ATS Euromaster “Focuses on Cutting Fleet Running Costs”
While the latest European Truck Customer Survey suggests that vehicle uptime has overtaken fuel efficiency as the most pressing concern on the minds of fleet operators, ATS Euromaster has continued to view both aspects of fleet service with similar importance. Peter Fairlie, group sales director with the firm, suggests that ATSE has retained a focus on helping fleet managers to “cut their running costs” across the board, through such measures as tyre husbandry, an increase in emphasis on mobile repair units and “ramping up” its service offering to accommodate fleet vehicles’ longer deployment.
Continue ReadingMichelin Introduces Audio Brand
Michelin has developed a new “sound logo” as an integral part of its corporate identity. Designed in collaboration with Sixième Son, the 32-second sequence of musical notes is designed to support the brand’s “image, message and baseline.” It will now be deployed across all media platforms (television, radio, telephone hold systems, advertising campaigns and trade fair stands). The audio brand was unveiling in parallel with the 2010 Paris Motor Show as part of a project begun in 1998 to enhance the Michelin brand and its identity.
Continue ReadingMichelin Introduces New Bus Tyre Size, Exhibits Range at Bus Expo
Michelin will take to its stand (5/B 70) at the NEC, Birmingham-hosted Euro Bus Expo 2010 to introduce an additional X Energy Savergreen XZ tyre size to its growing range. The availability of a 315/80 R 22.5 X Energy Savergreen XZ tyre will enable a greater number of coach operators to fit Michelin’s rubber to vehicles in their fleet. Designed primarily for long distance journeys, the X Energy Savergreen range yields a seven per cent increase in grip when compared with the previous generation XDA2+ Energy tyres, and provide reduced rolling resistance and greater longevity, according to the manufacturer.
Continue ReadingStamford Tyres Confirms Automechanika Middle East 2011
Singapore based global tyre and wheel distributor Stamford Tyres has confirmed attendance for the next Automechanika Middle East in 2011. The exhibition, which takes place from 7 – 9 June at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre has added a range of product profiles to its Tyres section, which now has its own dedicated hall at the event. These include: Tyres (passenger, truck, bus, trailer); Tyres (OTR, Agricultural, Industrial/TBR); Rims, Tubes and Casings; Tyre Repair Material, Patches, Retreading Material and Equipment.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Dunlop ‘Fully Committed to…Health and Welfare’
Following the HSE announcement, Goodyear Dunlop issued its own response to the case. According to the statement, Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Limited is fully committed to “conducting operations in an incident-free workplace to safeguard the health and welfare of colleagues, contractors, neighbours and visitors across the country.” The company accepted the decision of the court and pointed out that it has already put “recommendations and learnings” in place following the HSE inquiry into the incident: “As part of our Global ‘No One Gets Hurt’ policy, we are driving behaviours through all areas of our business to ensure that our excellent safety record is not compromised again. We have learnt from this incident.” stated Martin Smith, Human Resources Director, UK and Ireland.
Continue ReadingHSE Fines Goodyear Dunlop After Employee Fractures Skull
Goodyear Dunlop representatives were in court on 1 November after a teenage employee fractured his skull whilst maintaining machinery at the firm’s Wolverhampton compounding and retread manufacturing factility. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that it prosecuted Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd after one of its maintenance team, Karl Illidge, struck his head at the firm's Stafford Road, Bushbury, Wolverhampton site. In July Goodyear Dunlop announced that it been awarded Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 certification, following an external audited by BSI.
Continue ReadingConti Predicts 25 billion euro Sales; 9% EBIT in FY10
The Continental Corporation is predicting it will achieve sales of more than 25 billion euros and an adjusted pre-tax profit margin (EBIT) of 9 per cent when it publishes full year financial results for 2010. The margin target had previously been 8 – 8.5 per cent. Continental released the projections in parallel with its third quarter results which show that the automotive supplier posted sales of 19.1 billion euros and an adjusted EBIT of 1.79 billion euros after three quarters, exceeding the pre-crisis level of the first three quarters of 2008. At 9.4 per cent, the nine-month adjusted EBIT margin also exceeded the comparable 2008 level.
Continue ReadingHiQ Promotes Goodyear EfficientGrip with Fuel Promo
The HiQ fast fit network is working in conjunction with Goodyear to present drivers who purchase an EfficientGrip tyre online will receive a £10 fuel voucher to be used at their nearest Sainsbury station. In addition, purchasers can receive £20, £30 and £40 if they kit their cars out with two, three or four EfficientGrip tyres online.
Continue ReadingWestlake Gains ‘Daily’ Exposure
Stoke-based Daily Tyres, a new mainland venture from Eamon Daly of Daly Tyres (Limerick), used the recent Brityrex show to publicise the enhanced availibility of the Westlake in the Midlands and North of England. The Westlake brand was featured on Eamon Daly’s rally racing car which was prominently on display in the main entrance to the tyre show.
Continue ReadingButt’s Debuts Suspension Tester
Garage Equipment Supply Specialist Butt’s of Bawtry gave its new suspension tester its UK debut at Brityrex. In addition the company showed its recently launched air operated coil spring compressor, its line of waste oil heaters and a new range of signage products when it appeared on stand 3 in Manchester).
Continue ReadingNexen Aiming to Produce 20 million Tyres in Qingdao by 2017
Nexen’s Qingdao, China tyre production plant, which started manufacturing tyres in 2008, will soon enter the black and could be producing as many as 20 million tyres a year by 2017. Korean tyre manufacturer Nexen Tire published the latest details in a recent internal newsletter emailed to staff and customers, where the factory’s management also gave details of Nexen’s plans for the plant. Based on a site one hour’s drive north of Qingdao Airport in Shandong Province, China, Nexen representatives describe their most modern plant to date (the firm broke ground on a further plant in Gyeongnam Province, South Korea on 24 June 2010) as the company’s “ambitious masterpiece.” With output currently reported to be 6 million truck, bus and car radials a year and bearing in the mind the fact that it already occupies a 530,000 square metre area with further expansion still to come, it is clearly a significant operation.
Continue ReadingSibur Planning to Leave Tyre Business
Sibur is planning to exit the tyre business “eventually,” in a move that would mark the end of the firm’s tyre subsidiary - Sibur-Russian Tyres - in its current form. Speaking to journalists at a recent press conference, Dmitry Konov, chair of the executive board and president of Sibur said he expects a significant degree of consolidation amongst the Russian tyre makers in the coming years. The company’s eventual aim is to dispose of the tyre production assets “at a profit,” he explained.
Continue ReadingTyreSafe Gets Behind Winter Tyre Cause
“Winter weather tyres offer considerable safety improvements for many months of the year when driving conditions are typically cold or damp,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe. It is a theme that has continued throughout the past month, and now the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation has added its own specially commissioned research to the mountain of evidence that suggests the use of correct seasonal tyres could help increase the safety of the country’s drivers in the winter.
Continue ReadingDealers Visit Taiwan with Federal Incentive Programme
Federal Tyres is rewarding its top-performing dealers with a tour package to Taiwan throughout the second quarter of this year. The tours give winners time to experience local customs and see the country’s best-loved tourist spots. The fully escorted tour features southern Taiwan’s fabulous ocean and mountain views and the picturesque landscapes of Kenting National Park and Kaohsiung City.
Continue ReadingNew Trademaster Scissor Lifts
Garage equipment specialists the Trade Group has launched a new range of Trademaster scissor lifts. These have been specially selected to provide a wide range of choices for Class IV, VII and V light MOT installations as well as general service work. They permit the most effective use of garage workshop floor area by allowing the minimum permissible overall bay width to be used.
Continue Reading