Linglong officially launches Serbian tire project

Zrenjanin, Serbia – Linglong Tire has officially launched its greenfield tire factory project in Serbia, the company announced 1 April.

The Chinese tire maker announced plans to build the $994-million (€863-million) production plant in northern Serbia last August.

In a global partner conference held 29-30 March, the company said it had secured 130 hectares of land for the facility.

Located at a site in the Zrenjanin Free Trade Zone, the plant is to be built in three phases over six years.

“We will… ensure the rapid and high-quality construction of the project, [and] strive for early production,” Wang Feng, Linglong Tire chairman and CEO, said at the ceremony.

The Serbian plant, operated by Linglong International Europe DOO Zrenjanin, is slated to produce 13.62 million radial tires per year.

Output will comprise 12 million units of passenger car tires, 1.6 million units of truck and bus tires as well as 20,000 off-the-road tires.

The facility, Linglong said, will employ artificial intelligence, mobile sensing, ‘big data’ and robotics.

Linglong said the Serbian unit and the development of European sales will help it become the world’s 10th largest tire maker.