This week, Nokian Tyres North America began commercial scale production of passenger car and light truck tires at its new plant in Dayton, Tennessee. Construction began 30 months ago and trial production began 8 months ago. At full capacity, the $830M factory will have a capacity of 4M PC/LT tires per year.
March 11, 2020
January 10, 2018
Notch updates report on Insoluble Sulfur
Notch Consulting has updated its report World Markets for Insoluble Sulfur. The report provides a detailed analysis of the global market for insoluble sulfur, a vulcanizing agent used primarily in radial tires, belting, and hoses. The 51-page report includes 13 tables detailing IS demand by region, market, and grade, as well as pricing, production capacity, expansion projects, annual sales by company, and profiles of leading competitors. Companies profiled in the report include China Sunsine Chemical Holdings; Eastman Chemical; Oriental Carbon & Chemicals Limited; Sennics Co., Inc.; Shanghai Jinghai Chemical; Shikoku Chemicals Corp.; Weifang Jiahong Chemical; and Wuxi Huasheng Rubber Technical. Contact Notch as info @ notchconsulting.com for more info.
March 16, 2015
Notch publishes report on global market for insoluble sulfur
Notch Consulting is pleased to announce the publication of World Markets for Insoluble Sulfur 2015, an update of a report covering the global outlook for insoluble sulfur (IS), a non-blooming vulcanizing agent used in rubber components requiring a high degree of stickiness or tack, particularly radial tires, belting, and hoses. This 51-page report includes 11 tables detailing insoluble sulfur demand by region, market, and grade, as well as pricing, production capacity, expansion projects, and annual sales by company. The report is presented in PDF format and includes a separate Excel spreadsheet providing extensive supplemental data, including details on tire plant expansions worldwide. The report provides annual insoluble sulfur demand for all years from 2005 through 2014, as well as forecasts for all years from 2015 to 2020. Volume demand is broken out by major market (passenger tires, truck tires, all other tires, and non-tire rubber goods), by region (North America, European Union, China, Other Asia/Pacific, and Other Regions), and by grade (standard, high thermal stability, and high dispersability). Contact Notch Consulting at info @ notchconsulting.com for more information or to order.
April 14, 2014
Tiremakers continue to invest in the United States
Tire Business has an overview of the current slate of tire plant expansions underway or planned for the United States. This includes major projects by Bridgestone, Continental, Hankook, Michelin, Toyo, and Yokohama. The article confirms industry rumors that Korean tiremaker Kumho Tire USA Inc. plans to restart a long-stalled project to build a new tire plant in Georgia. Notch Consulting is tracking $4.5 billion in new investment in tire capacity in the United States from 2012 through 2020.
February 24, 2014
Notch updates report on insoluble sulfur
Notch Consulting is pleased to announce the publication of World Markets for Insoluble Sulfur, a new report covering the global outlook for insoluble sulfur (IS), a non-blooming vulcanizing agent used in rubber components requiring a high degree of stickiness or tack, particularly radial tires, belting, and hoses. This report was last published in June 2009 but will be updated annually from now on. This 47-page report includes 10 tables detailing IS demand by region, market, and grade, as well as pricing, production capacity, expansion projects, and annual sales by company. The report is presented in PDF format and includes a separate Excel spreadsheet providing extensive supplemental data, including details on tire plant expansions worldwide. The report provides annual IS demand for all years from 2005 through 2012, as well as forecasts for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2020. Volume demand is provided in tonnes and is broken out by major market (passenger tires, truck tires, all other tires, and non-tire rubber goods). Demand is also provided by region for major grades: standard, HS (high thermal stability), and HD (high dispersability).
Contact Notch Consulting at info AT notchconsulting.com for details or to order the report.
September 22, 2013
Bridgestone considering new tire plant in Turkey
On September 19, Bridgestone Corporation announced that Brisa Bridgestone Sabancı Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Brisa) is evaluating potential sites for a possible new passenger car radial tire plant in Turkey. Brisa already operates a tire plant in İzmit that produces passenger car radial tires, truck and bus radial tires. Brisa was established in 1988 as a joint venture with Sabancı Holding, and the plant started the plant began production in 1990. The company did not provide details about plant size or a completion schedule.
June 14, 2013
Michelin closing two tire plants in Colombia
Michelin announced this week that it was shutting down its Colombian subsidiary Icollantas. The decision will result in the closure of two plants: the Chusaca plant produces truck tires, while the plant in Cali produces passenger car tires. The decision will affect about 460 workers. The shut-downs are expected to be completed over summer 2013.
Michelin said in a press release:
In response to more than a decade of substantial annual losses in Colombia, which repeated investments have failed to stem, Michelin has decided to discontinue the manufacturing operations of its local subsidiary Icollantas. Due to its insufficient size and other local economic factors, the unit has never managed to be competitive.
The decision leaves Colombian with just one tire plant: Goodyear’s plant in Cali that produces passenger car, truck, ag, and OTR tires.
October 3, 2012
Bridgestone moving forward with big US expansions
Rubber News (subscription required) reports that Bridgestone Americas is progressing steadily on two expansion projects in South Carolina that entail more than $1.2 billion in investments. The projects involves an expansion of an existing PC/LT tire plant in Aiken County and the construction of a new OTR radial tire plant at a site about four miles away.
When its expansion is completed, the passenger and light truck tire plant will have a capacity of 37,750 tires per day. The two-phase project will cost nearly $350 million and is scheduled for completion in April 2015, according to Plant Manager John Stewart.
The OTR tire plant will cost about $900 million, and the facility will be the company’s first outside of Japan to use its radial tire technology for giant tires, said Norvel Smith, the factory’s general manager. Bridgestone expects to produce the first tire at the new plant in the first quarter of 2014, and the plant will reach full production in 2020, when it will have capacity to process 130 metric tons of rubber daily, producing tires from 49 to 63 inches in diameter.
May 29, 2012
Nokian will cut back tire production in Finland as its new Russian plant begins production
Nokian is scheduled to begin production at its new factory in Vsevolozhsk, Russia in June 2012. The factory is built alonside an existing plant. Two new production lines are scheduled to begin this year, with two more to begin production in 2013 and 2014. At that time, the plant’s annual capacity will be six million tires and the two Russian factories will have a combined annual capacity of approximately 17 million tires.
As production increases in Russia, Nokian is reducing work at its home factories. Starting in July, production at the tiremaker’s plant in Nokia will be cut back to a five day per week schedule. According to the company, the plant will continue to produce primarily for the Nordic countries. The modified production plan will lead to a cut in outsourced labour and the elimination of around 120 jobs. Nokian says a 30 million euro modernisation plan being carried out in the Nokia factory will enable it to operate with a lower workforce.
May 21, 2012
Oriental Carbon & Chemicals adds insoluble sulfur capacity in India
On May 15, Oriental Carbon & Chemicals Ltd. of Kolkata, India commissioned the second 5,500 mtpa phase of its 11,000 mtpa expansion project for insoluble sulfur at its facility in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Mundra, Gujarat.
The company made the announcement with a brief statement to the BSE.