US-based Xtreme OTR Tire and Bridgestone Americas are launching OTR (off-the-road) tyre projects to help meet the global shortfall.
The worldwide shortage of giant OTR tyres is having a negative impact on production in the mining and construction industries, which consume a substantial amount of the OTR tyre supply. Companies needing replacement tyres are said to be having a difficult time finding any substantial inventory of OTR radial or bias tyres for their heavy equipment and it is for this reason that Xtreme OTR Tires says it has entered the market with its wide range of tyres.
Meanwhile, Bridgestone is embarking on a US$19.5 million expansion project at its OTR plant. Expected to be completed in mid-2013, the additional capacity will go primarily to the production of tyres used in the heavy industry. The investment follows a September 2011 announcement of a US$1.3 billion investment in tyre plants in Aiken County; Warren County and Des Moines as well as an expansion by parent company Bridgestone at its steel cord plant in Clarksville.
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