On 16 July Sumitomo Rubber Industries officially opened its second tyre factory in China. The Sumitomo Rubber (Hunan) Co. Ltd plant, located in the city of Changsha, is set up for the manufacture of passenger car tyres. Production got underway in July and plant capacity will reach 15,000 units a day by the end of next year. Full stage one capacity of 30,000 units a day is expected to be attained by the end of 2015. A total of some US$297 million is being invested in the 550,000 square metre, 100 per cent Sumitomo-owned facility.