GITI tire (USA) Ltd. has announced that it has established two new technical centers in North America and Germany.
The move marks a significant development in the research and development capabilities of the company, with both sites working in collaboration with existing facilities in China, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. The company now employs over 600 R&D personnel.
The new North American site will be based in Akron, Ohio, and will employ tire designers, engineers, compounders and research personnel. This new team will design and develop tires for the North American market across the entire portfolio of brands of the company, which encompass passenger car, performance, UHP, SUV/CUV, 4x4, light truck, heavy truck and bus tires.
The technical center operation will be led by Hamid Aboutorabi, who holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and is a 23 year veteran of the tire industry. He has experience in managing R&D teams as well as the development and application of advanced modeling techniques in tire design across both OE and replacement markets.
Aboutorabi regularly participates in international tire conferences and has had several research papers published through the Tire Society, Inc.
He will have matrix reporting to both Phang Wai Yeen, GITI's executive director R&D, and Herve Richert, executive director, Sales and Marketing (international) and president of Giti Tire (USA). Aboutorabi will sit on both the North American and Global R&D leadership teams.
"North America represents huge and diverse tire markets with evolving consumer expectations and regulations relating to tire labeling and fuel economy," says Aboutorabi.
"We will be working hand-in-hand with every GITI Tire R&D Center and will use our collective knowledge and experiences to develop specific products that are best-in-class, utilizing cutting-edge materials and design technologies."
Aboutorabi says the location is pivotal in ensuring the center's success.
"Akron is still the rubber capital of the world in terms of available academic and commercial knowledge, as well as labs and services directly related to tires."
"This is not just a marker for our commitment to North America, but to improving our products and credentials worldwide," says Julianto Djajadi, executive vice president, Business Operations for GITI Tire (USA).
"The two sites mark a significant investment, but as we strive to position all our brands as best-in-class in their various market segments, it is essential we continue to drive for excellence and deliver the best value for our dealers and consumers."
Giti Tire's new European Technical Center will be based in Hannover, Germany, under the leadership of R&D Director, Stefan Fischer. Fischer has over 18 years of experience in the tire industry working across different R&D projects including OE, passenger car and van tires. He will sit both on the European and the Global R&D Leadership Teams.
"With the new Technical Centers we have created one global R&D team which brings together the very best people and technologies across the U.S., Europe, China and Indonesia, and in doing so we are becoming a strong technology driven partner of the automotive industry," says Phang.
"The appointments of Stefan and Hamid clearly highlight the excellent worldwide reputation of the company, and also its ambitions moving forward," adds Richert. "They are welcome additions to what is an already exceptional worldwide R&D team."
