Tyre testing is not a new concept. In fact, is there any industry that can do without tests? However, what tyre testing does bring into consideration is an umpteen number of factors – everything from the road wear to the certification, the testing spots and, of course, the different types of testing and the very tyres themselves. Discussing these very aspects with Tyre Trends, Ismo Halén, Vice President at BD Testing Inc, spoke about Black Donuts, the subjective and objective views of tyre testing, the convenience of BD Testing having its own indoor testing facility and more. Read on…

The name Black Donut is self-explanatory, making it rather individualistic. A tyre resembles a donut and is black in colour – simplicity at its best. Black Donuts offers a range of solutions for tyre product development and testing, tyre factory construction, plant process design and process development. Therefore, Black Donuts has many business areas, and one of them is service in product development. When it comes to testing, Black Donuts owns 90 percent of another company, BD Testing Inc, which is into tyre testing and high-end customer service. Plus, Black Donuts also happens to be one of BD Testing’s customers.

BD Testing’s customers
When we caught up with Ismo Halén, Vice President at BD Testing Inc, he told us, “Black Donuts designs new tyres and new tyre models or improves existing tyres. That’s why they need testing in order to support the product development. Black Donuts Engineering was founded in 2011, and we were a test team within the company in the beginning. However, we separated in 2012 into an individual company, and now we have separate management and everything else that’s individually ours. We don’t have anyone from Black Donuts working at BD Testing. They are only one of our customers.”

And as customers, they can always decide who tests their tyres. “For instance, Black Donuts can use BD Testing for product development testing because we understand each other. However, the customer can  reach out to other companies to test their tyres as well. For example, when a product is finished, customers usually make homlogation tests somewhere else,” Halén explained.

When it comes to customers/clients, Halén mentioned that it’s not exactly easy to acquire new clients. However, he added, “I’m happy because we already have so many customers that even if somebody doesn’t order anything that others do, we are still in a very good situation.” When turning to his plans on approaching any Asian manufacturers, he responded that while they don’t have any plans for Asia, they would consider going there if there are proving grounds that can be used or rented.

BD Testing’s various focus areas
BD Testing goes beyond this and also issues certification. It has a quality system and is accredited for some R117 tests. “This includes rolling resistance, wet grip, noise measurement and snow performance,” Halén mentioned and continued, “Earlier, we would do wet grips, noise measurements etc. But just one year ago, we started focusing more on winter testing. We now conduct snow and ice tests for the label, which comes under the R117 tests. Additionally, we provide technical service to The Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW). RDW will issue many types of approvals for many tyre manufacturers, and we can conduct snow tests for them.”

“Furthermore, in Nordic countries, we use studs in the tyre, which has to be approved. Besides, we make road wear testing for studded tyres, which needs mandatory approval from the Finnish Transport Safety Agency, TRAFI,” Halén further explained.

Making it work
As far as testing and tyres go, BD Testing does both indoor and outdoor testing and is currently focusing on winter testing, winter tyres and studded tyres (conducting only product development tests for summer tyres). However, because the business is open all year, the winter tests are held in ice halls during the summer, Halén shared. As for snow testing, the indoor tests are conducted in Ivalo and Sweden.

However, most big tyre manufacturers conduct the majority of their tests themselves. Yet, that doesn’t stop a company like BD Testing. There are certain factors in testing that tyre manufacturers can’t carry out themselves and thus have to turn to the likes of BD Testing.

“For example, with road wear testing, it isn’t something they can do by themselves,” Halén asserted and added, “There are only five laboratories that can do that, and we are one of them. Similarly, indoor testing and snow testing is something they may not want to do – it’s a long way to travel and they don’t have the capacity to do so, which is where we come in.”

Indoor testing and outdoor testing
Speaking of indoor testing, it is the easier one to conduct over outdoor testing, Halén claimed. But since handling driveway in itself involves the car being built outdoors, there’s no choice over there, he informed.

What’s more, Halén asserted that usually they don’t test the same things indoors and outdoors – the two aren’t competing and are individual. “Their requirements too are different. But as for product development, some indoor testing is needed, like footprint or contact presser, which gives the designers a lot of information,” he enlightened.

BD Testing would, however, like to have its own indoor testing facility where tests can be conducted whenever needed. “Although, as of now, we have to rent for indoor testing, which can sometimes be fully booked,” Halén cited and added, “In fact, we want our own indoor testing facility that we can rent to other customers as well. However, it’s a huge investment and is too big for us at the moment.”

Objective and subjective testing
Another challenge that Halén spoke to us about, besides having an indoor testing facility, was in terms of manpower, where getting testing drivers is a challenge right now. When asked about the thought process behind selecting a testing driver (since the testing can be very subjective, from driver to driver), Halén highlighted that it’s the experience that plays a role. “And then, the drivers drive together and decide what works and what doesn’t. While these drivers do subjective tests, they, of course, also conduct objective tests. However, objective testing is easier, because you only have to know how to make the test,” he added.

Halén further said that with robots and automation, it’s possible that subjective testing will eventually get reduced in the future. “But in my opinion, with subjective driving, if a driver drives with a set of tyres, then we have a huge amount of information,” he pointed out. “Therefore, it’s a very fast way to have lots of information. If you try to have the same information with the help of machines, you’ll need several machines and it takes a long time. And if you need to analyse data, it takes a long time to develop a new methodology.”

A happy customer equals a successful company
While Halén gave us his clear visions in terms of BD Testing and the tyre testing industry as a whole, he also threw light on the company’s preparation for new regulations. “Additionally, we are focusing on what we are currently doing, targeting for higher quality and making our customers happy,” he expounded and added,
“Our strategy for that is based on the quality system we have. We have very close contact with our customers, so we try to understand what they need. Hence, I’m not trying to sell something to somebody if they don’t need it. Thus, I think our customers come to us themselves when they need something. So, ultimately, customer happiness has been our key to success.”

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Apollo Tyres Ltd’s Sustainable Procurement Summit and Awards 2025 marked a pivotal moment for its global supply chain, uniting a diverse assembly of more than 800 partners from over 20 countries. The gathering’s core mission was to drive collective action in forging a future-focused value chain characterised by circular principles, climate responsibility and ethical rigour. A central feature of the agenda was a vibrant panel discussion where experts analysed the transformative pressures of impending regulations and evolving market expectations, emphasising the need for robust transparency and cooperative innovation to navigate the coming decade.

The event formally commenced with leadership unveiling the detailed Sustainability Roadmap 2030, a strategic blueprint that anchors long-term environmental and social governance into the company’s operational DNA. This presentation explicitly framed Apollo Tyres' vision for procurement and set forth clear, actionable expectations for its partners in this shared journey. Further elevating the summit was an awards ceremony created to celebrate supply chain excellence. Partners were honoured across critical categories including environmental stewardship, ethics, sustainable procurement and the protection of labour and human rights, acknowledging those who have delivered tangible impact and leadership.

The distinguished award recipients– Birla Carbon, Cabot, EQ Rubber, Hyosung, Milliken, OCCL, Performance Additives, Solvay, Synthos, Teck Bee Hang and Xingda – exemplify the high standards Apollo Tyres champions. Ultimately, the summit transcended a mere conference, positioning itself as a catalyst for deeper integration and mutual commitment, reinforcing that the path to achieving ambitious 2030 goals is fundamentally built through empowered and aligned partnerships across continents.

Sunam Sarkar, President and Chief Business Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The Sustainable Procurement Summit and Awards 2025 reflects our belief that creating a resilient and responsible value chain requires collaboration, transparency and a shared purpose. We are proud to recognise partners who are advancing sustainability in meaningful ways.”

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Hankook Tire has strengthened its commitment to sustainable community development in Indonesia with the recent completion of a vital water infrastructure project. The company finalised and celebrated the installation of a modern water pump and storage tank system in Naga cipta Village, Bekasi, on 5 December. This initiative directly addresses severe local water shortages exacerbated by El Niño climate patterns, which have historically caused extreme drought, particularly impacting over 50 households in the village reliant on rainwater for daily needs. The project supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, aiming to secure reliable access to clean and safe water for communities surrounding Hankook’s Indonesia Plant.

The new infrastructure is poised to substantially elevate living standards for residents, including many Hankook employees, by eliminating costs previously associated with buying water and improving overall sanitary conditions. This follows another successful water project in Pasirranji Village, which has supplied roughly 2.8 million litres of clean water to more than 1,100 residents since August. Hankook’s broader corporate social responsibility strategy in Indonesia is deeply aligned with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals. Recent activities include enhancing public safety through LED streetlight installations for sustainable communities and supporting ecological balance by planting over 5,000 mangrove trees for forest restoration.

Beyond infrastructure, Hankook Tire fosters shared growth through ongoing local engagement. This includes annual tyre donations to public and private organisations to promote safer transport, alongside targeted support for education, healthcare services for vulnerable groups and direct charitable contributions. Through these multifaceted efforts, Hankook Tire continues to act as an active global corporate citizen, dedicated to fostering long-term wellbeing and resilience within Indonesian communities.

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Bridgestone Americas has concluded its annual ‘United by What Really Matters’ campaign, generating more than USD 2.4 million for United Way chapters in Nashville, Greater Cleveland and Summit & Medina. These critical funds will directly support essential local services in communities where Bridgestone operates.

Beyond the financial contribution, the campaign demonstrated a profound commitment to volunteerism. During a dedicated week last November, 61 percent of employees from the company’s key operational sites engaged in hands-on support. Their efforts included organising blood drives for the Red Cross, assembling food donations for local pantries and preparing hygiene kits for public school students.

This recent donation marks a significant milestone, as Bridgestone’s decade-long partnership with United Way has now surpassed USD 17 million in total contributions. This sustained support is made possible through multiple channels: direct employee donations, contributions from the Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund and proceeds from the company’s annual charitable golf tournament. That tournament alone, a premier fundraising event for United Way, raised USD 1.35 million in 2025, underscoring the ongoing generosity of Bridgestone’s team and its partners.

Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer, Bridgestone Americas, said, “With this campaign, Bridgestone and our teammates can play a critical role in what really matters – making a lasting impact in the communities where we move, live, work and play. Our longstanding partnership with United Way continues to be a powerful tool for us to drive meaningful impact and build a better future together. Thank you to our teammates and partners for your generosity, which will help this holiday season bring joy and connection to all.”

Erica Mitchell, President & CEO, United Way of Greater Nashville, said, “Bridgestone’s generosity through its annual golf tournament and employee giving campaign is more than a donation – it’s an investment in people. Their commitment helps families access education, meet basic needs and build financial stability. Together, we’re proving that lasting change happens when we unite for what really matters.”

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Bridgestone India has inaugurated a new Bridgestone Select Store in Sector 101, Noida, strengthening its presence in Uttar Pradesh and North India. Operated by Tyre Shoppe India Pvt Ltd, this premium retail outlet was opened by Rajiv Sharma, Executive Director of Integrated Consumer Business at Bridgestone India. The store represents the company’s modern retail approach, moving beyond mere sales to provide comprehensive tyre and mobility solutions through advanced technology, expert advisory services and high-quality infrastructure.

Strategically situated near the Sector 101 Metro Station, this expansion highlights Bridgestone’s focus on enhancing its network in key growth markets. Customers will have access to the latest premium tyre offerings, including the Turanza 6i and the Dueler All-Terrain A/T002. The Turanza 6i incorporates Bridgestone’s ENLITEN technology, providing improved comfort, fuel efficiency, braking performance and longevity for both traditional and electric vehicles. Meanwhile, the Dueler All-Terrain A/T002 is built for diverse driving conditions, offering durability, strong traction and reliable control on various surfaces.

This launch underscores Bridgestone India’s ongoing commitment to broadening its customer reach and solidifying its role as a leader in safe and sustainable mobility solutions. By investing in such flagship stores, the company aims to deliver an elevated, customer-focused experience that prioritises safety, performance and driving comfort.

Rajiv Sharma, Executive Director – Integrated Consumer Business, Bridgestone India, said, “Uttar Pradesh is an important and fast-growing market for Bridgestone. The inauguration of our new Select Store in Noida is a significant step in strengthening our presence in North India and bringing our premium retail experience closer to customers. Through our Select Store format, we aim to deliver not only high-quality, technologically advanced tyres, but also a superior, end-to-end customer experience built on trust, safety and performance.”

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