The Serbian Linglong plant received an award from Ford

Not long ago, the German media reported that Volkswagen Tiguan buyers were expressing concerns about the crossover being equipped with Linglong tires. The Chinese company then emphasized that it cooperates not only with VW but also with other leading automakers in the People's Republic of China. At the same time, the European market is known for having probably the highest requirements for tires, and Linglong has received another confirmation that its products meet all quality standards, as its plant in Serbia has received the Q1 award from Ford. This means that the facility in Zrenjanin has been assigned the highest status of Ford supplier, and its receipt, as they say in Linglong, is a key requirement for entering the automaker's global supply chain.

In 2021, the Q1 status was already received by Linglong's site in Thailand, and Ford notes that "the addition of the Linglong plant in Europe significantly increases the competitiveness of the company's supply chain."

To earn the award, supplier plants must meet a number of requirements related to the quality control system, continuous innovation, and so on. In Linglong, they say that the plant in Serbia has previously successfully passed inspections by specialists from such major automotive brands as Nissan and Audi.

Currently, the plant in Zrenjanin employs over 2,300 people, more than 70% of whom are Serbs. In Linglong, they emphasize that they pay great attention to intercultural cooperation, and that "the deepened partnership with Ford will allow the company to further unlock its potential in Europe".

The production complex in Serbia is capable of producing up to 12 million passenger tires per year, which, as the company says, allows for prompt response to changes in European market requirements and helps customers in the primary equipment segment to optimize their supply chains in the region.

"Linglong's promising localized production and high-quality control will contribute to the creation of a stable and reliable supply ecosystem in partnership with Ford," the company says, adding that in the future, it is planned to expand cooperation with the automaker, including in the segment of tires for electric vehicles, which "will allow us to jointly open a new chapter in the history of interaction between Chinese and international industry players".