Taiwan-based Hwa Fong Rubber has announced that it will acquire the former Sumitomo Rubber manufacturing plant in Tonawanda, US. Hwa Fong Rubber says it intends to open manufacturing operations in early 2026, hiring up to 250 people to start with. The…
Zeon launches IoT platform at facilities
Japan’s Zeon Corporation says it has developed and begun operating a new IoT platform to support companywide smart factory initiatives. The platform enables Zeon to visualise and leverage the diverse data generated at its manufacturing sites and R&D centre, helping…
ContiTech to expand US facility, invests US$85 mn
German firm Continental’s group sector ContiTech announced that it plans to invest more than US$85 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The plant expansion includes construction of a compounding centre that will integrate production, warehouse and…
Elkem supports silicone supply chain in Saudi Arabia
Silicone firm Elkem’s agent and distributor for silicone products in Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Silstar, has entered into a joint venture with Saudi Multichem, a company specialising in the supply and formulation of chemical solutions, to establish the…
NASA researchers work on space-bound technology for tyres
US space agency NASA might soon change the way we drive on planet Earth. At its Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland, Ohio, engineers have developed a groundbreaking wheel technology designed for tackling extreme conditions on the Moon and Mars. Now,…
Yokohama Rubber to double capacity at Mexican plant
Japan’s Yokohama Rubber Co has announced that its Mexican subsidiary, Yokohama Industries Americas de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. (YIA Mexico), will expand its production capacity. YIA Mexico manufactures air conditioning and transmission oil cooling hose assemblies for the…
Infra investment firm to acquire Liberty Tire Recycling
I Squared Capital, a global infrastructure investment firm headquartered in Miami, has signed an agreement to acquire Liberty Tire Recycling from Energy Capital Partners, a leading investor in energy transition infrastructure. The acquisition adds Liberty to I Squared’s expanding portfolio…
AarBus expands electric fleet with Continental to cut carbon emissions
Asahi Kasei expands its Sonanos excipient portfolio with two new specialty grades designed to improve injectable drug formulations. Sonanos is a next-generation excipient that enhances sustained drug release and solubility, helping pharmaceutical developers address formulation and delivery challenges for biologics,…
Cabot expands pyrolysis oil-based carbon black production to US
US-based carbon black provider Cabot Corporation says that it has enhanced its manufacturing capabilities in North America for circular reinforcing carbons powered by its Evolve sustainable solutions technology platform. With this milestone, Cabot’s site in Ville Platte, Louisiana, US, joins Mauá, Brazil, and Valasske Mezirici (Valmez), Czech Republic, as…
Lion Elastomers to shut rubber facility in Texas
With declining demand and profitability in North America’s butadiene elastomers, speciality polymers producer Lion Elastomers will cease rubber production at its Orange site in Texas, US, by the end of the year, affecting approximately 100 employees at a plant that has…






