80-year old global company Technical Rubber Company (TRC) has been delivering innovative tire repair materials and wheel solutions to its clients. Headquartered in Johnstown, Ohio, TRC has a presence in Italy, China, Japan, and Brazil. TECH Europe is the company's European headquarters with a Distribution and Training Center of Excellence in Turnhout, Belgium. Acting as the central base in Europe, TECH is carrying TRC’s legacy forward by delivering a complete gamut of solutions and services to address the emerging demands of the companies in the EMEA region.

The onset of Brexit and stringent compliance mandates have disrupted the tire and wheel industry in the EMEA region. TECH recognized the need to centralize its operations in order to maximize client engagement. In that pursuit, the company has expanded its presence in Belgium by setting up a distribution and training Center of Excellence in Turnhout. “With this state-of-the-art distribution center, TECH strengthens its commitment to serve the diverse market segments, including passenger cars, truck, off-the-road (OTR), and agricultural tire service centers with enhanced product availability and improved delivery time,” says Tim Verhaeghe, industry thought leader and General Manager of TECH Europe.

Walking in lockstep with the market developments, the company has made strategic acquisitions to remain competitive in the marketplace such as acquiring Salvadori S.r.l., an Italian company specialized in tire recycling.

“Our innovation and acquisitions further our agenda of maintaining our position as the leader in the repair, reuse, recycle, repurpose (4R) aspects of the tire and wheels expanse,” says Verhaeghe. “We are second to none in defining and adhering to the highest technical standards in all of our offerings.”

For instance, TECH products undergo a rigorous manufacturing process to ensure they adhere to the industry standards, including ECE 108/109 and BS AU 159G. Additionally, the manufacturing process of the TECH TPMS sensors is TÜV SUD certified. TECH’s experience and expertise show in its ever-growing solutions portfolio focused on all types of tires, including those for passenger, truck, bicycle, motorbike, agricultural, and off-the-road tires.

TECH Europe’s Center of Excellence in Belgium was designed with a state-of-the-art training facility. We know having the world’s best tire and wheel service products is only one part of the equation; Training on the proper use of TECH products is equally important.

With such high value to offer, TECH continues to maintain strong relationships with major tire manufacturers such as Bridgestone/Bandag, Michelin, and Goodyear. TECH provides quality services to support its clients in all aspects of their business by engaging them either directly or through local distributors. “We work closely with our clients’ teams to understand their competitors, the existing gaps in catering to the needs of the market, and ways in which they can overcome any existing challenges,” says Verhaeghe.

A client-focused company, TECH pays great attention to the importance of training. “We train not only our distributors but also their own customers,” says Verhaeghe. “TECH Training programs, which are certified by Goodyear and Bandag, are centered around our aim to ‘Teach Each Customer How,’ so that TECH customers are able to deliver superior training and support to their own end-users and in turn, promote the importance of safe and certified tire repair procedures.” TECH training includes step by step instructions and guidelines covering all elements of safe tire repair, ensuring customers are equipped with knowledge as well as explanatory repair charts to easily follow in the future. The new Center of Excellence in Belgium acts as the force multiplier for TECH as it can now train clients in a sophisticated and professional training center as well as at customer’s premises on request. With an expert team and quality offerings, the company strides ahead to meet and exceed unique client needs.