In 2014, Zivojin Sekulic was presenting a concept about Serbia as a future hot spot for tyre production in Shandong, in China, one of the world’s biggest tyre production province. By then, nobody was bullish on Serbia and saw the country as the next tyre production hub, but Sekulic applied analysis and research methods to support his prediction.

Sekulic has been with the industry for over a decade, and has been responsible for developing, managing and supporting operations in  Europe, Asia, and the USA.

Several reasons could support Sekulic's claims. One of the reasons for that prediction was geopolitical relations between China, USA, EU and Euroasia. To de-risk trade tension, many tyre companies are exploring alternative production locations, and Serbia is emerging to be a viable place to target major markets. Also, Also, 'made in EU' effects are needed for OEM contracts which also help to brand building.

Having those reasons in mind, Sekulic forecast that Chinese tyre companies will come to the Eastern and South-Eastern Europe to setup tyre plants to avoid anti-dumping duties, apply made in EU effect to their brand and to get some OEM contracts as they need to be close enough to automotive plants due to specific logistic delivery contracts.

Five years later, Linglong Tire in 2019 started to build a tyre plant in Serbia with an investment of almost one billion USD. "Serbia is China's first strategic partner in central and eastern Europe and has a favourable environment for development and investment," said the Chinese tyre company. After the completion of the project, the annual output of various high-performance radial tyre will reach 13.62 million units, with yearly revenue of $ 600 million.

In the same year just a few months later, another Asian Tyre producer, Toyo Tire announced that it will setup a plant in Serbia.  The Japanese company will invest around 3.91 million euros in the plant, which will produce tyres for passenger vehicles with an annual capacity of five million tyres. Toyo Tire will start construction of the Serbian Plant in May 2020, and manufacturing operations are expected start in January January 2022, with a capacity of five million tyres annually (based on tyres for passenger vehicles) by the summer of 2023.

Cooper Tire Serbia, a subsidiary of Cooper Tire & Rubber is also increasing production capacity at its Kruševac tyre manufacturing plant. With a strategic manufacturing footprint investment of approximately $55 million in equipment upgrades and facility expansion, the project will increase the size of the Kruševac facility to more than 882,000 square feet.

Cooper Tire Serbia will produce new, larger diameter tyres being demanded in Europe and other global markets. Total annual production capacity at the Kruševac plant will increase by approximately one-third after this expansion, which is expected later this year and will establish a footprint which could further double capacity with additional equipment and people.

"We can say that 2019 was an amazing year for the tyre Industry of Serbia. With already four tyre manufacturing plants of Michelin, Copper Tire, Mitas and Trayal, the country will have two more manufacturing plants soon. That is a huge success for Serbia as we all know that even countries with a bigger population and bigger size have lesser number of tyre plants in Europe," says Zivojin Sekulic.

A chat with Zivojin Sekulic:

Why are tyre companies showing increasing interest in Serbia for setting up plants – and generally in eastern Europe?

The reason for setting up tyre plants in Serbia is because of its specific geopolitical status. Serbia is in Europe, but not in the EU. That means particular goods produced in Serbia can be exported with 0% duty to EU, Russia, USA and countries of CEFTA and EFTA agreements and that's the market of almost one billion people. Comparing to anti-dumping duties for tyres produced in China, sounds like a good benefit, right?

Also, another reason is the label of “Made in EU” for tyre brands. The “Made in EU” effects help tyre companies to become recognisable and increase the prices, comparing to prices of tyres produced in China, and that means more significant profit.

Take the example of Hankook and their plant in Hungary. Only a few years after setting up their plant in Hungary they were selling more than 30% of their total annual production in EU and today with OEM contracts, excellent marketing strategy and outstanding R&D teams, they are in the race to become premium brand. So, imagine one day, maybe in five to eight years from today, Linglong can be close to the premium tyre brand and with the right strategy and marketing activities, if they decide to go that way.

One more reason is OEM contracts. Before setting up the plant in Serbia, Linglong signed a deal with VW and Renault, and now tyres produced in the Chinese company's tyre plant in Serbia will be delivered to these two automotive giants.

What benefits/ incentives that Serbia offers?

There are several benefits that country like Serbia is ready to offer to foreign investors. But I would like to highlight the benefits in general, not to go deeper in an analysis of specific incentives as that depends from situation to situation.

For example, the government is offering land where investors can set up a plant free of charge. There are also some tax incentives for more significant investments which are happening in the tyre industry. For instance, Cooper Tire's expansion project is supported by around $8 million in incentives provided by the Serbian government. Some investors can even get incentives per each employee that they will hire (basically like cashback card ). So, a general conclusion is that country like Serbia is really generous to foreign investors, and they should have that in mind.

Which companies are in the process of setting up?

At this moment Linglong is building the tyre plant in the city of Zrenjanin and Toyo announced that they will start building a plant in the city of Indjija very soon.

On the other side, there are major tyre companies - Mitas, Michelin, Cooper Tire, Trayal, which are producing tyres the country.

What's the future of tyre industry in Serbia?

Even I was right six years ago with a prediction that Asian tyre producers will setup tyre plants in Serbia in the near future that doesn't mean I will be right this time. But I genuinely believe that in Serbia there is a place for one more tyre plant. Specifically, I am thinking about a TBR , Agri and OTR tyre plant that can be built in a place where now Trayal's old plant is located which is still working and producing tyres for agriculture.

Going forward, the future of the Serbian tyre industry will move in another direction. After setting up plants, we will see R&D centres and Testing grounds and facilities in the country. I am predicting this because, for R&D, you need to have an excellent workforce and Serbia really has top-notch engineers and amazing developers. Currently, Continental has an R&D centre in the city of Novi Sad where several hundreds of engineers are employed.

In my working experience of 14 years in the tyre industry and 10 years in the IT sector, and having experience from Silicon Valley, I can tell you that engineers, researchers and software developers in Serbia are outstanding and not expensive like in the western EU or Silicon Valley. So, I am pretty sure that future intelligent tyres that will be based on sensors and specific software and machine learning will be designed and produced in some of the R&D centres based in Serbia.

Regarding testing facilities. Well, why should someone go to Spain or to Nordics to test summer or winter tyres if they can do it in Serbia as our climate is changed, so we have very hot summer and extreme winter, the perfect climate for tyre testing.

Q) Please share some information on your Project SMARTY?

My project SMARTY is related to the tyre industry and related to the development of smart tyres and smart trucks.

Using my vast experience from the tyre industry and IT industry, with a team of developers, I am working on the development of specific sensors, hardware and software that will be used in vehicles to optimise the costs and to prevent the accidents with tyres. We want to predict failure before it happens.

Currently, we have some working models and, shortly, we will start with sales of those models. The final goal is to make SMARTY device to become necessary in every vehicle to become smart or autonomous. Sensors for truck and OTR tyres we will unveil soon.

(Zivojin Sekulic: z.sekulic@gaj.rs)

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In a strategic expansion of its global footprint, Bekaert has agreed to acquire Bridgestone’s tyre reinforcement operations in China and Thailand, encompassing the tyre cord production facilities in China (Bridgestone (Shenyang) Steel Cord Co., Ltd) and Thailand (Bridgestone Metalpha (Thailand) Co. Ltd.). This move significantly strengthens the market leadership of Bekaert’s Rubber Reinforcement division, its largest business unit, which has led the global tyre cord sector for decades. The acquisition, set for completion in the first half of 2026 pending regulatory approvals, is a continuation of the division's proven strategy in integrating the captive production of major global accounts.

This transaction reinforces the enduring strategic partnership between Bekaert and Bridgestone, a leading tyre manufacturer. As part of Bridgestone's mid-to-long term plan to boost competitiveness through collaboration, the deal includes a long-term supply agreement ensuring continued provision of high-quality tyre reinforcement. For Bekaert, the integration of these two established production facilities enhances its manufacturing presence and solidifies its position in the tyre cord market.

Financially, the acquisition is projected to contribute approximately EUR 80 million in annual consolidated sales for Bekaert. The purchase involves a cash consideration of EUR 60 million, which will be drawn from the company's existing cash reserves. By securing these key assets and a lasting supply partnership, Bekaert not only expands its operational scale but also deepens its trusted supplier relationship with a pivotal global account.

Yves Kerstens, CEO, Bekaert, said, “Bekaert and Bridgestone share a longstanding strategic partnership built on mutual trust and collaboration. When the transaction closes, we are delighted to welcome the plant teams to Bekaert and remain committed to joint growth and innovation with Bridgestone. The acquisition is also a clear signal of strengthening our global leadership position in the tyre reinforcement industry.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has successfully secured a Certificate of Rubber Fender Test Environment from Japan’s Specialists Center of Port and Airport Engineering (SCOPE), awarded on 23 January 2026. This certification follows a thorough assessment under SCOPE’s Rubber Fender Testing Environment Certification Program, which validates that the company’s testing facilities for marine rubber fenders operate with integrity and reliability. Specifically, the certification confirms that Yokohama Rubber employs a robust system designed to prevent data fraud, ensuring the trustworthiness of all test results for fenders it manufactures and sells.

These fenders serve as critical safety components, acting as cushioning buffers to protect vessel hulls from impact during harbour mooring and ship-to-ship transfers at sea. To promote safer and more secure maritime operations, SCOPE launched its certification initiative in April 2023, focusing on verifying the reliability of fender testing environments. The programme is aligned with technical guidelines from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC) and evaluates compliance across multiple SCOPE-defined criteria. These include adherence to static compression testing standards, the elimination of opportunities for data falsification, the integrity of statistical values in test data and the establishment of corporate systems that prevent tampering.

Yokohama Rubber’s expertise in this field dates to 1958, when it pioneered the world’s first pneumatic fender for offshore vessel berthing. Recently, the company has broadened its portfolio beyond high-performance pneumatic fenders to include solid fenders, which represent a principal segment of the fender market. This strategic expansion establishes Yokohama Rubber as a comprehensive fender manufacturer and reinforces its revenue foundation.

The achievement aligns with the company’s ongoing medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), which spans fiscal years 2024 to 2026. A key element of this strategy involves driving growth in the MB Segment by focusing resources on core domains such as hose and couplings along with industrial products. Within this framework, Yokohama Rubber aims to strengthen its product lineup and sustain strong market shares for marine products, including fenders, to secure steady profit growth in the industrial products business.

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In a strategic move to strengthen its connection with vital regional audiences, Bridgestone India has partnered with multifaceted Punjabi star Parmish Verma. This collaboration is designed to resonate deeply in North India, a crucial and rapidly expanding market fuelled by increasing vehicle ownership and a youthful demographic. Verma, a prominent cultural figure and known automobile enthusiast, aligns naturally with the brand’s emphasis on safety, reliability and performance. His authentic passion for vehicles and responsible driving complements Bridgestone’s identity as a leading mobility solutions provider.

Central to this alliance is the co-creation of engaging, music-led narratives and digital content for Bridgestone’s campaigns, leveraging Verma’s artistic talents and significant social influence. This approach recognises the powerful role of popular culture in shaping brand preferences within the region. The partnership also advances the company’s broader regional engagement goals, aiming to build deeper trust with consumers nationwide. Furthermore, it embodies the ‘Emotion’ principle of Bridgestone’s corporate commitment, which seeks to inspire excitement and deliver joy through mobility. By uniting with a figure of Verma’s reach and genuine interest, Bridgestone India fosters a more dynamic and culturally relevant dialogue with its audience.

Rajiv Sharma, Executive Director – Sales & Marketing, Bridgestone India, said, “North India is a strategically important market for us. Parmish Verma’s credibility and deep connection with audiences make him an ideal partner to represent Bridgestone. This collaboration enables us to engage meaningfully with young consumers who seek fresh, inspiring and relatable brand experiences.”

Verma said, “Bridgestone is a brand people trust for safety and performance. I’m proud to be associated with an organisation that values quality and puts customers first. I look forward to connecting with audiences in a new and meaningful way through this partnership.”

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Bridgestone Americas has appointed Michele Herlein as its new Chief People Officer. In this role, she will oversee all human resources operations across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Her primary focus will be advancing the company's Culture 2.0 initiative, which aims to enhance teammate empowerment, collaboration and accountability.

Herlein rejoins Bridgestone with over two decades of executive leadership expertise. Her background includes previous positions within Bridgestone Americas and Bandag, Inc., centred on culture, leadership development and succession planning. Most recently, she was the Founder and CEO of CultureMax and previously served as the Chief Administrative and Human Resource Officer at Barge Design Solutions. She is also a published authority on creating high-performance organisational cultures. Beyond her corporate work, Herlein is a co-founder of Impact100 Nashville, a philanthropic women’s collective that has awarded more than USD 1.2 million in grants to area nonprofits.

Scott Damon, Bridgestone West CEO and Group President of Bridgestone Americas, said, “I am excited to welcome her back to Bridgestone, recognising the perspective and presence she will add to our West leadership team, the HR function and the broader organisation.”

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