China’s Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. is preparing to start production at its newest factory, a plant dedicated to two-wheeler tires and tubes in Anji, Zhejiang Province.
Representing an investment of about $620 million, the 9.25 million sq.-ft. plant opens with a planned annual capacity of 35 million motorcycle tires, 40 million electric-bicycle tries and 120 million inner tubes.
The plant will employ more than 8,000 at full capacity.
ZC Rubber Presient Shen Jinrong called the plant an “an important investment for ZC Rubber’s further development in the future. We have seen the increasing and different global demand and the building of new factory is moving ahead with the strategy to help expand the global market and better serve more customers around the world.
“The foundation of (this) new factory is a critical step forward in the company’s further development to be a world-class tire manufacturer,” he said. “Furthermore, ZC Rubber is striving to enhance the competitiveness in the tough marketing by improving the technology, tire performance and thoughtful service.”
Construction on the new factory started at year-end 2013.
Hangzhou, China-based ZC Rubber is considered the largest tire maker in China and 10th largest globally, based on fiscal 2015 sales of $3.4 billion.