This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Stephen contributed a whooping 1917 entries.
Ten years have passed since a small team with a clever idea and a vision formed Black Bear Carbon, and although the decade hasn’t been without its setbacks, the company is getting ready to roll out its process for recovering carbon black and other valuable raw materials from end of life tyres. Pending financing, a new plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands will be operational by the end of next year.
Health and safety gone mad! This refrain of outrage, often served together with a pint or three, is a staple UK gripe. But such tabloid-fuelled indignation is based upon a truth that benefits us all: HSE regulations ensure our workplaces are amongst the safest in the world. This aim to minimise potential danger is driving UK demand for a solution from Goodyear that offers the additional advantage of substantial cost savings.
The miniscule pieces of plant root that Dr Tobias Ruckert shows us look for all the world like fresh spices, but the recipes he prepares with them aren’t for eating. These roots are from the Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) plant, better known as Russian dandelion. Continental has been evaluating its suitability as an alternative source of natural rubber for much of the past decade.
Battery manufacturer Exide Technologies has unveiled its new GNB Sonnenschein Lithium Material Handling Battery, which was developed to meet the challenges of the modern warehouse environment. It has also introduced its new cloud-based fleet management software, GNB Fleet, which optimises fleet uptime, maximises efficiency and reduces total cost of ownership.
Tyre tests published in the run-up to summer show that the majority of mainstream tyres available in the UK are of a high or very high standard. Europe’s major car magazines and motoring associations recommended most products during the recent spate of testing. Of the 134 individual tyres put through their paces, only a handful weren’t recommended or were found to have serious issues. A further 13 were deemed merely ‘adequate’ or were conditionally recommended.
Many international manufacturers view a good EU tyre label result as a benchmark of product performance. At the end of 2018, Prinx Chengshan’s research and development centre in China began work on its ‘AA1’ project, with the aim of developing a product achieving the best label category for wet grip, rolling resistance and noise. The tyre maker reports that it’s achieved its goal.
Triangle Tyre expresses pride in its comeback as a top-ten consumer tyre brand in the China Brand Power Index (C-BPI) 2020. The brand occupies ninth place, ahead of domestic rivals such as Warrior, Chaoyang, Giti and Linglong.
As of 1 July, Masahiro Higashi will become Bridgestone Corporation’s global chief operating officer. He will succeed Akihiro Eto in this role following Eto’s retirement as COO and as representative executive officer on 30 June. Higashi also will hold the office of chief administration officer and become president and chief executive officer of BSJP, Bridgestone’s tyre and diversified products business in Japan.
Goodyear has landed a major fleet deal in North America, having been named Ryder System Inc.’s preferred supplier of new and retreaded tyres as well as tyre management solutions across the United States and Canada. This partnership will officially commence on 1 January 2021.
Workshop and vehicle testing equipment company MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH Co. & KG has acquired a 100 per cent shareholding in ATT, the joint venture workshop equipment company founded in 2000 by Robert-Bosch GmbG and the Nussbaum Group. The change of ownership took place on 30 April.
Kenda has signed up Jeff Ward as its latest brand ambassador. The British-American multi-time AMA Motocross, Supercross, Supermoto champion, 7-time international MX des Nations champion, X Games gold medallist and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee joins Motocross Hall of Famer and X Games Gold Medallist Doug Henry in this role.
Originally scheduled to take place between 17 and 19 August this year, the 18th edition of the China International Tire Expo (CITEXPO) has been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The tyre and wheel trade fair is now scheduled to return to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center between 16 and 18 August 2021.
A week ago, Bridgestone announced its acquisition of 42 Reiff Reifen und Autotechnik retail outlets in Germany from the now-bankrupt Fintyre Group business. The insolvency administrator handling the Fintyre case reports that buyers have also been found for two further Fintyre businesses, Duro Reifenservice GmbH and Reifen24 GmbH.
In March, the rapid spread of COVID-19 began to drastically impact almost all industries across Europe. Some had to accelerate production to address a sudden spike in demand while others cut back production in response to declining demand and as a means of limiting the further spread of the virus.
Hankook Tire has reported consolidated global sales of KRW 1.4358 trillion (£945.0 million) for the first quarter of 2020, around 12.6 per cent less than in the opening quarter of last year. Operating profit decreased 24.8 per cent year-on-year to KRW 105.9 billion (£69.7 million).
