When I joined Nokian Tyres more than 13
years ago, I asked our engineers what our company’s position
was regarding tire safety. They told me that their mandate
was to increase the safety level of our tires by 10% per
year without question. I asked them why such an aggressive
position was taken. Their answer was direct and without
hesitation – “Because our families will be driving on our
tires.”
That dedication and focus goes into every tire we
manufacture because Nokian’s commitment is to provide your
family with the world’s safest tires.
Nokian Tyres is the largest tire manufacturer in the Nordic countries. The company develops and manufactures summer and winter tires
for cars and tires for a range of heavy machinery. It is also the biggest retreading materials manufacturer and the biggest
retreader in the Nordic countries. In addition, Nokian Tyres runs the Vianor tire chain with over 200 outlets across Finland,
Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Russia. Some Vianor outlets operate on a franchising basis.
Key markets include Nordic countries, Russia, North America, Eastern Europe and Alpine area, i.e. countries with demanding
driving conditions caused by changing seasons or other reasons.
The company’s product development, administration and marketing functions are located in the Nokia facility in Finland.
The company has two factories, one in the town of Nokia in Finland and the other one in Vsevolozhsk, Russia. The Russian
factory is a new one; the operations started in the summer 2005. Certain products are produced as contract manufacturing
in other tire manufacturers’ factories for example in the USA, Indonesia, Slovakia and China. Nokian Tyres has its own sales
companies in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russia and the USA.
In 2005, Nokian Tyres booked net sales of EUR 686.5 million and employed 3,201 people. Of that Vianor Tyre chain employed
1,297 people and the Russian factory 172 people.
Nokian Tyres plc was founded in 1988 and it was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange in 1995. The company’s roots go back
all the way to 1898, when Suomen Gummitehdas Oy, or the Finnish rubber factory, was established. Passenger car tire production
began in 1932 and the company’s best-known brand, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta tire, was launched in 1936.
The corporate web site for Nokian Tyres is found at
www.nokiantyres.com.