Nokian Tyres has started delivering tyres from its new factory in Oradea, Romania. Winter and all-season tyres are the first to be delivered to clients and consumers in Central Europe via Nokian Tyres distribution centres.

Strategically located close to Central and South European consumers and customers, the factory will focus on passenger car tyres for these markets. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 2023 and the first tyre was manufactured in July 2024. The plant uses the most up-to-date technology to manufacture tyres and is the first full-scale, carbon-free tyre factory in the world. All of its energy is produced without the use of fossil fuels. The factory has already received three prestigious awards, namely the 2025 Award for Environmental Achievement of the Year – Industry Contribution at the Tyre Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, Business Review’s Award for The Most Impactful Investment of the Year 2025 in Romania and the Sustainable Manufacturing Award 2025 in Romania – Industry Tomorrow.

The first passenger car tyre line made at the Romanian facility, the Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2, was just introduced by the firm. By the fall of 2025, customers in Central and South Europe will be able to purchase the all-season tyre line in sizes suitable for contemporary passenger cars, SUVs, and CUVs. In addition to offering outstanding performance and a comfortable driving experience in the summer, the tyre offers outstanding grip on snow and slush. Up to 38 percent of the materials used in Nokian Tyres Seasonproof 2 are recycled, renewable, and ISCC PLUS certified. It is the first tyre produced commercially by the firm that has such a large percentage of recycled and renewable materials. The firm plans to provide additional Romanian-made products for drivers throughout Central and South Europe in the upcoming months and years.

Along with plants in Dayton, US, and Nokia, Finland, the Romanian plant is the company's third production facility. To draw in competent workers, the company is actively recruiting in Romania, particularly in Bihor County. The factory currently employs around 300 workers and expects the workforce to be over 500 when the factory is at full capacity.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “This week marks the start of the tyre deliveries from our factory in Oradea, Romania. The first truck loaded with Oradea made tyres left from the factory taking the tyres to our distribution centres and later to our customer and consumers in Central and South Europe. The factory, which is the world’s first full-scale zero CO2 emission tyre factory, will strengthen our ability to serve our consumers and customers in Central and South Europe and beyond and support our growth. Reaching this milestone in less than two years from the Groundbreaking of the factory is a significant achievement for us and I am very proud of the Nokian Tyres team who has worked hard to make this possible. I also want to thank all partners and Romanian officials who have helped us along the way.”

Atturo Tires and TMV Group have won three international awards at the 2025 Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) for their ‘Atturo Andy' campaign.

The campaign featured a fictional tyre salesman and was launched nationally across digital channels. It went on to win top honours in three major categories: Best Automotive Online Video Campaign, Best B2B Online Video Campaign and Best Mobile Online Video Campaign. The campaign – with its focus on driving brand recognition through humour, humanity and a distinct visual style – resulted in 140 percent increase in web traffic, 100 percent growth in ‘Where to Buy’ dealer inquiries and +35 percent lift in unit sales, according to Atturo.

Michael Mathis, President, Atturo Tires, said, “These awards recognise what we already knew: Atturo Andy isn’t just a character – he’s a force. We set out to create something that stood apart from industry clichés, and thanks to TMV Group’s creativity and deep category insight, we delivered work that was not only different but effective.”

Joe Morden, Managing Partner at TMV Group, said, “Creative only works when it’s backed by brave clients. Atturo trusted us to go big – to build something that was smart, strategic and completely unexpected. That trust turned into three international awards.”

Bridgestone is planning to cut jobs at two factories in northern Spain in response to a negative shift in the European market and the growth of non-European goods.

According to a Reuters report quoting local union UGT, the business intends to lay off 546 workers at two plants in Cantabria and the Basque Country in northern Spain that produce tyres for tractors, other farm vehicles, buses and trucks. The report adds that UGT and other unions have declared their intention to call for a strike at the two facilities, but they have not given any specifics.

The company's local unit, Bridgestone Hispania, employs 2,800 people at the moment, according to UGT. Bridgestone stated that it has to modify its production capacity in light of the current market conditions, which are marked by inflation, uncertainty and regulatory changes, says the report.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has expanded its FLAME GUARD series of flame-retardant conveyor belts with the launch of the FLAME GUARD ECO, which offers improved energy-saving performance. This is in line with the company’s medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2024–2026 –Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) – and aims to solidify its leading share in Japan’s conveyor belt market.

FLAME GUARD ECO is aimed at coal transport lines at ports and thermal power plants, which need conveyor belts that are flame-retardant for fire safety. To enhance energy-saving efficiency, Yokohama Rubber created a new rubber compound utilising technology acquired during the development of its ECOTEX conveyor belts, which have reached world-class power-saving performance. As the belt moves over the rollers, this lessens rubber deformation, which is a component in energy loss. Power usage and running resistance are thereby decreased. FLAME GUARD ECO reduces energy expenses and its environmental effect by lowering carbon dioxide emissions while simultaneously improving operational safety by combining flame resistance and energy economy.

With its self-extinguishing safety feature, the FLAME GUARD series provides flame retardancy with improved wear resistance, resistance to heavy oils and resistance to medium and high temperatures, making the belts suitable for a variety of operating requirements. The FLAME GUARD ECO variant also reduces resistance during roller passing for increased efficiency.

Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the Vredestein Superpasso Pro competition-ready road bicycle tyres. This is the first model in the company’s all-new range of high-performance bicycle tyres scheduled for launch throughout the coming year.

The Superpasso Pro was developed using Apollo Tyres' cutting-edge ‘TriComp’ technology in Europe, which combines several rubber compositions for the tread and sidewall to maximise rolling resistance, puncture prevention and traction in both wet and dry situations. While the tyre's shoulder is composed of a softer composition to improve cornering grip at all speeds, the centre of the tread features a tougher compound to reduce rolling resistance and to prevent penetration. The new Superpasso Pro achieves a 14 percent improvement in rolling resistance, a 23 percent increase in puncture resistance and an eight percent weight reduction when compared to its Vredestein predecessor.

For TLR tyres, the new ‘Active Control’ technology offers a novel design that substitutes a bridging gap for the conventional overlapping centre join. Because of this development, the tyre is lighter and quicker, offering better control, better feedback and unwavering comfort. In order to increase puncture resistance and provide consumers the assurance that they can go farther, the Vredestein tyre also has a reinforced breaker layer. As part of a business collaboration with Apollo Tyres, the Dutch professional cycling team BEAT Cycling Club has put the Superpasso Pro through a rigorous testing process. Three sizes of the new Vredestein tyre are available: 700x25C, 700x28C and 700x32C. Both tubeless-ready (TLR) and tube type choices are available.

Nic Knippers, Division Head – Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The Superpasso Pro represents a significant leap forward in tyre technology, offering cyclists a product that excels in both performance and durability. With its innovative design and advanced materials, it delivers unmatched speed, comfort and reliability for cyclists of all levels.”

Thijs Zonneveld, Sportive Director, BEAT Cycling Club, said, “As a team that consistently pushes the limits of performance, we’ve been thoroughly impressed by the Superpasso Pro. The advancements in rolling efficiency, grip and durability have been evident in both race-day conditions and intense training sessions, and we’re excited to continue using it in competition.”