GRP, an Indian rubber recycling company, reported a 20 percent year-over-year revenue growth for both Q3 and the first nine months of FY25, despite facing margin pressures from elevated raw material costs.

The company recorded total income of INR 1,327 million in Q3 FY25, with EBITDA margins holding steady at 9.8 percent. For the nine-month period, revenue reached INR 3,912 million, while EBITDA stood at INR 363 million.

"We achieved a 12 percent increase in volumes on a standalone basis, with Reclaim Rubber volumes growing nine percent despite subdued global tyre demand," said Harsh Gandhi, Managing Director of GRP Limited.

The company recognized INR 121 million in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) credits year-to-date, with an additional INR 180 million worth of credits valued at minimum support price still available for sale.

Expansion Plans

GRP is moving forward with its INR 2.5 billion expansion plan, having secured financing from French development finance institution Proparco. The company has also received shareholder approval to raise an additional INR 1.5 billion through a qualified institutional placement.

"We remain on track to commence operations for the first line of crumb rubber and continuous pyrolysis line by Q4 of this financial year," Gandhi stated, noting that INR 330 million has already been invested in the project.

Industry Developments

The expansion comes as major carbon black producers like Birla Carbon, Epsilon Carbon, and Phillips Carbon Black launch recovered carbon black products using tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO).

"With carbon black producers now actively sourcing TPO to produce their own grades of recovered carbon black, it allows us a new avenue for sale, which was maybe 6 to 8 months ago, was non-existent," Gandhi explained.

Future Outlook

The company expects margins to stabilize following recent raw material cost pressures, particularly in its synthetic rubber reclaim business. GRP's subsidiary focused on recycled polyolefins is gaining approvals from major brands ahead of new recycling regulations taking effect from April 2025.

"Once we do get into this business, there are a lot of synergies between the two businesses, and that will allow for the overall margin profile of the business to move towards mid-teens and even a little higher towards the high-teen EBITDA numbers for a consolidated level," Gandhi added.

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Liberty Tire Recycling recently hosted 20 visitors from the Recycling Association of Minnesota for an industry tour of its state operations. Company representatives guided the group through the entire scrap tyre processing cycle, demonstrating how inbound tyres are collected, processed and transformed into finished materials.

Beyond collecting tyres from retailers, auto body shops and transfer stations, Liberty Tire Recycling assists local governments with amnesty drop-off events and illegal dump cleanup initiatives. These efforts protect roadsides, neighbourhoods and natural areas by redirecting discarded tyres into responsible recycling channels. Minnesota generates more than four and a half million end-of-life tyres annually, making robust collection infrastructure essential. Liberty accepts tyres from landfills, transfer centres, and generators such as tyres retailers and auto dealerships.

Despite a strong state framework, illegal dumping persists. Community amnesty events and targeted cleanups provide residents with convenient disposal options and give local governments a proven partner for addressing abandoned tyres piles. Liberty operates two key facilities serving Minnesota: a tyre collection and processing site in Savage and another in St. Martin. Both locations are part of Liberty’s North American network, which processes over 200 million tyres each year into rubber mulch, moulded rubber goods and rubberised asphalt components.

During the Recycling Association of Minnesota tour, visitors observed how end-of-life tyres become crumb rubber, tyre-derived aggregate, rubber mulch and tyre-derived fuel for commercial and residential applications. Through education, direct collection services, local processing, amnesty support and cleanup partnerships, Liberty helps prevent tyres from ending up in ditches or landfills and returns them to productive use.

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The Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2, a new ultra-high-performance all-season tyre, has achieved a category first by securing ‘A’ ratings for both wet grip and exterior noise across its entire size range. Developed in Europe by Apollo Tyres Ltd and set for production at the company’s Hungarian facility, this performance-focused product utilises a distinctive tread pattern that merges longitudinal and directional grooves.

Unlike competing ultra-high-performance all-season tyres, the Quatrac Pro 2 incorporates four longitudinal grooves in every size to maximise aquaplaning resistance and deliver superior wet-weather braking and traction. Directional lateral grooves further enhance water evacuation. While conventional all-season designs often omit such grooves to prioritise snow traction – resulting in higher noise levels – Apollo Tyres’ research team has engineered the Quatrac Pro 2 as a segment-leading wet performer without sacrificing acoustic comfort. The tyre still carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake marking for certified winter capability.

Advanced engineering is evident in the shoulder’s three-dimensional interlocking sipes, which feature zig-zagged inner faces on horizontal and vertical planes. Unlike straight-cut conventional sipes, this design limits tread block movement, maintaining structural stability during high-speed cornering while retaining flexibility for snow grip. This unique tread construction ensures a consistent contact patch and predictable handling even under aggressive cornering. A continuous centre rib, rare in all-season tyres, further boosts dry handling, steering precision and braking distances on wet and dry roads.

Building on its predecessor’s acoustic performance, the Quatrac Pro 2 employs an optimised multi-pitch tread block sequence to reduce resonance and noise. The irregular block arrangement, with pitch counts and sequences tailored to each tyre diameter, produces a refined acoustic signature. This balance of characteristics secures the top ‘A’ noise rating for all sizes, confirming that certified winter performance does not compromise comfort or wet-weather capability.

Daniele Lorenzetti, Chief Technology Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The tread design of the Quatrac Pro 2 reflects a new approach to all-season tyre development. By combining features typically associated with ultra-high-performance summer tyres with carefully engineered elements for traction in wet and winter conditions, we have created a tyre that delivers strong braking response and confident handling year-round.”

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Nokian Tyres has named Rhea County High School graduates Jesus Hernandez-Santiago and Josiah Shibley as the recipients of its 2026 college scholarship. The two students were selected based on their strong academic records, interest in STEM fields and commitment to excelling in extracurricular activities.

Now in its seventh year, the scholarship programme supports the company’s broader goal of preparing skilled professionals for the Southeast Tennessee workforce. Complementary initiatives include a robust apprenticeship programme, a work‑based learning scheme and a summer internship partnership.

Hernandez‑Santiago plans to study mechanical engineering at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, having already taken college‑level math courses since his junior year through a dual enrolment programme. Shibley will attend Tennessee Tech to pursue civil engineering with an environmental concentration, aiming to combine his passion for the outdoors with his interest in construction.

Nokian Tyres also runs an apprenticeship with Cleveland State Community College, where six apprentices complete 8,000 hours of on‑the‑job training and 42 classroom credits. A work‑based learning partnership with Rhea County High School places two to four students annually at its high‑tech factory, while a separate internship with Bryan College offers mentorship and project experience.

Since opening its Dayton Factory in 2019 to serve North American markets, the tyremaker has earned multiple awards and became the world’s first tyre production facility to achieve LEED v4 Silver certification.

Nokian Tyres North America Human Resources Director Blake Markham, who serves as chairman of the Southeast Tennessee Workforce Development Board, said, “We are passionate about fuelling the employment pipeline in Rhea County and beyond. Our region benefits from strong partnerships between businesses, educational institutions and local governments that strengthen companies and change lives.”

Hernandez-Santiago said, “I feel so blessed to receive this scholarship because I have always loved the STEM field. Nokian Tyres has always been involved with the community, so I will do what I can to succeed and impact the community with the opportunity I have been given."

Shibley said, “I’ve lived in Dayton my whole life, and this opportunity has shown me what it looks like when a company invests in its community. This scholarship will help me worry less about money and focus more on school, and it means a lot that it’s coming from a company in my hometown.”

Maintenance Apprentice Emily Goodwin said, “Seeing the things in the classroom that I’ve already worked on has helped a lot. It feels like a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity. This has changed my life.”

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Tyres Europe has formally responded to the European Commission’s consultation on the draft Delegated Regulation amending Annex I of the EU Deforestation Regulation. The association views the proposed text as a constructive and proportionate measure to enhance both operability and legal certainty.

A key focus of the submission is tyre retreading. Tyres Europe endorses the plan to limit the regulation’s scope to tyre treads, the only new rubber component added during retreading, while excluding used casings and finished retreaded tyres. This distinction aligns obligations with actual new rubber introduction, reduces administrative burdens on small and medium-sized enterprise retreaders and supports circular economy goals.

The association also welcomes clarifications on products for testing or analysis, used items and waste. Given ongoing supply chain preparations, Tyres Europe urges the Commission to adopt and publish the Delegated Regulation swiftly before the summer break to ensure legal certainty and implementation readiness.

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