Zatec, Czech Republic – South Korean tire manufacturer Nexen Tire is expecting to complete construction work on its tire production plant in Zatec by the end of the year, according to a report by local news website Belsk.
According to Jan Piskáček, a company spokesman, Nexen is planning to test machinery at the site by September, and start the operation at the beginning of 2019.
In an 11 March report, Piskáček told Belsk that the company currently employs 140 people in the Czech Republic and that key management posts are “largely occupied”.
As reported by ERJ, Nexen broke ground on the €829-million project in October 2015.
The Korean tire-maker originally scheduled start-up of the first phase of the factory , producing roughly 15,000 units a day, for 2018.
Nexen aims to gradually increase its annual production capacity to over 12 million units, based on market conditions.
The plant in the Czech Republic is Nexen's second manufacturing facility outside Korea, after the one in Qingdao, China.
It is intended to meet the growing demands of the European market, and to ensure a stable supply of OE tires for global car manufacturers, including VW, Renault, Skoda and SEAT.
