Nokian Tyres plc

(Finnish: Nokian Renkaat Oyj)

Nokian Tires

Nokian Tyres plc is a manufacturer of tires for cars, trucks, heavy duty equipment and bicycles in Nokia, Finland. It started in 1898, as Suomen Gummitehdas Oy, (Finnish rubber factory). Passenger car tires were first produced in 1932 and the company’s best-known brand, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta tire, started in 1936.

Until recently its tires were branded as Nokia, but the company was split from the Nokia conglomerate in the late 1980's.

Today Nokia Corporation no longer has any ownership in Nokian Tyres, whose largest shareholder (with an 18.9% stake) is Bridgestone.

Nokian concentrates on producing products which are growing in demand more rapidly than the overall market and on product segments with strong growth in demand. Its core products include car winter tires, ultra high performance summer tires and forestry tires.

In the bicycle industry Nokian is known as one of the few manufacturers of metal studded snow tires.

Nokian Tyres runs the Vianor chain of tire dealers, which is the largest and most extensive franchise in the Nordic countries with about 190 retail outlets in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Baltic countries and Russia.