Triangle takes westward steps
China-based Triangle Group Co. Ltd. may already be the world’s 15th largest tyre manufacturer, according to Tyres & Accessories’ latest global tyre manufacturer ranking, but it is clear that the company is intending to go far further than this. Rhetoric to this effect is not uncommon amongst Far Eastern businesses, but as is always the case, actions speak louder than words. With its latest appearance in Essen Triangle has begun fleshing out its plans to take the company from being a Chinese manufacturer with export sales to being a large international manufacturer with global reach.
Continue ReadingFalken Tire Corp to phase out Ohtsu truck tyres in USA
Falken Tire Corp., a unit of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., will phase out the Ohtsu brand name for commercial tyres in the US market, Tire Review reports. The company will re-introduce it to the market as an associate brand for its passenger and light truck tyre lines. US distribution of Ohtsu CV tyres, a fellow Sumitomo brand, was brought under the control of Falken Tire Corp. in 2009.
Continue ReadingDon’t use your name, Bob!
Australian tyre industry fixture Bob Jane has made headlines in his homeland again after violating a court order that forbad him from using his own name. On 19 June, the Federal Court of Australia found Jane in contempt of court for failing to comply with a November 2013 decision.
Continue ReadingLinglong sponsors Ugandan National Basketball
On 31 May Linglong Tire signed an two year sponsorship deal with the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA). The partnership, which will see financial and material assistance extended to Uganda’s national basketball team, is the first of its kind in the African Continent.
Continue ReadingBridgestone postpones Thailand plant start as mining slowdown continues
It appears declining demand has prompted Bridgestone to postpone the start of production at its OTR tyre factory in Thailand. Bloomberg reports comments to this effect made by chief executive officer Masaaki Tsuya on 15 June. Tsuya said a new production start date will be announced when demand for mining tyres returns – adding that this may take “some time”.
Continue ReadingCooper Tire dedicates relocated Asia Technical Center
The formal dedication for Cooper Tire Asia’s new technical centre facility took place on 12 June, the company reports. The Asia Technical Center (ATC) in Kunshan, China is located near the Cooper Kunshan Tire (CKT) plant some 30 miles/50 kilometres from Shanghai. The new, purpose-built facility replaces the ATC operation in Shanghai and will house 65 material scientists and tyre engineers. The ATC is one of four Cooper Tire & Rubber technical centres around the world, and focuses primarily on the design and development of passenger car and truck tyres for the Asian and Chinese markets.
Continue ReadingGiti to build $560 million US tyre plant
Fresh from entering into the top 10 of global tyre makers, Giti Tire has announced that it will build a new $560 million passenger car, SUV and light truck tyre tyre factory, creating about 1,700 new jobs in Chester County, South Carolina during the next decade.
Continue ReadingNexen appoints Seung-Do Jin as new European president
Nexen Tire has appointed Seung-Do Jin, a former Hankook Europe head, as president Nexen Tire Europe. Jin has years of professional experience and, according to the company, his team will be able to align the company in order to “meet all future challenges successfully”.
Continue ReadingCooper receiving NASA input on projects
Members of the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company technology team are gaining assistance with two projects – one focusing on development of a coating for tyre moulds and the other on RFID technology – from the boffins responsible for the US space programme. On 12 June, members of the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company technology team were part of a group that consulted with scientists and engineers from the NASA Glenn Research Center at a meeting at the University of Toledo, and the tyre maker says a second Cooper team will soon travel to NASA Glenn Research Center for a similar consultation with subject matter experts.
Continue ReadingYokohama signs new labour agreement with steelworkers union
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia, LLC (YTMV) has signed a new four-year contract with United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1023, according to Tetsuro “Tex” Murakami, president of YTMV, located in Salem, Virginia. “Both parties worked diligently to achieve a contract that is fair and equitable for all involved,” Murakami said, “and it highlights the positive working relationship between the two sides.”
Continue ReadingGeneva Motor Show announces 2015 dates
The 85th Geneva International Motor Show will run between 5 and 15 March 2015 at Palexpo, the exhibition’s organisers have announced. In parallel, the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (Zurich University of the Arts) has been mandated for the creation of the official poster/graphic for the 2015 edition of the show.
Continue ReadingNew R&D centre: Hankook breaks ground on ‘Technodome’
Groundbreaking took place yesterday on Hankook Tire’s new KRW 266 billion (£155.7 million) R&D centre in South Korea. When complete in 2016, the Daejeon-based Hankook Technodome will be the first of two new research and testing facilities the tyre maker plans to establish as the core instruments of its overall research and development infrastructure. The Hankook Technodome will serve as an incubator for innovative new technologies and eventually operate in tandem with a further facility that is scheduled to open in 2018, the Hankook Test Engineering Center in Sangju, South Korea. The Sangju site’s planned function is to act as a hub for tyre evaluation technologies, and it will be equipped with state-of-the-art tyre testing facilities.
Continue ReadingJohnson Controls opens new battery plant in China
Johnson Controls has expanded its presence in China with the opening of a new automotive battery manufacturing plant that will produce 6 million automotive batteries per year in the worlds largest new vehicle market, a market where 22 million new vehicles are produced annually. The company’s new 133,000 square metre facility in Chongqing City reflects an investment of US$154 million, and is expected to create more than 500 jobs when it reaches full capacity.
Continue ReadingMichelin intends to acquire Brazilian digital fleet management company
Michelin has announced its intention to acquire all outstanding shares of Sascar, the leading Brazilian digital fleet management and freight security company. Michelin said that the acquisition would help to strengthen its global truck fleet telematics business, calling it an important growth area.
Continue ReadingTrelleborg promotes radial benefits in Central America
In April, at Chinandega, Nicaragua, Trelleborg presented its radial range of premium agricultural tyres to several important producers in Central America. The event was organised by Emagro, Trelleborg’s distributor for Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala, and generated considerable interest and positive feedback.
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