Apollo Vredestein expanding farm tire production in Europe

Enschede, The Netherlands – Apollo Vredestein is increasing its European agricultural tire production activities, bringing a new 104-inch tire press into service at its Enschede factory in mid-March.

The expansion, said a company statement 17 March, is in response to growing demand for Vredestein Traxion XL tractor tires in Europe and North America. 

“This increasing demand is initiated both from end-users such as agricultural contractors and farmers, and from agricultural machinery manufacturers fitting tires as part of their OEM strategy,” said the statement.

The newly installed tire press will mainly produce tractor tires for the XL segment – diameter up to 2.30 m and weight up to 550 kg – which are suitable for tractors between 200 and 500 hp. 

The commissioning of the press in Enschede will result in “a significant increase in capacity” for this tire segment, the statement added.

The equipment is the first part of a five-year investment programme in the production facilities for agricultural tires in Enschede, which aims to increase availability of its “premium product range” in Europe and achieve further international market growth.

According to the tire maker, the “award-winning” Vredestein Traxion Optimall tires feature VF (very high flexion) technology, which allows for "better performance in the field at lower tire pressures."