Business news

MOGILEV, 11 January (BelTA) – The Belarusian tire maker Belshina has plans to commission a manufacturing unit to produce tires for heavy and extra heavy-duty dump trucks in 2016, BelTA learned from Belshina Director General Alexei Yakovlev.

A large-scale investment project is currently underway at the company’s OTR Tire Plant to retool the manufacturing facilities and launch the production of 57-inch and 63-inch solid metal cord radial tires. The project will help Belshina expand its product range and boost the output of tires for Belarusian BelAZ dump trucks and vehicles made by foreign companies such as Komatsu, Caterpiller and others. Today in the world there are only two companies, Bridgestone and Michelin, manufacturing super giant tires. “We are set to complete the construction and assembly work and put the new equipment into operation by the end of 2016. In 2017, the company will start testing the production facilities and the new tires. We expect to manufacture over 8,000 tires per year. These tires will have the highest value-added of all our products,” Alexei Yakovlev noted.

This and some other retooling projects will advance Belshina to a new level of quality in 2017. “We should aim for the main goal – to manufacture products with the best quality/price ratio that meet the needs of our customers. To hit this goal, Belshina is implementing a number of comprehensive modernization projects. As we launch the production of new tires, we use advanced environmentally friendly technologies and materials, encourage our workers to enhance their profesional skills, and improve the post-sale maintenance of the tires,” Alexei Yakovlev pointed out.

Thanks to the retooling and streamlining of production process, the company has reduced its warehouse stock to a minimum. “We operate in the black and timely fulfill all our financial obligations without any external support. At the same time, we invest considerable amounts in retooling, which may open up good development prospects for the company in the future,” the company’s Director General believes.

The Belarusian tire factory was founded in 1972. It was converted into the public joint-stock company (OAO) Belshina in 2002. Belshina is one of Europe’s top tire makers. The company offers over 350 standard sizes and models of tires. The company trades with 63 countries. The main domestic consumers include Belarus’ largest enterprises such as BelAZ, MAZ, MTZ, MZKT, Gomselmash, and Amkodor. OAO Belshina operates Giant Tire Plant, OTR Tire Plant, Car&Truck Tire Plant, and Mechanical Plant that carries out the core process with equipment and tools.