The Europe, Middle East, India and Africa headquarters of Bridgestone has been relocated to the outskirts of Brussels, Belgium. The new sustainable office is located a small distance from the tire maker’s previous headquarters at the Corporate Village in Zaventem.

 Spread out over three floors, the new facility will house Bridgestone’s sales, retail, tire solutions and support function teams. Through a bespoke design, the office space enables employees to benefit from flexible working, with additional meeting spaces having been added and fitted out with a range of new technology to facilitate collaboration with other international Bridgestone teams around the world.

Continue reading Bridgestone relocates EMIA headquarters at Tire Technology International.

With a view to expanding company business within the USA, tire maker GRI has opened a new corporate office facility in the Frontier RTP Building 600 at the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina.

The facility will be used by the manufacturer for the development of products aimed specifically at the North American market, and also to improve logistics and sales operations within the country.

“As we rapidly expand our specialty tire business across the US, we realized that a corporate office with experienced staff to cater to the growing needs of our customer base had now become vital,” commented Prabhash Subasinghe, managing director, GRI.

Continue reading GRI opens corporate office in North Carolina at Tire Technology International.

A strategic move has been announced by Nexen Tire America in which the company will relocate its US headquarters to Richfield, Ohio, to join its North American technical center.

The relocation decision was made shortly after the tire manufacturer identified several key benefits for its US customers. By moving to the central location, Nexen will be able to ensure that the priorities of its customers can continue to be met and it will also enable the company to strategize ways to increase the frequency of traveling to customers. In addition to this, Nexen will enhance its operational efficiency and provide on-going training and support for its dealers in the country.

Continue reading Nexen Tire America relocates headquarters at Tire Technology International.

Toyo has announced a significant restructuring of the various divisions within the company, with several departments being dissolved and incorporated into other business areas.

The company hopes that the reorganization, effective October 1, 2020, will improve its design capabilities for high-level performance tires and its product development capabilities for customer-oriented products, and will reinforce the development of technological advances it sees as being relevant in preparation for the shift in the way society views mobility.

Notably, its Product Development division has been dissolved and integrated into its Technology Development division, run by Tamotsu Mizutani. Meanwhile, its Advanced Process Development division has also been disbanded and the New Production Method Development department and the Process Design Development department, both formerly operating under this division, have been transferred to the Technology Development division and the Central Research Center, respectively.

Continue reading Toyo restructures design and development divisions at Tire Technology International.

Korean tire manufacturer Hankook has expanded its footprint in Europe with the opening of a new office for the Austrian and Swiss markets in Vienna Schwechat. This new base will help the company to achieve its goal of growing its sales in the region and establishing a double-digit market share in Austria and Switzerland. Through the opening of the branch Hankook will also be able to service these markets more efficiently.

Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe, said, “For us, developing the Swiss and Austrian markets with a new branch office is essential for Hankook’s strategic expansion in Europe.

Continue reading Hankook Tire opens office for Austrian and Swiss markets at Tire Technology International.

As the fifth anniversary of the merger between BST and eltromat arrives, BST eltromat International is setting a course for further growth. The company has acquired a 22,000m² plot of land in Bielefeld-Altenhagen, Germany, where it will build a new headquarters.

“Our goal is to offer employees an extremely comfortable and modern working environment where they can develop and exercise their creativity to the greatest extent possible. The new building gives us the opportunity to try new things and optimize our processes, including our customer-facing activities,” explained the MD of BST eltromat, Kristian Jünke (pictured).

Employees from both the company’s Leopoldshöhe location and the current headquarters in Heidsieker Heide, Bielefeld, will move into the new, generously-sized building, which will be designed for maximum functionality from top to bottom and will also house a large demo center.

Continue reading Five years of BST eltromat is marked with new headquarters at Tire Technology International.

Inaugurated on April 5, BKT’s new headquarters in Seregno, Italy, will serve as a base for the tire maker in Europe.

“Creating our new headquarters was more than just an architectural project – it was also strategic,” explained Lucia Salmaso, CEO of BKT Europe.

“We are constantly striving to increase our presence and market share in Europe and, above all, to get closer to our European OEM customers. Our goal is to strengthen the BKT brand with original equipment manufacturers, and we know how to achieve this. We have already opened many doors with our aftermarket references and continue forging ahead with new opportunities.

Continue reading BKT inaugurates European headquarters in Italy at Tire Technology International.

Cimcorp will open a new facility in Chennai, India, this June, which will enable the company to be more attentive to its customers needs and serve them quicker.

Masatoshi Wakabayashi, CEO at Cimcorp, said, “The decision to expand our presence into India was a logical step. Our office is located in Chennai to enhance our ability to serve both current and future customers in India.

“The facility will also be our customer support location for Indian clients, enabling us to expand the comprehensive service network we provide in partnership with our parent company, Murata Machinery Ltd.”

Cimcorp’s decision to establish a base in Chennai is in response to the growing demand for automation in India’s tire industry and strengthens the company’s position as a leader in material flow automation for tire manufacturing.

Continue reading Cimcorp opens India office; appoints new head of operations in India at Tire Technology International.

Xingda Steel Tyre Cord has established an office in Luxembourg, enabling it to better serve customers in Europe while also expanding its footprint.

Senior execs celebrated at the opening ceremony in December last year, which was also attended by world-renowned rubber and tire manufacturers.

The company is systematically increasing its global footprint and also recently established a subsidiary in the USA, Xingda American Company, and has opened a plant in Thailand.

Xingda Steel Tyre Cord produces steel cord, bead wire, hose wire and special steel wire.

The new office will provide technical services to regional rubber and tire manufacturers and enable Xingda Europe to strengthen its relationship with European stakeholders, industry organizations, government, PR agencies and institutions etc.

Continue reading Xingda Steel Tyre Cord opens office in Luxembourg at Tire Technology International.

Specialty chemicals company Lehigh Technologies has expanded its commercial team in Spain responsible for the market and sales development of its micronized rubber powder (MRP) product lines, PolyDyne and MicroDyne. Antón de Castro joins Lluís Molina and Josep Freixas, who have been on the team since 2016.

De Castro previously worked for Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co, and prior to that he was a group product manager at protective coatings firm Hempel. He holds MSc degrees in industrial and chemical engineering.

The addition of De Castro to the team will enable Freixas to focus on the sale of PolyDyn to the tire market across the region.

Continue reading Lehigh Technologies expands commercial team in Spain at Tire Technology International.