Hangzhou (China) Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd. will be opening a marketing arm in California soon. The ZC Rubber America Inc. subsidiary will sell the Westlake, Goodride and Yartu brands, plus the new Arisun truck tire line.
The company introduced Arisun (which, in Chinese, means "sunrise") at the 2012 Global Tire Expo. There are three tires in the line: steer/trailer, drive and trailer.
1. Arisun AS600: The advanced five-rib design enhances even wear, wet traction and low rolling resistance.
2. Arisun AD737: It's closed shoulder design provides "outstanding stability in long-haul applications," says the company.
Both tires are available in six sizes: 11R22.5 Load Range G and H, 295/75R22.5 Load Range G, 11R24.5 Load Range G and H, and 285/75R24.5 Load Range G.
3. Arisun AT500. The tire's unidirectional tread pattern gives it "exceptional handling ability." It is available in two Load Range G sizes: 11R22.5 and 295/75R22.5.
All three tires feature an advanced, four-belt casing design under the tread that makes the casing more durable and enhances retreadability. The Arisun AT500 has been SmartWay verified. The AS600 and AD737 are awaiting verification.
Arisun is the first truck tire brand from Hangzhou Zhongce offered to tire dealers in the United States. "This brand is our trial to be a supplier to the U.S. direct," says Guorong Ge, vice general manager.
Three of the company's nine tire factories are dedicated to truck and bus radial tire production (two others manufacture consumer tires). Ge says there are plans to build a passenger, light truck and truck tire plant in the Jiangsu Provice of China in the city of Jintan, and a similar plant in Thailand.
Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber is expected to record sales of more than $5 billion this year, with tires representing 97% of that, says Larry Williams, CEO of LJ Williams Consultants LLC. The company has plans to expand in the coming years, and the U.S. market is an important part of that.
The company has no specific revenue goal for the U.S., says Ge. "But we hope we can achieve double-digit increases in the coming years.
"We don't treat sales volume as our primary target. We want to provide better service to the dealers in the United States."
The Global Tire Expo is part of the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show, which is held annually at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
