Kumho Official US Series Tyre
Kumho has been named the official tyre of the new Traxxas Off Road Championship (TORC) Series. In addition, Kumho will supply tyres to Scott Douglas in the Pro 4 class and to Chad Hord in Pro Lite class of the short course off-road racing series. “We’re looking forward to continuing our participation in short course off-road racing,” said Rudy Consolacion, Kumho Tire USA’s motorsport manager. “This will be our ninth year of competition, and we’ll once again run with some of the best in the business. Scott and Chad have both won short course off-road championships and prove the performance, toughness and durability of our light truck tyres every time they take the green flag.” (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingFormula Two Re-Launches on Avon Tyres
Avon Tyres has been named official tyre supplier for the FIA Formula Two Championship, a series re-launched in 2009 after a quarter-century absence from the motorsport calendar. The first round of the championship will take place at Valencia, Spain, on 31 May. The championship, which will feature 24 identical cars designed by the Williams F1 team, has been created to be the ultimate feeder category for Formula One, while remaining an affordable series for aspiring young drivers.
Continue ReadingBlackcircles.com Opens Dutch Web Shop
British e-Tailer Blackcircles.com has thrown its hat into the ring in The Netherlands, seeking to do battle with competitors who, managing director Mike Welch says, “are growing on the back of offering customers an inferior deal.” Autobandenshop.com will offer Dutch motorists access to all the major tyre brands carried by the British website. Welch continues, “One of the core guiding principles of Blackcircles.com is that there should be no barriers to tyre safety and we are delighted to be helping Dutch motorists to stay safe on the road. Our aim in Holland is to set a new standard for low cost tyres combined with high quality service.”
Continue ReadingIn Tyres & Accessories, April 2009:
Private Brands
Wheel Report
Wheel Alignment
Private Business The opportunity to exclusively offer a range of tyres is very attractive, and gives a business a point of difference between it and the competitor around the corner. The UK is reported to have one of the most active private brand markets in the world, with new labels regularly added to the healthy range currently available. A good private brand in the portfolio can make noticeable difference to a company’s sales figures – just one reason to include April’s Private Brands feature on your monthly must-read list. At the Centre of Things It takes more than a tyre to make a wheel, and without that metal bit in the middle we’d be left with a rubber circle flopping about on the road. Thank goodness then for rims, the oft-overlooked partner to the tyre. The April edition of Tyres & Accessories puts the centre part of the wheel on centre stage: See next month’s Wheel Report for the latest product and industry news. No Deviation Allowed If you’ve ever strayed from the straight and narrow, gone off the beaten track or exhibited divergent characteristics, don’t spend too much time in soul searching – it was probably just your vehicle’s wheel alignment. While the Department for Transport attributes only around 4 per cent of MOT failures to steering defects, undetected wheel alignment issues are much more frequent and are a key cause of premature tyre wear. Next month’s Wheel Alignment feature will help you stay trim and true with all things alignment-related.
Continue ReadingSurvey Investigates Servicing Loyalty
Almost half of UK car owners (47 per cent) would get their car serviced at a local garage rather than take it to the dealer they bought the car from. They are even less likely to use a franchised dealer that sells the same brand of car to service their vehicle (13 per cent), according to a survey by information and marketing services provider Experian. The survey also revealed a clear difference between new and used car owners. 64 per cent of used car owners would go to a local garage to get their car serviced, compared to just 23 per cent of new car owners. Meanwhile, half (51 per cent) of new car owners would prefer to use the dealer they bought their car from (compared to 13 per cent of used car owners).
Continue ReadingSuperior Industries Reports $26.1 Million 2008 Loss
Wheel manufacturer Superior Industries International has reported a net loss of US$20.1 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008. This result is compares with a net income of $4.7 million for the fourth quarter of the previous financial year. For the 2008 full year, net loss was $26.1 million, compared to net income of $9.3 million in 2007. “Our results included a number of non-recurring items related to asset impairments for the two announced plant closures, other workforce reductions, as well as an inventory write-down to recognize lower aluminium rates,” said company chairman, CEO and president Steven Borick. “In aggregate, these special adjustments totalled $23.3 million for the full year 2008. The workforce reductions and plant closings were severe measures, but steps that we believe were necessary in order to right-size our capacity and position the company to operate more efficiently. Perhaps most important, our actions will serve to protect our balance sheet and cash, allowing us to weather this unprecedented business cycle. Despite the economic challenges, we maintained a positive cash flow in 2008.
Continue ReadingSapphire Merges With Glacier
Sapphire Energy Recovery – now fully-owned by Lafarge Cement UK following a buy-out of joint venture shares from Michelin Tyre plc – has restructured in what it describes as an aim to operate closer to the sources of waste and further improve customer service. The business has completed a merger with sister Lafarge resource recovery company Glacier, which was dedicated to sourcing alternative raw materials and fuels for the cement business. The Glacier name will go, and the new company will operate across the waste spectrum with one management team. Headed by General Manager Jamie Randall, the new-look Sapphire Energy Recovery will continue to serve the tyre recovery market, and even has plans for growth despite the current downturn. Thanks to recent new contracts, it expects to process well over 18 million tyres in 2009; a significant increase on previous years’ averages of 16 million.
Continue ReadingToyo Builds on “Fastest SUV” Fitment
Toyo retained its title as tyre of the “fastest SUV in the world” with the Proxes S/T on Sportec’s modified Porsche Cayenne Turbo at high speed oval course, the ATP in Germany. Selected for its ability to deliver the handling and stability required of a 4x4 of the modified Cayenne’s magnitude, the Proxes range exemplifies the ultra-high performance range of Toyo’s 4x4 line, though the company also recognises that not all off road vehicles are driven by off-road enthusiasts; it carries a wide range of tyres to suit all sectors of the 4x4 market, whether it is a sporty tyre for those who rarely venture away from the tarmac, or a true off-roader who loves to tear around the muddy terrains.
Continue ReadingAmerican Truck Orders Reach Lowest Level in Six Years
FTR Associates’ preliminary data shows that Class 8 total net orders for all major North American OEMs fell to 6,167 units in February, the lowest order rate in over six years. The figure includes orders for the US, Canada, Mexico and for export. February orders, said FTR, declined 21 per cent from January levels and fell some 60 per cent against February 2008. Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates, said, “we have been anticipating this slow-down in order activity for some time now and expect orders to drop to 5,000 units or below over the next several months.” (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingDeldo Announces Exclusive Sailun Contract
When Tyres & Accessories recently spoke to TRIB managing director Harvey Brodsky, he singled out Sailun as a Chinese manufacturer of new tyres that has in recent times paid close attention to product quality. “You will hear more from them,” stated Brodsky. One place we will hear more from them is through the Belgian based wholesaler Deldo.
Continue ReadingSchaeffler Bullish Over Koerfer Ruling
Responding to yesterday’s ruling by the Hanover court that its chosen Continental chairman would be blocked from taking up the position, Schaeffler has issued a statement in support of Rolf Koerfer. The German courts believe there may be a conflict of interests in light of Koerfer’s position as a Schaeffler family adviser, while the ball bearing manufacturer believes that Koerfer has the right to take up the position in the manner of a “shareholder representative.”
Continue ReadingEconomy Issues Putting Squeeze on Goodyear HQ Plans
The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Goodyear’s plans for an all-new headquarters complex is pressing ahead, but at a far slower pace than planned, victimized by the concurrent downturn in credit and automotive markets. Akron Developer Stuart Lichter, who plans to buy Goodyear’s current headquarters facilities and convert them to retail and office space while building an new headquarters complex for the tyre maker, is being hamstrung by an unprecedented meltdown of the credit markets, according to the newspaper. Lichter told the newspaper that the city of Akron and county officials are working on bridge financing to make up shortfalls and keep the project moving forward. There was nothing to indicate that the deal might fall apart. Anyone whos shocked that this developer cant get financing has been asleep for the last six months to a year, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic was quoted as saying. The Plain Dealer said that the Summit County Port Authority “hopes to issue bonds by June 1, making Lichters purchase possible without the aid of banks or other private sources. Lichter would personally guarantee the bonds, with Akron and Summit County backing him up. He would repay the debt, with interest, using rent from Goodyear, which will lease back its buildings after the property sale. After three years, Lichter would pay off the remaining debt or refinance using other money sources.” (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingWhen is a Price Cut Not a Price Cut?
When is a price cut not a price cut? Answer: when international tyre imports and global exchange rates are involved. This month a number of Chinese tyre factories lowered their gate prices in response to the recent easing of raw material costs. Combined with decreases in shipping costs, you’d think this would result in cheaper tyres for mature markets. However, according to industry sources, if the mature market you had in mind was the UK – or most of Europe for that matter – you would be wrong. Aeolus Tyres, for example, apparently became the first tyre maker to openly cut its rates, saying it was aiming to send a clear signal that as a “runner-up among major tyre brands,” it is taking the lead in terms of pricing. Clearly the idea here was for the economy tyre producer to steal a march on the premium tyre manufacturers that are fighting hard not to cut product prices, despite market analysts’ predictions that the days of price increases are over and the opposite is likely, and take advantage of raw material price stabilisation.
Continue ReadingBrisa & Pirelli Production Resumes in Turkey
Production is one more underway at the Brisa/Bridgestone and Pirelli factories in Turkey. Both companies halted the manufacture of tyres late in February to realign output with demand, and resumed operations on March 3. Production at the two companies factories restarted with the midnight shift on March 3, said labour union representative Hüseyin Çakar. Over the past week 2,200 workers, 1,072 at Brisa Bridgestone and the remainder at Turk Pirelli Tire Corporation, were placed on paid leave.
Continue ReadingLassa Competes With Competus Range
Lassa’s 4x4 offering focuses on its Competus range of on/off road four-wheel drive radials. According to company literature the Competus design philosophy was to produce a tyre that can “handle all types of weather on all kinds of driving surfaces including snow, mud and dirt.”
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