Here is chit chat with Steffen Braune, Head of Products at TROESTER

Braune, you have been there for a quite long period in the extrusion business already. How has been the journey?

I started my career in the tyre industry more than 10 years ago. I began as a designer but changed very quickly to project engineer in the extrusion business. I was mainly responsible for Indian customers and due to the long period of time, a close relationship was build.

Where do you see your biggest challenge?

With the expansion in 2019, we increased our portfolio and have a huge variety of extrusion equipment for tyre and technical gum production. We are able to serve our customers with the best equipment for their requirements. Nevertheless, we are in the phase to standardise our products in order to have the best and first choice for our customers.

Do you see any trends in regard to your Indian customers?

We see the Indian rubber industry growing not only for their internal market but also in terms of export products to the EU or US (OE and replacement). As those tyres have to be labelled, this is bringing new requirements in terms of product quality and process stability. We can bring our bright experience and solutions as a benefit to our Indian customers, so that their operation is prepared for the correct supply. 

How about new developments to support?

We are optimising our extrusion portfolio every day. The components to be produced are getting thinner and different compounds are used. This has to be handled with care in the whole line supplied. The mechanical parts of the machine have to be perfect. 

Regarding the electrical and software components, we are putting more effort for ‘high sophisticated intelligence’ in our lines. The ‘TROESTER Analysing and Monitoring System (TAM-System)’ is a result of our research efforts in the past years. The system records different information of the extrusion equipment and helps our customers to get more analytics and AI software modules. We see this as the right answer and tool for the need of our customers who have more and more difficulties while finding operators with the skills required. 

Are you doing the same in the equipment supplied for the extrusion of technical gum parts?

Sure, let`s take as an example the extrusion of tubes. In the past years, TROESTER has developed the different heads further. We now have all the heads equipped with a measurement tool and a close loop control in order to have a constant centred wall thickness accuracy below 1/100 mm. By doing so, we have enabled our customers to have a high quality process under control with the reduction of usage of high sophisticated and very expansive compound.

Can you retrofit such systems?

Yes, all such solutions are able to be retrofitted.

The Country Manager of Bridgestone Mexico on regional strategy, the Cuernavaca plant, the rise of retreading and why the future belongs to companies that evolve with their customers.

Mexico has spent the past decade transforming itself from a low-cost manufacturing base into something far more strategic within North America’s automotive supply chain. Few executives are better placed to explain that shift than Alexandre Lopes Araujo, Country Manager of Bridgestone Mexico, who believes the country is living through one of the most significant moments in its automotive history, recognised today not only for its manufacturing strength but for the strategic role it plays in the wider development of the North American industry.

For Bridgestone, he says, that shift represents ‘a tremendous opportunity’. Araujo is careful to frame the company’s ambitions in broader terms than production volumes alone: Bridgestone’s goal, he explains, is not simply to manufacture tyres but to act as a strategic partner to OEMs, fleet operators and the replacement market, helping customers navigate an industry evolving at unprecedented speed.

Customer expectations, in his view, have shifted considerably. The market now demands products that deliver strong performance, safety and efficiency while also offering solutions that help optimise operations – which is why Bridgestone continues to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities and draw on the group’s global expertise to meet those evolving needs. He also points to the regionalisation of supply chains as a further tailwind, arguing it presents an opportunity to strengthen North America’s competitiveness and respond more quickly to market demands. “I am convinced that Mexico will continue to play an increasingly important role within this ecosystem, and at Bridgestone we are committed to contributing to that evolution through technology, talent and a long-term vision,” says Araujo.

FROM FACTORY FLOOR TO STRATEGIC HUB

What sets Mexico apart, Araujo argues, is not manufacturing capability alone. The expertise built up over decades and its proximity to North America’s key markets allow the tyre major to respond quickly to customer needs while working closely with OEMs, distributors and business partners throughout the region. For Araujo, this reflects a broader shift in how success is defined across the industry. “Success today is no longer defined solely by building a great product. It also depends on understanding where the industry is heading and having the ability to evolve alongside it,” explains Araujo.

His outlook for the country remains firmly upbeat. Araujo describes Mexico as having a solid industrial base, a strategic location and, above all, talented people with an extraordinary ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment – strengths he believes position the country for continued growth in the years ahead.

FORTY-FIVE YEARS AT CUERNAVACA

Araujo is quick to underline the continued significance of Bridgestone’s Cuernavaca plant, which has anchored the company’s Mexican operations for more than four decades and, in his words, “continues to play a strategic role within our regional operations.”

Competitiveness, the Bridgestone executive says, is about more than technology and infrastructure alone – it also depends on the ability to respond quickly to a constantly evolving market. Accordingly, the focus at Cuernavaca has been on continuously strengthening productivity, quality, operational flexibility and sustainability, ensuring the plant remains competitive and resilient within Bridgestone’s global manufacturing network. Rather than preparing for any single anticipated market shift, Araujo says, “the company is building an agile, efficient operation ready to meet the future needs of both the industry and its customers.”

DEEPER TIES WITH OEMs

Bridgestone’s relationship with vehicle manufacturers has evolved substantially, Araujo says. It is no longer simply a matter of developing a tyre that meets specific technical requirements; the company now collaborates with manufacturers from the earliest stages of development to better understand each vehicle’s needs and the driving experience they want to deliver to consumers. “Electrification, connectivity and higher performance standards are reshaping the industry, prompting increasingly specialised solutions and deeper collaboration with OEM partners worldwide,” adds Araujo.

He also identifies a shift in how customers weigh up value, with decisions now driven more by total cost of ownership and lifecycle value than by initial purchase price – a perspective that, Araujo says, shapes how Bridgestone develops products and works alongside manufacturers. According to Araujo, close collaboration with OEMs allows the company to anticipate industry trends and translate those insights into better products, something he regards as one of the key factors behind Bridgestone’s global leadership in technology, quality and performance.

COMMERCIAL FLEETS AND THE RISE OF RETREADING

As per Araujo, the commercial vehicle segment is highly strategic for Bridgestone given its close links to the growth of logistics, transportation and distribution. Behind every fleet are businesses looking to operate more efficiently, reduce costs and keep vehicles on the road – and purchasing decisions have shifted accordingly, moving beyond simple tyre quality to encompass total cost of ownership, cost per kilometre and overall operational efficiency.

Within that shift, Araujo singles out tyre retreading as one of the clearest examples of the circular economy in the industry, extending tyre life while maximising operational efficiency without compromising safety or performance. “This evolution is pushing Bridgestone to go beyond the product itself, offering an integrated value proposition that combines high-performance tyres with services designed to improve fleet productivity,” says Araujo.

Bandag, Bridgestone’s retreading business, sits at the heart of that strategy. “Through Bandag, this approach becomes a strategic solution with an even greater impact,” Araujo says. Sustainability, in his view, is no longer a standalone concept but a business imperative: fleet operators want to reduce their environmental footprint while also optimising costs, maximising resource utilisation and improving profitability, which is precisely where Araujo believes Bandag delivers meaningful value. He frames the approach as part of a lifecycle-wide sustainability commitment, one fully aligned with Bridgestone’s E8 Commitment and its aim of helping customers strengthen their competitiveness while contributing to a more efficient, sustainable transportation industry.

NAVIGATING A VOLATILE SUPPLY CHAIN

Global tyre makers are contending with volatile raw material costs and shifting trade policy. Araujo says the past few years have taught the industry that resilience is just as important as efficiency. Today’s supply chains must be agile enough to adapt to fluctuating raw material costs and an increasingly dynamic global trade environment, says Araujo.

Against that backdrop, Bridgestone is focused on building a flexible operation closely connected to local market needs. The growing regionalisation of supply chains presents an important opportunity to strengthen North America’s competitiveness, with Mexico playing a strategic role by enabling faster, more responsive service to the market. Data-driven decision-making and digital tools have become key competitive differentiators, improving visibility

across the value chain and helping the company anticipate customer needs. As he puts it, the objective is “not simply to respond to market changes but to build a resilient organisation capable of evolving sustainably alongside the industry and our customers.”

DEFENDING A PREMIUM POSITION

Price sensitivity remains a fact of life in the tyre market, but Araujo is firm that Bridgestone’s premium positioning rests on more than the sticker price. Price, he acknowledges, will always be an important part of the purchasing decision – but looking at the conversation solely from that angle tells only part of the story. Araujo adds that what truly matters is the value a tyre delivers across its entire lifecycle: customers who choose Bridgestone are investing in technology, safety, durability and long-term performance, attributes that translate into a lower cost per kilometre and a lower total cost of ownership, particularly for commercial fleets.

“Being a premium brand is not about having the highest price. It is about delivering the highest return on investment through high-quality products and value-added solutions,” Araujo says. That commitment, he believes, is what allows Bridgestone to build long-term trust with customers and sustain its position as a premium brand in an increasingly competitive market.

FROM REACTIVE TO PREDICTIVE

Digital technology is reshaping fleet management, and Araujo sees Bridgestone moving from a reactive posture to a predictive one. Technology, he says, now allows the company to anticipate issues, optimise resources and make data-based decisions in ways that were unimaginable only a few years ago. For fleet operators in particular, Araujo believes this represents a significant transformation – it is no longer just about having a high-performance tyre but about having access to insights that improve vehicle availability, optimise maintenance and reduce total cost of ownership.

Araujo describes digitalisation as a natural extension of Bridgestone’s core products rather than a separate line of business, with connected solutions and data analytics helping the company deliver actionable insights that improve operational performance. Looking ahead, Araujo expects data-driven decision-making to become one of the industry’s greatest competitive advantages. “The true value of technology is not simply collecting data but turning that information into actions that make operations safer, more efficient and more profitable,” Araujo says. That trajectory mirrors the company’s own evolution from tyre manufacturer to strategic partner combining premium products with innovative solutions, he adds.

SUSTAINABILITY AS A DAILY DISCIPLINE

Bridgestone has promoted its E8 Commitment globally, and Araujo says the framework shapes priorities at the local level in Mexico too. Sustainability, in his view, is often narrowly associated with reducing environmental impact, when in fact it represents something much broader – making better decisions every day that create value for customers, employees, the communities in which the company operates and the environment. Araujo explains, “The E8 Commitment serves as the foundation for that approach, guiding efforts to strengthen product safety and quality, develop people and continuously improve operations and manufacturing processes.”

It also shapes how Bridgestone collaborates with customers, he says, whether through higher-performing products, expanded solutions such as tyre retreading or new technologies – the underlying objective being to help customers operate more efficiently while creating value across the entire tyre lifecycle. Ultimately, the E8 Commitment is a reminder that sustainable business growth must go hand in hand with creating a positive impact, a balance he sees as central to what Bridgestone Mexico continues to build.

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Asked to look further ahead, Araujo believes the industry is entering an entirely new chapter – one in which the challenge is no longer simply building better vehicles and tyres but building a more competitive, integrated industry capable of responding quickly to an ever-changing marketplace. He sees Mexico as unusually well positioned to capitalise on that shift, citing the country’s strong manufacturing base, highly skilled talent and strategic position within the region as the growing regionalisation of supply chains continues to strengthen North America’s competitiveness.

“For Bridgestone Mexico itself, the priorities ahead are threefold: strengthening the competitiveness of operations, accelerating customer-centric solutions and advancing sustainability initiatives that create value throughout the tyre lifecycle. More than anything, the company wants to anticipate market trends and help customers navigate the challenges they will face in the years ahead,” Araujo adds.

Pressed to sum up his vision in a single sentence, Araujo offers a line that captures his broader philosophy: “The future will not belong only to the companies that build the best products but to those that best understand their customers and evolve alongside them.” That, he says, is the kind of company Bridgestone Mexico is committed to building – one defined less by the products it makes today than by how quickly it can adapt, innovate and deliver meaningful results for the customers who place their trust in it. As Araujo puts it, that is the challenge that excites him most, and the one that will define the company’s success in the years to come.

Mexico has become one of the most strategically important markets for global tyre manufacturers as shifting trade policies, supply chain realignments and the growing push for premium products reshape investment decisions across the Americas. For JK Tyre & Industries, the country is no longer simply its largest manufacturing base outside India. It has emerged as the centrepiece of the company’s regional growth strategy, providing proximity to the US market, access to USMCA trade benefits and a platform to strengthen its presence in both original equipment and replacement segments.

To support that ambition, JK Tyre has committed USD 75 million towards expanding and modernising its Mexican operations through JK Tornel, while simultaneously investing in automation, product development, exports and premium passenger vehicle tyres. The company is also using its Mexican technology centre to develop region-specific products and strengthen collaboration with its global R&D network.

In this exclusive interview with Tyre Trends, Anshuman Singhania, Managing Director of JK Tyre & Industries, explains how A three- decade acquisition has evolved into a strategic gateway to the Americas, why Mexico has become increasingly valuable amid tariff uncertainty, and how the company plans to shift its focus from volume-led growth to value creation over the coming decade.

FROM ACQUISITION TO ANCHOR

Mexico, for JK Tyre & Industries, has stopped being a line item on a manufacturing map. It has become something closer to a second home base. The company now runs 11 manufacturing plants worldwide. Nine are in India, two are in Mexico, and together they hold a combined annual capacity of 38 million tyres. It is, the company says, part of its globally benchmarked, sustainable manufacturing footprint.

Anshuman Singhania, the company’s Managing Director, is unambiguous about where Mexico sits within that picture. “Mexico is far more than an offshore manufacturing outpost for us,” he says.

The Mexican business, Compañía Hulera Tornel, S.A. de C.V. (CHT), is not a recent bolt-on. It was established in Mexico City on 9th November 1951. JK Tyre today holds a 99.98 percent stake in JK Tornel S.A. de C.V. and its group entities. “In the recent years, JK Tornel has delivered satisfactory performance emerging as a significant contributor in our global story,” Singhania says.

It forms, he adds, “an integral arm” of a technical ecosystem that spans Mysuru, Chennai and Milan – the trio that drives the group’s research and technology capabilities. It is Tornel, more than any other outpost, that gives JK Tyre its read on tariff and trade volatility across the Americas.

A USD 75 MILLION BET ON TARIFFS & PREMIUMISATION

That reading has translated into hard capital. The company has committed USD 75 million to a phased capacity expansion in Mexico. The first tranche, worth USD 27.5 million, is already under way. Singhania traces the logic back to geopolitics as much as growth. “Tariff and trade volatility across North America has made local, in-region manufacturing more valuable than ever,” he says. Mexico, he notes, offers proximity to the US market alongside USMCA-linked trade advantages.

Premiumisation runs through the strategy. JK Tyre is building capability in the higher-margin, above-16-inch rim segment. That is the reason, Singhania explains, a new northern warehouse was set up specifically for that category. The company began OE supplies to Kia Mexico in the 2026 financial year, with more SKUs planned. That, in turn, demanded a level of manufacturing consistency he says “only modernised, automated lines can deliver.”

The investment, Singhania says, is explicitly about “preparing the business for premium segment growth, expanding the high-margin ATV portfolio, and growing sales in mass-merchandise channels,” in step with efforts to optimise the wider product mix.

AUTOMATION WITH A HUMAN FACE

Within that first funded phase, the money is weighted towards capacity and automation. Ultra-modern machinery is being added across critical stages of tyre manufacturing, including key uniformity systems. The goal is to strengthen process precision and product consistency while readying plants for premium and higher-value categories.

But Singhania is careful to frame automation as a people project as much as a hardware one. The inauguration of a Dojo Training Centre in Mexico, he says, “testifies to our belief that automation pays off if the workforce is trained to run it.”

On the research side, Mexico already hosts one of the group’s four global technical centres. It functions as a Satellite Tech & Innovation Centre, feeding both OEM and aftermarket product development for Europe and the Americas.

CHASING THE EXPORT OPPORTUNITY

Export momentum has followed the investment. This year alone JK Tornel added 40 new distributors, including 20 in Mexico itself, taking its total past 140. It also launched 32 new tyre sizes specifically for the US market and expanded warehousing in northern Mexico and Brazil. Strategically, Singhania places Mexico inside what he calls the group’s “Export Rebalancing and China+1 Advantage” thesis. “Trade protectionism and geopolitical shifts are making reliable, in-region manufacturing bases like Mexico structurally more valuable,” he says.

The company, he adds, is building region-specific export strategies around that reality.

RESILIENCE AS STRATEGY

Navigating that volatility day to day, the JK Tyre MD argues, comes down to fundamentals rather than firefighting. “Our response is simple. Strengthen domestic distribution, sharpen product mix and expand capacity ahead of demand,” Singhania says.

He credits digitalisation, cross-functional collaboration and continuous capability building with lifting cost efficiency and productivity. “Long-term partnerships have kept service levels high despite market volatility, reinforcing the business’s broader resilience,” Singhania says.

ENGINEERING FOR THE AMERICAN DRIVER

That resilience is being engineered into the product itself. The new passenger tyres under development for Mexico and US are being shaped by evolving customer expectations around durability, safety and fuel efficiency. According to Singhania, customers want long tread life, dependable wet and dry braking, reduced rolling resistance for better fuel economy and a quieter, more comfortable driving experience.

Rising awareness of sustainability and total cost of ownership is also feeding into product development, the JK Tyre executive notes – tyres designed to combine performance, longevity, efficiency and environmental responsibility in a single package.

THE AI THREAD

Technology, more broadly, is the thread running through JK Tyre’s next five years. “Digital transformation, supported by AI-driven processes and a strong customer-centric focus, forms the cornerstone of JK Tyre’s R&D strategy,” Singhania says.

By integrating automation, artificial intelligence and core tyre engineering, he says, the company has positioned itself as “a pioneer across multiple technological domains” – an approach he credits with setting new benchmarks in tyre research and development.

WINNING WITHOUT RACING TO THE BOTTOM

Singhania insists that leadership in Mexico’s mass-merchandise segment was not bought with price. “Rather than competing purely on price, we have remained focused on product differentiation, disciplined execution and long-term customer partnerships,” Singhania says.

He adds that discipline defines the company across India, Mexico and more than 100 countries worldwide. The next phase of growth, as he sees it, lies in premium passenger vehicle tyres, larger rim sizes, SUVs, high-performance tyres and expanding OEM partnerships.

THE MEXICO-MYSURU FEEDBACK LOOP

Underpinning much of this is Mexico’s Satellite Product Development Center. It works closely with customers and OEM partners across North and Latin America to understand regional driving conditions, regulatory requirements and evolving market needs. Those insights feed into the Global Technology & Innovation Center — RPSCOE — in Mysuru, speeding up product development and validation.

The centre, Singhania says, plays a key role in developing region-specific tyres “while strengthening our competitiveness across international markets.”

Sourcing is being globalised too. Bringing tyres from Southeast Asia through the Mexican business, he says, reduces sourcing costs, increases supply flexibility and expands product availability. That, in turn, allows the company to price competitively while better serving customers in both Mexico and the US.

THE NEXT DECADE

Asked to look 5 to 10 years out, Singhania resists the temptation to talk in terms of volume. “The Mexico business is an important and growing part of JK Tyre’s international operations,” he says.

He describes Tornel as the group’s route to “strategic access to the American markets.” The priorities he lists – pricing discipline, receivables security, market-specific portfolio alignment and long-term competitiveness – are pointedly not about chasing short-term volume.

That same discipline shapes how he defines success closer to home. “At JK Tyre, we measure success with the value we can offer our partners, our customers and our entire JK Tyre family,” he says.

For Tornel specifically, in three years’ time, he would judge it “by how much of our growth has shifted from volume to value” – alongside the resilience to navigate tariff dynamics, deeper distribution and a stronger premium position across its markets.

European replacement tyre demand rose in the second quarter of 2026, driven by strong growth in truck and bus segments, according to industry data published by Tyres Europe.

“European replacement tyre demand strengthened in Q2 2026, particularly truck and bus tyres,” said Adam McCarthy, Secretary General of Tyres Europe.

Consumer tyres, which include passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles, increased by three percent year on year in the quarter, lifting volumes for the first half by two percent. Growth was led by all-season tyres, which rose 15 percent in the quarter and nine percent in the first half.

By contrast, summer tyres declined by two percent, while winter tyres edged down one percent in the quarter and remained five percent lower over the first half, continuing a shift in demand towards all-season products.

Truck and bus tyres recorded the strongest performance, rising 13 percent in the second quarter and seven percent in the first half. The increase came despite geopolitical pressures and elevated fuel and energy costs, with freight activity and business sentiment remaining resilient.

Agricultural tyres continued to contract, declining seven percent in the quarter, although at a slower rate than earlier in the year. Moto and scooter tyres rose one percent in the quarter and were four percent higher across the first half.

Tyres Europe said miles travelled declined during the period, reflecting higher average fuel prices and weaker consumer sentiment linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Imports, however, rebounded after sharp declines in the first quarter.

Separate data showed changes in trade flows. Imports of passenger car, light commercial and truck tyres into the EU27 and UK fell six percent year on year between January and May 2026. Shipments from China dropped 24 percent, reducing its share to 58 percent from 72 percent a year earlier.

Suppliers in south-east Asia increased their presence, with their share rising to 19.9 percent from 7.4 percent, led by Thailand and Vietnam.

The shift followed an anti-dumping investigation by the European Commission, which concluded that Chinese imports had entered the market at unfair prices. Definitive duties ranging from 4.3 percent to 45.3 percent were imposed from July 8, 2026 for an initial five-year period.

In the truck and bus segment, imports into the EU27 and UK from non-European markets rose by almost 27 percent in the first five months of the year. Thailand and Vietnam together accounted for nearly 61 percent of volumes, reflecting a broader shift in supply away from traditional sources such as China, Korea and Japan.

Tyres Europe represents 14 corporate members whose combined global sales account for around 70 percent of the worldwide tyre market.

Fennell Tyres International, part of the Magna Tyres Group, has acquired Bunbury's Tyre Specialists, extending its operations into the South West of Western Australia. The transaction amount has not been disclosed.

The deal takes effect on 17^th  August, when the Bunbury business begins trading under the Fennell Tyres International name. The site will continue operating during the transition, and existing customer contacts and service contracts will remain in place where applicable. About five employees will join Fennell Tyres International as part of the acquisition.

Fennell Tyres International, based in Kewdale, has expanded across Western Australia since joining the Magna Tyres Group in 2020. It supplies tyres, servicing and technical support to the transport, mining, industrial, construction and earthmoving sectors.

The acquisition follows a long-standing relationship between Aldo Gismondi, Director of Magna Tyres Australia, and Bevan Dillon, Director of Bunbury's Tyre Specialists. The two have worked together for many years, sharing a focus on customer service and support for the transport, construction, industrial and earthmoving sectors.

Gismondi said: "This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity to further strengthen our service network across Western Australia. Bunbury's Tyre Specialists has built an outstanding reputation throughout the Southwest, and together we look forward to delivering even greater value and service to our customers."

Dillon said: "The relationship between our organisations has developed over many years, making this a natural progression. We are proud of the reputation Bunbury's Tyre Specialists has established and are excited about the opportunities this acquisition will create for our customers and our team."

Fennell Tyres International said the acquisition would improve its ability to serve customers in both Perth and regional Western Australia, with faster response times and wider product availability. The company described the move as the next stage of its long-term investment strategy, aimed at expanding its regional service capability across Western Australia's metropolitan and regional markets.