Kenda adds partners in Greece, France

UEBERSEE-FELDWIES, Germany (April 11, 2016) — Taiwan-based tire maker Kenda Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd. has expanded its European sales network by collaborating with two family-owned retailers: Theocarakis S.A. of Greece and MPSA Groupe MASSA of France.

Theocarakis serves more than 600 sales outlets in Greece, according to a Kenda news release. The company, it said, has also operated in neighboring Albania and in Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Kosovo, and is the sole importer and distributor of Nissan vehicles in Greece.

MPSA has more than 10 distribution centers and is represented in all regions of France. The company was established in 1908 and is now run by the fourth generation of the Massa family. It has recently achieved growth rates of up to 25 percent.

MPSA's primary focus is on services. Kenda said it temporarily set up a warehouse in the French Alps, and can supply winter tires within four hours.

In the core regions of France, MPSA delivers to retailers twice daily as standard, the Kenda statement added.

Kenda is a well-known name in France due to its involvement in the world of cycling, the Taiwanese company also pointed out.

“The fact that Kenda is attracting a great deal of attention in this cycling-mad nation as a sponsor of the French cycling team Cofidis in the Spring Classics, and also in summer with the Tour de France, is obviously another major advantage that made our decision to choose the Kenda brand a very easy one,” said Christian Massa.

“At the same time, we can see how product development is being driven forward in Europe in the critical UHP and SUV segment.”

Founded in 1962, Kenda is the 28th largest tire manufacturer in the world, employing 11,000 at operations in Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the U.S. and Germany.

The company's European unit Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Europe GmbH is headquartered in Übersee-Feldwies.

This report appeared on the website of European Rubber Journal, a UK-based sister publication of Tire Business.