Apollo’s Passenger Tyre ‘Grand Masters’ Meet in Beijing
Some 186 Apollo Tyres dealers assembled in Beijing on the first weekend of December for the tyre maker’s “Grand Master Business Partners” meeting. A total of 170 India based partners and 16 international dealers, all of whom exceeded their projected passenger car tyre sales targets over the last twelve months, attended a three-day meeting with company officials in the Chinese capital. Apollo’s strategy for the coming year was shared with the partners, including specific plans and products relating to the passenger tyre segment. The ‘Grand Masters’ were also invited to give their own specific feedback.
Continue ReadingGoldenTyre Takes Over as SuperMoto World Championship Tyre Supplier
From 2010 Italian manufacturer GoldenTyre will replace Dunlop as the sole tyre supplier of the FIM SuperMoto World Championship, which has operated under a single tyre policy since 2006. Championship organiser Youthstream states it looks forward to it new partnership with GoldenTyre, which begins in Italy on May 2, at the first of seven Grands Prix during the 2010 FIM SuperMoto World Championship season.
Continue ReadingPro-Align Explains Hunter SmartWeight Award-Winning Benefits
Having been voted the winner of this year’s TAFF Innovation Award by the National Tyre Distributors Association judging panel despite tough competition from many other innovative products, the team behind the Hunter SmartWeight Balancing system was keen to reveal the benefits of using the product. Hunter says that it took “a completely fresh look at balancing methodology and came up with an entirely new system that works with greater efficiency and split tolerances, the features that helped it to the innovation award and which it says benefit operators over comparative products. Supplier of wheel alignment and balancing equipment, Pro-Align listed the features that helped SmartWeight on its way to the TAFF Awards:
Continue ReadingWinter Tyre “Market Leader” Conti to Attempt UHP Summer Segment Expansion
Nailing Continental’s colours to the mast, the company’s head of passenger and light truck tyres has spoken of its commitment to technological investment and growing its high performance passenger car range. Nikolai Setzer said, “Technology leadership is a decisive factor for further growth”, concurrently claiming that despite the financial woes of the past 15 months, the high-performance tyres market will continue to grow. Setzer sees new technologies, investment in research and development, and underpinning the sales in the replacement business through success in original equipment as the way to go. In the high-performance tyres sector in particular, he can see attractive opportunities for growth in Europe.
Continue ReadingJapanese Firms to Establish Singapore Synthetic Rubber Operations
According to a November 28 article in Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, two Japanese chemical companies, Asahi Kasei Corporation and Zeon Corporation, intend to establish synthetic rubber plants in Singapore to cater for growing demand for low rolling resistance tyres.
Continue ReadingI-Spy: The Michelin Books are Back
Those of you whose childhood memories stretch back to the 1950s or 60s will most likely remember the popular Michelin I-Spy books. During their heyday the I-Spy series had a cult following, with more than 1.5million children becoming members of the I-Spy ‘tribe’. They’ve been absent from bookshop shelves since 2002, yet those with fond memories of the books – and those yet to savour their delights – are in for a treat. Michelin has announced the return of the I-Spy range in time for Christmas.
Continue ReadingLuyten to Lead New Apollo Global Marketing Structure
As of January 1, 2010 a new global marketing structure will become operational at Apollo Tyres Ltd, under the leadership of chief marketing officer Marc Luyten, who currently holds the position of director, Marketing & Sales at Apollo Vredestein B V, in Enschede, the Netherlands. Luyten will spearhead the global marketing of Apollo’s key product brands, assisted by a team of product brand managers responsible for individual brands across all regions.
Continue ReadingEuro Car Parts Offering Teco Brand Tyre Changers
Euro Car Parts (ECP) says that it will strive to meet motorists demands with its high quality Teco brand tyre changers. It states that with the ever increasing demand for improved workshop safety and the ability to handle bigger and more varied tyre/wheel packages, the demands on tyre changing equipment to meet a number of criteria has never been higher. Euro Garage Solutions (EGS), the Garage Equipment Specialist Division, of Euro Car Parts Ltd is confident that its Teco brand of tyre changers is more than capable of meeting the workshops current and future demands. In consumables, the distributor has announced that it will supply Bosch’s recently launched new range of garage equipment ‘Around the Wheel’ products. The company, which calls itself “the UK’s leading aftermarket parts supplier”, also stocks a comprehensive range of tyre repair materials from Rema Tip Top, launched a new extended range of SNR wheel bearing kits adding nearly 1,000 existing references in September and becomes “the first in the UK to sell the Koyo Hub Bearings in a branded Koyo box”, with its Japanese OEM timing belt tensioner/idler and Wheel Bearing Range extension.
Continue ReadingCorghi Releases Artiglio 50 Successor
Corghi has released the passenger car tyre changer it hopes will “widen the success of the Artiglio 50,” the Artiglio 500. The new model has been improved on the basis of feedback from the market, resulting in what Corghi hopes will be received as “an even higher performance product.” It will be demonstrated by Apaseal at Brityrex on the 5-7 October, 2010, and will be available from February. The company will continue to provide its “Blue Light” system for wheel balancing.
Continue ReadingYoung Drivers Perform Last F1 Tyre Test of 2009 with Bridgestone Potenzas
Bridgestone Motorsport reports that motorsport’s finest up-and-coming drivers sampled its Potenza Formula One tyres in the final group test of 2009 at the Jerez racing circuit in southern Spain on 1-3 December. All four compounds of 2009 specification dry tyres were available and used at the test. Twenty drivers drove 2,602 laps over the course of the three days for the nine attending teams. Bridgestone’s intermediate and wet tyres were also used. The test was designed to gather data on the old tyres in preparation for their 2010 development, with teams all running different programmes and heavier cars to simulate extra fuel loads. Jun Matsuzaki, chief engineer at Bridgestone Motorsport stated: “It was good to see so many young drivers here at the same test, and there were more experienced F1 test drivers in action too, so we had a good benchmark. We could see some of these names again in the future and our current F1 drivers will always need to keep looking over their shoulders because of these youngsters.”
Continue ReadingHofmann Introduces Fusion Wheel Balancer, Tyre Changer
Hofmann, a brand within Snap-on Equipment, has unveiled its new duo of machines under the brand name Fusion. The company says that the wheel balancer and tyre changer both aim to be class leading. They are available as a package for £3,999, including a 24-month parts and labour warranty, delivery, installation and training.
Continue ReadingDuty of Care Laws Prompts New Kwik-Fit Fleet Service
In the New Year Kwik-Fit Fleet is expanding its range of services with launch of its Vehicle Health Checks – a service it says will help companies comply with duty of care legislation. Specifically, Kwik-Fit Fleet says the checks are being launched to meet fleet customer demand to help them with their occupational road risk management compliance obligations under health and safety legislation. The company is already operating a pilot scheme with two fleet customers ahead of the planned January 2010 roll out of the service for both outright purchase fleets and contract hire and leasing companies.
Continue ReadingPirelli to Increase North America Prices
Pirelli Tire North America is increasing prices on all its passenger and light truck tyre lines, excluding its P4/P5 touring lines, by up to 4.5 per cent as of January 1. The company states “escalating raw materials costs” as the basis for the new year price rises.
Continue ReadingToyo Tires Gains ISO 9001:2008 Certification
Toyo Tire USA Corp. has received re-certification to the latest ISO 9001:2008 management system standards. The certificate acknowledges Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. for sales, warranty service and end user technical support. Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. was first certified under ISO standards in 1997. The ISO 9001:2008 re-certification affirms Toyo Tires’ dedication to meeting the international standard for customer satisfaction as well as the standard for continual organizational improvement. “As a company, Toyo Tires strives to meet the strictest standards for delivering both product quality as well as the utmost in customer support,” said Yasushi Takagi, president and CEO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “We are proud to meet the requirements for the ISO 9001:2008 certification.”
Continue ReadingDelticom Takes on German Maxima Distributorship
Online tyre retailer Delticom has become the exclusive German distributor of the Maxima tyre brand. Delticom will distribute this second brand from Slovenian motorcycle tyre manufacturer Savatech through four of its websites, and will also add the Sava brand to its product portfolio. Through its supply of the Maxima brand, Delticom says it hopes to appeal to price-conscious consumers who wish to purchase quality, European-made tyres.
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