
What is Maxion Wheels focusing on?
During the financial year before last, the Brazilian Iochpe-Maxion Group (the parent company of Maxion wheels) bought Hayes Lemmerz for approximately US$725 million. The acquisition came after the worlds largest wheel manufacturer put down two bankruptcies during the first part of the new millennium, and thus had large amounts of debt to contend with. Eventually the company’s investors finally ran out of patience leaving the obvious question - what has happened to the car aluminium wheel division since then?
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BKT officially signs Monster Jam deal at world finals
The sponsorship agreement between BKT and Feld Motor Sports was officialised at the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas late last month, the tyre maker reports. The deal, which sees BKT supplying the Monster Jam vehicles through to 2018, was confirmed by BKT executive director Rajiv Poddar and Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld.
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Dmack targeting ‘correct’ dealers to deliver mid-range PCR strategy
Now in the second phase of its rollout of passenger car tyres, World Rally Championship tyre supplier Dmack is seeking the right partners around the world for its Shandong Yongtai manufactured road tyres. The company has quadrupled the number of sizes in its PCR tyre range of four patterns in the first half of 2014. Tyrepress interviewed managing director Dick Cormack, communications director Glenn Patterson, and newly appointed sales director Greg Graham at the company’s office and warehouse facility in Carlisle.
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New Falken tyres, technologies introduce brand’s next generation in Europe
Showcasing significant technological and performance breakthroughs, Falken launched its latest Azensis and Sincera products at the Ascari Race Resort near Malaga, Spain. Tyrepress took the opportunity to speak to Isamu Ishida, managing director, Falken Tyre Europe, and Matt Smith, managing director UK & Ireland, about the direction of Falken post Sumitomo and Goodyears Dunlop joint venture, having sampled the benefits of the new tyres at Ascari.
Continue ReadingHgCapital acquires The Parts Alliance
The Parts Alliance group has been acquired by investors HgCapital (HgC). The acquisition of the business, along with its central facilities in Solihull and central warehouse in Smethwick, was completed on Friday 4 April. Peter Sephton has become chief executive, pledging “to build an industry leading board of industry experts” to drive the enhanced business forward. Sephton retains his role as Group CEO of the HgCapital-owned Parts Alliance members which trade under local brand names and are organised into The Western Alliance and The Eastern Alliance.
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Conti acquires remaining share in British engineering firm
On 3 February, Germany’s Continental AG took over full ownership of its joint venture, Zytek Automotive. It previously had a 50 per cent shareholding in the Fradley Park (near Lichfield) company, and following the buy-out is operating it as a part of the Continental Engineering Services (CES) organisation in the United Kingdom. Neither Continental nor former joint venture partner Zytek have disclosed the price paid for the 50 per cent share in Zytek Automotive.
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Media prize for Bridgestone tyre launch event
Bridgestone has won the ‘Deutscher Mediapreis 2014’ award in Germany for its launch of the Adrenalin RE002 urban sports tyre in 2013. The tyre maker’s ‘Ultimate Experience’ launch event was voted top in the ‘Media Idea of the Year: brand experience/event’ category. The award was received by representatives of international media agency PHD Germany and OMG Fuse, agency for brand staging and social media, on behalf of Bridgestone Europe at the Mediapreis awards ceremony in Munich on 6 March.
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China to host Michelin’s ‘Challenge Bibendum’ in November
It’s back after an absence of three and a half years – between 11 and 15 November the Michelin Challenge Bibendum returns. This time the sustainable mobility action takes place in Chengdu, China; the choice of location was announced at a joint press conference by the Michelin Group and the Chengdu municipal government. The five-day event will mainly take place at the Chengdu International Intangible Culture Heritage Exposition Park and will follow the theme of “Innovation in Mobility at the Heart of Growth & Urban Well-being.”
Continue ReadingPirelli to appeal EC cable cartel fine
Pirelli & C. S.p.A states that it will appeal the European Commission’s decision regarding cable cartel activity. While the Commission does not directly name Pirelli as a participant in an alleged cartel in the underground and submarine power cable market, it deems the Italian company “jointly and severally liable” as Pirelli owned alleged cartel protagonist Prysmian Cables and Systems (formerly Pirelli’s Cables and Systems division) until 2005, and therefore “exercised a decisive influence” over the business for the first six years of the decade-long cartel. The European Commission has imposed a shared fine of €67.31 million on Pirelli and Prysmian.
Continue ReadingNokian Tyres revises forecast – sales, operating profit to decline
Due to a weaker economic forecast for Russia and the CIS, Nokian Tyres has downgraded its guidance for 2014 and now says net sales and operating profit will decline this year compared with 2013. This latest forecast replaces that published on 7 February, in which Nokian Tyres said it was positioned to show growth in net sales and operating profit this year.
Continue ReadingAeolus, Athlete, Linglong agri a Reifen focus for Heuver
Heuver Tyrewholesale has announced it will once again attend the Reifen trade show, which takes place in Essen, Germany this May. The wholesaler says its trade fair schedule features a lot of time for maintaining and expanding customer relations, while also highlighting the latest products by its important and exclusive (in eight markets) brand Aeolus. In terms of wheel rims, Heuver will give specific attention to the Athlete brand. It will also focus on the latest agricultural tyres by LingLong, which Heuver distributes in a number of markets. The Heuver stand can be found in Hall 2, stand number 2E48.
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Groundbreaking takes place for Bridgestone’s factory in Russia
Almost a year after Bridgestone’s plans to establish a joint-venture factory in Russia’s Ulyanovsk Oblast region were made public, groundbreaking was held at the site of the tyre maker’s future passenger car radial factory on 1 April. The facility will be erected on an 81 hectare site around 900 kilometres (560 miles) southeast of Moscow, and production is expected to start in the first half of 2016. Plant output estimated to reach approximately 12,000 units a day by the second half of 2018.
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Blackcircles ‘growing’ revenue through 1,200 fitting centres
Blackcircles.com has announced a growth in revenue of 20 per cent to £27.8 million (versus £23.2 million in 2012). The online tyre retailer said that the latest full year results mean its revenues have a compound annual growth rate of 22 per cent since 2008. EBITDA increased to £1 million. The results follow the announcement of former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy’s appointment to the Blackcircles.com board.
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Conti to sponsor Asia Pacific football cup
Football sponsorship has been a favoured means of brand promotion at Continental since it became a Champions League partner in 1995, and in addition to its numerous global, regional and national commitments it has now signed up as an official sponsor of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015. At the centre of this deal with the Asian Football Confederation is a championship taking place in Australia between 9 and 31 January 2015; teams from 46 countries will be involved and match coverage will reach up to 2.5 billion spectators.
Continue ReadingReiff posts a net loss for 2013
Germany’s Reiff Group, whose business portfolio includes tyre and wheel wholesale and retail activities, has reported that “two negative influences” affected its business in 2013: A one-off effect of €4.9 million and a drop in margins in its tyre business. Group turnover fell 3.6 per cent year-on-year to €509 million, with €358 million coming from its tyre and auto business. The company reported a net loss of €8.7 million; in 2012, it achieved a net profit of €0.6 million.
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