Production of Magna Tyres products at the OBO Tyres factory in Hardenberg, the Netherlands, is now well underway. The company acquired OBO Tyres, the largest retreader in the country, in December 2016.
During the grand opening ceremony on January 11, Michael de Ruijter, CEO of the Magna Tyres Group, and René de Vent, alderman – Hardenberg municipality, unveiled the first manufactured tire in the presence of global press and customers.
Ruijter said, “This is a huge development for Magna Tyres Group and an important milestone in the history of the company. The expansion is important because we are struggling to keep up with the fast growing demand for Magna tires.
“We have invested heavily in the factory and can now significantly expand production capacity to meet the increasing demand. Our growing customer base worldwide will greatly benefit from these achievements and we expect it will create new sales opportunities as well. Additional investments have already been made in order to increase press capacity even further.”
At the ceremony members of the press and public questioned whether it is economically viable to produce new tires in the Netherlands. Peter Schrijver, general manager of OBO Tyres, commented, “Our efficiency, lower transport costs and lower import duties make it very cost-effective to produce locally and to invest in more production capacity. From now on the Magna MA02, M-Terrain and AG24 tires are available as a ‘made in Holland’ product and we are very proud of this achievement.”
January 16, 2018
