Goodway’s Simplex Programme Makes Waves
(India/Rubber Asia) Simplex is a new and exciting franchise programme for overseas investors to get a head start in the profitable and challenging tyre retreading business. It comes from the stable of Goodway Rubber Industries Sdn Bhd (“Goodway”) which claims to be a market leader and one of the fastest growing rubber technology and rubber compound providers in the world.
Continue ReadingThe Tire Society Publishes Journal Online
The Tire Society has released an online version of its quarterly journal, Tire Science and Technology. The online journal reportedly includes the world’s largest collection of critically reviewed literature on tyre science and technology; fully searchable journal index, including title, authors, keywords, abstract, and other bibliographic details.
Continue ReadingChinese Mould Maker Grows in Influence
Xiamen-based Shengjeng Machinery Co, Ltd was founded in 2000. Since then, the rubber mould manufacturer’s customer base has swollen to include well-known companies such as Chengshin (the maker of Maxxis tyres). The company employs more than 150 people and reportedly turns over $1,000,000 each year. 40 per cent of the moulds they produce are for export.
Continue ReadingJax and Quick Fit Merge
(Brisbane/Australian Tyre Dealer) Two of the best-known names in Australian tyre retailing and associated services have joined forces to become a major power in the business. JAX Tyres was established in 1949 and Quick Fit Tyre Service in 1995, both proudly Australian owned. Combined, they have a current annual turnover of around $100 million.
Continue Reading“NR Price Rise has Cost Indian Tyre Industry 8.8 billion Rupees a Year”
(India/Rubber Asia) With annual consumption by the Indian tyre industry of over 400,000 tonnes of natural rubber (NR), “a price increase of just 1 a kilogram, imposes an annual financial burden of over 400 million rupees on us,” says Paras K Chowdhary, CMD of Ceat Tyres and chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) of India. The average price of NR has gone up from 39.17 rupees/kilo in 2002-03 to 63 rupees in 2005-06 (October) — an increase of 23 a kilo in about three years. This translates into about 8,800 million rupees annual financial burden on the Indian tyre makers, he said. (1$ = about 44 rupees).
Continue ReadingHayes Lemmerz Increases Ownership in Turkish Joint Venture
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc today announced that it has increased its ownership stake in its Turkish aluminium wheel joint venture, Jantas Aluminyum Jant Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (aka Jantas Aluminum Wheels), to 60 per cent.
Continue ReadingMichelin Announces a Series of Price Hikes
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) announced that it is increasing prices on a variety of tyre lines. MNA is raising prices on all of its Michelin, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal and private and associate brand replacement passenger car and light truck tyres by up to 8 per cent. That increase will take effective in the US as of 1 February 2006 and in Canada as of 1 March 2006.
Continue ReadingContinental AG Appoints Uniroyal Distributor in Australia
(Brisbane/Australian Tyre Dealer) Continental Corporation, one of the world’s leading automotive industry suppliers and the largest tyre manufacturer in Germany, has appointed Hamilton Tyre & Rubber Company Pty Ltd as the Uniroyal tyre distributor for Australia effective immediately.
Continue ReadingTyre Products Named in Construction Equipment’s Top 100
Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin products all feature in Construction Equipment magazine’s ranking of 100 new construction related products. Goodyear’s DuraSeal commercial tyre technology was named editor’s choice in the ranking’s ancillary products division. Rod Sutton, editor in chief at the magazine, said editors considered about 700 product introductions before picking DuraSeal technology for the award.
Continue Readinge-tailer: Longer Service Intervals Can Lead to Safety Issues
Motorists are reportedly spending less time in garages than they have before because of longer periods between services. This could all mean dangerous tyres are not getting spotted. Online tyre retailer, Rubberball.co.uk, has warned service routines are now stretching to 20,000 miles or longer, tyres are not being checked for as much as 10 years.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Renews PR Contract for Sixth Year
Bridgestone UK has renewed its contract with PR specialists Nexnet for the sixth consecutive year. The Leeds-based agency has been retained by the tyre company to continue handling all its UK corporate, business-to-business and consumer PR throughout 2006.
Continue ReadingSmarTire Modifies Manufacturing Agreements
SmarTire Systems Inc has expanded its manufacturing agreement with Vansco Electronics LP. Under the agreement, Vansco will manufacture key subsystems for SmarTire’s wireless gateway family of products. SmarTire also announced the termination of its contract manufacturing agreement with Hyundai Autonet Company, Ltd (“HACO”) in Korea, which was terminated as a result of HACO’s acquisition by Hyundai.
Continue ReadingExpansion for Swedish Retreader
Swedish company Hedbergs has been in the tyre business for over 50 years and started retreading tyres as early as 1958. In 2001 the company decided to switch to the Bandag retreading process. Demand for Bandag retreads grew rapidly from the outset, propelling production at the Hedbergs shop to maximum capacity in just three and a half years. One of the reasons for this was the opening of the Öresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö, in 2000.
Continue ReadingContinental CEO Says US, Asia Acquisitions Possible
Continental AG CEO Manfred Wennemer has said he could well imagine the company making acquisitions in the US and Asia in the future. In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Wennemer also said there are plans to strengthen the tyre-making business in China.
Continue ReadingCooper Names New Product Design Manager
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co has named P Glenn Arbaugh as its new manager of product design. He will be responsible for managing the company’s product design group and support the marketing, product development and mould operations groups.
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