HANAU, Germany — Sumitomo Rubber Europe G.m.b.H. and Dunlop Tech G.m.b.H. have opened a European Development Center in Hanau-Steinheim with capacities for tire development and testing, production of liquid latex and the design of tire pressure monitoring systems.
The 322,000-sq.-ft. facility, housed in a restored historical building in the Steinheim district of Hanau, will allow the Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (SRI) subsidiaries to boost the speed and efficiency of their research and development operations, according to Bernd Löwenhaupt, managing director of Sumitomo Rubber Europe.
SRI — which goes to market in Europe with the Falken brand — has been without European R&D facilities since selling the European Dunlop tire manufacturing assets in 2015 to Goodyear.
"Our new technical and chemical laboratories, provide us with the opportunity of testing and analyzing tire compounds and tires in-house for the first time and are likewise, readily expandable," Mr. Löwenhaupt said at a recent ribbon-cutting for the facility.
Bernd Schuchhardt, managing director of Dunlop Tech, said having both businesses under one roof "will simplify communication and focus expertise."
The historic building was restored in accordance with heritage protection regulations and subsequently converted into offices, Sumitomo said, without disclosing its investment in the project.
Sumitomo Rubber Europe is responsible for developing and testing Falken-brand tires for Europe and Dunlop-brand tires for Asia and Latin America.
Dunlop Tech is focused on the development, production and distribution of Sumitomo's Instant Mobility System tire sealant as well as of software and applications of the Warnair tire-pressure-monitoring system.