new record distance of 725 laps.
Approximately three-quarters of the funds that Qingdao Sentury Tire Co. Ltd. needs to set up a factory in Spain have been secured through a share issue. On 22 August, the tyre maker informed the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that it had issued 94,307,847 shares to 20 parties at a price of RMB 26.69 (£2.93, US$3.68) per share, raising approximately RMB 2.8 billion (£307.1 million, $386.4 million).
Grupo Soledad has won the contract to supply and maintain tyres for the Spanish National Police fleet. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior reportedly chose Grupo Soledad, which will supply and fit Nexen tyres for Spanish National Police cars, based on the distributor’s “quality and service proposal”.
Last Friday we reported on the first Point S outlets in Macau. Closer to home, Point S International shares news of expansion in the Iberian Peninsula. Entry into the Spanish market means Point S now operates in 26 countries across Europe. Globally, Point S is now present in 51 countries.
At the end of May, Sentury published details relating to the development of its overseas factories. The tyremaker said data for April and May 2023 showed that its production capacity was temporarily unable to meet orders. Therefore, the company believes there is an urgent need to increase production capacity in order to meet customer demand. According to Sentury’s statement, the overseas tyre traders and retailers they cooperate with include Discount Tire, OAK Tyres, Inter-Sprint, American Omni and Turbo Wholesale.
While Sentury recently confirmed it is investing in a factory across the Mediterranean in Morocco, on 27 March 2023 officials once again confirmed that the Spain factory is set to begin construction this year. In addition, at the same time, executives agreed to prioritise the employment of ex-Endesa workers when the local power station closes. Indeed, the mayor of Las Pontes, Valentín González Formoso, and Qin Long, president of Sentury Tire, signed an agreement to that effect.
Grupo Andrés, a leading tyre distributor in the Iberian Peninsula, has acquired a 20% stake in specialist financial management consultancy iFinanciera. Explaining the decision to invest, Javier Andrés Herrera states that involvement in iFinanciera is closely linked to the development and growth of Grupo Andrés’ own companies and provides important synergies.
Following the departure of Sentury’s Spain factory project’s general manager, Warren Rudman, Sentury’s senior executives have taken up the reins of Sentury Tire (Spain), according to local business publication Economia Digital Galicia.
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