Respect is a much sought after commodity, as any fan of ‘The Godfather’ film trilogy can testify. Any company capable of earning and keeping the buying public’s respect holds a value tool no PR firm can replicate with slick campaigns. According to the Reputation Institute (RI) and Forbes magazine, Goodyear Tire and Rubber is one such firm – for the second year in a row it has been recognised as America’s most respected automotive company.
As a major importer of far eastern manufactured tyres, Bond International’s presence at Tyrexpo Asia was significant. The company, which has been established for more than forty years, has acquired during its time in the business vast experience in the import and export of tyres to and from the UK. Today Bond International can provide unrivalled delivery service thanks to its four warehouses and stock level of over 600,000 tyres. As well as distributing all leading premium brand tyres the company is also the agent for Marshal, Admiral, Infinity, Sumo, Firenza, Rotalla and Gerutti.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and for automotive industry charity BEN a dearth of funds in this period of recession has led to the cancellation of its 2009 lunch event. The BEN Annual Lunch, a thank you to supporters that have helped the charity over the previous year, is normally sponsored so as to not divert money from the main business of care and welfare. BEN reports, however, that the recession has affected its fundraising income, and that in these “difficult times” even its traditional supporters have needed to cut their costs.
Avon Tyres is urging bikers across the UK to ensure their tyres are properly inflated, warning of the sever drops in performance that can be the result of having incorrect air volumes inflating the rubber. The announcement has been made to coincide with May Bank Holiday weekend, when the crack of leather on willow is matched by the roar of the motorcycle, heralding the start of the biking summer. Having racked up a century of motorcycle tyre experience, Avon wants to make sure bikers aren’t caught on a sticky wicket in this busy period.
Peter McNally, Avon Tyres’ technical product manager for motorcycle tyres, says, “Tyre pressures on a motorcycle are critical to the safety of the rider aboard it – there’s no other way of putting it. The tyre’s connection with the road has to be perfect and if the tyre is under inflated after a winter’s lay-off, the bike will not handle properly and it could be dangerous.”
Less than two years’ after being granted approval by the Thailand Board of Investment, Yokohama Rubber has officially opened its ‘Tire Test Center of Asia’ proving ground in Rayong Province. Work began on the 2.5 billion yen centre in September 2007 and the site was ready for use last December. Although the opening ceremony was not held until April 30, tyre testing has been performed at the proving ground since January 2009.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe has released a statement announcing its plan to cut 30-50 jobs at its Melksham, Wiltshire plant, amounting to around 4 per cent of the company’s workers there. The manufacturer will invite its 1,000 employees at the site to apply for voluntary redundancy throughout May. The statement cites the reduction of costs necessary to remain competitive within its markets as the reason for the cuts.
While overall sales declined 8.2 per cent to US$232.6 million during the first quarter of 2009, Titan International reports that its sales of agricultural sector products hit an all-time first quarter record. “Large farm tyres and wheels were selling well in the first quarter of 2009, along with Titan’s new super giant mining tyres,” commented Titan chairman and CEO Maurice M. Taylor Jr. upon the figures’ release. These record agricultural sales of $187.3 million represent an increase of almost eight per cent on the $173.5 million generated in the first quarter of last year.
Provided the supply of electricity is restored, Dunlop India will most likely recommence the manufacture of tyres at its Sahaganj facility during May. The supply was cut following the suspension of production last November; the Press Trust of India quotes company chairman P K Ruia as recently saying “the Sahaganj plant is waiting for electricity connection to restart production.”
The facility partially re-opened on March 6, with 200 of the plant’s 1147 employees returning to carry out maintenance work.
Passenger car and light truck tyre sales worth 271 million euros were wrung through the tills of Italian tyre market specialists in the first two months of 2009, according to new tyre data released by market research specialists GfK. The survey’s also reveals that 2.9 million units were sold in Italy in January/February 2009. Of these, passenger car summer tyres accounted for 69.5 per cent of total sales, followed by passenger car winter tyres (17 per cent), light truck tyres (7.7 per cent) and 4×4 tyres (7.1 per cent).
The findings come as part of the first GfK Car Tires panel report, which only became available in Italy in January 2009. According to the company, the new panel audit covers the “tyre specialists” channel, with a represented ‘universe’ of 6,550 points of sale. For the purposes of this research GfK defined tyre specialists as those retailers for who tyres and related services accounted for more than 50 per cent of total turnover. The GfK panel only represents retailers with a minimum annual turnover of 150,000 euros.
Revolution Motorstore is offering a new entry level wheel and tyre package. The Dare Racer is available in 15-inch only, but in practically all 4 stud fitments, covering all core Jap, tuner and modified cars. Pricing, as one might expect from Revolution, is super-sharp – with the wheels weighing in at just £369 including VAT for a full 4 wheel package with “high-performance tyres.”
Pirelli UK Tyres Ltd has announced that Jet Wheel Tyre Benfleet has been awarded Pirelli Performance Centre (PPC) status. Jet Wheel Tyre Benfleet becomes only the 60th centre in the country to receive this prestigious award.
Jet Wheel Tyre Benfleet owner Cliff Crane believes that the recognition gained from becoming a PPC member acknowledges the commitment and hard work shown by the entire team, and went on to say: “We are delighted that Pirelli have recognised Jet Wheel Tyre Benfleet by awarding us with PPC status. Everybody in the trade knows that the Pirelli PPC audit is notoriously difficult to pass and it’s a credit to everybody here that we have managed it.”
Norbar Torque Tools in Banbury has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade for its contribution to UK manufacturing exports. The family-owned business proudly claims to be the world’s top specialist manufacturer of torque tools and this year celebrates 67 successful years. The award highlights a success story in a sector that has generally experienced decline.
Norbar equipment is used in diverse industries including manufacturing, sub-sea, aerospace, energy, mining, and oil & gas. In the past six years the Company has almost doubled overseas earnings from its worldwide markets and now exports more than 73 per cent of its output. Norbar has distributors in over 60 countries as well as nine of its own sales and service branches around the world.
Swiss company B&J has earned a reputation as a key player in the retreading market. As well as the well known Rasp and Carbide tools, for five years B&J has offered tyre patches in all common sizes and the company has also made a name for itself in the area of tyre repair. Up till now, however, there were no B&J products for the fast repair of nail hole and puncture damage in the tyre tread. So-called mushroom plugs are a popular way of repairing these injuries quickly and easily and B&J has added this product to its repair materials program. “We now have five different sizes, from 1.5 to 10 mm, under the name Rocket Combi,” explains Andreas Müller, Managing Director of B&J Rocket Sales AG in Baar. The commonly used sizes of 6 to 8 mm diameter are also available in different packaging units. Like the existing repair products, Rocket Combi can be obtained via the respective sales outlets and dealers as well as the B&J Online Shop.
According to the organiser of Automechanika Middle East, the exhibition’s host country retains a strong tyre industry despite the global slowdown. Dubai’s direct trade in tyres, it says, was valued at more than AED 6.6 billion (US $1.8 billion) in 2008, an increase of 12 per cent from 2007. And organiser EPOC Messe Frankfurt GmbH believes that “even with the economic downturn catching up, wheels of the tyre market in the UAE are set to keep turning in 2009” – and thus it has high hopes for the exhibition, which opens on May 31 and runs until June 2 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Bridgestone Duravis heavy-duty light truck commercial tyre range, originally introduced onto the North American market in 2007, is being extended through the introduction of the Duravis M895. Key features on this new all-season tyre are steel reinforced sidewalls and an on/off road capability.
Like the Duravis R250, the design features of the Duravis M895 includes a reinforced steel casing for long life and retreadability, and other enhanced technologies for optimum performance. Bridgestone says the closed shoulder of the Duravis M895 contributes to improved wear and the tyre’s stone rejecter design offers enhanced casing durability. To further reinforce the overall performance of the Duravis M895, the tyre features a dual sidewall protector to help resist cuts and scrapes. Its heavy-duty construction helps protect the tyre in the most challenging applications and environments, Bridgestone notes.
