ERJ staff report (TP)
Panama City, Panama – The Latin American & Caribbean Tyre Expo will take place at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City, 23-25 July.
Tire Business reported on last year’s show and spoke with Gus Lima – the owner of Latin Expo Group – the event organiser.
In 2013 Lima said the show grew to 220 exhibitors from 187 (in 2012). Attendance reached 4,100 – including 3,370 who were registered buyers.
Lima’s tire show in Panama is intended to bring in manufacturers and distributors mainly from China, the US, Europe and Asia “to a strategic place” familiar to Latin tire dealers.
Other helpful factors include Panama's location as an air hub for Latin America and the fact that business people, including tire dealers, are used to coming to the country's canal-zone area to conduct business.
“The language is familiar,” Lima said. “The place is beautiful. It's safe ... you can use US dollars. It's a very welcoming country for foreigners.”
Last year's show attracted several major tire makers, including Goodyear, Bridgestone Americas, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. and Continental Tire the Americas (the latter two for the first time) as well as Titan Tire Corp. through its Mexican organisation.
More than 90 exhibitors came from China in 2013, including Double Coin Holdings, as well as Triangle and Sailun, the two companies Lima represents.
Latin Expo Group LLC, has its headquarters in Miami and an office in Panama. Lima, the CEO of the organisation, also serves as CEO of Oriente Triangle Latin America Inc. and Grupo Sailun Latin America Inc., also based in Miami.
This year will be the fifth time the show has been held.
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Website for Latin American & Caribbean Tyre Expo