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Provider of technology software solutions to the tyre and exhaust industry since 1985, Tyreman has announced the opening of its new, larger office in Hadleigh, Suffolk. The company stated that the move from its premises on Semer Business Park in Ipswich has come on the back of “another successful year of trading".
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe has announced the appointment of Nigel Hampson as its new sales and marketing director, which took effect at the beginning of this year. He had previously held the post of European major account manager, having worked for Cooper Tire since 1996, as an export sales executive. He became marketing services manager in 2004, before switching to subsidiary sales manager for France, Germany and Switzerland in 2006.
Best Buy Tyres has launched a free mobile tyre fitting service operating out of three Merityre branches in Purley, Thame and Bagshot. The online tyre shop has fitting options at 450 centres in the UK and Ireland and the e-Commerce retailer says it plans to expand the mobile service across more branches in the coming months.
A March 11 report from DB Equity Research Automotive observes that the cost of “certain key raw materials” used by tyre manufacturers have begun to decline. The Deutsche Bank equity research team states: “Most notably, we estimate that natural rubber prices have declined by nine per cent since last Friday…and rubber has declined by approx. 15 per cent (from the $2.45-$2.50/lb level) since US tyre companies reported their Q4 results. If this decline in natural rubber costs is sustained, total raw material costs could decline by 4.0 per cent compared with Deutsche Bank estimates.”
A Taiwan based news source has reported claims by a domestic vehicle components supplier that China intends to make the fitment of tyre pressure monitoring systems mandatory on new cars. Kim Tsai, chairman of Mobiletron Electronics, aims for his firm to seize at least ten per cent of the market boosted by this policy – a market expected to create business opportunities in excess of NT$20 billion (£422 million).
Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand have donated AU$100,000 (£62,000) to the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Appeal, a charity fund set up to assist those affected by the earthquake which struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on February 22. The 6.3 magnitude quake caused significant loss of life and injury, as well as severely damaging buildings, infrastructure and services; Bridgestone Australia Ltd's group chairman and managing director Nobuyuki Mieno said the earthquake had "deeply affected the entire Bridgestone family.
US motor industry supplier TRM Automotive Holdings reports its zero initiator tyre pressure monitoring system – a product the company refers to as “its lowest cost auto location system ever” –recently entered mass production and is now under evaluation with global vehicle manufacturers. Announcing the new product’s rollout, Laurent Crosnier, product portfolio director for TRW Radio Frequency Electronics, commented that “TRW seeks to bring cost competitive systems to market in our effort to deliver the safety that everyone deserves, and affirms its TPMS technological leadership with this innovative new product launch.”
HiQ has named Motorama in Tamworth as the latest garage to join its network. Some £30,000 was invested converting the garage into a HiQ centre following owner Jay Ghedia’s decision to sign on as a franchise partner; the funds paid for numerous site upgrades, including an interior and exterior refurbishment.
Statistically speaking, you’re more likely than not to be driving on under-inflated tyres. When Bridgestone headed out last year and checked the tyre condition of 38,000 cars in nine European countries, it found 71 per cent of participating motorists to be driving on tyres inflated to a lower than recommended pressure. The majority of these under-inflated tyres were admittedly less than 0.5 bar under pressure, yet 7.5 per cent of motorists’ tyres were more than 0.5 bar under pressure and half a percent of motorists were driving on tyres at least 0.75 bar under pressure.
Brisa’s Lassa brand is presenting its Competus HP and Phenoma tyres at the 81st Geneva International Motor Show, on an 80sqm stand in Hall 7. The Competus HP is the latest edition to the Lassa Competus family, and the new sports tyre, Phenoma, have been tested and approved by Germany’s TÜV SÜD Automotive. The show continues until 13 March.
UK tyre safety campaign group TyreSafe has announced that the Highways Agency has become a full member, following its endorsement of last October’s tyre safety month campaign. By becoming a full member, the Highways Agency will be represented at the group’s regular board meetings, helping to improve dialogue and collaboration between the organisations, says TyreSafe. Additionally, it will become involved in a number of tyre safety related activities throughout the year.
Goodyear has announced a new farm tyre in its Optitrac range specifically developed for harvester machines: the Optitrac H+. The H+ range will include tyres designed to operate at higher deflection levels, signified by the addition of the letters IF as a prefix to the size and CFO as a suffix. Goodyear says these tyres have been designed in line with a four-year 2009 ETRTO experimental standard which allows a “load bonus of up to 55 per cent for cyclic field operations without the need to increase the inflation pressure”. This new range was shown on Goodyear’s stand at the 2011 SIMA show held in Paris with the introduction of the first two sizes: IF800/70R32 CFO and IF800/75R32 CFO. It was developed by the Goodyear Innovation Centre – Luxembourg (GIC*L) and has been tested and approved by harvester manufacturers in Europe.
US publication Tire Review reports IndyCar teams are petitioning Bridgestone Americas to reconsider its position with the race series. Following the tyre maker’s March 4 announcement that its sponsorship and Firestone brand tyre supply contract would not be renewed after 2011, a “near-unanimous” vote is said to have been taken amongst teams to “stick with Firestone – regardless of the price.”
Pedro de la Rosa, who last September stepped in to replace Nick Heidfeld as Pirelli’s Formula One test driver following the German’s unexpected and ultimately short-sighted departure, has rejoined the McLaren F1 team as official test and reserve driver. De la Rosa originally joined McLaren back in 2003 and worked with the team for more than seven seasons, helping develop cars that scored 29 victories, not to mention the drivers’ world championship with Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Antwerp, Belgium based wholesaler Deldo reports the addition of light commercial vehicle tyres to its Minerva and Rockstone private brand line-ups. The Minerva light truck tyre range currently includes 20 fitments for 12 to 16-inch rim diameters, and Deldo international sales and marketing manager Rutger Veerman reports that a similar size range is also available for Rockstone. The new additions increase the Minerva range to 138 sizes and Rockstone to 254 sizes.
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