Giti reinvigorating brand in North America

Richburg, South Carolina – Giti Tire Manufacturing (USA) Ltd. has ambitious plans to make its mark in the regional tire market.

The subsidiary of Singapore-headquartered Giti Tire Group began producing tires in late 2017 at its production plant in Richburg, where it employs more than 700 people.

The company has been ramping up production for new lines of tires.

"This facility is half of what we want, our intent is to take and double this facility as quickly as we can," said Hank Eisenga, vice president of manufacturing.

The plant is producing about 8,000 tires per day with a capacity for 10 million tires per year.

The plant began by producing Dextero-brand passenger car tires for Walmart Inc. stores and now also is producing the newly introduced GT Radial Maxtour LX for CUVs and cars.

"We have plans over the next five years to introduce new products every year out of this plant," Giti North America CEO Tim Fulton said during a media tour of the plant in March.

The company is now “in the early stages of rebuilding the GT Radial brand” following the US imposition of tariffs and antidumping duties on Chinese-made tires.

"Those days are over. The company has figured out what our go-forward strategy is and it's time to start connecting to consumers again,” said Jim Mayfield, senior executive VP of sales and marketing,