Magna Tyres Group is an international producer and distributor of industrial tyres. Headquartered in Waalwijk, Netherlands, the group manufactures a comprehensive range of tyre products under a number of brand names including Magna, Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Belshina.

The product range exposes Magna to variety of industries. Michael de Ruijter, the group's owner, says his company's products cover forklift tyres and off-the-road (OTR) tyres for waste management, metal recycling, mining operation, heavy industrial and transfer stations.

While Magna manufactures radial industrial and OTR tyres - solid and pneumatic, it also sells bias OTR tyres and distributes tyres and wheel assembly solutions for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and aftermarket.

The company started eight years ago, developing from close contacts with rubber manufacturers.

While Magna started in Holland, it now has subsidiaries in Ireland, Poland, China, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, the Middle East, Kazakhstan and Indonesia, with more to follow soon.

De Ruijter sees Magna's supply contracts with some major OEMs in Europe as a significant achievement in a competitive market, and anticipates that these deals will spread worldwide.

"Our business is largely tied to the general equipment market, so when things go well for the whole industry, we benefit," he says. "But tyres are an ongoing market, and even old machines need new tyres from time to time, so we can do well even in tough times".

The major challenge to date has been dealing with "explosive double-digit" growth, he says, with significant success in the past three years.

The next big thing for Magna, according to Michael de Ruijter, is the addition of bigger sizes to the product line. "To meet demand from equipment manufacturers and end-users, we will soon add 27.00-49 and even 51" tyres and other similar sizes, which will open new markets for us," he says.