VIPAL’S KNOWING YOUR RETREADS
The Vipal Rubber production facility in Nova Prata, Brazil.
A LEADER IN TYRE
RETREADING Vipal retreads is a household name in New Zealand trucking circles. In this first of a technical series by Vipal Rubber, we find out more about the company, a global force in tyre tread products for the transport industry.
V
ipal Rubber products are known worldwide. Treads, repairs, products for tyre retreading and machinery (and even motorcycle tyres) are familiar to those in the transport segment. Still, not everyone knows the size and structure of the company. What started in a small tyre patch factory in the city of Nova Prata, southern Brazil, has become, over the years, one of the most important manufacturers of products for tyre retreading and repairs and a world reference in
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technology and innovation in the segment. After 47 years, Vipal is the absolute leader in Brazil and Latin America, exporting to about 90 countries on four continents. The numbers represent this magnitude. With its main markets – the United States, Europe and South America – the brand has 11% of the world commercial tyre market, 35% of the retreading market in Latin America and 40% in Brazil. It achieved this position with serious and continuous work,
which prioritises technology, innovation and quality above all else. With more than 300 authorised retreaders, Vipal is the only company globally with a complete product line for retreading and repairing all tyre types. It offers solutions developed with its own technology, based on constant investment in research. To supply the world market, Vipal has four manufacturing units, representing a production area of more than 183,000m2, an installed capacity of more than 19,000 tonnes per month and a workforce of 3000 employees. It also has 13 central distribution centres (CDCs) strategically distributed worldwide, enabling it to serve all continents.
The CDCs are in: Sydney (Australia), Valencia (Spain), Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Felixstowe (England), Los Angeles, Norfolk, Miami, Tlalnepantla (Mexico), Funza (Colombia), Santiago (Chile), Perez (Argentina), Feira de Santana and Nova Prata (Brazil). In addition, Vipal has a local commercial and technical team, offering total support and the best solutions in each region where it is represented. In New Zealand, Vipal is supported by three manufacturing plants in Auckland, Hastings and Christchurch. A proof of Vipal’s constant investment in improvement and expansion was realised in 2020 when the company started production in its newest manufacturing facility, located in Perez, Argentina. The modern factory, which has the latest technology used by Vipal in all its manufacturing units, had an investment of US$20 million (about $28 million). Vipal’s first
July 2021
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