A visit to Kenda

This year, the Taiwanese tire manufacturer Kenda is celebrating its fortieth birthday. With ten thousand employees, the tire specialist manufactures an impressive 260'000 bicycle tires per day at seven locations worldwide. Ride took a look over the shoulders of Kenda employees during production.

The daily production of 260,000 bicycle tires per day is impressive, but when it comes to bicycle inner tubes, the Taiwanese shine with an even higher output: a full 360,000 bicycle inner tubes leave the Kenda factories every day. This output puts Kenda in 26th place in the ranking of the world's largest tire manufacturers in 2011. According to Ying-Ming Yang, Chairman of Kenda, the aim is to break into the top twenty in the next five years. In Taiwan, China and Vietnam, Kenda not only produces tires and tubes for bicycles, but is also active in the motorcycle, ATV, automotive, trailer and industrial supply sectors.

Athletes have won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing on Kenda tires. Mountain bike icons such as John Tomac, Brian Lopes and Tinker Juarez are involved in the development of the tires.

90 percent of the tires leave Kenda's factories with its own logo. However, Kenda also provides its production facilities and manufacturing expertise to manufacturers such as Specialized, Mavic, Norco, Giant, Merida and Trek.

www.kendatire.com