Vredestein Tyres

Origin and Expansion

Apollo Vredestein B.V. or Vredestein is an Amsterdam, Netherlands-based tyre manufacturing company, that produces tyres for passenger cars, bicycles, and agricultural industrial applications. Founded in 1909, the brand was acquired by Apollo tyres of Indian in 2009 and now sells its tyre range under the Apollo Vredestein brand name. The company supplies tyres to both replacement markets and OEMs.

The name comes from a farm bought in 1909 for rubber manufacturing by company owner and founder Emile Louis Constant Schiff. In 1946, a new company with the name NV Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Autobanden-fabriek Vredestein was founded with 20 per cent shares owned by American company B.F Goodrich. The company, in 1971, was entirely owned by B.F Goodrich, and the Vredestein products started having global exposure to about 125 countries.

Initially, the company produced all kinds of rubber products but later in the period of globalization in the 1970s, the focus was shifted to two-wheelers, cars, agricultural and industrial tyres. The Dutch state took over 49 per cent shares of the company, 2 per cent owned by Stichting tot Voortzetting van Vredestein (Foundation for the Continuation of Vredestein). The remaining 49 per cent were under the control of B.F Goodrich and later acquired by three Dutch investors.

In 2009, the company was taken over by Indian tyre company Apollo, which in 2013 opened up a global R&D centre in Enschede, Netherlands, for testing tyres for cars and vans. Subsequently, Apollo announced to acquire American Cooper Tire & Rubber Company for a whopping US$ 2.5 billion, the deal which was called off six months later. In 2015, the headquarter was moved from Enschede to Amsterdam.

The company also collaborated with Italian automobile designer Giorgetto Guigiaro, who is known for designing popular cars such as Volkswagen Golf, Maserati 3200 GT, BMW M1 and Alfa Romeo Brera. Apollo is also expanding its Vredestein brand in the Indian market, catering to the luxury and high-performance car segment in the size range of 17-24 inches. Presently, the focus is more on aftermarket but the company is also in the process of aligning with the OEMs.

The Enschede manufacturing plant produces over 6 million tyres every year in the summer, winter and four-season categories. The two-wheeler tyres are produced by specialized companies located in East Asia, while the acquisition by Apollo tyres has further enhanced its market reach in Asia and the Middle East. The brand presently employs more than 1800 skilled professionals and is well represented in the European, Latin American and North American countries.

In the field of technology and innovation, Vredestein together, with a renowned German brand, were the first in the world to introduce ‘Air Master’ front spoiler made for premium sports cars. The tyremaker is also the first to develop an all-weather tyre Quatrac 5 with the Y speed index, which means the capacity to run up to the speed of 300kmph. Vredestein also introduced the Quatrac 3, the first all-season tyre with run-flat technology. 

Over the years, Vredestein has been involved in various sponsorships. The brand has partnered with Mille Miglia Rally for classic cars. It has sponsored two seasons of Borussia Monchengladbach, a professional football club of Germany. The brand has been associated with Manchester United for a long time and was the key sponsor for Autocar Awards in the UK, in 2017.

Facilities

The company has been channelling knowledge, innovation and passion through two global R&D centres located in Netherlands and India. The tyremaker opened another research and development unit in Frankfurt dedicated to OEMs and expanding the investment in the R&D.

Achievements

• At International Rubber Conference, Verdestein’s ‘Air Master’ got international recognition in the form of a prestigious DKG Product Award.
• In a survey conducted by the prestigious Consumer Reports (CR) in the USA, the brand was ranked No. 1 among 39 brands
• Won the Gold Award in the Marketing Communication category for its 'Ultrac Vorti' movie at Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards
• Silver OttoCar award for Snowtrac and Quattrac 5 product launch films
• Quatrac Pro – the first all-season scored well in fearsome German magazine Auto Bild top tyres test.

Passenger Car Tyre

The passenger car tyre portfolio of Vredestein includes products for luxury and performance vehicles. Each product is made to deliver all-around performance and offer a fair balance across different parameters. Some of the notable names in its portfolio, include Ultrac Vroti, Ultrac Sessanta, Hypertrac, Ultrac Satin, Quatrac Pro, Ultrac Sento, Sportrac 5 and Ultrac SUV Sessanta, among others.

Manufacturing facilities in India and abroad

Apollo Vredestein production facility is in Enschede, Netherlands and another manufacturing unit in Hungary. Apart from this, as Vredestein is part of Apollo Tyres LTD, a large chunk of its tyres are produced in four manufacturing plants in India.

Vredestein Sales Network

Vredestein has a total of 14 sales establishments, spread in 18 countries worldwide. There is an extensive network of offices in Europe and North America and a huge distribution network in most Latin American and Central American markets, including Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Trinidad & Tobago, Nicaragua and others. In India, there are about 2060 tyre dealers for the Vredestein brand.