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MALAYSIA
Nam Bee Increases its Profile –
Both with Fleets and in the Export Market
It has been six years since rubber compounder, tread manufacturer, retreader and fleet service provider Nam Bee relocated from their original base in Petaling Jaya
company started operations as far back as 1938. The company was one of the pioneers in the Malaysian rubber industry. “However,” says Tan, “for many
factory,” he says. “The old plant was shut down and the new processes are very modern and efficient compared to our operations in Petaling Jaya.”
Nam Bee continues to invest in
its manufacturing facilities. Two years years ago USD 3 million was invested in a new production line at the plant. It’s a family business so whatever they make is put
back into the business. The company now operates with a Banbury mixing capacity of 2,000 metric tonnes. The company produces a wide range of retreading materials as well as custom mixing for major players such as Continental.
In addition to their tread rubber factor y, Nam Bee operate their own retreading plant with a capacity of 40,000 light truck, truck and OTR tyres per month using both mould cure and pre- cure methods. The factor y is mainly equipped with European- made machines.
The company originally entered into the fleet business in 1998
produces 2000 pre-cure retreads per month and is considered one of the larger independents.
Tan Chin Han believes that there have been some major changes to the retreading market in recent years and the company will have to adapt and change in the future. “There are very few bad retreads in Malaysia,” he says. “The difference is in the service. We are involved in retreading from A-Z, from rubber mixing to fleet business. It’s the contact with the end user and knowing what he wants that we believe puts us in good stead. One of our key strengths is that we use our own products internally and know our own strengths and weaknesses. We are also ver y competitive, being strategically located in Port Klang.
Nam Bee’s push into the fleet market and the export market is being driven by Marketing Manager Ong Jen Shen. “Nam Bee has a glorious histor y, the company has a huge potential because of its immense
General Manager Tan Chin Han, Nam Bee
to their new premises at Port Klang. The company has used the relocation to re-strategise and press forward with its expansion plans. This has led to annual growth ever since. According to General Manager Tan Chin Han, Nam Bee began to look seriously at exports three years ago and the company is now looking to promote itself more actively, initially focusing on the Asia Pacific region but also looking at the Middle East and Africa. Eventually, the company also plans to expand into the more challenging European market. Nam Bee has a long history in rubber compounding. The
years we did not justify our history. For the past 20 years we have expanded aggressively downstream into tyre retreading for truck and OTR and fleet services in a low profile manner. However, since the investment in the new plant, we feel we are in a much better position to target the international market in order to rebuild and reclaim our place in the Malaysian rubber industry.” According to Tan, the move to the new plant at Port Klang cannot really be defined as a relocation because most of the machines in the new plant were newly purchased. “It was more like moving into a completely new
Nam Bee’s Continental branded service area
Inside the Nam Bee factory
32 Retreading Business
and now sells to both large and medium sized fleets. “We have done well over the last 10-15 years and have invested heavily in this area,” says Tan. “We have a stable infrastructure with 6 tyre service centres and depots across Malaysia, good IT and tyre management systems, and a nationwide breakdown scheme, much of which is serviced by our own trucks.”
Nam Bee also operates a retread plant in Sydney, Australia, which
experience, huge capacity and highly competitive cost structure. However, it has been ver y low profile in the past reflecting the owner’s mind-set.” he says, “My role is to bring the company out of its shell and introduce it to the world because I believe that Nam Bee has a lot to contribute to the tyre and rubber industry. This year we will be increasing our profile at trade exhibitions.”