The tire maker’s new passenger and light truck tire production facility will be built in the province of Rayong. In the first phase, the facility will have an annual capacity of approximately four million tires by 2022. Investment will total around €250m (US$270m).
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2017 and operations due to commence in 2019. The facility is expected to create 900 new jobs in Thailand.
The 750,000m² site offers good infrastructure and the ability for capacity expansion enabling an annual output of up to 25 million tires. It is only 140km from Bangkok and 60km from Laem Chabang where there is a deep-sea port, and several universities are also nearby.
“The site selection process was very complex. We had to take into account not only the proximity to markets and our customers, but infrastructure elements and also the workforce available as well as educational institutions which will support us in recruiting skilled employees,” noted Michael Egner, project manager for the new factory.
Philipp von Hirschheydt, head of the replacement business unit for the APAC region and passenger light truck tires, said, “With the decision to build our new tire site in Thailand we will strengthen our presence in both the Thai market and the rest of the APAC region. This plant will strongly support our planned business growth in both original equipment and replacement business for passenger and light truck tires and further establish our customer relations in both segments.”
