The first shipment of 540 tires produced at the Toyo Tire Serbia facility in Indjija left for North America on August 9, 2022.
Toyo Tire Serbia is the first European plant of the Japanese company Toyo Tire Corporation, which is located in the Northeast Work Zone in Indjija. The company was founded on October 4, 2019, the first tire was driven on December 15, 2020, and today (April 9) the first delivery of tires went.
The first shipment was attended by the ambassador of Japan Takahiko Katsumata, general manager of Toyo Tire Serbia Yoji Imura, director of the factory in Inđija Aykut Gidergi, president of the Municipality of Indjija Vladimir Gak, as well as other representatives of the company’s management and employees.
The Japanese ambassador, Takahiko Katsumata, expressed his great pleasure to attend this event as the ambassador of Japan:
“In December 2020, when I came to Serbia as ambassador, my first visit was right here, and that is why I can testify to your efforts and success.” Despite the pandemic, the foundation stone laying ceremony for the factory was held at this location. This year marks 140 years of friendly relations between Japan and Serbia, and the opening of this factory in December will be an important event for that anniversary,” said Ambassador Katsumata, thanking the Government of Serbia for the support and subsidies the company received, as well as the great support the company received from the Municipality of Indjija and its president, Vladimir Gak.
The director general of Toyo Tire Serbia, Yoji Imura, said on that occasion that “this is the first shipment from Toyo Tire Serbia to the American market. Consumers in America will be driving their cars with tires produced at this factory in a few months.
“Our next goal is to reach full-capacity production. I am already elated to think that, in under a year, this loading space will be full of our products, being prepared to be sent all over the world”, he said.
Aykut Gidergi, the general manager of the factory in Indjija, said that the factory in Serbia is very important for the whole Toyo Tire corporation and there are great expectations that the most competitive products will be produced here.
“This today is the result of our joint efforts, and that’s why I want to thank the whole team for all the efforts they put in“, he pointed out.
The President of the Municipality of Indjija, Vladimir Gak, thanked him for having the opportunity to speak at this place, on what he said was a “really great and historic day for Serbia and Indjija”;
“ A few years ago, we could hardly have imagined such a large global company in India. As a company, you have become its pride. You thank me for your support, but that support is normal if we want our city to develop. Ambassador Katsumata mentioned that this year is the jubilee, of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Serbia, and it will be our pleasure to make our contribution in the jubilee year. May the beginning and the first delivery be with luck“.
Toyo Tire Serbia plans to employ around 580 workers by 2023 in this plant, from which the company will supply the markets of North America and Europe.
“Toyo Tire Serbia is a part of Toyo Tire Corporation, which fulfills its corporate responsibility towards the global environment, participates in actions to curtail CO2 emission, safely and rationally uses the limited resources, and proactively works on including all the parties in its green chain of values into the battle for the world that we can leave to our children with our clear conscience”, the company said in a statement.
The official opening ceremony will be held in December this year when all facilities will be ready.