Ground preparation underway at Kumho's Polish tire plant

Opole, Poland — Ground preparation is under way for Kumho Tire's €500-million passenger car tire plant in Opole, with a project team from Seoul now working on the development, according to the city's mayor.

In a 10 July social media post, Opole mayor Arkadiusz Wisniewski said he met with Kumho managers and engineers at the city's public services centre to discuss progress on the company's European manufacturing hub in the Wrzoski district.

The Kumho team, he said, have been working in the city "for a few weeks" to advance the project.

Furthermore, the Polish government inked a deal with Kumho 26 June to support investment in the Opole factory. 

Under an investment support agreement, the project is eligible for up to PLN79.5 million (€18 million) in government grants, subject to European Commission approval under EU state aid rules.

The funding is due to be paid in two equal instalments in 2029 and 2030.

Kumho announced the the PLN2.2-billion (€510-million) Polish investment in December 2025 as part of its strategy to strengthen its global manufacturing footprint.

The facility, with an annual capacity to produce 6 million passenger car tires, is scheduled to begin commercial production in August 2028. (ERJ report)

The Opole project is being developed alongside a KRW760-billion (€440-million) tire plant in Hampyeong, South Korea, which will add annual capacity for 5.3 million tires and is scheduled to enter commercial operation in the second quarter of 2028. (ERJ report)