Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. discussed the tiremaker’s growth ambitions and the role Europe will play in achieving these ambitions at the signing ceremony of its agreement with German football club VfL Wolfsburg.
“With an average historic growth rate of around 10% a year we expect to belong to the ten largest manufacturers in the world by 2020,” said Wang Feng, CEO. “A series of vehicle manufacturers have already placed their trust in us, including global names such as General Motors, Ford, Renault-Nissan, Hyundai and Tata, along with Chinese manufacturers like First Automotive Works, Dongfeng, BAIC Group, Chery and Geely. And this list continues to grow.”
European tire trade publication Tyres & Accessories reported that Shandong Linglong’s eyes are fixed on gaining a leading global position and plans to do so with a new, more sophisticated test facility in Zhaoyuan, which is approximately 12 miles away from Shandong Linglong’s China headquarters.
The 17.2-million-square-foot test facility will have test laboratories, vehicle serving and tire manufacturing facilities, as well as a test track. According to Tyres & Accessories, the total investment in the test facility will be approximately USD $184,283,250 million. The tiremaker plans to complete the first stage of construction by October 2015 and the second phase, and the entire facility, by December 2016, reported Tyres & Accessories.
In addition to its test facility, Shandong Linglong will bring a new plant to Europe within the next three years, reported Tyres & Accessories. The plant’s location has not yet been decided.
