Bandag closes plant in Belgium

Bandag Europe NV (part of Bridgestone) has announced that it will close its tire retreading material plant in Lanklaar, Belgium, in the first half of 2025, due to the fact that "over the past 10 years, the European retreaded tire market has shrunk significantly, resulting in overcapacity and excessive production costs". Currently, 111 people are employed at the facility.

Bandag adds that over the past 10 years, demand for retreaded tires in Europe has fallen by 30%, mainly due to competition from cheap truck and bus tires from East Asia. Additionally, the competitiveness of the business has been reduced by factors such as rising energy costs and inflation.

"For many years, the company has been taking measures to address the existing structural problems, and a transformation of the production site in Belgium was implemented, launched in 2021," the company notes. "However, after that, an even more significant decline in demand began in the market".

After the closure of the plant in Belgium, the only Bandag facility for the production of retreading materials will be the site in Stargard, Poland. At the same time, the company emphasizes that they are "firmly committed to continuing their activity in the tire retreading industry", and that "the consolidation of production in Europe will help restore the competitiveness of Bandag's business and focus on the production of high-quality products".

Photo: Raymond Lemmens.