The British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) has elected David Smith as its new chairman with immediate effect. Smith has been the managing director of Continental Tyres since 2007, and as such has a wealth of tyre industry experience. “I am honoured to have been elected to this key role within the tyre industry,” he comments.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
-
Texa Promotes Axone Smart
Texa is promoting its successor to the Axone 2000 diagnostic tool, the Axone Smart. According to the company, its latest product features “all the required updates provided by today’s modern technology” and the standard software is upgradeable... -
CGS Tyres to Buy EDP
Czech off-road tyre producer CGS Tyres has agreed to acquire the sales unit of the Saint-Paul-lès-Romans-based L’Européenne de pneumatiques (EDP), a French veteran of agricultural and industrial tyre sales of 25 years. The sale of Mitas-branded... -
How Will TPMS Change the Tyre Retail Business?
From 2012 European legislation dictates that all new cars will be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). With many modern vehicles already being fitted with them and the pressure watching technology due to become mandatory Tyres &... -
New Truck Tyre Campaign from Yokohama
Yokohama Tire Corp. has launched SmartSolution, a new communication and promotion push targeting commercial tyre dealers, fleet owners and truck operators in the USA, reports Tire Review. “Now more than ever, fleet owners and truck operators are... -
Conti: HTL 2 Eco-Plus Offers ‘Top Economy’
The introduction of the new HTL 2 Eco-Plus long-distance trailer tyre sees Continental complete its new tyre product range for international long-distance transport that the firm has been successively launching since 2009. By using a casing and tread... -
Continental: Truck Tyre Buyers Have Been Price Sensitive
From Continental’s perspective, sales across the EU in the truck tyre replacement market are up 29 per cent versus the same timeframe last year, with the UK figure said to be up 5.5 per cent, a few percentage points less than other estimates. Raw... -
OTR to Promote ‘Tyre Hire’ Scheme at RWM
OTR Tyres Ltd is to exhibit at the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition (RWM) again this year OTR to promote the benefits of OTR Tyre Hire, a service exclusively designed for the waste management industry in addition to the company’s range of... -
Toyo Launches Two New Proxes Tyres at Goodwood Revival
Toyo has announced that it will use the occasion of the 2010 Goodwood Revival (17-19 September) to launch two new additions to its Proxes tyre range. The motorsport-oriented Proxes T1 Sport and the ultra-high performance Proxes C1S will make their... -
UK Launch for Nokian All-Season Range
The Nokian eNTYRE all-season tyre, first released late last year, is now available to customers in the UK through mytyres.co.uk. The online retailer reports it has secured UK exclusivity for the range and is targeting the eNTYRE at motorists who want... -
Hauling Out of the Recessionary Market
As in almost all industries, the calamity of the credit crunch has had a huge impact on the truck tyre market, reducing demand for products, and forcing manufacturers and traders to regroup. As a result of the economic crisis commercial vehicle...
-
BTMA Elects Conti Boss New Chairman
The British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) has elected David Smith as its new chairman with immediate effect. Smith has been the managing director of Continental Tyres since 2007, and as such has a wealth of tyre industry experience. “I am... -
Which? Presents Continental with Best Tyre Brand Accolade
Outstanding results in Which? magazine’s tyre tests have given Continental the title of best tyre brand. The leading consumer publication picked out Continental’s “excellent” dry grip and “very good” wet grip as the brand’s major... -
Infinity and Bond Launch Retail Rebate Scheme
Infinity Tyres (Europe) and the authorised UK distributor of the brand’s PCR tyres Bond International have announced the launch of their new initiative to support UK customers. The Infinity Club began on 1 September and is aimed at rewarding top... -
Bridgestone Donates to Pakistan Flood Relief Efforts
Bridgestone and its subsidiary Bridgestone Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd have donated over £41,000 to the flood relief efforts in Pakistan. The company has sold tyres in the country for 50 years, though it has no sales office there. -
Pirelli Now ‘Boss’ With Mustang OE Fitment
Pirelli Tire North America has expanded its OE business with Ford with the new fitment on the upcoming 2012 Mustang Boss 302 and Boss 302 Laguna Seca models, says Tire Review. The cars will be shod with P Zero and P Zero Corsa tyres, respectively. -
More Red Letter Days to be won with Grouptyre and Federal
Following its promotion last autumn that the wholesaler described as “highly successful”, Grouptyre is again teaming up with tyre manufacturer Federal for another national incentive which will see six lucky retailers win an exciting Red Letter Day... -
CGS Tyres Confirms US Plant for Ag Radials
CGS Tyres has today confirmed it will build the production plant for agricultural tyres reported on tyrepress.com over the past two months. A $43.81 million investment will allow the Czech company to build its new plant in Charles City, Iowa. Company... -
South African Tyre Industry Experiences Factory Strikes
Strike action based on the demands for a minimum wage of 20 rand per hour for motor industry workers have begun today in South Africa, affecting plants belonging to Dunlop, Bridgestone and Continental, news sources have reported. Strikers are also... -
Bridgestone Announces Cross-Segment European Price Increase
Bridgestone has announced that it will raise the prices by between 3 and 6 per cent of its consumer, commercial and speciality tyres in Europe during October 2010. Bridgestone Europe CEO and president Makio Ohashi said that “historically high” raw... -
Goodyear Calls for Redemption of $973 Million in Senior Notes
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has called all of its outstanding senior notes due in 2011 and 2015 for redemption on 29 September, 2010. Goodyear intends to use net proceeds from its recent $1 billion issuance of 8.25 per cent senior notes due...
-
Fast Ford Uses Maxxis in Tyre Pressure, Alloy Wheel Tests
September’s issue of Fast Ford magazine carries reports on two performance tests – how different tyre pressure settings affect a car’s handling characteristics and the performance benefits that can be gained from fitting lightweight alloy wheels... -
BTMA Elects Conti Boss New Chairman
The British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) has elected David Smith as its new chairman with immediate effect. Smith has been the managing director of Continental Tyres since 2007, and as such has a wealth of tyre industry experience. “I am... -
Which? Presents Continental with Best Tyre Brand Accolade
Outstanding results in Which? magazine’s tyre tests have given Continental the title of best tyre brand. The leading consumer publication picked out Continental’s “excellent” dry grip and “very good” wet grip as the brand’s major... -
Retreading Special September 2010
September 2010's Retreading Special supplement produced in both English and German by Tyres & Accessories and Neue Reifenzeitung is now available for virtual viewing online. The latest edition of the increasingly popular retreading... -
Pirelli Out of WRC; Way Seems Clear for Michelin
Swiftly following the last-minute bid by Michelin to become a tyre supplier in the 2011 World Rally Championship, the current provider Pirelli has officially ruled itself out of the series next year. Paul Hembury, Pirelli’s motorsport director, told... -
Texa Promotes Axone Smart
Texa is promoting its successor to the Axone 2000 diagnostic tool, the Axone Smart. According to the company, its latest product features “all the required updates provided by today’s modern technology” and the standard software is upgradeable... -
Infinity and Bond Launch Retail Rebate Scheme
Infinity Tyres (Europe) and the authorised UK distributor of the brand’s PCR tyres Bond International have announced the launch of their new initiative to support UK customers. The Infinity Club began on 1 September and is aimed at rewarding top... -
CGS Tyres to Buy EDP
Czech off-road tyre producer CGS Tyres has agreed to acquire the sales unit of the Saint-Paul-lès-Romans-based L’Européenne de pneumatiques (EDP), a French veteran of agricultural and industrial tyre sales of 25 years. The sale of Mitas-branded... -
How Will TPMS Change the Tyre Retail Business?
From 2012 European legislation dictates that all new cars will be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). With many modern vehicles already being fitted with them and the pressure watching technology due to become mandatory Tyres &... -
Bridgestone Expands Electronic Paper Production at Iwata Plant
Bridgestone Corporation is to expand its electronic paper operations with the installation of a new production line in its Iwata Plant (Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture). According to the company, the new line will entail an investment of approximately...
-
B-Quik Expands Despite Unrest in Thailand
B-Quik, Thailand's biggest independent automotive repair organization, saw revenue grow over 30 per cent in the first 6 months of 2010, this despite the unrest in the Thai capital in the month of May. The company has opened two new stores so far this year (one on the island of Phuket and one in Bangkok) and now operates through 64 outlets. For the second half of the year another seven new stores are confirmed and three more are pending.... -
Belshina to Establish Brazil Presence
Belarus based tyre maker Belshina intends to establish an office for distributing its products in Brazil this year. Parent company Belneftekhim reports the office will be located in Sao Paulo and is scheduled to open this autumn. The Brazil office will distribute a wide range of Belshina products on the Brazilian market, including truck and agricultural tyres – products the company notes are most in demand there. -
Sri Lanka Encourages Tyre Rubber Production
At the end of June Sri Lanka’s government announced plans to encourage small farmers to produce more tyre grade rubber. Local news sources reported that plantations industries minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said a policy decision was taken aimed at increasing production of the RSS 3 type rubber grade: “Although most people think RSS 1 is the best and it is, the biggest demand is for RSS 3…That’s what big industrialists want. They are the... -
Cuban Retreader Poligom Output 56,900 tyres in 2009
A recent article written by Joel Mayor Loran and published by the Granma and Periodico publications in Cuba gives a fascinating insight into the workings of the country’s National Rubber Company – Poligom. According to the article, which is entitled “How to Save a Million Dollars” the Cuban retreading operation has been facing a scarcity of raw materials and retreadable casings. The Poligom National Rubber Company reportedly runs five... -
South African Anti-Dumping Decision "Means Level Playing Field"
An article on the South African website Business Report reported on the ruling of the High Court in South Africa to set aside the decision, made in 2007 by the Trade and Industry Ministry, to terminate anti-dumping probes against Chinese tyre exporters, bringing "fair competition" to the tyre manufacturing industry. -
Apollo Tyres Planning China Expansion
Apollo Tyres is reportedly working on a strategy to enter China, currently the world's largest tyre producing and exporting market. If Apollo is successful in this venture it would be the first Indian tyre manufaturing company to establish a permanent production presence in China. “We aim to be a global tyre producer with footprints in all corners of the world,” Onkar Kanwar, Apollo Tyres' chairman, said at the launch of the brand... -
Reports: Petlas to Expand Car Tyre Output
Turkish tyre manufacturer Petlas Lastik is planning to significantly expanding its passenger car tyre production capacity. According to local news reports, the company’s tyre manufacturing finance manager, Vahit Unal told reporters that the company will invest $50 million to more than double the company’s 2005 car tyre capacity. “While in 2005 [we attained] exports of $16 million, in 2008 this figure reached $93 million. In the last 2.5... -
Reports: Michelin to Relocate, Expand China Plant
Michelin is seeking Chinese government approval to relocate its Shenyang plant to a larger site to allow for capacity expansion, according to a China Daily report. "We have to relocate the Shenyang factory for a really big capacity expansion in both truck and bus tyres as well as passenger car tyres, considering the growing demand in China's automobile market," Michelin managing general partner Michel Rollier is quoted as saying. -
Conti Sime Opens Malacca BestDrive Outlet, Celebrates Dealer’s 70th Anniversary
Chop Swee Hoe and Continental Sime Tyre Sdn. Bhd. (CST) opened a new BestDrive Continental Passenger Car & Light Truck (PLT) Centre in Malacca (the third smallest state in Malaysia) on 23 May, 2010. According to Choong Kee Seng, sales and marketing director of CST, the BestDrive PLT centre empowers partners with the ability to make use of this brand to become positioned as uniform, specialised tyre dealers catering for the premium customer... -
ContiTech Opens Brazil Factory
Contitech has opened a new production facility in Ponta Grossa, Brazil, for textile and steel-cord conveyor belts, creating a stronger foundation for the company’s activities in the Central and South American region. The new 5,000m2 facility is designed to produce 300km of textile and steel-cord conveyor belting annually and has created over 60 new jobs. The total amount invested so far by ContiTech in the factory, machinery and equipment...