Apollo Tyres Completes Enschede Factory Closure

Apollo Tyres has ended tyre production at its Enschede plant in the Netherlands, bringing a planned factory closure to completion after more than a year of consultation and approvals. The company said production and related manufacturing activities stopped at close of business on 30 June 2026, ending a long-standing Dutch production operation.

Planned closure now completed

Apollo Tyres (NL) B.V. confirmed that tyre production and production-related operations at Enschede ceased after the company obtained the required approvals from the ATNL Works Council and Supervisory Board. The update follows Apollo’s earlier disclosure on 25 April 2025, when the board of Apollo Tyres NL BV submitted a request for advice to the Works Council.

At the time, the company said it intended to discontinue tyre production and related activities at the site by summer 2026. Tyre News previously covered Apollo’s Enschede shutdown plan, reporting that the proposal reflected sustained pressure from high operating costs and weaker demand for specialised tyre lines.

In a regulatory disclosure, Apollo Tyres said its Netherlands-based subsidiary had discontinued tyre production and related operations, leading to closure of manufacturing activities at Enschede. The company said the move followed the required employee and board-level approvals.

European manufacturing pressure

The Enschede closure adds to a wider reassessment of European tyre manufacturing footprints. Producers are balancing cost, capacity, automation and demand as older or more specialised assets face tougher economics.

Apollo has not positioned the move as an exit from Europe. The company continues to serve the region through its wider European and global network, including its Hungarian production base. Tyre News has also reported Apollo’s continuing Vredestein product activity, including the planned Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2 launch for summer 2026.

For distributors, suppliers and original equipment customers, the practical question is how manufacturers maintain regional supply resilience while shifting production towards more efficient capacity. In practice, closures such as Enschede sharpen attention on lead times, specialist product availability and the future role of European factories.

Context for the tyre trade

Apollo’s decision is significant because Enschede has been closely associated with Vredestein’s manufacturing history and specialist tyre production. Its closure points to the challenge of sustaining European sites where energy, labour and inflationary costs no longer match product demand.

The decision also comes as tyre makers continue investing in higher-value passenger, all-season, agricultural and fleet segments. Tyre News has previously reported Apollo’s expansion of Vredestein Traxion fitments for CLAAS ARION tractors, underlining that the company’s product strategy in Europe remains active even as its manufacturing footprint changes.

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Tagged with: Apollo Tyres, Enschede plant, Apollo Tyres Netherlands, tyre manufacturing, European tyre production, factory closure, Vredestein, supply chain, manufacturing restructuring, agricultural tyres, car tyres, production footprint

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