Nokian Tyres is commemorating two significant milestones this year: the 90th anniversary of its first Hakkapeliitta winter tyre and the 40th anniversary of its renowned Ivalo Test Center. Located in Finnish Lapland, this facility, famously known as ‘White Hell’, stands as the world’s largest and most versatile winter testing environment. Since its establishment in 1986, it has been the central hub for the company’s mission to achieve global leadership in winter driving safety. What began as a remote outpost has evolved into a sophisticated, thriving epicentre for tyre development and innovation.

Operational for roughly 180 days each year from November to April, the centre capitalises on the extreme Arctic conditions to rigorously test products. Covering more than 700 hectares and situated about 235 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the site features a vast network exceeding 40 kilometres of specialised tracks. This includes a 700-metre-long indoor ice hall, frozen lakes and varied road surfaces designed to simulate real-world challenges. Engineers utilise a circular track for assessing lateral grip, snow-covered routes for handling and a steep hill for testing acceleration and longitudinal traction. These diverse courses allow for a comprehensive evaluation of every aspect of tyre performance under the most severe circumstances.

Annually, the company tests approximately 5,000 passenger and heavy tyres at the Ivalo facility. While it is primarily known for developing winter tyres sold across all of Nokian’s markets, its role is broader. The extreme cold conditions are also essential for testing all-season, all-weather and all-terrain tyres intended for Central Europe and North America. These cold-weather evaluations are complemented by wet and dry surface testing conducted at the company’s Hakka Ring facility in Spain and at its location in Nokia, Finland. In recent years, a significant focus of the expert work at Ivalo has been on preparing products to perform reliably in increasingly variable and changing winter weather patterns.

This intensive testing is fundamental to the development of new technologies that enhance driver safety and underpin the company’s innovative leadership. The expertise gained at Ivalo is a direct extension of Nokian Tyres’ heritage, which began with the invention of the winter tyre in 1934. This legacy was solidified two years later with the introduction of the first Hakkapeliitta tyre, a product line celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The current generation of winter passenger tyres, including studded options like the Hakkapeliitta 10 and Hakkapeliitta LT3, as well as the non-studded Hakkapeliitta R5, are a testament to a century-long commitment to safety, honed and proven at the ‘White Hell’ facility in Lapland.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “The Ivalo Test Center is at the core of our expertise – the place where our practical knowledge of extreme winter conditions originates and evolves. For forty years, Ivalo has been the proving ground for many pioneering innovations, and it will continue to play a key role in our research, development and testing processes.”

Matti Suuripää Nokian Tyres Ivalo Test Facility Manager, said, “There was just a frozen lake when White Hell opened in 1986. A couple guys from the testing department came here with a trailer full of tyres and made a track or two on the ice. There wasn’t a facility, there were just winter conditions. Our test methods have been refined over the years to become more diverse. We have adapted our testing methods to account for different winter weather and more varied conditions. We work hard to develop products that make driving predictable.”

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Epsilon Carbon Pvt. Ltd. has announced the appointment of Munish Kumar Rathi as its new President and Business Head for Carbon Black.

With more than 25 years of extensive global leadership experience, Rathi brings a strong background in profit and loss management, multi-site manufacturing leadership, strategic planning and business transformation. His career is marked by a demonstrated ability to drive operational excellence and foster sustainable growth across various international markets.

The company is anticipating that his leadership will play a key role as Epsilon Carbon continues to expand its global footprint and accelerate innovation within the carbon black business segment. The organisation has formally welcomed Rathi to the team, expressing confidence in his capacity to guide future strategic initiatives. This move underscores Epsilon Carbon’s commitment to strengthening its leadership team in pursuit of long-term global competitiveness.

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TVS Srichakra has approved capital investment of up to INR 2.2 billion to expand production capacity at its manufacturing facilities in Vellaripatti, Madurai.

The expansion will cover the company’s two-wheeler tyre and off-highway tyre plants, with investment of up to INR 1.1 billion allocated to each facility.

TVS Srichakra said the two-wheeler tyre plant currently has capacity of about 21 million to 23.5  million tyres a year and operates at utilisation levels of around 80 to 85 percent. The company plans to add about 5 percent capacity, with completion targeted in the first half of FY2028-29.

The off-highway tyre plant has existing capacity of about 75 to 85 metric tonnes a year and operates at utilisation levels of 75 to 80 percent. TVS Srichakra plans to increase capacity at the plant by about 25 percent, with the addition scheduled for the first half of FY2027-28.

The company said the investment would be financed through a combination of internal accruals and debt.

TVS Srichakra said the expansion is intended to meet growing demand for its two- and three-wheeler tyres and off-highway tyre products.

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JK Tyre & Industries reported record consolidated revenue of INR 163.84 billion for FY26, registering an 11 percent year-on-year increase, supported by strong domestic demand and volume growth across key tyre segments.

The company’s consolidated EBITDA rose 25 percent to INR 20.89 billion, with EBITDA margin improving to 12.8 percent.

Profit before tax increased 46 percent to INR 10.43 billion, while profit after tax climbed 52 percent to INR 8.60 billion during FY26.

For the fourth quarter, consolidated revenue rose 12 percent year-on-year to INR 42.33 billion.

Quarterly EBITDA surged 42 percent to INR 5.46 billion, with margin at 12.9 percent, while Q4 PAT nearly doubled, rising 94 percent to INR 1.99 billion.

Chairman and Managing Director Dr Raghupati Singhania described FY26 as a year of robust performance, highlighting record volumes in both truck and bus radial and passenger car radial categories.

Domestic sales volumes during Q4 grew 21 percent overall. Truck and bus radial replacement volumes increased 53 per cent, while OEM demand in the segment rose 23 percent. Passenger car radial replacement volumes were up 26 percent and OEM demand increased 10 percent.

The company said growth momentum was expected to continue into FY27, supported by new vehicle launches, infrastructure development and sustained replacement demand.

JK Tyre also highlighted strong traction in electric mobility. More than 70 per cent of electric buses operating in India currently run on its tyres, while the company supplies EV tyres to nearly eight two-wheeler OEMs and has secured orders for electric passenger vehicle models including Renault Duster EV, Hyundai Creta EV and Tata Motors’ Nexon and Punch EV variants.

Its Mexico business, operated through JK Tornel, contributed nearly 20 per cent of consolidated revenue and is expected to maintain growth across Mexican, Latin American and US markets.

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The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has elected David Cichocki, Managing Director, Americas, and chief sales officer, Americas Consumer, at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, to its board of directors.

“I’m pleased to welcome David to our Board. His extensive experience and expertise across the tire and consumer goods industries will be invaluable as we navigate today’s complex industry,” said Anne Forristall Luke, USTMA president and chief executive. “His proven leadership will strengthen our ability to seize emerging opportunities.”

Cichocki joined Goodyear in early 2026 and is responsible for overseeing the Americas region and leading the company’s Americas Consumer sales business.

He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across industrial and consumer goods companies to the USTMA board.

Before joining Goodyear, Cichocki served as senior vice-president of US sales at Whirlpool, where he managed a portfolio valued at more than $10bn across retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

He also spent more than 20 years at Kraft Foods and Nabisco in a range of senior leadership roles.

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