News

he U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), in collaboration with the Tire Recycling Foundation, announced the launch of a webinar series designed to accelerate the growth of scalable, profitable end-use markets for End-of-Life Tires (ELT). The series entitled “The Road to 100% Tire Circularity: ELTs Going Full Circle” will kick off in September and run through early 2026, covering three of the most promising ELT markets – tire-derived aggregate (TDA), molded and extruded products, and rubber-modified asphalt (RMA) – followed by a capstone session on grants and funding opportunities to support market growth.

With the publication of its first sustainability report, Freudenberg Performance Materials has reached a major milestone on its path toward greater environmental responsibility and corporate transparency. Until now, information about the company’s sustainability performance was only included in the sustainability report of its parent company, the Freudenberg Group. The newly released report, however, focuses specifically on the business of technical textiles.

Milliken & Company has acquired the assets of Highland Industries, Inc. in Cheraw, South Carolina. The transaction strengthens Milliken’s domestic operations and position in technical textiles.

Kuraray Co. announced that its local subsidiary in Singapore, Kuraray Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. has established the “Kuraray Asia Pacific Technical Center” in Singapore Science Park as a technical support base for the Asian market.

Borealis is strengthening its position as a reliable partner for sustainable, high-performance materials with a major investment at its production location in Schwechat, Austria. The new PP compounding line is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026. 

NEXEN TIRE announced that the company will supply its high-efficiency, high-performance summer tire, the N’Blue S (215/65R16 102H), as original equipment (OE) for Kia’s new purpose-built vehicle (PBV), the Kia PV5.

This expansion is a strategic move to strengthen competitiveness in markets with growing tire demand. With about 85% of its sales overseas, NEXEN TIRE has focused on key regions such as Europe and the United States. Building on this foundation, the company expanded capacity at its second plant in Žatec, Czech Republic, to reinforce stable supply to core markets while creating room for new growth. To further capitalize on this momentum, NEXEN TIRE is establishing localized operations tailored to regional distribution and customer needs, improving both efficiency and engagement.