Reifen Essen Review
Anyone who visited the Essen Reifen Messe will know that walking around all of the world’s largest dedicated tyre exhibition requires marathon-esque stamina. Despite this, next month Tyres & Accessories will report on all the breaking news from the show. From the recent influx of new Chinese companies, to Cooper and Marangoni’s decision to launch their passenger car run-flat technology, we hope to bring you all the information you need if you didn’t attend, and more detail if you did. Look out the comprehensive exhibition review in July’s Tyres & Accessories.
Continue ReadingDiesel Driven Audi Takes Le Mans on Michelin Tyres
Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner scored a victory in the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours in front of 235,000 spectators. Audi has effectively succeeded in its bold bid to win the worlds most demanding endurance race with diesel technology. And Michelin rose to the challenge to join its partner on the top of the podium, its ninth consecutive victory at Le Mans. The French tyre firm was also successful in the LMGT1 category with Chevrolet Corvette and in LMP2 with the RML-run Lola. Pirelli also came away with honours after the LNT British team, Panoz Esperante, won the LMGT2 category. Pirelli took the LMGT2 title with Yokohama-equipped teams following in second and fifth places in the same category.
Continue ReadingOld Timer
Resisting to the urge to make any kind of joke about T&A celebrating its 60th anniversary, next month’s magazine will feature the latest developments in the specialist vintage tyres segment. July’s edition will report on the latest product releases and take an inside look at what’s going on with some of this niche market’s key players.
Continue ReadingEdouard Michelin In Memoriam
International readers can download Tyres & Accessories publisher, Klaus Haddenbrock’s, personal tribute to the late Edouard Michelin, in French, English and German. Mr Michelin, who tragically died on 26 May, was greatly respected within the tyre industry and will be sadly missed by anyone who knew him. Edouard Michelin is survived by his wife, six children and his father Francois Michelin. English obituary. French translation. German translation.
Continue ReadingAmtel-Vredestein Wins Rus Prix Award
Amtel-Vredestein N.V. has won the 2006 “Rus Prix Award” in the category Best investment project in The Netherlands by a Russian Company. The Award ceremony was staged in The Hague, 10 June.
Continue ReadingBrazil Files Submission In Retread Case
Brazil has defended its import ban on retreaded tyres on health and environment-related grounds, in its first written submission to the WTO regarding a dispute with the EU, the ICTSD has reported. In November 2005, the EU formally challenged the WTO consistency of Brazils import ban on retreaded tyres, as well as related fines targeting the importation and subsequent marketing, transportation and storage of such tyres. Furthermore, the EU targeted Brazils exemption of some countries -- Mercosur partners Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay -- from these measures, arguing that it violated WTO rules.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Faces Federal Discrimination Suit, Says Report
(Akron/Tire Review) The Associated Press has reported that the US Labor Department has filed a hiring discrimination suit against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The suit alleges the tyremaker discriminated against female applicants for jobs at its Danville, Virginia, tyre plant in the 1990s.
Continue ReadingToyo Reports Record 11% Sales Increase
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd has reported record annual net sales of 300.2 billion yen (£1.412 billion, 2.75 billion euros), an 11.2 per cent increase on 2005. Operating income for the 2005 financial year also grew, totalling 13.094 billion yen (£61.627 million, 90.5 million euros) up 8.5 per cent year-on-year. However this total was short of the company’s target of 13.6 billion yen. During the period, Toyo’s net income fell 22.1 per cent to 5.378 billion (£25.313 million, 37.2 million euros). Toyo’s results presentation explain that the fall in its various income totals was largely impacted by the rise in raw material costs that is effecting all manufacturers.
Continue ReadingTwo Service Centre Staff Injured in Tyre Accident
Two workers were injured when a tyre exploded at the Durranhill Industrial Estate in Carlisle, Carlisle News and Star has reported. The health and safety executive is said to be investigating the accident. The two workers were reportedly the only people on the premises when the accident happened. The manager of Hewden Hire Centre declined to comment to local news reporters. According to the News & Star there is also a Hi-Q/Motorway service centre on the industrial estate.
Continue ReadingAlcoa Raises Forged CV Wheel Prices
Alcoa Wheel Products Europe is to raise its forged CV aluminium wheels prices between 8 and 12 per cent, depending on the product specification. New prices will be implemented for all shipments after 31 July 2006.
Continue ReadingBandag Announces Cost Cutting Programme
Bandag, Incorporated announced that it has closed its pension plans to new hires in the U S and Canada, and will freeze the existing pension plans for US employees and for salaried Canadian employees effective 31 December 2006. The cost-cutting programme includes an early retirement programme and voluntary and involuntary redundancies for some US employees.
Continue ReadingThree Decades of Processing Experience
Eldan Recycling A/S Denmark has been recognised as a leading supplier of Tyre Recycling Plant and Equipment for over 30 years. The company first manufactured a Rasper model 800 in 1970 to process car tyres into 20 mm chips to feed into a boiler to heat a commercial Greenhouse in Denmark. Since that time the company has expanded from a small family run business into a large manufacturing company employing over 100 people, however, it has still managed to retain the personal touch often lacking with larger companies.
Continue ReadingBrand Overhaulin’
The biggest news from Cooper’s Reifen Essen stand was the US-based company’s decision to launch run-flat technology into the European market. At the same time Cooper’s large open-plan stand showed that the company is continuing to invest in raising its profile by modernising its brand image. Tyres & Accessories met with Cooper president, chairman and CEO, Tom Dattilo and found out more about how the brand re-launch is going and what the strategy behind the company’s run-flat launch is.
Continue ReadingSmarTire Q3 Revenue Reaches $1.2 million
SmarTire Systems Inc has announced that revenue for the third quarter of fiscal year 2006 increased 262 per cent to $1,195,136 from $330,406 in the third quarter of fiscal year 2005. The company said FQ3 sales represented a 42 per cent gain over the second fiscal quarter of this year. For the nine months ended 30 April 2006, SmarTires sales increased 157 per cent to $2,627,617 from $1,022,484 for the nine months ended April 30, 2005.
Continue ReadingPirelli Announces IPO Date, Sells Inter Milan Shares
The Board of Directors of Pirelli & C. S.p.A has announced it will begin its initial public offering for Pirelli Tyre S.p.A on 21 June. Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. gained Borsa Italiana approval for the listing on 12 June 2006. Banca Caboto, Capitalia, Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan Securities, Mediobanca, Merrill Lynch International and Morgan Stanley, will act as Global Coordinators for the Global Offering.
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