NOKIAN TYRES PLC ANNUAL REPORT 2007 NOKIAN TYRES PLC The road. Life. Our profession: Took you far but maintained contact. ANNUAL REPORT 2007 four palm-sized Brought you back. To where winter tyres were born. contacts with life. The road. Life. It wasn’t even a road. A miserable track, treacherous. Took me with it. Leaving is a odd thing about being human. Setting off in search of something new, better, easier, more exciting, happier. It’s waiting at the end of the road. Always. Editorial office: Nokian Tyres plc Design and layout: Vanto Design Oy and Incognito Oy Photos and illustration: Ilkka Hietala, Kirsi Salovaara, Jaakko Vanto, Mikael Clayhills and Nokian Tyres archives Lyrical texts: Seppo Palminen Printing House: Hämeen Kirjapaino Oy, 2008 Something here. Something there. Between them the road. Contents Mission Statement................................................................................. 2 Nokian Tyres in brief............................................................................. 2 Profit centres in brief............................................................................. 3 A selection of new products ............................................................... 4 Nokian Tyres globally............................................................................ 5 Strategy.................................................................................................. 6 Values...................................................................................................... 7 Year 2007 in brief.................................................................................. 8 Key figures.............................................................................................. 9 Letter from the President...................................................................10 Passenger car and van tyres..............................................................14 Heavy tyres..........................................................................................18 Truck tyres............................................................................................20 Vianor tyre chain.................................................................................22 Research and Development...............................................................28 Competence development.................................................................32 Environment and safety......................................................................34 Board of Directors 31.12.2007...........................................................36 Management 31.12.2007...................................................................38 Contact information.............................................................................40 This report is a translation. The original, which is in Finnish, is the authoritative version. MISSION STATEMENT NOKIAN TYRES IN BRIEF SAFEst TYRES FOR EXPErtISE IN NORDIC CONDITIONS NORDIC CONDITIONS We have the innate ability to understand Focus: Nokian Tyres focuses on added Production: Own factories in Nokia, Fin- customers operating in Nordic conditions value business. This business represents land and in Vsevolozhsk, Russia. Off-take and to understand their needs and 95% of the company’s total sales. Other contract manufacturing in Indonesia, expectations. business activities support tyre distribu- China, India, Spain and in the USA. We operate in growing markets, and tion and added value core business. focus on tyre products and services that Sales and distribution: Vianor tyre chain provide our customers in Nordic condi- Market areas: Key markets are regions with a total of 366 outlets (31.12.2007) tions with sustainable added value. They that feature conditions similar to those in in Nordic and Baltic countries, Switzer- also build the foundation for our com- the Nordic countries, which place special land, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and in pany’s profitable growth and successful challenges on tyre performance: snow, the USA. Own sales companies in Swe- business. forests, and the harsh and variable den, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, weather and driving conditions in differ- Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Czech Re- ent seasons. public and in the USA. In other countries SUCCEss FACTORS independent importers. Product range: Products delivering added value to customers and consum- History: Nokian Tyres plc was founded in • focus on expertise in Nordic condi- ers developed through special knowl- 1988 and it was listed on the Helsinki tions and businesses edge and expertise in the demanding Stock Exchange in 1995. The company’s • focus on car tyre replacement Nordic conditions: winter tyres, SUV roots go back all the way to 1898, when markets, growing market areas and tyres, forestry and forest tractor tyres Suomen Gummitehdas Oy, or the Finnish product segments and winter tyres for trucks and buses. rubber factory, was established. Passen- • share of value added products more ger car tyre production began in 1932 than 90% of own production and Service and processes: Interactive and and the world’s first winter tyre was pro- sales transparent processes designed to serve duced in 1934. The company’s best- • R & D and production of core products the customers and end users, especially known brand, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta under own control during the peak season: seasonal man- tyre, was launched in 1936. • strong reputation and brand agement systems, 24-hour deliveries, • rapidly renewing product range and complete tyre/rim combinations to car innovative products dealers, tyre hotels. • car winter tyre range most extensive in the world Customer groups: Replacement mar- • efficient logistics and seasonal kets; distributors with long-term com- management mitment and loyalty to build Nokian • special know-how in Russian and brand positionning as partners i.e. Vianor CIS markets partners, importers with a limited or • own strong distribution channel one-brand approach. In addition selected in key markets OE customers involved in long-term • direct contact with end users product development co-operation as • cost-efficient production and well as the end-users of tyres. high-level technology • skilled personnel and Hakkapeliitta culture 2 Nokian Tyres plc/Annual Report 2007 PROFIT CENTRES IN BRIEF MANUFACTURING AND VIANOR Passenger car and delivery van tyres Nokia factory. Nokian Heavy Tyres was Passenger car tyres This product centre covers the develop- incorporated as an independent com- net sales and EBIT ment and production of summer and pany as of 1 January 2006. (See pages EUR million ■ Net sales ■ EBIT winter tyres for cars and vans. Key prod- 18–19) 700 ucts include studded and non-studded 600 winter tyres as well as high-speed and Truck tyres 500 ultra-high-performance summer tyres. The Truck tyres unit is involved in the 400 Key markets include the Nordic coun- product development and sales of truck 300 tries, Russia and other CIS countries. tyres and retreading materials. Truck 200 Other significant market areas are East- tyres are manufactured as off-take con- 100 ern Europe, the Alpine region and North tract manufacturing in Spain and in 0 03 04 05 06 07 America. Winter tyres account for ap- China. Retreading materials are produced proximately 80% of net sales. Approxi- in Finland and key products include win- Heavy Tyres net sales and EBIT mately 50% of summer tyres are high- ter treads for truck tyres. Retreading ma- performance or ultra-high-performance terials are mainly used in truck tyres and EUR million ■ Net sales ■ EBIT tyres. industrial tyres. The key markets cover 120 Core products are manufactured at the Nordic countries while Russia, the 100 the company’s factories in Nokia, Fin- Baltic countries as well as Central and land, and in Vsevolozhsk, Russia, and Southern Europe represent the strongest 80 they are sold in the replacement mar- growth potential. (See pages 20–21) 60 kets. Off-take contract manufacturing 40 takes place in Indonesia, China and the Vianor 20 USA. (See pages 14–17) Vianor tyre chain is the biggest and the 0 most extensive of its kind in the Nordic 03 04 05 06 07 Heavy Tyres countries. At the end of 2007, the chain The profit centre comprises tyres for for- consisted of 366 sales outlets located in Vianor net sales and EBIT estry machinery, special tyres for agricul- Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, EUR million ■ Net sales ■ EBIT tural and industrial machinery. Product Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan 300 development concentrates on narrow and in the USA. Nokian Tyres owned a 250 and growing product niches. total of 174 outlets. Other outlets oper- 200 Forestry tyres is the number one ate on a franchising/partnership basis. 150 product segment. The company has All sales outlets have a uniform visual about a 30% share of the global forestry appearance and product selection. The 100 tyre market. Nokian heavy tyres are sold Vianor chain sells car and van tyres as 50 in the original equipment and replace- well as truck tyres. In addition to the No- 0 ment markets. Co-operation with the kian brand, Vianor sells other leading 03 04 05 06 07 machinery and equipment manufactur- tyre brands. The product range also fea- Truck tyres net sales ers is active and the share of original tures other automotive products and equipment is more than 40% of the services, such as rims, batteries and EUR million ■ Net sales 35 heavy tyre net sales. shock absorbers. Vianor also takes care 30 Key markets in addition to the Nordic of tyre