Aeolus Tyre adding passenger tyre capacity in China

ERJ staff report (TB)

Jiazuo, China -- China's Aeolus Tyre Co. Ltd., known primarily for its truck and OTR tyres, is building a passenger tyre plant in Jiaozuo, Henan Province.

Aeolus expects the plant to be on stream by next year and to be competing as a second-tier car tyre supplier by year-end 2015, Aeolus Tyre Vice General Manager Shen Hongliang told a gathering of US and international tyre dealers and journalists touring China with Alliance Tire Americas Inc. representatives. Alliance Tire is the North America agent for Aeolus-brand truck and OTR tyres.

The new plant reportedly will be capable of making 5 million tyres a year, according to news reports in the Chinese media, which also put the investment at roughly $150 million.

With fiscal 2010 sales of about $1.2 billion, Aeolus Tyre is the sixth or seventh largest tyre maker in China and among the 25 largest tyre makers worldwide, according to European Rubber Journal's annual Global Tyre Report.

Aeolus is a unit of China Chemical. The firm makes a range of tyres, including bias and radial OTR, radial light truck and truck/bus, bias truck, military and industrial tyres. Aeolus also controls the Henan tyre brand, according to the firm's website.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)

See also ERJ report from 27 June