AKRON—Sinoarp Tires Equipment Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. expanded its operation with the addition of a new production plant in China last year to handle growing demand for its curing presses.
Since then the curing press manufacturer has been adding personnel regularly along with new machinery as it completes phase one of its long-term expansion program, according to Sinoarp President David Chen.
Sinoarp's newest plant is based in China's Binhai, Jiangsu Province, about three hours drive from Pudong International Airport. It spans about 107,639 square feet and sits on a 1.4 million-sq.-ft. parcel owned by the company.
It serves as the company's primary assembly and machining center and features a range of production equipment, Chen said. It will become the company's manufacturing center in the future, he added.
Sinoarp also has acquired more land to handle the next two phases of the project, he said at the International Tire exhibition & Conference, held Sept. 9-11 in Akron.
Launch of the second expansion phase will begin soon and is expected to be completed in 2015. Chen did not elaborate on what is involved in the second and third phases.
“As soon as we complete phase three, even though we don't have the schedule yet, we are almost sure that we will become one of the world's major players in the industry,” he said.
Sinoarp, which has been in business since 2005 and owns several patents for hydraulic presses, has thus far increased the size of its work force to about 300, with approximately 200 employed at the newest factory. The company also has another manufacturing facility in Suzhou.
The new plant features a variety of testing tools that enables it to control quality in all parts of the production process, including incoming material, subassembly, final assembly, commissioning and other aspects.
Sinoarp's primary products include mechanical, hybrid and hydraulic curing presses. It also provides a variety of accessory devices.
“We needed the new plant because of the opportunity in the market for high quality curing presses that are very reliable,” Chen said. “Our presses help trim costs and allow companies to be more efficient and reliable ... and they provide the best quality.”