TGI – ‘Got to be There’
Following the opening of a 600,000 square foot warehouse in Miami, Florida-based wholesaling operation Tire Group International (TGI) is setting its sights on greater international business. TGI has expanded 750 per cent since its foundation in 1992. In addition to its Miami, Florida and Leon, Mexico warehousing space, the company maintains warehousing capacity in Laredo Texas and Hamburg, Germany.
Continue ReadingSharp Increase in Nankang’s Winter Sales Furthers Expansion
Following a strong 2005 winter season in some of Europe’s largest markets, Taiwanese manufacturer, Nankang has announced that it is extending is product range and broadening the distribution of the company’s Sonar second brand. Nankang’s Sonar brand was previously only sold in Taiwan. But when the company recently increased capacity to 10 million units per year, it began looking abroad for distribution opportunities for these tyres. For the same reasons, outside of Taiwan Nankang is only planning to bring Sonar into what it sees as major markets.
Continue ReadingMands International – Flexible and Dependable
Martin Sedlacek, managing director of Czech Republic tyre and wheel wholesaling company, Mands International s.r.o., began his career in the tyre industry in 1984 on the shop floor at Barum. Over the next years, with grim determination and a burning ambition to succeed, he improved his position and eventually entered into research and development. After the post communism elections Sedlacek was appointed assistant production manager and sent to study in the USA. Upon his return he was the assigned the role of commercial director with responsibility for all tyres sales in domestic, as well as traditional and new global export markets. In 1996 Sedlacek left Barum to form his own company, Mands International, but not before he had negotiated an arrangement with Barum whereby he could buy tyres from them to sell to new customers in Eastern Europe.
Continue ReadingKenda – ‘Essen is About the World’
When it came to expanding into Europe the UK market was the first stop on Kenda’s list. Now expansion is reportedly going well as the company spreads out into the rest of Europe. “We want to be careful to be successful from the very beginning,” said Kenda Rubber Industrial Co Ltd president, talking to Tyres & Accessories. And the German Reifen exhibition is a good place to do it – “The Essen show is about the world and not simply Germany,” Hongder Chang adds. Having just launched its new Kaiser high performance tyre, Kenda also introduced a new all-season and snow tyres for sale in “the northern territories.”
Continue ReadingBridgestone Answers Rav4 Run-Flat Questions
Many tyre retailers will have heard grumblings within in the trade about Bridgestone’s decision to refer owners of the new Toyota Rav4 to Toyota dealership for replacement of its BSR tyres. Tyres & Accessories asked Bridgestone if the company could allay fears that this move signalled a shift towards favouring car dealerships as a distribution channel.
Continue ReadingMichelin Initiates Prices Increases
Michelin has reported that it has begun raising prices for its truck and construction equipment tyres in Europe to help compensate for higher commodity costs, particularly natural rubber. The price increases, which average 3 per cent to 5 per cent, began in mid- June, said Anne-Sophie Creton, a spokeswoman quoted in the International Herald Tribune.
Continue ReadingMichelin: “Energy Tyres Best for Wear and Running Costs”
Michelin Energy tyres last longer and therefore cost less per mile, according to the French manufacturer. However independent French magazine Auto-Plus has now published comparison test results which Michelin says prove its assertions. The test results show that the Michelin Energy E3A tyres offered 20 per cent more life than the next best brand and 60 per cent more life than the most expensive tyre.
Continue ReadingJust Tyres Opens Another Branch
Just Tyres is to open a new branch in Leeds – their third of 2006. The company is pursuing a rapid expansion programme this year, and more openings are said to be planned for the near future. Geographically, the company has consolidated its presence in Surrey and Yorkshire, but it also branched out into Cambridgeshire in May and is due to open another depot in the county very soon.
Continue ReadingUSW Names BFGoodrich as “Target” for Master Contract Talks
The United Steelworkers (USW) have announced that BFGoodrich/Michelin has been selected as the target company for 2006 master contract negotiations in the US rubber and tyre industry. Representatives from USW bargaining committees engaged in contract talks with Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS), Goodyear and BFGoodrich/Michelin voted in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Continue ReadingB&J Rocket: Changing Times
Over the past two years since the last Reifen show, B&J Rocket, the buffing blade inventor, has developed from a well-known but slightly old-fashioned company, to a young, modern and highly productive manufacturer and sales company, according to general manager Andreas Müller.
Continue ReadingCitexpo Organisers Hope to Repeat the Reifen Success
Last December the organisers of the China International Tire Expo (Citexpo), staged a successful tyre show with record breaking figures in terms of visitors and exhibitors. According to the organisers, there’s a good chance that at the next Citiexpo (in Shanghai this September) this success will be repeated. Wilko Fong and Joe Ho from the organising company explain why: During the Reifen exhibition in Germany – the world’s biggest tyre exhibition – they actively contacted potential exhibitors and have introduced themselves to potential visitors with their own stand in Essen. You may think that the Reifen show in Germany is impressesive with 470 exhibitors and 17,000 visitors - Citexpo has already reached a third of this with last year’s show.
Continue ReadingBandengroothandel Mast: Heavy Tyres, Heavy Interest
This year’s Reifen show proved to be yet another successful international event for Netherlands based tyre wholesaler – Bandengroothandel Mast, who used the event to announce the company’s increasing specialisation in large harbour and quarry tyres. Directors, Wim and Sander Mast point out that Mast has been working with these large industrial tyres for specific port and quarry use for the past two years and it is the company’s firm intention to establish itself as a leading specialist in all sizes for harbour activities as well as the extreme sizes suitable for heavy mining use.
Continue ReadingHi-Q Invests in Training Centres
Hi-Q has invested “heavily” in the re-development of its three national training centres. The training facilities in Slough, Leeds and Dudley provide on-going professional training to employees based throughout the UK. Facilities over the three sites include e-learning zones, ramp areas, functioning tyre changing facilities and a fully equipped mock up reception area.
Continue ReadingNew Bandag Winter Tread
Until recently, Bandag’s winter traction product range featured five treads. However, changes in winter driving conditions in the north of Europe prompted Bandag to develop a new winter traction tread that would be perfectly suited to the emerging requirements in this region; the BDR-W. When Bandag was developing its new winter traction tread, it relied extensively on the expert advice of the best consultants in winter tyre technology: the end-users in the Nordic region who battle winter conditions for almost six months a year. In addition, research had highlighted a series of other needs and problems, which were also tackled in the development of the Bandag BDR-W.
Continue ReadingJK Industries MD Receives Doctorate
Mr Raghupati Singhania, vice chairman and managing director of JK Industries Limited has received an honorary doctorate in science at the seventeenth convocation of Mohanlal Sukhadia University at Udaipur by Her Excellency, Smt. Pratibha Patil, Governor of Rajasthan. The degree was conferred in recognition of Mr Singhania’s contributions towards encouraging education, training and research activities in Rubber and Allied industries in India.
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