"European Rubber Journal" nr vol.185 no. 7/8
z dnia: 01-07-2003

(…) Although the inner tube business generates most of the company’s income, co-owner Andrzej Kabat said he wants to increase the non-tube side of the business, until that side brings in revenues approximately equal to the tube side of the business. To help achieve this, he has bought a mixing line, in the hope of expanding the custom compound business, and has begun to make EPDM – based building/construction profiles (...).

 

 

(...) The company makes a range of different compounds, based on SBR, natural rubber, butyl rubber and EPDM. The tubes are mostly made from NR and SBR, he said. The intention, said Kabat, is to sell more compounds onto Western Europe. In the last few months, Kabat said he has bought a full mixer line, based around a 180- litre Werner & Pfleiderer mixer (...).

 

(...) When asked if the declining inner tube business is still a good business, Kabat joked: “Dunlop started this business, but we think Kabat will finish it,” implying that Kabat expects to continue making inner tubes right up to the end. Currently, he said, the company exports to the UK, Germany, Luxembourg and many other countries in Europe (...).

 

 

(...) Kabat said inner tubes sales are still strong in the agricultural and specialist sectors. Another aspect, he said, is that most other specialist tube makers have a strong business in making new tyres. Kabat said his company is one of the very few in the world to make most of its money from inner tubes (...).

 

 

(...) Kabat added “Our costs are not so different from a company in Thailand or Taiwan, but we can offer a much better service” (...).

 

 

European Rubber Journal vol. 185, no. 7/8 July/August 2003 page 30 Title of article: “Tube maker enjoys profits”