Kenda Tires Opens New Martin Wheel Location In Ohio

Taiwanese tire company Kenda Tires and local public officials cut the ribbon on its new manufacturing facility in Kent, Ohio on July 23.

The new 193,000 square foot facility is touted as state of the art by Kenda officials, and will be entirely dedicated to the firm’s Martin Wheel subsidiary. Since acquiring Martin Wheel in 1999, the company has greatly branched out, with its product portfolio now including skid steer tires, golf cart tires, electric vehicle tires, and other miscellaneous rubber products.

“Today, approximately 90 team members are employed here,” says Kenda Tires general manager Jason Schiavoni, who oversaw the ribbon cutting ceremony. “Together, they run a fully functional plant with significantly expanded capabilities. … What makes this plant especially effective is that so much of our operations now happens in one place.”

The new facility represents a “significant investment” in the northeast Ohio area, company officials say, just 140 miles from the company’s headquarters in the Columbus suburb of Reynoldsburg. The plant’s full campus spans about 28 acres, giving Kenda plenty of room for further expansion to the tune of about 400,000 extra square feet, the firm says.

“Today represents far more than just the completion of a new building,” says Kenda Tires president Jimmy Yang. “It represents a confidence in the future, a commitment to our customers, and most importantly, a belief in the people who will bring this facility to life every day.”

Providing a strong, yet flexible, foundation

“To put the scope of this investment and the work required to make it possible into perspective,” Schiavoni says, “more than 500 yards of steel and over 8,300 cubic yards of concrete were used to construct this 193,000 square foot facility. … But the building itself is only part of the story.”

Over the past 64 years, Kenda Tires has gone from a small bicycle tire manufacturer in Yuanlin, Taiwan, to one of the largest tire manufacturers in North America. That decades-long pursuit, Yang says, has crafted a strong foundation for the firm, which is furthered by the new building.

“Every piece of equipment, every production line, and every square foot of this building have been designed with one purpose,” Yang says. “To build high-quality products safely, efficiently, and responsibly, while creating an environment where our employees can do their very best job.”

The new Martin Wheel facility will be a leap forward in technological capabilities for the firm, Yang adds. Both Martin Wheel’s K401 Farm Rib and K395 Power Grip skid steer tire lines will see production at the new plant, making it one of the premier skid steer tiring manufacturing sites in the Buckeye State.

“The name of Kenda is well-established and recognized as a world-class brand in bicycle, motorcycle, industrial, and automotive tires,” Yang says. “As CEO of Kenda, I have the privilege of seeing our company from a global perspective. I also understand that no matter where we are in the world, our success depends on honesty, quality, service, and innovation. Those values are reflected in this building.”

The new Kenda Tires and Martin Wheel facility in Kent, Ohio is up and running now.