Alcoa and DCX Develop WorkHorse Wheel
Alcoa Wheel Products Europe, together with DaimlerChrysler, has developed a new wheel for the Axor construction vehicle. This new wheel does not have any hand holes and it has been developed to protect the Axor construction vehicle’s disc brakes from sand and gravel on the drive/front axle. The application is as an inner dual wheel on the construction vehicle drive or tag axle, single on the front axle. Available sizes: 22.5 x 8.25, 22.5 x 9.00 and 22.5 x 11.75 (inset 120mm), 32 mm bolt holes and a brushed finish.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Moves Up Fortune 500 List
(Akron/Tire Review) Not only were Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. sales up in 2005, the $19.7 billion in revenue earned the company a new place on the Fortune 500 list, when the tyre manufacturer moved up to the 112th spot on the annual list, up from 120th position last year.
Continue ReadingInterstate Tires Appoints Chinese Distributor
Interstate Tires has appointed a new distributor for its brand in China. During an official meeting last week, Theo de Vries (Vice President, Interstate Tires) and Mr. Yao (CEO, Tiger) agreed on a long-term co-operation, whereby Tiger will distribute Interstate tyres in China, both in its own retail stores as well as wholesaling throughout China. Said Theo de Vries: I am very pleased with our agreement with this new distributor in China. We have already built up our distribution in Malaysia and other Far Eastern countries, however China was still open. Now we have a close co-operation and a good, solid base in China. I am very confident that this professional distributor will contribute to the growing success of Interstate Tires. Interstate will provide commercial back-up with advertising, marketing and promotional support and the company also has hired a Chinese sales manager.
Continue ReadingPCL to Debut Safeflow at AirTech
UK-based PCL has added to its range of air distribution products with Safeflow, a new PCL profile safety coupling for compressed air applications, to be unveiled at AirTech, which is being held at the NEC, Birmingham, from 16th to 18th May. Taking PCLs industry-proven, quick-release Airflow coupling to the next level, Safeflow offers all of the features of its predecessor - including a robust, steel construction, ideal for engineering and workshop environments.
Continue ReadingBridgestone UK Adds to Training Team
Bridgestone UK has strengthened its training team by appointing Phil Thirsk (52) to the role of technical training manager, where he will work alongside fellow manager Paul Turner. Thirsk has more than 35 years’ experience in the tyre industry; having started his career in the 1970s as a tyre fitter at ATS, he spent 20 years working at Goodyear in a variety of roles, including service manager for mileage contracts, and spent four years based in Brussels, working at Bandag Incorporated.
Continue ReadingSnap-on Equipment Business Development Manager
Snap-on Equipment has appointed Alan Wood as Business Development Manager for its range of Hofmann and John Bean wheel service equipment. Mr. Wood has over 25 years experience in the tyre service industry having worked with companies, including Kwik-Fit, Supertracker & Beissbarth UK.
Continue ReadingNokian Tyres Renewed its Truck Tyre Range
In 2005 the production of all Nokian-branded truck tyres was transferred to the Bridgestone plant in Bilbao, Spain, which features top-notch production technology in the field. The tyre carcasses and moulds of the whole product portfolio have been redesigned. The new carcass clearly enhances driving properties and mileage, while the sturdy bead area makes the tyre sit well on the rim and improves driving qualities. In addition, the longer useful life of the tyre carcass and the strong rubber used in tread grooves clearly enhance retreading options, writes Nokian in a press release. All Nokian truck tyres feature rubber compounds suitable for Nordic conditions, which provide good grip on slippery roads and durability on rough road surfaces. The new Nokian NTR-861 and Nokian NTR-844 for trucks and buses round off the range and offer a safe and durable solution for year-round use. These winter-rated M+S tyres can be mounted on the vehicle all year round.
Continue ReadingMasked Gunmen Steal Truckloads of Tyres
(Akron/Tire Review) News reports from Ontario say that three masked men ambushed and stole two tractor-trailers loaded with tyres from a Bridgestone/Firestone warehouse in Mississauga, Ont. Local police are looking for witnesses in the robbery, which occurred in the wee hours of April 1. According to reports, a security guard at the facility was jumped by three armed men wearing masks. He was thrown to the ground and tied up, and the suspects drove off with the two trucks.
Continue ReadingJapanese Tyre Output Up in February
Tyre output in Japan rose 0.3 per cent year on year in February for the first time in three months, with domestic demand rising 0.5 per cent. Export volumes declined 5.2 per cent YoY in February (which fell for the first time in 20 months in January). Analysts attribute the decline to three main factors; firstly, unusual demand for studless tires, which they believe has led makers to divert output to domestic demand, and which they also believe has now run its course.
Continue ReadingJ K Industries Raises Prices
Indian manufacturer J K Industries has increased prices across all ranges of its four wheeler tyres by 2.2 per cent and hinted at a further hike in May, owing to rising input costs, particularly that of rubber. The gap between raw material cost and the product price has been about 7 per cent. Even after raising the price of tyres by 2.2 per cent we still have a gap, which we are looking at covering with another round of price hikes in May, said JK Industries Marketing Director, Kalyan Paul.
Continue ReadingHayes Lemmerz Amends Credit Facility
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. has announced that it has concluded an agreement with its lending group to amend its $625 million senior secured credit facility. Among other changes, the amendment favourably modifies certain financial covenants. This amendment provides Hayes Lemmerz with additional financial flexibility as we continue to rationalise our manufacturing footprint, implement cost reduction initiatives, and capitalize on growth opportunities within our core businesses and in select geographic regions. We appreciate our lending groups continuing support of our strategic direction and financial priorities, said Curtis Clawson, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Makes R&D Staff Changes
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced a series of personnel changes in its R&D group. Lyn Lovell, previously director of government compliance and product performance, was named director of global technology planning, a new position created to “increase the speed at which new products get to market, maintain technical leadership, and ensure alignment with business needs,” according to Goodyear.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Adds Tyre Buyer Package in China
(Akron/Tire Review) The Shanghai Daily reported last week that Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has launched a consumer tyre service plan in China, responding to a similar scheme unveiled by Groupe Michelin earlier in the week. Much like Michelin’s plan, Goodyear will offer Chinese tyre buyers a two-year package that includes 24-hour roadside assistance, flat tyre repair, towing and other services.
Continue ReadingMRF Plant for Sri Lanka
Indian company MRF Tyres is setting up a small plant in Sri Lanka for manufacturing rubber, a top MRF official said. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of launching V rated tyres for luxury cars, Mr Philip Eapen, Executive Director-Marketing said experimental production has already commenced at the new facility. However, he did not provide any details about investment in the plant.
Continue ReadingStapletons Appoint Marketing Manager
UK tyre wholesaler Stapletons has appointed a new marketing manager to spearhead the company’s next stage of development. Stephen Childs (32) joins the Letchworth-headquartered company, which is the UK’s leading supplier of passenger car tyres to the wholesale and dealership sectors and also has 48 thriving automotive retail centres in the UK.
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