Goodyear expands tire making in Poland

Ohio firm buys 66% of European contract supplier

By Tom Stundza -- Purchasing, 2/27/2008 11:16:00 AM

Tire maker Goodyear Tire & Rubber of Akron, Ohio, will increase its stake in TC Debica, a Polish contract tire maker, to 66% and work with management to nearly triple commercial tire production for Goodyear, to 5,000 tires per day from 1,700.

An Associated Press report says TC Debica's management board will decide whether to expand production in Poland. Goodyear has said the expansion would require an investment of more than $200 million.

"This additional capacity would make TC Debica one of our largest suppliers of tires in the world," says Michel Rzonzef, president of Goodyear's Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa countries, in a corporate statement. "Goodyear, of course, will share the necessary technology and expertise to assure that TC Debica is producing the highest-quality and most advanced commercial truck tires possible."

The expansion, if approved, would be made adjacent to the existing factory in Debica, located in southern Poland. TC Debica currently employs 2,500 at the plant. Most tires now produced at the plant are sold to Goodyear or Goodyear affiliates, and are sold under the Goodyear, Debica, Dunlop, Fulda and Sava brands.