Vipal Europe's commercial technical team conducted training in partnership with one of the leading groups in West Africa. With the goal of certifying West Africa Tires Services (WATS) in using the Vipal products to repair OTR tyres and heavy lorries to meet the strict requirements in service and certification, 25 technicians from different nationalities attended the qualification. The training included theory and practice, with a certificate issued at the end, and was administered by Alfonso Ibañez and Diego Barbosa, collaborators of the European subsidiary. 

In 2024, a strategic collaboration agreement was signed between Vipal Rubber and WATS. Earlier this year, efforts were directed at a technical trip to Bamako (Mali) and Tarkwa (Ghana). The qualification lasted two weeks; the first stage occurred at Corica Mining Services (CMS), in Mali, and the second at GMC in Tarkwa, both located in mining areas. The commitment to being close to the end customer reinforces Vipal's and WATS's joint action in searching for the qualification of the operation and the professionals involved. 

The African group operates in countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Professionals from different African branches participated in the training and, through the qualification, achieved the goal of certifying their equipment, processes and facilities.  

The training included the identification of damage and preparation of tyres for repairs, correct selection and application of products for hot and cold vulcanisation (using thermo presses and Monaflex). The qualification also had rigorous testing and verification of results, ensuring the highest standards of product performance demanded by its associates' mining companies. This way, Vipal stands out as an ideal choice for mining products, thanks to its premium quality products.  

The company's managing director, Don Vinay Kapoor, highlights that "since its inception, it has been part of the philosophy of the WATS group to have the assistance and collaboration of all its leading international partners for face-to-face visits, evaluation, certification and suggestions for continuous improvements. Vipal's strong 50+ year experience is aligned to our purpose. Having the opportunity to offer this training in partnership with Vipal Europe was very valuable because it reinforces our commitment to achieving the highest standards of quality.” 

"The general manager of Vipal Europe, Frederico Schmidt, comments that "through this training, we establish contacts with professionals who work with large mining companies, which is a growing market. Thus, in addition to bringing knowledge and guaranteeing the technical certification of the team, we have also learned more about the OTR tyre, a sector in which we still have a lot to grow here." 

After this positive experience, the expectation is to expand this training model to clients from other regions. The collaboration not only strengthened mutual understanding, but also fostered synergies that will further drive joint business growth. “The company is extremely pleased with this partnership, which allowed us to share our 50-plus years of experience in the tyre industry with WATS' highly skilled work processes, strong track record, and extensive presence in the West Africa region. We are eager to continue our efforts and expand our presence in the region through this successful alliance," concludes Frederico Schmidt.