BANGKOK (June 1, 2005) — Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. will build a passenger tire plant in Thailand's Rayong Province that eventually will become the company's largest plant, with production at 7 million units a year.
Groundbreaking for the new factory in Rayong's Amata City Industrial Estate will take place in August, Sumitomo said, with production start-up scheduled for January 2007. Sumitomo did not disclose the size of the investment.
Daily capacity will start at about 12,000 units and ramp up to 22,000 by 2010, Sumitomo said.
The plant will use automated production systems that require fewer workers and less space for equipment, according to Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Ltd. Ryochi Sawada.
The new plant will be Sumitomo's eighth, joining four in Japan, two in Indonesia and one in China.