Pirelli Tire North America has announced that its plant in Silao, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, produced its one millionth tire.
To celebrate the plant’s first million tires, Guanajuato Governor Miguel Márquez Márquez and Guanajuato Secretary for Economic Development Héctor López Santillana, joined Pirelli NAFTA Region CEO Paolo Ferrari, Pirelli’s Industrial Operations Director Giuliano Menassi, Pirelli Mexico CEO Tom Gravalos, and Pirelli Mexico Industrial Director Fernando Madeira Toledo, for a ceremony commemorating the special occasion at the state of the art facility.
The new tire plant, Pirelli’s first in Mexico and 22nd worldwide, was inaugurated on May 31, 2012 by then Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa. Tires produced in Silao serve the U.S., the Canadian, and the growing Mexican markets.
The size of the plant and its related production are such that 60% of Pirelli tires sold in the NAFTA region will be produced in Silao. The plant’s production is focused on premium tires, producing high performance and ultra-high performance tires for cars and light trucks.
The factory’s capacity will reach 3.5 million tires in 2015. When fully operational in 2017, production is expected to reach 5.5 million units.
Pirelli’s total investment through 2017 will amount to approximately 400 million US dollars. During the same period, the new facility, which is equipped with the Pirelli group’s most advanced technology and production processes, including the “Green Performance” project for environmentally friendly premium tires, will create 1,400 direct and 400 indirect jobs, for a total of 1.800 new employments in Mexico.
Paolo Ferrari, CEO of Pirelli for the NAFTA Region, said, “We were able to complete the start-up phase and produce our first million tires in record time, thanks to the hard work of our local team. We are grateful to all the local, state and federal authorities who have been our partners along the way.”
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