2005-09-23 18:39:00

Nokian Tyres opened a plant in Vsevolozhsk

Finland’s Nokian Tyres opened a tyre plant in Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad region.

In 2005, the Finnish company is expected to invest Euro 55 mln in production. Total investment into construction and development of the plant should amount to about Euro 300 mln. In June, the first batch of winter tyres, Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4, was produced. It is planned to produce more than 200,000 tyres before the end of the year.

The second manufacturing line will be mounted in the course of the year, the company said. Four more lines are planned for start-up by 2008. It is expected that the lines number will grow to nine by 2014, which will enable the plant to expand capacities to 8 mln tyres/year and reach its design capacity.

About 35–40 mln of car tyres is sold in Russia. In January-August, Russia’s car tyre output increased to 17.7 mln tyres, a 9.5% increase compared with the same period in 2004.

Nokian Tyres accounts for about 14% of the total tyre import to Russia.