Cooper Tire has entered into a multi-year manufacturing off-take agreement with Sailun Vietnam Co. for the production of truck and bus radial (TBR) tires for global markets. This will become the OEM’s third source of TBR tires globally and will enable Cooper to meet growing customer needs. Tires manufactured are to include Roadmaster, Dean and Starfire products.
“Cooper has been expanding its TBR business in both the replacement and original equipment segments. The Sailun facility in Tay Ninh, Vietnam, where our TBR tires will be produced, is a state-of-the-art plant with an experienced team that is committed to outstanding product quality. We look forward to working with them as we continue to grow our TBR business and meet customer demand for our products,” said Brad Hughes, Cooper president and CEO.
Cooper also plans to open a new distribution center to supply the north American markets in San Bernardino, California, with TBR tires. The 400,000ft2 facility, which will be leased, is scheduled to open in spring this year.
Meanwhile, further expanding its product distribution network in the USA, the tire maker also has plans to open a new 1,000,000ft2 warehouse in Byhalia, Mississippi. The facility, which will be held under lease, is currently under construction and is slated to open in the autumn of this year.
It is anticipated that the project will create approximately 100 new jobs in the region. It will be Cooper’s largest distribution center in the country and has been designed to enable expansion for an additional 400,000ft2 as needed.
Centrally located near to Cooper’s three US tire manufacturing plants in Findlay, Ohio; Texarkana, Arkansas; and Tupelo, Mississippi, the new facility will enable the tire maker to efficiently consolidate and distribute products directly to customers as well as supply its regional distribution centers.
“This new facility will enhance our logistics infrastructure, which supports our efforts to offer exceptional service to our customers by helping us get tires to them when and where they want them,” said Bob Sager, Cooper’s director of supply chain.
“This facility is a complement to our current US distribution network that includes six regional distribution centers and three plant manufacturing warehouses, adding to our capability to be flexible and responsive.”
February 14, 2018
