American Racing Introduces Dominator Wheel
(Akron/Tire Review) American Racing Equipment Inc. has added the Dominator, a new all-terrain wheel, to its ATX series line. The new wheel, available in eight lug applications, features a five-spoke design, a “cavernous lip” and barbs on the spokes. It was designed to complement customized, lifted trucks, according to American Racing. The Dominator is available in 17x9, 18x9.5 and 20x10 sizes and comes in a diamond-cut finish, coated with Teflon or chrome.
Continue ReadingTIA Hires Director of Membership
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) announced the hiring of Megan Schwartzmeyer as director of membership. To meet the growing demands of the membership department, Ms Schwartzmeyer will focus on membership sales and services.
Continue ReadingCooper Net Sales up 16 per cent
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. announced that net sales set a new quarterly record of $597 million for the three months ending on Mar. 31, compared to $514 million in the same period of 2005. Cooper said its acquisition of Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Passenger Tire Co. Ltd. and Cooper Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Co., Ltd. increased sales by $48 million in the quarter, and higher prices, improved product mix, and higher unit sales volumes in North America and Europe added $39 million.
Continue ReadingRosava Counts on OE Orders From Volkswagen
Not all of the Soviet Union’s tyre manufacturers exhibited at Tires & Rubber Moscow in March. While Amtel and Sibur decided not to come, Niznekamshina, Belshina, Moscow Tyre Plant and Rosava (from the Ukraine) all booked floorpsace. Rosava, a closed joint-stock company which is listed but not traded on the stock exchange, belonged to Amtel until a year ago, then a Ukrainian investment bank called “Finance and Credit” took over. Before and after that change of ownership, the annual production was and is about 6.7 million tyres, explains Rosava’s deputy commercial director Roman Y. Rybachuk. This output includes some 6 million (radial only) passenger car tyres and 700,000 truck tyres. The manufacturer supplies about 50 per cent of the Ukrainian PC market, Mr Rybachuk continues. And about 20 per cent of the annual output (1.4 million units) is exported to Russia, and another 10 per cent to the other CIS states.
Continue ReadingToyo Named Official Tyre of New ‘Fast and Furious’ Movie
(Akron/Tire Review) Toyo Tire USA Corp. will provide the official tyre “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.” The blockbuster movie, “The Fast and The Furious,” and its sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” created a new awareness of the automotive aftermarket, according to Toyo.
Continue ReadingBrisa Aims to Establish Lassa Brand in Russia
One European tyre manufacturer that clearly is expanding at the moment is Brisa-Bridgestone Sabanci Tyre Manufacturing and Trading Inc. Since 2003 the Turkish joint venture company has invested about $174 million into the expansion of its local production capacities which will eventually increase by 55 per cent to more than 10 million units. In order to distribute this growing production capacity the Turkish tyre manufacturer is looking for new customers that should come from Russia, says Haldun Kuran. Right now there is no market for Brisa in Russia, the international sales director continues. But very soon the company will sell its first Lassa branded tyres on the Russian market through the “Pole Position” francise, which is linked with Bridgestone and operates about 100 point of sales.
Continue ReadingTires & Rubber Moscow Awaits its Jubilee
The fact that the Russian tyre market is among the most interesting in the world could not have failed to raise expectations about the Tires & Rubber Moscow exhibition, which took place for the ninth time in March. Although the organisers of the Russian tyre show reported a drop in the numbers of exhibitors and visitors, organisers Maxima are confident about the future and believe that the show is on track. The 10th anniversary exhibition will take place in Moscow’s Expocentr from 12-15 March 2007.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Philippines to Add 50 Dealers
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s Philippines business will add 50 more dealers and introduce new products in the region, according to the Philippine newspaper Manila Bulletin.
Continue ReadingBandag Sales Outlet Opens in Lithuania
Based at Vilnius, in Lithuania, Bandag Dealer Guminta UAB held an open house on 31st March to inaugurate its new sales outlet in the port city of Klaipeda, some 300 km to the west of the capital. The new premises enables the company to gain better penetration into the western regions of Lithuania, bringing tyre products and services much closer to a large proportion of the fleet customer base, while reducing delivery costs at the same time. The main event at the open house event was the signing of Guminta’s franchise agreement with Bandag for the next five years. Guests of honour at the signing were Mike Tirona, Vice President and General Manager, Bandag EMEA and the main shareholder of Guminta, Mr Valdemaras Zakarauskas.
Continue ReadingC-Tyres Scoops TAFF Environmental Award
The environmentally-friendly credentials of retreaded tyres have been given a major boost following the news that C-Tyres Ltd, one of the UK’s leading retread manufacturers, scooped the Environment Award at the prestigious TAFF (Tyre and Fast Fit) Awards, organised and presented by the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA). C-Tyres managing director Gary Oliver was presented with the award by Renault Vans National Fleet Sales Manager (LCV), Mark Lovett on 26th April at the NTDA’s Annual Dinner held at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel.
Continue ReadingKumho Asiana Unveils New Corporate Identity
Kumho Asiana Group has launched a new corporate identity to coincide with the celebration of its 60th anniversary. The Group’s new design was unveiled by its chairman, Sam-Koo Park, during a ceremony at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, Korea in the presence of the presidents of its associate companies and more than 300 directors and staff.
Continue ReadingATS Euromaster Launches Safe2Drive Scheme
ATS Euromaster has introduced an innovative “Safe2Drive” scheme for all employees who drive while at work. The move is designed to ensure 4,000 employees will have their driving skills individually assessed and, where necessary, improved to ensure they become more advanced and safer drivers technically, practically and behaviourally. Concerned at the risk of its employees being involved in road incidents while behind the wheel on business, ATS Euromaster recruited DriveTech (UK) Limited, a company that specialises in reducing occupational road risk and improving driving standards. DriveTech’s role is to define and deliver assessment and training to ensure ATS Euromaster employees can minimise the risk of collisions and other incidents happening.
Continue ReadingBFNAT Plans to Close Oklahoma City Plant
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) plans to close its single largest tyre plant by the end of this year. BFNAT has issued a required Notice of Potential Plant Closure with the United Steelworks (USW) regarding its Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, plant, and said that “global market forces have made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to restore the plant to a competitive position, even with significant new capital investment.”
Continue ReadingBridgestone Quarterly Profits up 4 per cent
Bridgestone Corp. reported first quarter 2006 sales of 704.7 billion yen, up 16.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2005, resulting in a 4 per cent bump in quarterly net profits to $239 million. The company said that strong global sales helped offset heavy increases in raw material costs. Bridgestone said its tyre sales in Japan rose 10 per cent for the quarter, while sales in the US increased 25 per cent, and sales in Europe increased 13 per cent. Sales elsewhere jumped 37 per cent, Bridgestone said.
Continue ReadingGus Gregory Named President of GEA
Gus Gregory, was appointed President of the Garage Equipment Association, (GEA), at the association’s AGM, which was held at the GEA offices in Daventry on 20 April 2006.
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