Youngster Saved by Tyres
An Ohio child’s fall from a third-floor window was broken by a small pile of tyres fortuitously placed beneath the bedroom window. According to eye-witnesses, the errant boy had been bouncing on his mother’s bed when he rebounded at a skewed angle, throwing himself kamikaze-like through the shattering window. The youngster’s neighbour then saw the child plummet, somersaulting towards the ground until he miraculously landed sideways on the tyre stack, bouncing the boy forward. The Columbus resident was expected to make a full recovery, but it could have been a very different story had it not been for the rubber cushion that broke his fall.
Continue ReadingOlympic Spirit
Attending the Essen show reminds you just how much trends change. This year there was less emphasis on size and performance, and much more on green issues (see page 52 onwards of the forthcoming July edition of Tyres & Accessories for comprehensive coverage). And yet as many budget tyres are being imported from the Fast East and China as ever. Seeing as I am on the subject of Essen, take the German market for example: here the budget segment has doubled over the last decade and now holds a 31 per cent share of the summer PCR market, according to 2hm & Associates. And while the share of budget summer tyres has doubled over the past 10 years, the share of premium products has fallen to 39 per cent from 50 per cent during a decade. The same analysts put this trend down to Germany’s ageing car parc – the average age is now 8.2 years compared with 6.2 years old a decade ago. Something similar is happening in the UK market with the familiar 40:20:40 (Premium:Mid-range:Budget) boundary lines being continually blurred. So increased demand equals increased supply from the Far East does it? That’s how it used to work. And there are certainly more radials being exported from China than ever before. Just look at the record number of radial imports into markets like India. As a direct result of this, certain segments are finding it increasingly difficult to source what they are looking for. This is the other side of the supply and demand coin. The situation is further complicated by China’s willingness to do almost anything to strengthen its place on the global trade map through a successful Beijing Olympics – a policy that has the knock-on effect of complicating various supply chains in the process. Basically it comes down to factory output and China’s national stance on green issues: “Quick tidy up we have got visitors.” The current situation is that the government of the People’s Republic has taken draconian steps to rein-in factory emissions during the countdown to Beijing 2008. And not everyone is aware of the effect this is having on parts of the tyre market. You see, the name ‘Beijing Olympics’ is actually something of a misnomer. In fact, the 2008 event will actually spread across large parts of China - as far as major tyre producing cities such as Qingdao (which will host the sailing events). This means some factories have had to reduce production from three-shift patterns to just one. And of course this means product output has also followed suit. The result is that some factories only have enough capacity currently available to fulfil their OE commitments and so are prioritising this above export and aftermarket sales. Here’s one (real life) example of what this means for purchasers from the world of ply wood. Customer X places an order, but due to government restrictions the company involved cannot supply the customer with the product on time. However, despite placing the order in good faith, customer X is also facing difficulties getting his money back because the supplier is either unwilling or will only do so at the current exchange rate. This puts customer X between a rock and hard place. He either has to wait till after the Olympics to get the plywood he has already paid for, or take a hit on the foreign exchange rates. Either way he and his customers ultimately lose out from China’s bid for Olympic glory.
Continue ReadingNew First Stop Fantasy Football League
Bridgestone’s First Stop network of independent tyre dealerships is launching its very own Fantasy Football league. The game will allow individuals and garages across the network to compete in a dedicated league to find the best Fantasy team. First Stop stores across the UK will, from mid July, be able to plan and prepare their teams ahead of the start of the Premiership season on Saturday 16 August.
Continue ReadingIndian Tyre Shares Boosted in Wake of Hikes
As promised, the price hikes across some of India’s premier tyre manufacturers have been implemented. JK Tyre raised its truck tyre prices by 6 per cent, while Ceat raised non-commercial vehicle tyres by the same quantity. Meanwhile, Apollo has raised prices across segments by 7 per cent. Following the hikes, shares in each of the companies went up in value, JK Tyres the leaders with a rise of 1.86 percent, closing in Mumbai at 96.05 rupees.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Appoints New Head of Akron Tech Centre
Yasutaka Enoki has been named the new technical chief of the Bridgestone Firestone Tech Centre in Akron, Ohio. The executive will commence his tenure in the role at the beginning of August. Yutaka Yamaguchi, the outbound head, will take up a new position with Bridgestone Europe as assistant managing director of the company’s Rome Technical Centre. Enoki’s extensive tyre development experience with Bridgestone stretches back to 1975. His new appointment sees him also elected to the boards of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire and Bridgestone Americas Holding.
Continue ReadingExtreme Maserati to Roar into Goodwood
This weekend Dunlop is presenting what the tyremaker calls “the most extreme Maserati of all time” at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The 755bhp, 204mph Maserati MC12 Corse was originally designed for the race track, but former German Touring Car (DTM) driver Hubert Haupt ordered his for the road – fitted with the latest Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyres. The MC12 Corse is a sister of the MC12 Competizione which won both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in the 2006 FIA GT Championship. The Corse version accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 3.4 seconds and at 160mph its racing aerodynamic package delivers a massive downforce of 1,400kg.
Continue ReadingGrouptyre Launches Pirelli Tyre Sales Drive
As part of its recently announced restructuring programme Grouptyre is running a series of exclusive promotions designed to increase sales and improve market penetration. The first promotion is being organised in conjunction with Pirelli and offers independent tyre retailers and garages the chance to win an all expenses paid trip to the Spanish round of the World Rally Championships in October. “Our aim is to develop into a national brand that plays the most influential role in the UK tyre market and to achieve this we intend to build retail sales through the independent sector,” says director of commercial operations Karl Naylor. “This is the first of a series of national incentives and special promotions we are planning to develop in conjunction with premium brand manufacturers.”
Continue ReadingPirelli to Invest $100 million in Doubling China Tyre Capacity
Pirelli & C has announced that it will invest $100 million in expanding the capacity of its Chinese tyre production operation over the next two years. The investment is designed to double the company’s passenger car tyre production capacity by 2011, while also increasing truck tyre output. According to the Reuters news agency, the expanded capacity could double Pirellis share of Chinas market to 10 per cent within five years. The investment would mean Pirelli’s total Chinese tyre capacity would rise to 11 million passenger car and truck tyres and could help China become Pirelli’s second largest global market within five years, Reuters quoted Pirelli chairman, Marco Tronchetti Provera as saying.
Continue ReadingMichelin North America Seeks Rugby International Sponsors
Michelin North America is offering sponsorships for the international rugby match between top-division French Rugby Union side Clermont-Auvergne and the USA Eagles in South Carolina on 9 August. “Rugby is the second-fastest growing spectator sport in the world today, said Michael Fanning, vice president of corporate affairs for Michelin North America. In addition, there is widespread participation in the sport at the university and club level throughout North America. When you combine these ingredients with national exposure via a live ESPN Classic broadcast, there is a potent opportunity for local, state and national entities to sponsor a top-drawer international rugby match in South Carolina.”
Continue ReadingToyo Appoints Marketing VP
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has announced the promotion of Steve Hutchinson to Vice President of Marketing. A veteran of the automotive industry, Hutchinson joined Toyo in April 2006, serving as the company’s Senior Director of Marketing until his promotion on July 1. During his tenure with Toyo, Hutchinson has expanded marketing and sponsorship efforts, including national television advertising and partnerships with the UFC®, Anaheim Ducks and Pac-10 basketball. Several new products have also been successfully introduced.
Continue ReadingMona-flexible: Monarch Vulcanising Systems
An effect of the cost pressures of rising retail prices and the refocusing of companies onto issues relating to the environmental impact of their operations is that organisations are increasingly looking to mend, rather than replace, damaged tyres. Guernsey-based manufacturer of tyre repair machinery, Monarch Vulcanising Systems, is able to provide a number of machines for just this purpose. Not only, Monarch claims, are their Monaflex systems suitable for fixing any tyre used in the world today, they are also easily transportable, relatively simple to use, and quickly assembled.
Continue ReadingScratch This
Innotec Supplies (UK) Ltd is promoting an own-brand Alu Scratch Repair System, designed to repair surface damage to alloy rims in a “quick and professional manner.” And it can also be used on decorative strips, roof rails or any other metal parts. According to the company, the Alu Scratch Repair System gives you a full set of tools to make a repair in about 30 minutes, which can even be done without removing the tyre. The product is priced at £140.00. The Innotec Alu Scratch Repair System is a set of products specially developed to repair surface damage to metal/aluminium-look parts or objects in a quick and professional manner. Almost all “cosmetic” damages to metal or aluminium look coatings can be repaired, says the company.
Continue ReadingDunlop Showcases Its Race-to-Road Technology
In touring car racing, Dunlop is the tyre supplier of choice in the German DTM, Australian V8 Supercars and the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship. The company possesses more wins at Le Mans than any other tyre manufacturer. This racing pedigree has helped the company to innovate technologies for tyres designed for everyday motoring. Dunlop will be exemplifying this at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend (11-13 July), where the company will demonstrate how its racing success leads to high technology road tyres; the result of development partnerships with premium performance car manufacturers.
Continue ReadingSelf-Sustaining Research & Development in Conti Matador Machinery
Since Continental’s acquisition of 51 per cent ownership of Matador in early November of last year, the German giant has merged its own Mould and Machine Factory with the Slovakia-based Matador Machinery division. The resulting company is now a world leader in designing and producing machinery and equipment for the whole tire industry, while Conti upped their stake in Continental Matador to 66 per cent on July 1 this year (as reported on tyrepress.com).
Continue ReadingChinese OTR Imports Set High US Duties
Following two cases filed jointly last year by Iowa-based union workers and Titan Tire Corporation (and supported by Bridgestone), the US Commerce Department has placed up to 210 per cent final duties on OTR tyres imported from China. The ruling demonstrates the body’s belief that prices for the tyres were unfairly low, while David Spooner – the Assistant Commerce Secretary – stated that the exporters had “received government subsidies and sold at below the cost of production in the US.” OTR imports totalled 15 million in 2006, a sharp increase from the 12.4 million imported in the previous year, leading to the introduction of preliminary duties to combat the alleged “dumping activities” of Chinese tyre importers. The new rates are in the majority of cases lower than the preliminaries, also varying from company to company. In the most extreme case, Xuzhou Xugong Tyre Co saw their preliminary duty dropped from 51.81 per cent to nothing. However many Chinese suppliers will face the full 200 per cent duty.
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