DANVERS, Mass.—Industrial and OTR tire supplier Maxam Tire North America has opened what it's calling an "advanced and automated" solid tire factory, but it did not disclose its location or any other salient detail.
Danvers-based Maxam is a division of Maxam Tire International S.a.r.l. of Luxembourg, which, in turn, is part of China's Sailun Group. The company specializes in specialty OTR tire products, covering applications for mining, construction, warehousing and manufacturing.
The tire maker said it "fully" owns and operates the recently opened factory, which represents a "major commitment to the specialty solid tire segment" and is "strategically aligned" to serve today's market demands through compound advancement and automated technology.
Maxam Tire North America President Troy Kline said this factory, its technology and automated equipment, will put Maxam "ahead of the curve" in the solid tire industry.
"When we decided to add this segment to our manufacturing capabilities," Kline said, "our objective was to re-engineer the production process, showcase our advanced compounding capabilities and deliver improved performance. This investment in these new capabilities is driven by our on-going commitment to our customers to serve as a complete business solutions provider through innovation, world-class quality and exceptional value."
The new plant will serve core solid tire industry segments such as materials handling, skid steer telehandler and loader, Maxam said, and will provide its customers with a "significant" advantage due to improved efficiencies and an expanded product portfolio.
Earlier this year, Maxam disclosed several moves designed to expand its business horizon in the mining and agricultural tire fields.
In February, it created a Maxam Mining Group, dedicated to the open pit mining segment. The group comprises sales representatives on multiple continents, and is responsible for serving regional market demands, Maxam said, without disclosing the number of individuals hired or their names.
The Mining Group's engineering team leverages research and testing at multiple mine locations around the world to develop "site-specific" tire compounding and casing designs, according to the tire maker.
Maxam also appointed industry veteran Matt Johnson—who joined the company in October 2019 after 13-plus years with Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.—as vice president of the initiative.
"We pride ourselves in delivering solutions with the lowest cost per hour/ton and provide long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships with our customers and our partnerships," Johnson said at the time the group was created.
Also in February, Maxam Tire North America expanded the customer service team in Danvers to support what it called "substantial" growth of the firm's dealer network, especially in the mining and forestry sectors.
"The decision to expand our customer service team in Boston was a logical step into our business growth strategy," Troy Kline, president of Maxam Tire North America, said in a statement earlier this year. "With the Maxam global dealer servicing network growing over 1,800 strong, we need a dedicated group of people to help us stay true to our mission of being a valuable business solutions provide."