Michelin, the world’s leading tire manufacturer, today announced the appointment of three new partners in the Philippines as it seeks to expand its network to 30 stores nationwide within two years and strengthen its presence in specialized logistics markets, including commercial handling, aviation, defense, construction, agriculture, and mining.
The new local partners, which will import Michelin tires for distribution in the Philippines, are Bermaz Auto Philippines, BSB Junrose, and Icon Equipment Solutions PH. Their appointment brings the total number of Michelin distributors in the country to seven.
Industrial applications
Jonathan Khong, managing director for Michelin Philippines and the Pacific Islands, said the Philippine market has grown 60 percent in terms of volume sales since 2023, driven largely by sales of tires for the local passenger car segment.
Jonathan Khong, managing director for Michelin Philippines and the Pacific Islands
“Today the business is very much indexed in the passenger car segment,” he said.
To drive further growth, the company will leverage its new partners to expand into specialized segments.
With its entry into the industrial segment this year, Khong said Michelin expects specialized products to make a stronger contribution to its overall performance.
“We want to bring in the full range of products that’s available,” he said. He pointed out that Michelin produces tires not only for passenger cars but also for various mobility applications, including aviation, defense, mining, commercial handling, and agriculture.
The appointment of the three new distributors supports Michelin’s strategy of developing a specialized distribution ecosystem to ensure faster market responsiveness through a distribution model aligned with the specific needs of each segment.
Bermaz Auto Philippines will focus on passenger cars. It is the exclusive official distributor of Mazda vehicles, spare parts, and accessories in the Philippines. BSB Junrose specializes in commercial mobility and fleet requirements, while Icon Equipment Solutions PH focuses on specialized segments such as material handling, mining, agriculture, and construction.
“With today’s additional appointments, we will definitely speed up the access to the market, so that Filipino consumers as well as customers, businesses, et cetera, will have access to the full suite of Michelin products,” he added.
Investment
Michelin has no plans at this point to resume tire manufacturing in the Philippines. Khong, however, said, “The Philippines remains a very attractive place for Michelin, and in the future if possibility arises, because in Michelin, we have what we call local to local strategy where we try to bring production as close to the end user as possible.”
At present, the Philippines primarily imports Michelin tires from the company’s manufacturing plant in Thailand.
Khong said Michelin’s investments in the Philippines will largely focus on expanding the capabilities of its workforce and increasing the number of Tyreplus stores to more than 30 within two years in anticipation of further market growth.
Michelin expects more domestic industries to benefit from access to its full product range, which it said could help improve productivity, safety, and sustainability across various industries.
Growth
Michelin’s Philippine expansion is being driven by robust domestic demand, with the Philippines emerging as one of its fastest-growing markets in the region.
Khong noted that the Philippines is at the forefront of e-commerce in the region and ranks among the markets with the highest online tire sales.
This makes it important for Michelin to better understand the local market, he said, noting that growth is not determined solely by market size but also by consumer engagement and emerging trends.
“You see, this is the market here in the Philippines, something we can really learn from, to understand the consumers,” he added.
Furthermore, Khong sees huge opportunities in the electric vehicle market. He said Michelin’s tires are designed to meet the requirements of the growing EV market. He said the company has introduced innovations to address the specific needs of EVs, which are generally heavier than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.
Aside from retail and fleet sales, Michelin is also open to partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to supply tires for their vehicles.
Over the past three years, he said, the company’s global sourcing team has explored the potential of sourcing materials locally from the Philippines, which produces rubber, a major component in tire manufacturing.
Meantime, Antonio Mello, Michelin vice president for APAC Mining and Regional Leadership Team, said the company aims to achieve 100 percent recyclable or renewable materials by 2050, up from the current 31 percent.
Mello emphasized that Michelin continues to build on its 130 years of innovation, brand strength, quality, and people.
