ZC Rubber has opened a European subsidiary – Zhongce Europe GmbH (ZC Europe). According to the leading Chinese manufacturer, the new subsidiary focuses on the expansion of the European market especially in the OE sector and “improving market shares by exploring the market with local mentality and by providing more services”. It is the fourth branch of ZC Rubber on the global market after Thailand, Brazil and America.
ZC Rubber is to open a new Goodride Autospace flagship store, located at Samut Sakhon in Thailand. According to the company, the store covers 1600 square metres and is the second Autospace store in Thailand opened by ZC Rubber. At beginning of 2017, the company opened its first overseas Autospace store – a Westlake-branded version in Rayong, Thailand.
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.
ZC Rubber has established an OE supply relationship with Linde (China) Forklift Truck Corp., Ltd. supplying “premium OTR tyres for the forklifts in Linde”.
Linde (China), established in 1993, is the Asian R&D, manufacturing, sales and service base of Linde Material Handling, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial forklift trucks, headquartered in Aschaffenburg, Germany.
ZC Rubber has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Bekaert, the global top steel cord supplier. The new arrangement will focus on the development of steel cord on green tyre.
ZC Rubber Thailand has added a new production line for motorcycle tyres to support the market in Southeast Asian market. The manufacturer also launched its first bias industrial tyre.
ZC Rubber and Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences have announced their new Research & Development centre for rubber and novel environmental-friendly green materials. According to China’s largest tyre manufacturer, the centre will focus on the development on the rubber and materials for smart production, new energy and green material.
The latest CRIA data, which was released by Chinese tyre industry association CRIA on 12 April, shows that Zhongce Rubber Group (also known as ZC Rubber) remains the number tyre manufacturer in China in terms of income, with 2016 sales of 18.38 billion yuan (RMB). Giti Tire’s Chinese operation (Giti Tire [China] Investment Co., Ltd.) trails by more than 6 billion yuan, but is a clear second place with 13.14 billion yuan in 2016 ahead of Sailun Jinyu Group, which reported income of 11.19 billion yuan last year.
The ZC Rubber factory in Thailand is gaining a new line for the production of industrial tyres. The Chinese manufacturer shares that skid steer, telehandler, backhoe and pneumatic cross-ply forklift tyres will join the plant’s production portfolio when the new line enters operation next month.
ZC Rubber’s first dealer conference of 2017 saw tyre dealers from Africa invited to meet in Dubai. The conference focused on introducing new goal and development strategy in 2017.
Westlake tyres is supplying global transport and logistics firm DSV with tyres for 3000 commercial vehicle trailers as the sole original equipment fitment. According to Westlake representatives, the latest news comes as part of a strategy for Westlake to expand in the OE market for the fleets in Europe during the coming year.
Grouptyre held its annual National Sales Conference in mid-January at the Holiday Inn just off the M6 in Birmingham. Hosted by Paul Hollows, Grouptyre’s commercial director, the meeting gave the organisation the opportunity to present its 2017 plans to its sales teams, who had converged on Birmingham from all corners of the UK. The Conference was opened by Grouptyre chairman Gary Oliver, who in his opening address touched on the constant challenges which we all face not only in the industry, but the wider world.
Autospace, ZC Rubber’s retail chain, opened its first branch in Thailand on 18 January 2017. The new branch is also the firm’s first overseas flagship store.
During the course of January’s Autosport Show in Birmingham, Tyres & Accessories met up with the directors of relative newcomer Westlake Motorsport Europe. While Westlake branded car and truck tyres are distributed by Zenises across many European markets, the Chinese manufacturer behind the brand (Hangzhou Zhongce a.k.a ZC Rubber) has chosen to distribute its motorsport tyres separately to that.
Under an agreement entered into with ZC Rubber Group Co. Ltd. and the Pneuhage Company Group, Danish transport and logistics company DSV A/S has gained exclusive distributor rights for the Westlake tyre brand in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. DSV will cooperate closely with official ZC Rubber European distributor Pneuhage to offer Westlake tyres to contracted hauliers and the wider commercial vehicle market in the four countries.
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