Producer
Bekaert NV
World's largest steel wire transformation and coating company; produces ~25-30% of global tire steel cord, supplying Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, and Continental; began as a fence wire maker in 1880 and evolved into the dominant supplier of the most critical structural element in radial tires.
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2 facilities
Bekaert -- Zwevegem, Belgium (HQ & R&D) →
BEZwevegem, West Flanders, Belgium · manufacturing_plant
Bekaert founding site (1880) and global headquarters; R&D center for steel wire technology including tire cord, saw wire, and advanced steel wire applications. Bekaert has grown from a Belgian village wire company to operate 100+ plants in 45+ countries. The original Zwevegem site remains the technology center for world-leading steel cord manufacturing.
Bekaert Jiangyin Tire Cord (China) →
CNJiangyin, Jiangsu, China · manufacturing_plant
One of Bekaert's largest tire cord facilities globally; serves Chinese OEM tire market (world's largest); Bekaert also operates plants in South Korea, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Brazil, and the US; global capacity covers all major tire manufacturing regions
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Rubber Reinforcement (Tire Cord)
50%Steel Wire Solutions
25%Advanced Materials (Bridon-Bekaert)
15%Specialty Wire & Coatings
10%
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Did you know2022
Bekaert began making fence wire in 1880 and is now the dominant supplier of the steel cord that holds together every radial tire on every vehicle, aircraft, and earthmover on the planet Founded in Zwevegem, Belgium by Leo Leander Bekaert in 1880, the company initially made iron wire for fencing. It invented the modern wire drawing die in the early 20th century and moved into steel cord for tire reinforcement in the 1960s — a product requiring 0.15-0.35mm filaments drawn from 5.5mm wire rod, twisted into strands at tolerances of ±0.003mm. Today Bekaert operates in 45 countries and produces ~25-30% of all tire steel cord sold globally. The product is invisible to consumers but structurally essential: without steel belt cords, radial tires (which account for >95% of all tires produced) lose their dimensional stability at highway speed.
Bekaert NV ↗Origin2023
Bekaert was founded in 1880 by Leon Bekaert in Zwevegem, a small Flemish village, making simple barbed and smooth fence wire for Belgian farmers and railway companies. For nearly a century it was a competent but unremarkable wire maker. The transformative opportunity arrived when Michelin's radial tire technology spread globally in the 1970s. Radial tires require thin, high-tensile steel cord wound into precisely calibrated layers inside the tire -- far more demanding than any fence wire application. Bekaert's wire drawing expertise transferred directly to this new application, and it invested aggressively in tire cord capacity while competitors who had been focused on larger-gauge wire products could not match its precision. Today, a Belgian fence wire maker from 1880 controls approximately 27% of the global supply of tire steel cord that holds together every radial tire on passenger cars, trucks, and aircraft.
Bekaert NV ↗