Company News
CLEPA award for Acorus flexible wheel collaboration
The Acorus collaboration between Michelin and Maxion Wheels was voted a runner-up in the third annual CLEPA Innovation Awards. CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, named Acorus its third-placed awardee in the Cooperation category. The award was accepted on behalf of the two companies by Pieter Klinkers, chief executive officer of Maxion Wheels, at a ceremony held in The Hague on 13 June.
UK News
Inaugural Fitter-Force forum commits to fleet tyre service connectivity
The inaugural Fitter-Force Forum on 12 June in Birmingham, hosted by CAM was attended by medium-sized fleet tyre service specialists from the UK and Republic of Ireland, including AA Tyre Master, Paul Jarrold Tyres, S Tyres and Three Counties Tyre Services, which are encouraged to be early adopters of the new Fitter-Force platform. The participants benefited from a demonstration of Fitter-Force, which combines the operational responsiveness of digital tablet technology through e-jobsheet with premier tyre management software for all fleet tyre work for car, van, bus, agri or truck as well offering comprehensive, generic tyre management capabilities.
- Environment Committee responds to London Mayor’s clean air summit
- Automechanika Birmingham 2018 closes its doors until 2019
- Michelin Auto Professional dealers complete new Licensed Retail Tyre Technician course
- MIRA outlines suite of automotive apprenticeships
- Kirkby celebrating a decade of BKT Earthmax tyres at Hillhead
Product News
Goodyear tyres OE on VW Touareg
A range of Goodyear summer, winter and all-season tyres have been approved as original equipment fitments on the new Volkswagen Touareg. Goodyear reports that it has met Volkswagen’s requirements for tyres for global applications and will supply a total of nine tyre dimensions for fitment on the SUV.
- Kordsa presents lightweighting concepts at Movin’On
- Drivers to spend £45 million on air con services this summer
- 2017 – 2021 trailer registration growth forecast higher than any 5-year period ever
- Klarius: How will WLTP real-world emission tests affect the automotive aftermarket?
- VMI adds pallet lift to range
International News
US tyre cord makers could close due to steel tariffs
In mid-June US president Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods. However, the above round of tariffs was actually an additional wave that followed as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war with China. Steel is at the centre of this dispute, with President Trump suggesting that China is dumping steel in America. But now US tyre cord makers could close due to steel tariffs.
Career Tracks
Experienced customer service account manager joins CAM
Mark Erwood is joining CAM as key account manager, tasked with providing high levels of customer interaction across the UK and Ireland to help tyre dealers develop their businesses through CAM’s IT enablement.
Motorsport News
MWheels becomes key sponsor, wheel supplier of BTRC’s Team Oliver Racing
MWheels has become a key sponsor of British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC) contenders Team Oliver Racing, supplying Xlite forged aluminium wheels for both 2018 racing trucks and all the teams transporter vehicles. The agreement, which will see the Xlite and Xbrite brands feature prominently throughout the series, will also support an assortment of client and media marketing initiatives.
Retreading News
Vacu-Lug becomes Hankook Alphatread UK retread partner
Vacu-Lug has become the new retread manufacturing partner for Hankook in the UK. The company signalled its new status by including the manufacturer’s Alphatread retreading brand on its stand at the Commercial Vehicle Show (24-26 April, Birmingham NEC), coinciding with the beginning of production of the Alphatread bead-to-bead retread truck tyre range at the Vacu-Lug factory in Grantham.
- Vacu-Lug begins manufacturing Hankook’s Alphatread range
- Truck tyre tariffs to end Chinese import tsunami
- Directa Plus collaboration: graphene to boost Marangoni retreading performance
- Lukatec launches ROI-Tread HS 6011 cushion gum extruder
- Vipal Rubber showing new treads, tyre monitoring platform at The Tire Cologne
Comment
Sainsbury’s, Asda and truck tyre tariffs
At the end of April the UK’s second largest supermarket Sainsbury’s announced that it is merging with the Walmart-owned Asda supermarket. The goal? To push first-placed Tesco off the top-spot and to give the newly combined chain better access to different geographic areas and consumers. Strange as it may seem at first glance, this story can be read across to the tyre market in general and the truck tyre segment in particular (click here for complete coverage on developments associated with the recently initiated European anti-Chinese truck tyre import tariffs).
