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| Sunday, 1 December 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Tyre manufacturer records 20 years of progress The tyre manufacturer, Trelleborg Lanka celebrated 20 years of operations recently. Trelleborg AB Sweden, a global leader in the polymer industry, has diversified into Automotive, Wheel Systems, Engineered Systems and Building Systems. It has an annual turnover exceeding two billion US dollars and over 16,000 employees in 44 countries. Trelleborg Wheel Systems makes tyres for different applications such as industrial, light industrial and farm and forest. The company recently acquired the farm and forest division of Pirelli Tyres, Italy. Trelleborg Wheel Systems has five tyre plants - two in Sri Lanka and one each in Belgium, Sweden and USA. Production at Trelleborg Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. started in 1981 with rubber master batches which were exported to Wurfbain Company, Holland and Bergougnan, Belgium. The factory initially had about 70 workers, a small mixer and a few presses. Tyre production started in May 1981 and the first official order of tyres was shipped to Cheng Sing Company in Singapore the same year. In 1988, Trelleborg AB Sweden bought all the shares of the Bergougnan Group and the Lankan factory came to be known as Trelleborg Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. The production of seal rings started and in 1990, the manufacturing concept changed from 'mill to press' while reaching the highest level output. In 1991 the production of light industrial tyres (pneumatic) was started. In 1992 Trelleborg Lanka manufactured its millionth tyre, won the 'Product Development Award' within the Trelleborg Group and surpassed a Rs. 500 million turnover. Between 1992 and 1996, the factory was modernised with an investment of Rs. 125 million, which saw production increasing by 60-70 per cent.Significant features during this period were Trelleborg Lanka obtaining approval to produce tyres for Yokohama, Japan, winning Trelleborg AB Sweden's quality improvement award and obtaining the ISO 9002 certification. Trelleborg AB Sweden made further investments on new moulds. In 1996/1997 the light industrial tyre department was expanded to increase capacity. .Trelleborg Sweden acquired the factories Vorwerk and Son Asia (Pvt) Ltd in Sri Lanka and Vorwerk Sohn GmbH and Company in Germany in 1997 and expanded the factory in Sri Lanka while transferring Rotatec machinery and Rota production from Germany to Sri Lanka. Trelleborg Lanka and Trelleborg Wheel Systems Lanka employ over 700 personnel at present. Over Rs. 1600 million has been invested to date on their development. |
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