Double Coin expanding plant in Rugao, China

By Dave Zielasko, Tire Business staff

RUGAO, China (Sept. 2, 2015) — Chinese tire maker Double Coin Holdings Ltd. plans to spend $250 million through 2018 to increase capacity 68 percent for low-rolling-resistance radial truck tires at its Double Coin Holdings Jiangsu Tire Co. factory in Rugao.

The expansion will include installing fully automated tire-building equipment and increasing radial truck/bus tire capacity to 4.2 million units annually from 2.5 million units today, said Fan Xue Feng, deputy general manager of the plant.

Mr. Fan revealed the expansion during a briefing prior to a tour of the plant Aug. 27 for the U.S. tire trade press.

Double Coin will construct a new building for the expanded capacity on land it owns behind the Rugao plant. The expansion will include additional mixing capacity — already under construction — and the hiring of 700 additional workers.

Currently the plant employs 1,950.

In addition to truck and bus radials, the Double Coin plant produces off-the-road and agricultural tires.

Double Coin, under its Shanghai Tyre & Rubber Co. predecessor identity, invested about $120 million in 2004-07 to build the plant in Jiangsu Province.

Rugao is about two hours north of Double Coin's primary factory complex in Shanghai.

To reach this reporter: [email protected]; 330-865-6131