History

The history of MAXIM KALTSIDIS TIRES dates back to the distant year of 1946 when it was founded by Maximos Kaltsidis in Thessaloniki. From the outset, the company focused on trading old tires sourced from military vehicles of World War II. Utilizing these tires, the company created agricultural platforms, offering innovative solutions to the agriculture sector.

After eighteen years of continuous growth, the company took a significant step forward by becoming the exclusive representative and distributor of Pirelli tires in Greece. This move followed the establishment of Pirelli’s first factory in Patras in 1964. The demand for agricultural machinery led to a high demand for tires with dimensions of 600-16, 750-16, 900-16, and 825-20. The range of agricultural tires expanded, making the company a pioneer in the field of agricultural tires in Greece. The company’s headquarters at that time were located at 13 Dodekanisou Street in the center of Thessaloniki.

In 1972, the business was transformed into a public limited company under the name Maxim SA, focusing primarily on the trade of Pirelli agricultural tires.

In 1976, Konstantinos Kaltsidis, son of Maximos Kaltsidis, joined the company, focusing on expanding its activities into other areas such as providing machinery for vulcanization shops, tire changers, and wheel balancers, as well as acquiring exclusive agencies from abroad. At the same time, it maintained its activity in the tire trade sector.

In 1980, MAXIM KALTSIDIS TIRES established a significant position in the Greek market as the exclusive representative of Serbian tire brands Record, RumaGuma, and Tigar. This development significantly expanded its wholesale tire sales activity throughout Greece, including the islands.

Due to increasing demand in 1983, the company’s facilities in the city center could no longer meet its needs. As a result, it relocated to its own premises in Ioannina, Thessaloniki, which includes warehouses covering an area of 4,000 square meters and a plot of land measuring 10,000 square meters.

In 1987, MAXIM KALTSIDIS TIRES chose to enter into an exclusive collaboration with the Taurus agricultural tire production factory in Hungary.

In 1995, the first branch in Athens was established, housing part of the company’s sales department.

1997 was a significant year for Maxim Kaltsidis SA as the company crossed the borders of Europe and imported Chinese Yellow Sea tires for the first time. This move laid the groundwork for exploiting commercial opportunities with the emerging Asian markets at that time.

In 1999, a branch was established in Kalochori, Thessaloniki, located in a privileged location on a plot of land measuring 4,000 square meters.

The new millennium brought significant changes to the company with the inclusion of Maxim and Karolos, sons of Konstantinos Kaltsidis, in 2002. Their entry highlighted new development prospects for the company, enhancing its vision and dynamism. With the aim of expanding and strengthening its supplier network, MAXIM KALTSIDIS TIRES turned to the Chinese market, developing close partnerships through its own investments and representation of major Chinese firms. One of the most significant achievements was the exclusive representation agreement for AEOLUS construction and truck tires, which established the company as one of the leading names in the industry.

In 2010, MAXIM KALTSIDIS TIRES expanded its commercial activities into Bulgaria by establishing a branch and installing permanent staff in Sofia. At the same time, exclusive exports to Albania were established, with a permanent representative presence in Tirana.

In 2014, MAXIM KALTSIDIS introduced AEOLUS passenger tires successfully, which received a great response from consumers and partners. The same year marked the completion of the total renovation of the Kalochori branch, which was transformed into the first official AEOLUS tire store in Greece.

The company celebrated 70 years of operation in the tire industry in 2016, focusing on supplying tires for agricultural, industrial, off-road vehicles, and passenger vehicles, as well as retreading for off-road vehicles and wheels for agricultural machinery. After this long experience, it managed to emerge as a major supplier to the Greek State and well-known construction companies and quarries throughout Greece and the Balkans, a fact confirmed by the company’s growth and the trust of its customers.

In 2019, MAXIM KALTSIDIS TIRES opened and operated its new branch in Metamorphosi, Attica, at 9 Adrianou Street, covering the operational needs for immediate same-day coverage of the capital and southern Greece.