Giti Tire Reinforces U.S. Strategy

Giti Tire (USA) Ltd. is solidifying its presence in the U.S. market through increased manufacturing technology, a collaborative product development strategy and its “Made in America” commitment.  

The company, which has a 75-year global history in the tire industry with a 35-year history in the U.S., plans to leverage its Richburg, S.C., manufacturing and R&D center to drive its operational growth and fuel its latest product portfolio. 

While reinforcing its adaptability and announcing a continued focus on its core tire brands, such as its expanded GT Radial line, Giti Tire recently invited tire dealers, customers and media members to tour its Richburg plant and get an up-close view of its U.S. manufacturing process. 

“The whole point is that it’s built here, it’s designed here and it’s engineered here for the U.S. market and U.S. consumers,” said Michael Markoff, Giti Tire’s executive vice president, sales and marketing.  

MTD sat down with Giti Tire’s executive team – Wai Yeen Phang, the company’s CEO, Markoff and David Poling, vice president, R&D and technical – for an in-depth look at the manufacturer’s amplified U.S. production focus, a broader view of the current U.S. tire market and its plan for incorporating tire dealers and partners in its goals. 

U.S.-focused commitment   

Expanding collaboration with its U.S. manufacturing and R&D teams is at the center of Giti Tire’s mission of producing top-tier tires specifically for American consumers at its Richburg plant.  

One of the company’s five manufacturing plants in the world and four global R&D centers, Giti’s 1,500-acre, 1.8 million-square-foot South Carolina facility is a cohabited space specifically designed for research and production teams to work together in a unified tire development system. 

Currently employing nearly 900 people with a goal of employing 1,700 people within the next 15 years, the plant produces passenger, light truck, summer, all-terrain, winter and all-weather tires for the U.S. market, with a special focus on 15-inch through 24-inch sizes.  

The company produces a variety of Giti-branded tires, the manufacturer’s leading consumer and OEM brand, as well as GT Radial-branded products, its flagship performance tire line.  

Phang, who was instrumental in leading the development and execution of the Richburg center, said that though every greenfield project has its challenges, Giti Tire believes the facility and its workforce is pivotal to the success of the company’s strategy.

“Our first-generation workforce that we have built over this first decade is something that we are very proud of,” said Phang. “Without a team, the equipment is nothing.” 

Phang explained that because the company focused on hiring a workforce made up of diverse backgrounds, it allowed them to build a forward-thinking, inclusive approach to the company’s culture.  

“Because we are able to create this emerging culture, that’s why we are able to introduce important elements, such as design concepts and philosophy, and get them to support all the disciplines and good practices in manufacturing,” said Phang. “If you do not have that, you cannot have good products. The foundation is other people.”

Following the industry 

Currently, Giti Tire’s South Carolina manufacturing plant remains in “phase one,” which includes producing five million tires per year for the U.S. market, when operating at full capacity.  

As the company looks to the coming months and years, it eventually seeks to expand to “phase two,” which would include adding additional technology and equipment, positioning it to manufacture up to 10 million tires per year, depending on the state of the tire market. 

"If you go back to the past decade since we started (at the Richburg plant), we have been through things that we never planned for” in the facility’s early years, said Phang.  “We went right smack into the (COVID-19) pandemic and after getting out of the pandemic, we ran into global logistics and upheavals. Then when we were just about to get ourselves ready, we are now seeing these global disruptions. It’s anybody’s guess, but the plan is always there.” 

Since the global tire market is continuously shifting and is enduring a growing amount of challenges, it’s difficult to predict what demand, prices and conditions will be like for the U.S. market long-term, said members of Giti Tire’s executive team.  

Moving ahead, Giti Tire will stay committed to R&D investment, advanced product development, manufacturing efficiency and accomplishment of its sales and marketing goals – the company’s “foundation of strength” and “core pillars.” 

No matter the state of the global markets, tire consumption and the reliance on what Phang called “private vehicles” will always remain a necessity in the U.S., as there continues to be nearly 300 million vehicles on America’s roads today.  

Current industry conditions are empowering the Giti Tire to be a leader in domestic tire production, say company officials. 

“It’s been a relatively difficult market ... with the instability of the (Middle East) war and supplies,” said Markoff. “We’ve seen compression, pricing and all kinds of dynamics. We believe we have a proposition that really stands out because of why we’re here and we think that has value to America and the rest of the markets.”

Eyeing the future 

To level up its manufacturing timelines and increase efficiency, core components of the Richburg factory include advanced engineering technologies, material handling automation and a skilled workforce to manage production and ensure the quality of Giti Tire’s products. 

According to Giti Tire executives, material handling automation helps mitigate various challenges of machine operators. (The company conducts extensive in-house training to ensure operators are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skillsets to manage the equipment. )

Poling said having Giti Tire’s R&D and production teams under one roof – along with the integration of advanced technology, including silica mixing and compounding – advances production quality.

“We do all of our own design work here,” he said. “That’s the key for us, coupled with the technology we built here to give us the ability to make high-end products all the way through the system.” 

As Giti Tire looks ahead to its future, it also will focus on amplifying regional retail, wholesale and national distribution networks to increase reach. The company will provide its tire dealers with product knowledge, education materials and training through a robust sales, marketing and social media strategy. 

“Tire dealers are really the key interface between the consumer, who helps them decide on the sale,” said Markoff. “We want to arm them with the right toolkit, in-store materials and training so they can convey the value proposition between our brands and what suits customers’ applications, vehicles, needs and price point.”