Andrzej Kabat: Five Million Tyres Sold and Counting

Tyre.Media recently got together with Andrzej Kabat, owner of the Polish company KABAT TYRE, for an interview covering the launch of radial tyres, foreign markets, production capabilities and future development plans.

During the Bednary trade fair in Poland, Kabat showcased a new tyre range. Could you explain the reasoning behind this latest introduction?

This was a long-awaited launch in which we presented six SKUs in the following sizes: 340/85R24, 380/70R24, 420/70R28, 420/85R34, 480/70R34 and 520/70R38. It represents the first stage in building a comprehensive radial tyre portfolio, which requires not only a finished tyre, but also an appropriate warehouse and logistics infrastructure.

How did the market react to this launch?

The response was very positive, with customers reacting to the product in a conscious and professional manner, comparing our solutions with those already available on the market. We do not claim to be creating something entirely new, as our objective was to reach the same impressive level as the best solutions currently available.

It is worth noting that Kabat has been operating as a tyre manufacturer for less than 15 years, starting with simpler products and building our team from scratch. Today, it is a team of designers, technologists, process specialists and machinery engineers, and we have progressively developed our technology independently through extensive testing and trials. Over the past 10 years, we have sold more than five million tyres, which provides a solid foundation of experience.

KABAT TYRE has been operating on the market as a tyre manufacturer for nearly 15 years

How long did it take to prepare the radial tyres for production?

The entire design, research and testing process took approximately five years, as it was a very intensive period of work focused on construction, rubber compounds, durability and tyre performance under real operating conditions.

How were the tests carried out in practice?

The tests were, and still are, conducted in Poland, where we have our own testing machines as well as tractors operating on agricultural farms. The tyres are regularly inspected, and we analyse wear and performance under various working conditions. At this stage, we are fully confident that the product is ready for its demanding market.

What does sales currently look like on the Polish market?

In Poland, we rely on a network of distributors serving both tyre service centres and farmers directly. As radial tyres are high-value products and require professional fitting, in most cases they are delivered to specialised service centres as a matter of safety and protection for both the tyre and the rim.

KABAT TYRE employs 900 people at two manufacturing facilities in Poland – in Budzyn and Bolechowo

What about sales in foreign markets?

We operate in over 80 countries across different continents through partnerships with distributors with whom relationships have often spanned 15, 20 or even 30 years. Typically, there is one distributor per country, sometimes two or three, and we leave local market servicing to our partners. This is because remote handling would generate high logistical and operational costs.We also do not participate directly in original equipment (OE) tenders, as this area of business is handled by our distributors, allowing them to generate additional purchasing volumes.

In Algeria, a significant limitation is the political situation and foreign currency regulations. The Ministry allocates specific currency volumes for the purchase of particular products. Previously, sales were continuous, but today they depend on tenders and access to official funds.In Europe, the key markets are Germany, France and Italy, which are the largest and most stable markets. Poland remains our largest customer, both for inner tubes and agricultural tyres. For over 10 years, we have also been developing the industrial tyre segment for forklift trucks, where we currently cover around 80 per cent of the solid tyre assortment available on the market.

How do you assess the outlook for the agricultural tyre market?

The market is developing steadily, and farming technology is evolving, with machines operating in the field more frequently. In addition, the machinery itself is becoming larger and heavier, and tyres must carry higher loads and have larger diameters and widths.At the same time, we continue to serve a huge segment of older machinery such as Ursus, Zetor and tractors from Eastern Europe. In this segment alone, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of machines and several million wheels. Demand for tyres therefore remains stable.

How does KABAT TYRE operate today?

We employ around 900 people across two production facilities in Budzyń and Bolechowo, manufacturing inner tubes, bias and radial tyres, industrial tyres, rubber compounds, profiles and seals. We also supply rubber compounds to other manufacturers, including for specialist applications. Our infrastructure is fully prepared for significant production growth, particularly in the tyre segment.

The company works with distributors with whom it has maintained relationships for up to 30 years

What are your future development plans?

We are currently focusing on the development of radial and flotation tyres for heavy agricultural machinery. At the same time, we are supplementing our range of bias tyres where market demand still exists. Development will be gradual, based on real demand and stable production capacity.

Thank you for the conversation.