Inaugurated on 5 April, BKT's new European headquarters will remain in Seregno at the outskirts of Milan, but within a building that has been completely renovated. In fact, we can even say revolutionized. It is not just about design, BKT also wants to convey a powerful message to the market. The company's goal is the coveted "Next Level", the code name coined by BKT for its strategic project to conquer leadership. And this inauguration is merely a great and historic step in that direction.
“Creating our new headquarters is more than just an architectural project, for us it also has an underlying strategic meaning” explains Lucia Salmaso, CEO of BKT Europe. “We are constantly striving to increase our presence and market share in Europe and, above all, to get closer to our European OEM customers. Our goal is to permanently strengthen the presence of the BKT brand with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), and we know how to achieve it. We have already opened many doors with our Aftermarket references and continue forging ahead with new opportunities. Our new headquarters has a key role in this regard. We will now be much stronger than we ever have been in every area and every segment in Europe. Agriculture, industry, earthmoving, mining, port handling activities, gardening and ATV. Now that we have one of the most complete ranges on the market and an increased production capacity thanks to our most recent Bhuj plant, we are ready to grow."
The European market has proven to be essential for the company, representing 50% of BKT's turnover, which surpassed $900 million at a global level last year.
The new offices span an extensive space of 500 m2, optimized for the different areas of expertise: technical interventions, logistics, original equipment management, marketing and corporate management. An extremely rational and organized setup for the 15 individuals in our BKT Europe team. The new, larger warehouse, which was built to consolidate the decentralized ones previously located at other sites, is now in the same structure to refine the logistics flow.
The new structure also houses BKT Space, a unique information and technology center for specialized tires that has already proven itself to be a major competitive difference-maker. There is nowhere else in Europe with a similar center, equipped with an auditorium and training facilities for up to 50 people, perfect for organizing conferences, technical meetings and small events. With this incorporation, BKT has built an authentic Task Force Center to address the present and, above all, the future.
We cannot overlook the fact that BKT's strength comes from the team spirit pervading everything the company does, by actively and continuously involving all its partners, distributors, customers and retailers.
BKT Space is dedicated to all of them, to be used freely and independently as a highly specialized Off-Highway tire center.
“We are at a watershed moment,” states Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director of BKT. “Here we can embrace market challenges and launch them all in turn. Our very first aim is to understand the priorities and needs of our customers. We will be able to do it best at this new space, a totally innovative and technological work environment that we will use to demonstrate that we are capable of measuring up and even more. We will prove that we are ready to reach the ‘Next Level'."
This has been a swift evolution for BKT's European subsidiary since it was founded in 2006 to oversee global strategic and operational marketing and communications functions for the entire BKT Group and manage OEM sales in Europe.
Professionals have been enriching the structure progressively every year and have achieved salient results in terms of brand awareness, authoritativeness and positioning, and also presence in Original Equipment segment and market share in the After Market.
BKT Europe also has a field-ready technical team capable of responding proactively with specific training on and for the optimal use of products, and reactively in case of any need for support and troubleshooting.
The new European headquarters is BKT's next step towards the ‘Next Level', a carefully planned strategy for enhancing the presence of its brand and Off-Highway tires in Europe to once again demonstrate the company's unstoppable growth.
BKT Space, a new interactive center is born
Visitors entering BKT Space, inaugurated on 5 April 2019 at the Italian offices in Seregno, are greeted by a video of Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of BKT: “It is my pleasure to warmly welcome you to our BKT Space where traditional values and advanced technology merge into one dimension”.
Exploring the new space as well as discovering the BKT world are unique experiences and genuine journey, which perfectly matches the intention of the revolutionary BKT Space, conceived as a metaphorical and real journey through different themed rooms, letting visitors actively discover and experience the history, philosophy, values, products, challenges and even the future of BKT.
Interactive Tunnel – Stargate into the BKT world: where the journey to discover BKT begins. The company's history is showcased along this 7-meter-long tunnel full of digital tools for an in-depth analysis of BKT's trajectory from foundation to the present.
Tire World – a room all about the tires: this space houses an interactive touch wall dedicated to several BKT product applications where visitors can explore the various business areas through photos and videos, including agricultural, industrial and earthmoving sectors. The room also has an interactive table that seats up to 8 people and a section dedicated to the raw materials used in tire manufacturing, whose history and function in the compound can be viewed.
VR Space – virtual trip to Bhuj: four VR stations let visitors take four different routes to explore BKT's Bhuj plant (in the Indian state of Gujarat). Bhuj is renowned for prominently exemplifying a social factory, which houses not only the production but also the entire BKT employees' community, including recreation centers, common areas, healthcare center, school and various services.
Sports Center – stadium seating: sport is the perfect vehicle for sharing the BKT values of teamwork, fair play and respect for the opponent. For this reason, BKT sponsors major sporting events all over the world. This room is a tribute to sports and simulates stadium stands, where visitors can sit and enjoy BKT sporting videos.
Game Space – where work becomes play: this section is equipped with video games and a simulator of specialised machinery equipped with BKT tires, where visitors can work... yet nice and easy.
Relax Lounge – a trip down memory lane: the company has never forgotten its roots and traditions and, while still looking ahead towards the future, it keeps very close ties with its past. This silent room honours this expansive connection in time and space. Without technology, the room is full of vibrant colours, tradition and representative cultural elements for an unexpected sensory experience.
BKT Space is surprising not only for being unequalled and showcasing the latest advances in technology, but also because of the great contrast between the forward-thinking themes in the initial rooms and the simple, pure and silent experience of the last lounge.
This contrast actually strikes a sound balance, bridging the past and future in a journey towards innovation that never forgets its origins.
Visualisation, immersion, exploration of the universe and entering a new dimension: all themes related to the journey, the same themes that visitors will discover as they trace the history of BKT.
BKT: “Here starts a better future”
BKT, a major global Off-Highway tire manufacturer, has taken part in international trade shows for a long time, displaying to the public the gist – not only products, but also projects, values, and ideas. Indeed, the BKT brand is based on a totality of essential elements: quality, technology, innovation, service, but also care for the community, for the environment, for people's future.
Discovering the philosophy of BKT is a real journey that leads to the company's Indian roots. Not only are these ever present, but they are BKT's drive in terms of their CSR policy. Thanks to the giving-back principle, the group continues to thank and to give back – particularly to India – as much as possible from what it has received. It does this by facing topics of human solidarity, social development, and environmental responsibility.
BKT Foundation
BKT's corporate philosophy is clearly expressed in the motto "We Care" - which is included in the BKT Foundation's logo. The BKT Foundation intensively operates for the purpose of sustaining projects and initiatives of different nature and origin. This includes the health sector and supporting the essential right to study. The purpose is to ensure education to underprivileged children, rescuing them from the streets, and taking them to school. In cooperation with the Government of India, a remarkable school canteen program has been implemented providing food to over 1.4 million children at 10.000 schools located throughout ten Indian states to fight against hunger and malnutrition.
New Community canteen kitchen in Bhuj
Also from a cooperation with the Government of India stems the most recent solidarity initiative to which BKT has been committed: it is the building and opening of a community canteen kitchen in the small town of Bhuj in the Indian state of Gujarat, where BKT's latest production site has been set up – a brilliant example of social factory. Even though being already a model structure, BKT continues its commitment to further improving this area by enriched services.
The canteen can provide food for 50 thousand students belonging to local schools. The purpose is to encourage underprivileged families to send their children to school to obtain a free meal. The project combines and embodies two essential pillars for the future: nutrition and education. Two key topics for which BKT has recently made an awareness-raising video that was launched on January 26, on the occasion of the Indian Republic Day.
Beyond India. BKT's solidarity projects worldwide
BKT has participated directly or by means of their distribution partners in countless welfare initiatives.
The most recent initiative was the BKT Christmas Week, launched in the 2018Christmas season, including three specific fund-raising activities in favor of the less fortunate donating them a better Christmas: in Italy (through visibility in the stadiums where the Serie BKT takes place), in France (in the Coupe de la Ligue BKT matches), and in Australia (in the matches of the KFC Big Bash League, of which BKT is a partner).
BKT has acted along with its distributor in Spain making a donation to Aspanoa, a Spanish association sustaining families with children suffering from cancer.
BKT has participated side by side with Amref in the Xtractor initiative for farming projects in South Africa. Moreover, in Australia the company donated along with its local distributor 30,000 Australian dollars to farmers hit by the worst drought ever through the Aussi Helpers organization and to the Ronald McDonald House in Tamworth providing hospitality to families whose children are hospitalized in the same town.
Together with the Italian soccer world champion, Paolo Rossi, the company has organized an auction with Pablito's shirts, donating its contribution to Parada Italia, the Association that helps children living in the streets of Bucarest in extreme disadvantageous conditions.
“At BKT, we are fully aware of the disadvantages experienced by a large part of this world, and we wish to play an active role contributing to improve everybody's living conditions” Lucia Salmaso, MD of BKT Europe states. “This is the only way we can imagine thinking of the future for ourselves and for the coming generations. And the future passes through sustainability. As a company, we have a huge responsibility and we must be an example. This is why we invest in many projects that enable us to significantly reduce the environmental impact of our production sites and of the tires we manufacture.”
Research in an alternative for natural rubber
The increasing global demand for rubber, which will reach 17 million tons by 2025, will soon cause a raw material shortage.
Presently, natural rubber is obtained from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), a plant originating from South America, which grows only in equatorial zones threatened by deforestation.
BKT has immediately recognized the importance and urgency of researching into sustainable alternatives. For the purpose of developing new compounding methods based on the use of rubber from the Russian Dandelion TKS, a renewable and sustainable alternative to natural rubber, BKT has stipulated a Joint Research Agreement with Kultevat Inc., an American company specialized in green technology headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri. All studies and trials will be carried out in BKT's advanced Research and Development Center, the “Suresh Poddar Innovation Hub”. As to the agreement, one ton of stabilized TKS rubber will be delivered to BKT by October 2019 for specific development testing.
BKT's firm intention to make the entire world a better place never stops. The company always has numerous corporate projects to contribute to the progress underway. Its strong commitment to activities of several nature gives evidence. There is a long list of numerous initiatives signed by BKT – not only in India, but on a global scale.
As a multinational group showing presence in 160 countries, BKT feels the responsibility of being the carrier for a positive message on a global level, since every community and every place is important – no matter how small they might be.
