Zhongce Rubber Group (Zhongce) has acquired Tianjin United Tire & Rubber International Co, Ltd (TUTRIC), the manufacturer of the Tianli off-the-road tyre brand. The acquisition means Zhongce will expand its business into the agricultural and giant OTR tyre segments, while bolstering its already strong offering to OTR and industrial tyre markets. Established in 1985 in the coastal city of Tianjin, near Beijing, TUTRIC manufactures 35,000 tonnes of OTR and agricultural tyres per year. The TUTRIC factory at Tianjin covers an area of 480,000sqm, employing more than 1,000 people. Zhongce says the acquisition is the next step in its continued global expansion. The manufacturer is China’s largest tyre-maker, and the world’s ninth biggest in Tyres & Accessories’ 2021 ranking.