GRI opens U.S. office in North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C.—Industrial tire producer Global Rubber Industries Inc. (GRI) has opened a U.S. sales office in Research Triangle Park in a bid to improve communication between the company and its growing customer base here.

GRI selected Research Triangle Park as site for its U.S. sales office due to the region's commercial significance, ability to attract "best-in-class" talent and provide its customers enhanced accessibility to their sales representatives, said Prabhash Subasinghe, GRI managing director.

"As we rapidly expand our specialty tire business across the U.S., we realized that a corporate office with experienced staff to cater to the growing needs of our customer base had now become vital," Subasinghe said.

The GRI executive went on to say GRI valued the "rich culture and history" of this region—located near to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, N.C.—as well having the Raleigh-Durham International Airport nearby.

The area also is home to hundreds of high-tech companies in multiple industries and the GRI office is close to the the Boxyard RTP, an inspirational space that has been transformed in an innovative way to host restaurants and retail establishments by using disused shipping containers.

Founded in 2002 by Subasinghe, GRI produces specialty tires—materials-handling solid tires, radial agriculture tires and construction tires—built sustainably using natural rubber harvested in Sri Lanka.

The company also maintains a distribution center in Cincinnati.