Kumho to shift tyre manufacturing unit to Pukou

Kumho Tire's manufacturing unit in Nanjing is all set to be shifted to a new site in Pukou. The time table for the relocation is also chalked out. The shifting process will take place in stages throughout 2016. The new location in Pukou is approximately 30 km away from the original factory.

It is expected that both the passenger tyre and truck/bus tyre factories will be shifted to the new location before the end of 2016.

The first proposal to shift the Nanjing factory came from the Nanjing city government as a part of its urban development policy. This Kumho plant is one of the many factories in Nanjing city that are shifting its operations to new locations.

The negotiation between Kumho Tire and the government started way back in 2011 but reached a basic settlement for compensation only at the end of 2014. Now, the new site for the factory has been finalised and the groundbreaking ceremony has already been done on January 22, 2015.

The new site for the factory falls in the Pukou economic development zone. Therefore, the authorities have promised optimal environment for the construction which includes land, water supply, electricity and road access.

The operations of two separate plants for passenger radial tyres and truck radial tyres will combine into the upcoming single factory. The new plant will be equipped with "new high-end machines and technology" capable of producing "globally competitive high-quality tyres".

The company says the factory will be able to supply tyres to international premium original equipment manufacturers. Kumho's Nanjing plant is operational since 1994. Today, it is one of the three major manufacturing facilities of the company in China.