BKT Sets Up New Headquarters in Europe to Cater Better to OEMs

BKT has taken its strategy in Europe to the next level by setting up a new headquarters. The company marked the opening of its rebuilt headquarters with a ceremonial lighting of the lamp on 5 April.
The headquarters continues to be located in Seregno, which is on the northern outskirts of Milan. But it has been completely revamped to tackle new market challenges effectively. These challenges will include catering to the original equipment business within Europe with greater focus.

BKT will now take on the task of catering directly to OEM customers who were previously supplied by external providers through a new warehouse which has been built at the Seregno site. Lucia Salmaso, chief executive officer of BKT Europe, said that now that it has its very own warehousing facility, BKT Europe will be making its transition from service division to operational unit.

Salmaso added that the company is constantly striving to increase its presence and market share in Europe and to move closer to its OEM customers in Europe. BKT’s ultimate goal is to permanently strengthen its brand presence with original equipment manufacturers. The company has already made a start with its aftermarket references and will continue to explore and develop new opportunities. The new headquarters will play a key role in achieving this goal. BKT is now seeking to strengthen its presence in every area and every segment in Europe.

BKT Space for customer training & events

In addition to the new warehouse capabilities, BKT’s new headquarters in Seregno also incorporates 500 square meters of office space that can accommodate the 15-strong BKT Europe headquarters team as well the ‘BKT Space’. The “BKT Space” is essentially a facility where the company’s European distributors can invite their customers or dealers to participate in customized training sessions or events.

Arvind Poddar, the company’s chairman and managing director, chose to term BKT Space as an area “where traditional values and advanced technology merge into one dimension”: The center is fully equipped to host up to 50 people and is further divided into themed rooms where visitors can explore the company’s history, its philosophy, values, products, challenges and its strategy for the future.
According to BKT, the refurbishment of the company’s headquarters in Europe marks its latest step towards the ‘Next Level’, its strategy to enhance the presence of the BKT brand and the company’s range of off-highway tires in Europe.

“We are at a watershed moment,” said Rajiv Poddar. “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.”

Sales in Europe accounted for half of BKT’s turnover which exceeded USD 900 million in the 2017-18 financial year.