Martin Wheel breaks ground on new headquarters

BRIMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd. broke ground Nov. 8 on a $20 million, 198,000-sq.-ft. headquarters and factory for its Martin Wheel subsidiary.

"In reference to one of the larger parts of our business, landscaping and turf management, we'll be sending some turf flying," joked Martin Wheel General Manager Darrell Ruthrauff, welcoming a host of executives, elected officials and guests.

The facility — comprising manufacturing, a warehouse and office space under one roof — replaces a smaller, outdated facility in nearby Tallmadge, Ohio. It's slated to be completed in 2024.

Kenda plans to add 40 additional jobs once the facility is complete, but it doesn't plan to stop there.

Kenda is building the Martin Wheel plant on a 22-acre site with the goal of an eventual expansion, Kenda CEO Jimmy Yang said. "We want to turn those 40 additional jobs into 80, into 120, into 200. And then soon we will be building phase two of the expansion here on this site."

Martin Wheel grew exponentially after it was acquired by Kendaf in 1999, but its growth was limited by the existing plant, Yang said.

When complete, the new plant will have the capacity to make at least 20,000 wheels a day, Yang said, noting the facility also does some assembly on site.

Martin Wheel supplies original equipment and aftermarket tires and wheels for numerous applications, including lawn and garden equipment, material handling equipment, pressure washers, airport ground support vehicles, boat trailers, campers, golf carts, personal mobility vehicles, robots and sports equipment. Its products can be found at numerous national retailers, Ruthrauff said.

"So pretty much if you need something that rolls, we can supply a wheel to fit it," he said.

Martin Wheel was founded in 1946 in Akron and moved to Tallmadge in the late 1950s. Kenda acquired it in 1999.

The facility was originally about 23,000 square feet, but after numerous expansions and additions, often 10,000 to 15,000 square feet at time, it grew to its current 130,000 square feet across several buildings, Ruthrauff said, making for an uncomfortable and inefficient facility.

The new building will have space for 21 dock doors, he added.

"Its close proximity to the highway will allow us to increase our volume and variety of tires and products ... (for) current customers as well as new customers."

The plant also will be built with energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly practices in mind, with features including skylight windows, solar panels and upgraded equipment, Yang said, noting that Kenda is ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) compliant.

Kenda, based in Yuanlin, Taiwan, was the 24th largest global tire maker in 2022, with tire sales of $2.6 billion, according to Tire Business' annual Global Tire Report. Its U.S. subsidiary, Kenda Tire USA, is based in Reynoldsburg, Ohio and has a research-and-develpment facility in Green, Ohio, near the Akron-Canton Airport.

Kenda plans to continue to invest in its facilities and operations, Yang said.

"Our goal is non-stop growing. Never stop growing," Yang said, pointing out that the origin of the Kenda name in Chinese is "ever growing."

"We will continue growing bigger and better," he said.