Bandag Loses Biggest Fleet Contract to Goodyear
Eurofleet, Bandag’s pan-European fleet service, has lost its largest contract to Goodyear, according to informed sources. The news is a severe blow for the company as the account in question, a full service tyre contract with GE-TIP (General Electric Equipment Services – Transport International Pool), covered roughly 35,000 vehicles and accounted for 50 per cent of Eurofleet’s revenue. Now that Goodyear has taken over the contract, Tyres & Accessories has learnt that the company will mostly supply its retreaded products to all 69,000 of GE-TIP’s trailers. During the course of the new three-year deal Goodyear is expected to supply 40,000 new and retreaded tyres through its Truck Force network every year. While the majority of these will be hot-cure products, the company will also provide Goodyear and Dunlop new tyres as OE to the fleet’s new trailer purchases.
Continue ReadingTIA Sets DoD Privatization Meeting
(Akron/Tire Review) Following up on its announcement at the recent OTR Conference, TIA will host a Tire Privatization Industry Day on 9 March at the Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio. The meeting is in accordance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure statute, and the meeting will “discuss establishing a performance-based logistics approach for the supply chain management of tyres for the Department of Defense,” said TIA.
Continue ReadingCrypton Announces Moves Towards Expansion into Global Market
Crypton Technology Group has announced some internal restructuring plans designed to assist with its growth strategy in the global garage equipment market. Ian Garwood, who was recently promoted to sales manager of Traction Chargers, will now also be responsible for the Crypton, Dieseltune and Wheelforce brands in the US, South America and Canada. Geoff Cross in his role as Sales Development Manager will also widen his duties to include generating a European market entry and growth strategy in conjunction with the current Export team already in place at Crypton Technology Groups’ headquarters in Bridgwater in Somerset.
Continue ReadingContinental Appoints NZ Distributor
German tyre manufacturer Continental has appointed Tyres4U as its exclusive distributor in New Zealand. In announcing the appointment, Tim Sanders, Continental general manager Oceania said: “We are very pleased that Tyres4U has accepted our proposal to distribute the Conti and Barum range of tyres in New Zealand. We have a long relationship with the group and with Tyres4U NZ now distributing our passenger range it lines up perfectly with the Tyres4U Australian operation and the products they have been selling for over 30 years.”
Continue ReadingGSF’s Newcastle Branch to Open With ‘Bubbly’ Car Wash
GSF Car Parts has unveiled its new Newcastle-upon-Tyne branch, opened as part of the company’s 2006 expansion drive. The Newcastle branch opening is the second tier of the GSF Car Parts 2006 expansion programme, following on from the Canterbury opening, earlier this year. GSF Car Parts will officially celebrate the opening of Newcastles doors on Saturday, 25 March with bubbles galore - but not of the champagne variety. Instead, the team at GSF Newcastle have organised a dedicated charity ‘Bubbles’ car wash to raise funds for the Newcastle charity, The Bubble Foundation which supports the children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Newcastle-upon-Tyne General Hospital. The unit treats babies and children with immuno deficiencies by bone marrow transplantation.
Continue ReadingNew Look Supply Direct Catalogue
Supply Direct has just published a new catalogue and price list. The catalogue features a full range of two-post lifts, four-posts lifts, scissor lifts, compressors, wheel aligners, tyre changers, wheel balancers, MOT bays (including the new Automated Test Lane) and a full variety of other garage equipment. Details for every product include 3D CAD drawings with full dimensions, and complete specification tables for every piece of equipment.
Continue ReadingDunlop Supports Motorsport Engineers of the Future
Dunlop is working with young engineers to bring Formula racing car BMM02 into reality. The team consists of 20 postgraduate Automotive and Motorsport engineers from Brunel University West London, with the common goal of designing and manufacturing a formula-style racing car for the Formula Student Competition 2006.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Adverts Return to the TV
This week sees the return of Goodyear on TV for the second successive year in the UK. Once again the campaign focuses on Goodyear’s firsts in innovation - from the first tyre on the moon, up to the present day RunOnFlat concept - the TV campaign allows Goodyear to reach millions of UK households with a clear brand message, focused on a clearly defined target consumer.
Continue ReadingMichelin Euro Assist Makes 2 Hour Response Pledge
The Michelin Euro Assist service has enhanced its offer to commercial vehicle operators with a pledge to either get to the scene of the tyre-related breakdown in Europe in less than two hours, or reimburse the 70 euro service charge. This applies even if the repair technician arrives just one minute late. Michelin Euro Assist handles nearly 20,000 tyre-related commercial vehicle breakdowns a year across Europe. The support of its 3,200 tyre-repair specialists means the average vehicle off-road time was just two hours and six minutes in 2005. A satisfaction survey conducted last year also revealed that 90 per cent of Michelin Euro Assist customers would recommend the service to other haulage companies.
Continue ReadingFire at Cooper’s Melksham Plant
Cooper Tire & Rubber Europe suffered a minor fire over the weekend of 4 and 5 March. Five firefighters were taken to hospital as a precaution after the fire at the company’s Melksham production facility. Cooper’s Sarah McRoberts told Tyres & Accessories that the fire was successfully contained by the factory’s sprinkler system. Despite more than 35 firefighters attending there were no serious injuries and business is reported to have been unaffected. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Continue ReadingThorite’s New Diamond Compressors
Compressed air products and pneumatic systems supplier Thorite has announced the launch of new direct drive “Performance” portable compressors. The new machines augment Thorite’s own brand Diamond compressors and are instantly recognisable by their bright red, rather than dark blue air receivers.
Continue ReadingNizhnekamskshina Slows Production in January and February
During January and February of 2006 JSC “Nizhnekamskshina” says it produced 100,000 less tyres than planned. According to the company, the basic reason for the disruption was the high rubber price. The beginning of March has not proved to be much better for Russia’s largest domestic tyre producer. In Nizhnekamskshina’s words the situation “remains complex” due to short supplies of natural rubber.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Increases Prices
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is to increase its consumer, commercial vehicle and OTR tyre prices by 4 per cent. The increases will cover all brands and were reportedly caused by escalating raw material costs. The announcement takes effect from 1 April.
Continue ReadingDana Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
(Akron/Tire Review) Dana Corp and 40 of its subsidiary companies in the US filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 3 March. The move, long expected by auto industry analysts, does not include Dana’s operations in Europe, South America, Canada, Mexico or Asia. While under reorganisation, Dana secured $1.45 billion in debtor-in-possession financing to fund its continuing operations. The Toledo, Ohio-based firm employs 19,000 in the US and supplies axles, drive shafts, chassis and steering components, brakes and other components to a wide range of automakers, including troubled GM and Ford.
Continue ReadingMonro to Acquire ProCare Automotive Out of Bankruptcy
(Akron/Tire Review) Monro Muffler Brake Inc. plans to buy ProCare Automotive Service Solutions Inc., currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The $14 million cash deal gives Monro 82 additional retail locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Monro said it plans to operate the ProCare stores as either service or tyre stores, and plans to retain all of ProCare’s employees.
Continue Reading