GRI appoints Ydo Doornbos as its director for North America

Speciality tire manufacturer GRI has announced the appointment of Ydo Doornbos as Director of North America. With a career spanning 29 years in the tire industry in various management roles, Ydo brings with him a wealth of expertise and leadership to GRI's North American business operations, the company stated.

Doornbos’ journey in the tire industry began in 1995 with a 6-month internship at Monarch Industrial Tires in the USA, after which he commenced his extensive career at Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) as the Regional Sales & Operations Manager in Europe for the Monarch brand. He was then promoted to Marketing Manager Europe for the TWS Industrial Tires division.

In 2005, Doornbos returned to the United States, where he served as Director of Marketing, Customer Service & OEM Sales at TWS before being appointed Managing Director & Product Area President for Industrial and Construction tires. Over the course of thirteen years, he spearheaded strategic initiatives that enhanced product integration and service excellence. In 2019, Ydo was promoted to Regional President North & Central America – AG/MH/CON, where he steered the company through challenges posed by the global pandemic.

In 2022, Doornbos embarked on a new chapter in his career, assuming the role of VP Business Development at American Pacific Industries (API), a renowned tire engineering company. His strategic vision and business acumen contributed to API's growth and expansion in the automotive and commercial tire sectors, GRI noted.

Now, Doornbos returns to his roots in specialty tires with GRI, driven by a commitment to sustainability and innovation. As Director of North America, he will lead GRI's efforts to expand and drive GRI’s success in delivering sustainable agriculture, material handling, and construction tires to the North American market.

"I am thrilled to join GRI, a company synonymous with excellence and innovation in the tire industry. I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive growth and success in North America," Doornbos said.

Mr Prabhash Subasinghe, Managing Director of GRI, added, "Ydo's extensive industry knowledge and leadership will be invaluable as we strengthen our presence in North America. We are delighted to have him on board."

GRI has operations in 13 countries, sales in over 70 countries worldwide and has been advancing in the expansion of its operations in key countries as well as its tire production and mixing plants in Sri Lanka.