Ceat Tyres plans to expand production capacity at its Nashik radial tyre plant. Managing director Paras K. Chowdhary told local newspapers: “The Nashik plant has a production capacity of 40,000 tyres per month, which would go up to 65,000 after expansion.” The company plans to raise to capacity to 100,000 PCR tyres per month six months after the first phase is complete.
The Tyre Retreading Manufacturers’ Association of Malaysia (TRMAM) has warned customers to expect a 10 to 15 per cent price increase for tyre retreading. In a statement, TRMAM said the move is necessary in view of the dramatic increase in prices of raw materials, especially natural rubber, synthetic rubber and carbon black. “The situation is exacerbated by significant increases in fuel cost and electricity rates, which substantially add to retreaders’ operating costs,” the statement added. However, even with the impending price increase, Malaysian retreads are still significantly lower than most neighbouring markets in the region, including China, Malaysia’s Business Times reported.
Consumers reading the Independent have learnt details of the current End-of-life tyre (ELT) situation through an article published on 29 June. The article, which featured an interview with Tyre Recovery Association secretary, Peter Taylor, used DTI figures for setting the ELT scene – “48 million tyres, weighing 480,000 tons, were scrapped in 2004.” The Independent article reported that “around a quarter of old tyres are reused and around half are recycled in some way.”
Since being founded in 1990, Goodway Rubber Industries Sdn Bhd has made deep inroads into the highly established rubber industry. Company spokesman Raymond Lee described Goodway’s recent appearance at the Reifen 06 exhibition as the company “standing tall among the biggest industry names at the internationally acclaimed fair,” adding: “we made quite an impact with our various brands and offerings”.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is taking steps towards closing a New Zealand tyre plant. The news is part of a series of cost-cutting measures (including European job cuts) that Goodyear is enforcing around the world. Goodyear said the move was “part of its strategy to reduce high-cost manufacturing capacity globally.”
If ever there was a competition for a company whose name tells you exactly what the company does, then Vintage Tyre Supplies would surely be in with a shout. Even the location of its head office – a few seconds' stroll from the Beaulieu Motor Museum – underlines what the company is about.
Vintage Tyre Supplies is, quite simply, a leader in what could be described as "a global niche", sourcing and selling vintage and classic tyres around the world. "Our business is growing and our overseas markets are developing steadily," says VTS managing director Chris Marchant.
The last shift at Dunlop’s Washington UK plant clocked off ahead of schedule on 14 June. The Early April announcement that Dunlop would close the plant came as a “body blow,” to workers, the Sunderland Echo reported, as it followed a similar announcement at nearby Stag Furniture. Dunlop said it is continuing to work alongside Sunderland Council and One North East to help the workers find new employment through the JobCentre.
The 16 member companies of the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) are to ban tyres from their feedstock, the BMRA has announced. The ban will come into force on 7 July. The announcements leaves question marks over where vehicle dismantlers who do not have tyre recovery arrangements will dispose of their tyres. Up till now the BMRA had recommended a charge of £1.50 for each tyre delivered.
Arguably the world’s largest tyre trade exhibition, Reifen Messe Essen 2006 was the biggest show in the history of the exhibition. The 24th show since the exhibition premiered in 1960, this year’s event attracted 17,100 tyre specialists (up 8 per cent) from over 80 countries, according to the organisers. In amongst the 473 suppliers (up 15 per cent) from 42 countries, a handful of UK wholesalers (Bond International, King’s Road Tyres, Kirkby Tyres, Treadsetters, and North West Tyres) led the way for the 22-strong British company contingent.
…Why not watch some Motocross? Brian Higgins, series manager of Maxxis-sponsored British Motocross Championship, dropped Tyres & Accessories a line publishing the series broadcast times. Round five of the championship, held at Desertmartin, Northern Ireland on 24 June 2006, will be shown at 17:30 (UK) today (29 June 2006) on Sky Sports Xtra, with repeats on Sky Sports 3 at 00:00 and 14:30 on Friday 30 June 2006.
Maxxis International reports that it attracted major interest from UK distributors and dealers alike when it launched a series of new products at Reifen 2006. “Reifen 2006 proved to be an exceptionally good platform for us, as we showcased some exciting new products for the UK market, gave customers the opportunity to see the winter and all season tyres we are looking to develop and dealt with a lot of OE enquiries,” said Maxxis International UK managing director Derek McMartin.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will cut more than 150 positions in its European business unit in order to create annual savings in selling, administrative and general expenses of over $10 million. “Concurrent with efforts to grow our top line through innovative new products and marketing, we are intensely focused on reducing the company’s global cost structure,” said Goodyear chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan. “Our objective is to achieve cost reductions totalling between $750 million and $1 billion by 2008, including $150 million to $200 million in SAG (sales administration and general) costs.”
A business partnership stretching over more than 20 years between two of the biggest names in the UK fleet industry – Kwik-Fit Fleet and Arval – has been further extended with the signing of a new two-year contract. The new contract, with an option to extend for a third year, gives Kwik-Fit Fleet AllStar preferred supplier status with Arval for tyre replacement and the provision of other fast-fit services across the leasing and maintenance management company’s 160,000-strong UK vehicle fleet. AllStar recognition is being awarded only to suppliers who meet strict criteria to deliver service quality and value to Arval customers.
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America has added 12 new 17- to 22-inch sizes to its popular BFGoodrich T/A/ KO light truck/SUV tyre line. The line extension was launched last week to dealers and media at a special programme in San Diego. The new larger sizes, said BFGoodrich officials, mirror size increases seen at OE. While 16-inch light truck tyres remain popular on the replacement side, OEMs have moved to 17- and 18-inch and larger.
“Business is going really well. We are changing over to a new warehouse and on 2 May we became the official importer of Double Coin truck tyres across Europe,” says Inter-Sprint’s Wim Zoet, summing up all the recent developments at Dutch wholesaler.
