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FROM MALAYSIA TO THE WORLD
About an hour outside Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, sits Serem- ban, a town famed once for its tin production, attracting people from around the globe. Here now sits one of Malaysia’s preeminent rubber tread and retreading companies, Sun Rubber Industry.
INTERVIEW
STEVEN GAN
Malaysia is the 7th largest rubber produ- cer in the world. However, it has always been known for its quality. Sun Rubber, their main product, is no different.
It is known globally and sold in more than 30 countries, from Asia Pacific and Euro- pe to Middle Eastern countries.
We met with Executive Director Steven Gan to discuss the state of the market and Sun Rubber’s continuing success. Amidst a market deluged with low-cost alterna- tives, particularly from Chinese manu- facturers, Sun Rubber stands out for its unwavering commitment to the quality and sustainability of its products.
PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGY
For Gan, central to Sun Rubber’s success is its belief in the intrinsic value of re- tread tyres. Contrary to the market trend towards cheaper, new tyres, Gan and his team have focused on showcasing retrea- ded tyres’ long-term benefits and envi- ronmental sustainability. This approach aligns with the growing global emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governan- ce (ESG) criteria. It highlights the eco- nomic advantage to any fleet operator of retreads in terms of lower cost per kilometre (CPK) compared to new tyres. By focusing on educated customers, Sun Rubber almost self-selects for success. That’s not to say they are not focused on educating new customers about the bene- fits of retreading, but it’s a clever tactic that has been successful for their growth.
The other part of Sun Rubber’s philoso- phy is quality. Their in-house chemists craft and create the correct tread com- pound depending on geographical loca-
tion and application. Their stock range covers many different variations of hot and pre-cure treads for both the local and export markets. However, what sets them apart is that not many suppliers can say they will create a unique compound based on a client’s requirements, but Sun Rub- ber can.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Gan explains that Sun Rubber focuses on two key areas, rubber compounding and tyre retreading, under the SunTyre moni- ker. This dual focus has allowed the com- pany to extend the life of tyres to their second and third cycles, sometimes even fourth, given the correct set of circum- stances, significantly reducing waste. Mo- reover, Sun Rubber Industry’s global ou- treach in exporting liners for retreading demonstrates their products’ universal appeal and demand.
In Malaysia, SunTyre emphasises provi- ding comprehensive retreading services. It offers everything from light trucks to off-the-road (OTR) tyre sizes and opera- tes a factory that can produce both precu- re and hot-cure tyres.
For retreading, SunTyre’s strategy is still focused on using customer-owned casings facilitated by an extensive logistics ne- twork across Malaysia. This network, con- sisting of dealers and end users, has been optimised by shifting to area distributors, effectively decentralising and reducing logistics costs. Sun Rubber Industry pio- neered barcoding for tyre casing collec- tion in Malaysia 20 years ago; it’s proved to be a durable system and, to this day, is present, enhancing operational efficiency and accountability. This system ensures
“Sun Rubber’s tread production factory runs all day and all night and is the beating heart of their global operation.”
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