Sailun breaks ground on “flexible factory” in Mexico

Irapuato, Mexico – Chinese tire maker Sailun Group and its Mexican partner Tire Direct (TD) have broken ground on a new tire factory in Irapuato, in the Mexican Guanajuato state.

At a ceremony held 15 May, the two companies officially started construction work on the plant, which will have the capacity to produce 6 million units of passenger car tire per year.

The "flexible factory" will be different from traditional tire manufacturing and apply “the advantageous resources of the entire industry chain”, said Sailun 22 May.

The plant, it said, will employ advanced technologies, including a 'rubber chain cloud' and Industrial IoT as well as a "full set" of intelligent equipment.

“After half a year of hard work, Sailun Group and TD Company mobilised their best resources and broke ground in the shortest time,” the Chinese tire maker commented.

The project, according to Sailun, has received “strong support” from the Guanajuato state government and the Irapuato city government in Mexico.

Marking Sailun’s first production factory in North America, the project is estimated to cost $240 million (€220 million) and take 12 months to complete.

The Mexican facility complements Sailun’s global strategy, currently encompassing production plants in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and a planned unit in Indonesia.