ROVERETO, Italy — Marangoni S.p.A. is in talks with rally tire supplier Dmack Tyres about the possibility of Dmack's producing racing tires at its site in Rovereto, according to Federico Sannicolò, public relations and communication specialist at Marangoni.
Mr. Sannicolo declined to comment further on the Dmack proposal, but told European Rubber Journal the proposed deal was part of a wider Marangoni plan to create "a rubber technological hub and create new synergies with other partners."
Such partnerships, he said, could cover many aspects of tire production as well as other new initiatives related to tires, using Marangoni's expertise in the industry.
"We're looking at opportunities for growth with other parties who can offer and benefit from industrial synergies and new business models based on the application of the sharing economy to manufacturing," Mr. Sannicolò said.
Retreading will continue to be a core activity for Marangoni, Mr. Sannicolò stressed. "A bulk of what we do here is retreading for truck and off-the-road tires, and this will remain like that," he said.
DMack made its entry to the motor sport in 2011, supplying tires produced in partnership with China's Shandong Yongtai Chemical Group, which went into administration in July.
The company also contracts out the production of a small amount of tires at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s factory in Melksham, England, which is also set to be phased out.