Rubber News reports that Mitas Tires North America continues to expand its new agricultural tire plant in Charles City, Iowa.
New curing presses and tire building equipment have been installed at the plant in the last several months. The company also is adding six curing presses, four tire building machines and other machinery, a process that will continue throughout 2013, according to Pavel Charvat, president of Mitas Tires North America and the Charles City plant director.
The 245,500-sq.-ft. facility, which features production space of about 205,500 square feet, began producing radial farm tires last April. It’s considering a physical expansion to increase its tire storage capacity at the site, he said.
Mitas Tires North America is a subsidiary of Prague, Czech Republic-based Mitas A.S., which has invested about $52 million in the factory. Since its startup in April 2012, the plant has produced about 1,700 metric tons of tires, mainly for customers in the North American market. The plant is expected to reach full production capacity three years earlier than originally planned, according to the company. By year end, the Charles City plant is expected to have production capacity of about 13,500 metric tons of tires a year.