AKRON—Mesnac Co. Ltd. plans to open a research and technical center in Akron that it said will develop equipment, processes and systems to meet requirements of its customers based in North and Latin America.
Mesnac, which said it is the second largest producer of equipment for the tire and rubber industry, said the new center will be an extension of its recently established research institute at its headquarters in Qingdao, China. The firm has a similar research and development center in Slovakia to support its European customer base.
The Chinese firm announced its plans during an event Nov. 1 in Akron, with company, government and regional economic development officials in attendance.
Mesnac didn't release its investment in the project, but it said recruitment of personnel is beginning already, with the first phase of the center to employ at least 35 research specialists by 2013. The new facility will be staffed with equipment engineers, material researchers, systems analysts and software engineers.
The equipment firm has made other moves into North America, including its 2011 purchase of Wyko Tire Technology and its acquisition last month of Akron-based Test Measurement Systems Inc.