RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2008) — Kumho Tire Co. Ltd. officially has opened a tire plant in Nanjing, China, its fourth in that country.
The firm on Nov. 7 started up the $100 million plant, which covers about 90,000 sq.-ft. of space. The radial truck and bus tire facility will be capable of producing 300,000 units annually, Kumho said.
The company expects China's market for truck and bus tires to grow between 25 and 30 percent each year.
Kumho, which said it is the No. 1 passenger tire maker in China, operates three other tire factories in China, in Nanjing, Tianjin and Changchun. The firm established a research and development center in Tianjin in 2006, which includes the latest testing facilities for chemical analysis and performance tests.
The tire maker also has started building its first tire plant in the U.S., but on Nov. 11 announced it has postponed that project for now because of the downturn in the world economy and the U.S. tire market.