Nokian Tyres has managed many challenges in the last few years, and it is now time to focus on achieving profitable growth. Nokian Tyres new President and CEO Paolo Pompei has a clear view on the short-term priorities which will make this happen.
“In 2025, we continue to focus on growth and expand production capacity as planned. This will be supported by new, innovative products. By balancing growth and margins, we will focus on making our platform even more productive and efficient. Additionally, we will enhance Nokian Tyres’ brand awareness and sharpen our consumer focus to build long-term loyalty,” says President and CEO Paolo Pompei.
“In Passenger Car Tyres we are aiming for growth in Central and South Europe and in North America, while in the Nordic countries, we want to maintain our strong position. In Heavy Tyres, we also have opportunities to grow through new products and customers. Vianor supports our sales and premium brand position in the Nordic countries,” Pompei continues.
Balanced manufacturing platform: fast ramp-up of Romanian and US factories
In Passenger Car Tyres, Nokian Tyres has made significant progress in creating a more balanced manufacturing platform to support growth. The company has three production facilities in Finland, US and Romania, which is getting ready for tire deliveries.
“With dedicated production facilities close to customers and consumers, we are building a more agile business model to better serve our key markets. In the short term, our top priority is the successful ramp-up of our new factory in Romania while simultaneously enhancing our manufacturing capabilities at our factories in Finland and the US, “Pompei says.
Last year, Nokian Tyres completed the investment phase at its US factory by opening a new finished goods warehouse near the factory. Production volumes have increased at the factory, but Pompei wants to speed up the ramp-up of production and increase the efficiency of operations.
“Even though the end of 2024 was particularly soft for us in North America and there is certain uncertainty in the market, I see great potential for Nokian Tyres in North America. We must leverage the full potential of our US factory by continuously enhancing our operations and market presence in North America by focusing on our premium products,” Paolo Pompei tells.
“Our factory in Finland is the key location for R&D, prototyping, testing and manufacturing of more specialized tires, in addition to normal volume production. We continue modernizing the facility for both passenger car tires and heavy tires.”
All production facilities utilize the latest production technology, such as automation and robotics, creating a strong foundation for efficient manufacturing operations.
Improve productivity and cost efficiency
“Our priority is to set up new production, but at the same time it must be done productively. Higher productivity and efficiency will be the organization’s main goals in 2025. We put even more focus on how we use our money. We are also looking at our SGA structure to see how we can be more efficient”, Paolo Pompei guides.
“Improving operational efficiency and strict cost control, together with increasing sales volume and average sales price, support profitability improvement,” Paolo Pompei continues.
Strengthen Nokian Tyres brand awareness and consumer focus
Especially in the Nordics, Nokian Tyres is well known for its high-quality premium products that perform well even in demanding conditions. The company focuses on high value segments, such as winter tires, which require continuous innovation.
“But we have a lot to gain by building brand demand and brand awareness among consumers in the markets where we are not yet so well known. We aim to be a premium brand, recognized for the things we are at our best such as safety, sustainability and innovation. We will make sure that our brand is visible and that our customers and consumers can fully understand and support the value behind our product and solutions,” Paolo Pompei highlights the priorities for strengthened brand awareness and consumer focus.
Continue to be a strong Nokian Tyres team and build talent
“Nokian Tyres has a highly competent and dedicated team and talents. Our people are and always continue to be our best asset. We wish to cherish the way we work together and strengthen collaboration within the organization. In 2025, we will focus a lot in developing our talents and developing our team,” Paolo Pompei says.
“Changes that we made to our organization and leadership in the beginning of 2025 will help us become more consumer-centric and achieve global synergies and operational excellence in everything we do. Nokian Tyres is set to drive profitable growth and deliver innovative, sustainable products while enhancing productivity and efficiency to create something we can all be proud of,“ he concludes.
SOURCE: Nokian Tyres
