ArvinMeritor European Director
Thierry Leblanc (41) is joining the ArvinMeritor group as European Sales and Marketing Director for the Light Vehicle Aftermarket division (shock absorbers, exhaust systems, catalytic converters and filters). Mr Leblanc joins from Valeo Windscreen Washing Systems where he was Aftermarket Director. He succeeds Fabrice Rosi, who remains a consultant at sales and marketing level to the ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket division.
Continue ReadingLoss In Market Share Not Without A Fight
The management of Bridgestone/Firestone USA has made it very clear that it will do everything in its power to revitalise the Firestone brand and losses in market share will not be accepted without a fight. It is expected that the company will embark on one of the biggest advertising and marketing campaigns in the groups history.
Continue ReadingWhich? Report On Fast-Fits – What Do You Think?
In a report in its magazine Which? the Consumers Association criticises UK fast-fits, accusing them of recommending unnecessary work on customers vehicles. What do you think? Is such criticism justified? Is dishonesty rife in the fast-fit trade? Or is Which? overstating the problem? Whatever your connection with the tyre trade, or if you are a customer, we welcome your opinions and ideas. Read our article (PDF file, size: 44.5 kbytes, Adobe Acrobat Reader required) first and e-mail us your comments – this is a matter which has profound implications for the image of fast-fits and this is your chance to have your say.
Continue ReadingThree-Year Racing Tyre Agreement Between Michelin And Porsche
Michelin and the Motorsport Division of the Porsche Club Great Britain have signed an agreement whereby Michelin will supply all tyres for the Porsche Cup and the Porsche Classic motor racing championships for the next three seasons. Cup competitors will use slick and wet racing tyres, while Classic racers will use specially-developed, road-legal Pilot Sport Cup race tyres.
Continue ReadingNew Engagement In Agricultural Tyres By Continental Group
Over the last 20 years, agricultural tyre business has not been very important for the Continental group, and at times, the whole segment was in question. Later they got over this with off-take-agreements, when Eastern European companies were allowed to produce tyres with the logo of the prancing horse, in order to maintain market representation. Has this all gone by now? It seems so, because since they have been producing agricultural tyres in Otrokovices new plant where some new machines have been installed, price and quality go together again, hence Werner Flebbes (55) managers in Hanover feel to be able to cope with the world-wide competition. However, Otrokovice is just a production site from where the agricultural tyre section can order, but it is an important one. Today, Continental certainly is the groups first choice, offering the widest assortment and being distributed most efficiently. But already, the Barum brand, with its impressive variety, is being called a volume brand, and incidentally, in the radial tractor tyres segment, including the 75 series, it bears a remarkable resemblance to the Continental Contact. While Conti tyres are being sold throughout the whole trade, it was Flebbes idea to distribute Barum tyres in Germany only through some core dealers. Six big dealers (Wennekamp, Vergölst, Ihle/Günzburg, Schwarz, Semex and Brock/Weilerswist) have been given the exclusive right to promote Barum tyres, which means that they can sell to both trade and consumer. However, Hanover went a step further: The Uniroyal brand, which could have been placed very easily on the German market, has been offered exclusively. In an interview Thorsten Bublitz, responsible for marketing and sales of Conti’s agricultural tyres, assured, that by now Meyer Lissendorf has nearly all important sizes available, and it is planned to offer the complete range, with 68 sizes altogether, in September.
Continue ReadingSouth African Tyre Industry Tackles Scrap Tyre Problem
In South Africa, the tyre industry has established a non-profit-making company, SA Tyre Recycling Process, to collect scrap tyres. This scrap will be made available to organisations for recycling and tyre-derived fuel. Etienne Human, the SA Tyre Manufacturers Conference director, said that the project would reduce the countrys growing scrap tyre problem and benefit the environment. The new company will deal only with new scrap arisings and the industry is looking towards international organisations to fund the removal of existing stockpiles of scrap tyres.
Continue ReadingConcorde Tyres From Michelin
Group Michelin has developed a new radial aircraft tyre. Designed to be more damage resistant than existing aircraft tyres, testing will take place on an Air France Concorde in the next few weeks.
Continue ReadingThe Development Of Internationalisation – Kraiburg 2010
In the retreading business the name of Gummiwerk Kraiburg Austria, located in Geretsberg, is well known as one of the leading material suppliers for hot and cold retreading, as well as for supplying complete retreading equipment. In two further plants (Waldkraiburg and Tittmoning) a huge number of technical compounds for the automotive industry, compounds made from thermoplastic elastomers and recycling products are being manufactured. Since the middle of 1998 a fundamental restructuring process has been initiated. Under the name Kraiburg 2010, a new group structure that will prepare the company for the new challenges of the market in the 21st century, was introduced to the public a year ago. The strategic programme included investments of more than 15 million US-dollars in the tyre retreading materials sector. Direction and presentation of the company will undergo a complete revision. Internationalisation, the entering of new markets, was one of the key words of the programme. Reason enough to ask what has happened at Kraiburg the last twelve months: the company has established two new distribution organisations in Spain and Turkey. Furthermore, the European distribution structure has been divided into profit centres. With the profit centre south a new organisational entity has been created that is responsible for the markets in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovenia.
Continue ReadingAbout Turn For Bridgestone/Firestone As It Re-hires Workers
There are reports that, in the USA, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. will be re-engaging 330 of the 700 workers who the company laid off recently from its Oklahoma City factory. The plant manufactures passenger car tyres and the latest move is in response to a need to increase output because of rising sales.
Continue Reading20 Inch Goodyears on 2002 Dodge
Dodge has launched its first 20-inch wheel package on the 2002 Dodge Ram. The Sport-truck models feature 20-inch Eagle touring performance tyres and 20-inch Wrangler light truck tyres. Goodyears Doug Calaman said the firms engineers had worked closely with Dodge to develop the Eagle LS P275/55R20 touring tyres for the 4x2 truck – P275/60R20 are featured on the 4x4 truck. The 20-inch wheels allow the Dodge trucks to offer the largest-in-class braking system.
Continue ReadingGoodyear And The Dunlop Acquisition
A comprehensive article in TYRES & ACCESSORIES (We were hoping for architects, but so far we have only seen cost-cutters) commented critically on the Goodyear acquisition of both the Dunlop activities in Europe and North America and the joint venture with Sumitomo in Japan, with all their particular opportunities and consequences. While Goodyears CEO Sam Gibara accepted that the facts had been reported correctly, he did not agree with much of the analysis. At the Goodyear head office in Akron, Ohio around Easter time, he gave a detailed and exclusive interview, in which he explained the reasons for, and the background to, the acquisition and the joint venture. Furthermore, Gibara was forthcoming about why cooperation with Dunlop is so important that he is even willing to accept a temporary interference in the balance sheet.
Continue ReadingTyre Hearing Claims Disputed By Goodyear
Goodyear has disputed data cited at the congressional hearing into the Ford/Firestone dispute. The company claims to have submitted its own safety data and is questioning the committees interpretation of the data they have already received. According to Goodyear the Ford data of damage claims of five parts per million is based on a Ford standard and that a damage claim does not reflect a defect. Goodyear added that the use of relevant data and comparisons by the committee will remedy any consumer confusion of fears.
Continue ReadingSmuggled Tyres Hurt Ethiopian Economy
Tyres smuggled into Ethiopia through the port of Djibouti cost the Government 64 m. Birr (8.8 m Euro) in lost import duty every year. The illegal trade has affected the Addis tyre factory, which has cut production and laid off workers. Losses incurred by the factory and importers are estimated at 196 m Birr (26.98 m Euro). The problem is a serious one: Berhanu Mewa, President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce, warned that failure to control the smuggling would cripple the countrys economy.
Continue ReadingNew presidents For Goodyear Chemical And Engineered Products
Tim Toppen, former president of Goodyear Chemical, has been named as president, Goodyear Engineered Products. This follows the sudden death of Tave Mallamaci, president of GEP since August last year. Toppen has been with Goodyear since 1978. His replacement as president of Goodyear Chemical is Jonathan Rich, who was director of chemical R&D, and who joined the tyre company last September. Both moves are effective immediately.
Continue ReadingNew Customer For Tirex Recycled Rubber
Canadian company Tirex has announced that Animat Inc. of Quebec has placed an order for recycled rubber to produce rubber mats. The order runs initially for a year and is for a monthly minimum of 100,000 lbs of Rutextm, the recycled rubber product produced by Tirexs cryogenic tyre recycling technology.
Continue Reading