Giti breaks ground on ‘next-gen’ tire plant in China

Hefei, China – Giti Tire has broken ground on a new ‘advanced’ tire manufacturing plant in Hefei, Anhui province, as part of a previously announced move to relocate its production in China.

Designed with “a strong commitment to Industry 4.0 principles”, the facility will bring together “efficiency, connectivity, and innovative technology”, Giti announced in September.

The new facility, it said, integrates “latest production machinery and techniques” while meeting environmental standards and product quality.

To be constructed at the Jiatong Industrial Park, Changfeng County, the plant will be “strategically situated” to cater to key OEM demands.

Proximity of the new facility to China's eastern seaboard ports will provide logistical advantages, the tire maker pointed out.

Giti announced plans to relocate its Hefei, Anhui tire-manufacturing operation to Changfeng county in the same province in 2021, in response to environmental issues.

At the time, the company said it would invest around €950 million (Yuan7.22 billion) in the factory, which will cover a total area of 1.7 million square metres.

The facility, explained the company, would house a new tire production plant in addition to the relocated facilities.

Plant construction was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, with relocation from the old facility set for mid-2025.

Once fully ramped up, the plant is slated to have capacity to produce more than 20 million passenger car tires and 2.6 million truck and bus tires annually.