DLS Retreading Inc. in Lancaster County, S.C., will eventually produce 200 retreaded truck tires per day.
DLS Retreading Inc. opened the doors of the first all-new ContiTread licensed truck tire retreading facility in the United States on Friday, July 19, 2013.
The 16,000-square-foot retreading shop is part of a 72,000-square-foot commercial facility that will not only produce and sell Continental ContiTread flat precure retreaded truck tires, but also offer new Continental and General truck tires. The facility has 11 service docks.
Vice President and General Manager Scott Snyder, a 25-year veteran of the truck tire and retreading industry, said that the new facility could not have been created without the partnership of Continental Tire the Americas LLC's Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit.
"We have truly worked together as a team, and what makes this the most intriguing is that Continental has taken a year to work with our family, providing resources and capital, to make sure that we could get into this market successfully."
Continental has made a commitment to DLS Retreading to provide the engineering, marketing and sales support needed to succeed in South Carolina, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the southeast U.S., said Paul Williams, Continental's executive vice president for truck tires. South Carolina was ranked tied for second highest real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the region for 2012, according to a June news release by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis.
"We've been committed to help DLS Retreading with this new venture from the beginning, not only because they are close to our headquarters in Fort Mill, but more importantly, because they understand the benefits of providing retreads that meet the needs of the market with the same performance and designs as the new tires," said Williams.
The DLS Retreading facility is the first of Continental's licensees in the U.S. to be a completely new retreading venture, with no pre-existing operations.
"Continental is a top tier truck tire, and everyone wants to try their solution of new tires with matching retreads," said Snyder. "Now we're here to help prove to these local fleets, with Continental's support, that Continental is an excellent choice for their lifecycle needs."
Here are some facts about the DLS Retreading facility and its location:
* It is located in Lancaster County, S.C.
* It represents an investment of $2.5 million in capital and equipment.
* It is expected to employ at least 50 within four years.
* It will eventually produce up to 200 retreaded truck tires daily.
* Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than $5 billion in capital investment and more than 8,000 jobs in the automotive-related sector.
* DLS Retreading received economic incentive of fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with Lancaster County for a five-year period beginning in 2013.
For more information about Continental and its ContiTread licensee program, visit www.continental-truck.com or check out the following sites:
"Conti taps L.A.-based Y Tire for ContiLifeCycle."
"Hill Tire makes the move to ContiLifeCycle."
"ContiLifeCycle reaches West Coast."
"ContiLifeCycle to spread in the Americas."
