Finland's Black Donuts eyes building $200-M tire factory

A Finnish tire manufacturer is seek a partnership deal with the Philippine government and Filipino rubber farmers groups to construct a $200-million tire processing facility in Southern Mindanao.

Black Donuts Engineering Inc. (BDE) President and CEO Kai Hauvala was briefed by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Tuesday on the rubber industry in the Philippines.

Hauvala then flew to Davao and North Cotabato to assess and validate a suitable site for the manufacturing facility, the Department of Agriculture said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The Mindanao visit seeks to determine whether Filipino rubber farmers have the capability to supply the raw material needs of the planned factory," it noted.

Region XI Agriculture officials in Davao City will give BDE executives a tour of Southern Mindanao, Piñol said in a social media post.

Before flying back to Finland on Friday, the BDE executives intend to reveal their assessment of the rubber industry. — VS, GMA News