Nexen Tire Corporation has one of the most advanced tyre factories

On the outskirts of every popular tourist spot, away from the crowds and the glitz and the trendy rap music, there's a place just for the businessman and locals alike. It's a reprieve from the mainstream and popularity of their own backyard, a place where time runs a little slower, where people chat a little longer over their cigarettes at the smoking shed and a place a little changed by the passing of generations of loyalists.

Looking down from the mountain of Changnyeong area, a steep and narrow road leads me through the quaint and beautiful paddy fields, where farmers work hard enough to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery. On the southern side of Korea is just such a place.

A couple of hours' drive and yet a world away, from the hustle and bustle of the city, lies an extremely advanced tyre factory, which remains to be a gem for loyal buyers and businessmen to delve in the true spirit of tyre making.

Perhaps learning about the unfamiliar world can be a rather interesting and exhilarating experience. The exploration of the unknown and the desire to seek out new adventures occupy the heart of travelling thousand of miles, and this is no different.

You see, I've had the honour and opportunity to experience many different factories. From car manufacturers to batteries, these factories have always intrigued me. And to my knowledge, factories of sorts are, by far, filled with workers walking briskly, carrying things and operating heavy machineries. But not this two-year old factory.

Nexen Tire Corporation has been around for some 70 years and this said factory, measuring over 500,000 square metres big that's located at Changnyeong Plant, has had its production started for over two years now. In it is filled with only 950 employees and that's because of the vast percentage of automatic machineries.

The factory has close to 500 automated forklift machines, which aren't shabby at all. These said machines have cameras located both at the front and at the back, just so it'll slow down when it approaches a barrier, including people. Additionally, Every different process, from visual inspection and dynamic balancing to uniformity and X-ray testing, are fully automated, which minimises human error and maximises quality.
Of course, in actuality, Nexen Tire Corporation isn't particularly unique, nor does it hold an important position in tyre history. But the interesting fact is that the tyre company has jumped from 200 billion won (approx. S$240 million) in 2000 to an astonishing 1,700 billion won (approx. S$2.04 billion) in 2013. That, by itself, deserves some sort of applause as it brings to light how much potential Nexen Tire Corporation has for success within the fiercely competitive tyre industry.

According to a Nexen representative, Matt Lee, who's in charge of the Asia and Pacific Team, the factory is still expanding, with 1,500 billion won (approx. S$1.8 billion) in total being invested by 2018. By then, Nexen's annual production at Changnyeong's plant alone will be around 21 million units, which is more than twice the current production.

More notably, despite operating 351 days a year, the Nexen factory remains to be eco-friendly. Featuring solar power generation as well as natural lighting panels and LED lightings, the plant reduces energy usage and places recycling as one of its priorities - as shown at the curing process section during the factory tour when recycled water was used to cool down the tyres and the factory itself.

Perhaps in a rapidly changing global tyre market, Nexen Tire's insistence on manufacturing world class quality tyres without compromising on its eco-friendly values will enable it to take a leap towards the world's top ten tyre company.