Cooper Launches All-Season UHP Zeon
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has introduced its new Zeon Sport A/S, a w-rated all-season UHP. Featuring “a bold tread design” and “predictable handling and control in both dry and wet road conditions,” said Cooper, the Zeon Sport A/S will be available is a range of 40- to 55-series sizes, covering 16- through 18-inch wheel diameters.
Continue ReadingCooper Results Have Implications on Goodyear
Cooper’s recent 2005 results may have shown full-year losses, but they also show that the company’s inventories would have been $125.6 million (41 per cent) higher “had they used FIFO instead of LIFO.” The results have implications on the way other company’s results are interpreted. “As a result, we would expect a substantial earnings impact from raw material cost inflation in the quarters ahead,” Deutsche Bank analysts said referring to Goodyear.
Continue ReadingVredestein to Launch New Tyre and Logo
(Akron/Tire Review) Vredestein Tyres North America plans to introduce the new Ultrac Sessanta later this year, which the company says is its “newest trump card in the UHP segment.” Giugiaro Design has also created a restyled logo for Vredestein. “The design of the new logo is more streamlined and the lettering is more powerful,” the company said. “The new logo is more in line with Vredestein’s image and Vredestein’s quality products in the top sports segment.”
Continue ReadingContinental Shares Go Against Trend
Last week Continental shares reached a new high of 86.51 euros while the competitors Toyo (-7%), Yokohama (-6%) and Nokian (-5%) lost ground. Michelin, by comparison, has remained stable at around 50 euros. Goodyear started a downswing at the end of February from more than 15 euros to 11 euros and is in danger of falling below 10 euros in the near future.
Continue ReadingMatador Raises Truck Tyre Prices
Matador UK has announced a price increase averaging four per cent on its All Steel Truck Tyres, effective from 1st April 2006. The sizes affected are 17.5, 19.5, 20” and 22.5.
Continue ReadingBabcox Announces Partnership with Alta Communications
(Akron/Tire Review) Babcox Publications announces it has sold a majority position of the company to Alta Communications, a Boston-based private equity firm. Bill Babcox, current president of the company, retains a substantial ownership position and remains president and CEO, in addition to serving as chairman of the board.
Continue ReadingCanadian GCR Retread Plants Get Quality Standards Certification
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone Canada’s GCR Tire Centers has earned ISO 9001:2000 certifications for five of its six medium truck retread plants. The company’s retreading facilities in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia; Moncton, New Brunswick; Sudbury, Ontario; Paradise, Newfoundland; and Farnham, Quebec, achieved the requirements of the international quality management system. The sixth – located in Quebec City, Quebec – is expected to receive its certification later this year. We are proud of the dedication demonstrated by all of our plant personnel during the entire implementation process, said Marcel Leclair, the company’s business manager for retread operations. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers this added quality assurance.
Continue ReadingSURE to Get Fierce, But is Dropping Private Line
(Akron/Tire Review) SURE Tire has added Goodyear’s new Fierce brand of performance tire to its product portfolio. As a result, SURE said it will phase out its Essenza private brand. SURE members learned of the addition at the group’s recent shareholders meeting.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Hits 35 Million Mark in New Zealand
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone New Zealand is celebrating the production of the 35 millionth tire at its Christchurch, New Zealand, plant, which opened in 1947. Employing 300 people in a seven-day-a-week business, the factory contributes an estimated $23.8 million a year to Christchurchs economy, said John Staples, the general sales manager for Bridgestone New Zealand. The plant was originally built by the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. as one of eight manufacturing facilities the company then had outside of the U.S. The factory now has the capacity to produce 5,000 tires a day, and exports 40% of its output, Staples said. Our relationship with all the communities we are part of is very important to us, and the Christchurch community in particular with the presence of our factory, Staples said.
Continue ReadingSEMA Show Locale To Get $737 Million Renovation
(Akron/Tire Review) Expect to see more than a few hard hats around the Las Vegas Convention Center at the 2006 SEMA Show. The convention center is undergoing a $737 million renovation, with work slated to start in late 2006 and continue through 2010. The four-year project will add meeting rooms for the center’s South Hall exhibition space – home to the SEMA Show – a new front lobby connecting the North, Central and South Halls, a general renovation to the facility, and construction of a 100,000-square-foot general session space. Las Vegas officials said the improvements should make it easier for show attendees to navigate the huge facility, and SEMA officials said the additions will make it possible to add events to the annual trade conference and show.
Continue ReadingContinental is Eying Some Delphi Units
(Akron/Tire Review) News reports say that Continental AG is looking to purchase portions of struggling Delphi Corp.’s non-U.S. businesses. Continental CEO Manfred Wennemer confirmed the talks at the Geneva Motor Show. “We wouldnt want any UAW (United Autoworker) factories,” said Wennemer in an interview at the auto show. “There are a lot of other opportunities – Asia, Europe – where wed be interested in buying. It all depends on whats available.”
Continue ReadingQuickSilver “Titanium” Exhaust for Lotus Elise 111R/Exige 2
QuickSilver has produced a new Titanium exhaust system for the Lotus Elise 111R/Exige 2, some 60 per cent lighter than the stock model.
Continue ReadingExplorer Replacement Tyres Do Not Prevent Roll Over
An article in the Akron Beacon Journal says that tests show that the replacement tyres chosen by Ford to replace the Firestone tyres fitted as original equipment on the Explorer SUV made it just as likely to roll over as the original tyres.
Continue ReadingPirelli Receives Fourth Consecutive Safety Award
In the US, Pirelli has received the top safety award from the Rubber Manufacturers Association for the fourth year in a row, for achieving significant improvements in worker health and safety over the past year. The Safety and Health Improvement Program (SHIP) award was presented to Pirelli at the RMAs annual meeting.
Continue ReadingStrong Pirelli Presence at Geneva
Pirellis reputation as a supplier of high performance tyres for some of the worlds most glamorous cars was enhanced by a number of prestigious fitments at the 76th Geneva International Motor Show.
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