Sumitomo Rubber Europe and Dunlop Tech have officially opened a technical centre, after a year of construction. The 30,000 sq m building in Hanau-Steinheim, Germany, houses facilities for tyre development and testing, production of liquid latex and tyre pressure monitoring system design.
The company said the historic building was sensitively restored in accordance with heritage protection regulations and subsequently converted into the centre.
“The spacious offices at our new centre will open up a host of further expansion opportunities for us,” commented Dr. Bernd Löwenhaupt, Managing Director of Sumitomo Rubber Europe GmbH. “Our new technical and chemical laboratories provide us with the opportunity for testing and analysing tyre compounds and tyres in-house for the first time and are readily expandable. This will boost the speed and efficiency of our research and development operations in Europe. The tyre hall is also more spacious, allowing us to store and fit more tyres. These new and enlarged premises cater perfectly to the increased overall growth we have experienced in recent years.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Hanau Business Development Agency and Head Mayor Claus Kaminsky, who provided excellent advice and assistance during our purchase of the property,” says Bernd Schuchhardt, Managing Director of Dunlop Tech GmbH. “We are delighted to have both companies, Sumitomo Rubber Europe and Dunlop Tech, now operating under one roof, so to speak; the new centre will simplify communication and focus expertise.”
“By attracting these two companies to establish their new centre here, we have gained a more than worthy successor for the premises formerly occupied by DS Smith Packaging. We are happy that such an environmentally aware, future-focused and innovative companies have chosen our region for their new location,” says Claus Kaminsky, Head Mayor of the City of Hanau.