Leading tyre major JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. (JK Tyre) has started the operations of Western Tires Inc., its new unit based in Houston, Texas. The Indian tyre manufacturer now has its own marketing arm centered on the US – Western Tires will cover the sales, service and network expansion across multiple segments of the market while the after-sales service will be backed by a team of technical experts from India and Mexico to ensure an efficient delivery model.
The formation of Western Tires comes after the acquisition of its JK Tornel subsidiary in Mexico City and enhancement of capacity at JK Tyre in India; at the time, JK Tyre was also exporting to the US for nearly two decades through an extensive network of local partners. Now, with Western Tires, JK Tyre can better focus on direct sales in the truck/bus radial, passenger car and light truck tyre segments, through introduction of new products and enhancement of sales channels, in the US market.
Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing director of JK Tyre, commented: “The US has been an important export market for us. The fact that we are now setting up our operations here goes to show the significance of this country in our larger global expansion plans.
“Our products have been appreciated for superior quality, technological advancements and robustness across the world, and we have received a similar response from our customers in the US. With our own sales and marketing channel, we are furthering our commitment towards the US market to provide an enhanced delivery and service experience to our customers.”