Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) has broken ground on a new, $100 million plant in Badalgama, Sri Lanka, that will expand the company's specialty tire manufacturing capacity to keep up with growing demand.
"This new factory is the next phase of GRI’s rapid expansion currently underway, including a new mixing facility," say GRI officials.
"In January 2018, GRI inaugurated a world-class specialty tire manufacturing facility with an investment of more than $40 million. The new factory is an expansion of this facility and is expected to be completed by December 2021."
GRI Managing Director Prabhash Subasinghe says the facility - which will focus on ag tires, with a large share dedicated to radials - is part of the company’s long-term vision "and growth drive.
“GRI’s expansion and increase in our production capacity, in such a short time frame, is a result of the overwhelming demand for our GRI branded products in recent years.
"It has been rewarding to see how our products have been so well-received in an extremely competitive market. We are well-positioned to carve a niche for Sri Lankan specialty tires in the world market."
“The new manufacturing facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and is set to quadruple GRI’s current production capacity, bringing it to 750,000 tires per year and a total capacity of 100 tons per day," notes GRI CEO Dr Mahesha Ranasoma.