Titan International Inc. is now in the giant OTR tire business. Titan's board has approved funding for the company to build 57- and 63-inch radial tires at an expected rate of 6,000 units a year.
Production of that many giant OTR tires could boost Titan's sales by as much as $240 million, say company officials.
Titan expects to produce its first 63-inch radial during the first quarter of next year and be in start-up production by the end of the second quarter.
"We believe we have a better way to produce these giant tires," says Titan Chairman and CEO Morry Taylor.
"We believe radial tires perform better on 15-degree wheels, which is what cars and trucks now utilize. Titan has developed these wheels and we plan to produce our new tires on a 72.5-inch, 15-degree wheel at the same time as we produce 63-inch radial tires."
Titan also plans to construct a 24-foot specialized wheel to test its giant OTR tires. The wheel will have the capacity to load tires up to 300,000 pounds, running them up to 42 miles per hour.
