Fire Damages Historic Goodyear Airdock
(Akron/Tire Review) A flash fire apparently started by welding work caused a fire that damaged the historic Goodyear Airdock in Akron earlier today. No one was injured, and Akron firefighters were reportedly able to bring the fire under control. The two-alarm fire reportedly started at around 11:00am yesterday morning, and smoke and flames were seen rising out of the huge facility, now owned by Lockheed Martin Aerospace.
Continue ReadingYokohama Dedicates New Columbus DC
(Akron/Tire Review) With Ohio Governor Bob Taft on hand, Yokohama Tire Corp. dedicated its new 650,000-square-foot distribution center in Groveport, Ohio, near Columbus, yesterday. The new facility, Yokohama’s fourth distribution center in the US, will be fully operational in July and can hold some 1.2 million passenger and light truck/SUV tyres. The warehouse, which was finished to Yokohama’s specifications and is being leased, will service tyre dealers and other customers in the northeast.
Continue ReadingDunlop Looks to Podcasting to Reach Enthusiasts
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear’s Dunlop brand group is looking to leverage podcasting to enhance brand image, awareness and, hopefully, sales. Dunlops free podcasts – available on Apples iTunes site, podcastalley.com and Yahoo! Podcasts – will feature information about Dunlop’s new Signature tyre line, drifting, information about upcoming retail promotions, and reports from the Dunlop Drivers Cups World Finals.
Continue ReadingYokohama Rubber More than Double Vietnam Tyre Capacity
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that it will increase its bias tyre production capacity for motorcycles and light trucks in Vietnam by 2.5 times. For this, the company will begin constructing a new tyre plant in June of this year production set to start in June 2007. Yokohama Rubber plans to invest a total of 1 billion yen (7 million euros) in this construction programme.
Continue ReadingUS Old Tyres to Oil Programme Goes Ahead
(Akron/Tire Review) A group of investors led by a North Dakota man is moving ahead with plans to turn old tyres into oil. Ervin Lee of Minot, North Dakota, and his group of investors, including his brothers and Ron Nichols, the inventor of the oil-from-tyres process, bought a 9,000-ton pile of tyres from Moorheads former Tire Depot earlier this year.
Continue ReadingIn-depth Discussions at Intelligent Tire Technology Congress
Last year’s inaugural IQPC international congress on Intelligent Tire Technology has proved what today’s hot tyre industry topics are. Extended mobility concepts and tyre pressure monitoring systems promise to increase safety tremendously. But customers’ acceptance and satisfaction highly depends on adequate aftermarket supply. Other challenges for the tyre industry constitute the trend towards the intelligent tyres as well as the European Commission’s intention to ban highly aromatic oils as an ingredient of tyre rubber. Top-level speakers from leading OEMs, tyre manufacturers, suppliers and research centres such as Fiat, Michelin, Siemens VDO, Beru, Nira Dynamics, TSS International, Rema Tip Top and IKA, BMW and many more have confirmed that they will report about their first-hand experiences and results. The next congress will run from the 20 – 22 September 2006. Further information is available from www.iqpc.de/de-2526.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Extends Contract with Vagverket Produktion
Bridgestone Sweden is to supply tyre services to Vagverket Produktion (a company within the Swedish Road Association). The three year contract will see the company provide a complete range of tyre services for vehicles including passenger cars, trucks and OTR vehicles. The contract will be managed through the national Truck Point service network.
Continue ReadingToyo Tires to Launch Updated Corporate Identity
Toyo Tires will use the forthcoming Reifen 2006 show in Essen to launch the most recent version of its “Toyo Tires” identifier. The company name is now also accompanied by a new strapline indicative of the high performance market the company continues to target. “Pleasure comes with performance,” according to the new corporate identity. Using the same stylised block print font as before, again printed in white, the new logo is set immediately on top of textured blue colour and a deep black background.
Continue ReadingKumho Breaks Ground for Third China Plant
(Akron/Tire Review) Kumho Tire Co. has broken ground for its third plant in China, a $150 million facility to be located in Changchun in the northeast. Once operational in 2007, the plant will have an annual capacity of 3.15 million tyres. “We aim to become a leader in the Chinese market as well as one of the worlds top five tyremakers,” said Kumho Asiana Group chairman Park Sam-koo at the groundbreaking ceremony in Changchun.
Continue ReadingApollo Tyres Launches Retread Range
Apollo Tyres has launched a new range of DuraTread retreading materials for commercial vehicles in Southern India. The range, which Apollo says shows it is a step closer to being a complete tyre solution provider, will be produced at Apollo’s Kalamassery plant near Cochin. DuraTreads will subsequently be available across the country by leveraging Apollo’s operations network.
Continue ReadingThe (Land’s) End is Near for RunOnFlat Rally
After 1674 miles and 10 days, and a detour to the Blue Peter studios, extreme charity fundraiser Lloyd Scott is set to become the first person to successfully drive from John OGroats to Lands End in a car running on flat tyres. The marathon drive for Goodyears RunOnFlat Rally included special sections on notorious roads, attempted on four completely deflated tyres. Pulling into Aire Point, near Lands End today, extreme charity fundraiser Lloyd, has drawn gasps and laughter from on-lookers with his special driving suit, a mixture of Mr Toad from Wind in the Willows fame and the notorious Dick Dastardly character from iconic cartoon Wacky Racers.
Continue ReadingHigh-tech Use for Old Tyres
The company that brought us the Solio solar power iPod Charger has now turner its hands to tyres. Tread is a new line of digital accessories cases that are handcrafted handcrafted from discarded Columbian truck tyres and redesigned into fashionable rubber iPod and Solio cases. There is also a sleeve available for a Powerbook G4 or MacBook Pro. No-one knows why the company chose to source their tyres from Colombia, but the technology is citing the case’s water-stopping capabilities and overall durability as a strong selling points.
Continue ReadingATSE Names Cumbrian Mum as Porsche Cayenne Winner
Cumbrian mother Carol Adams picked up the keys to her gleaming new Porsche Cayenne courtesy of ATS Euromaster and declared: “It’s too good to be true!” ATS Euromaster and Michelin presented the dream Porsche to 46-year-old Carol Adams as a prize to encourage customers to take part in a major safety drive. Free to enter, drivers who called into participating ATS Euromaster service centres were encouraged to have their cars inspected for the winter ahead by technicians trained to undertake ATS Euromaster’s free 10-point vehicle check.
Continue Reading4500 Visit Aftermarket Show
New figures released by The Aftermarket Show event organisers, Haymarket Exhibitions, show that more than 4500 aftermarket trade visitors attended the event in January of this year. In 2006, The Aftermarket Show was monitored closely and this research has brought about a number of changes to the event in 2007, one of which is the new trade two-day exhibitor package.
Continue ReadingEuropean Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Form New Association
European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers have held the first meeting of the newly formed European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association or ETRMA. The new association will replace BLIC (Bureau de Liaison des Industries du Caoutchouc). Francesco Gori of Pirelli was elected as president, and Groupe Michelin’s Eric de CromiÈres Michelin was named vice president. Fazilet Cinaralp was appointed secretary general.
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