Bandag Retreading Material Prices
(Akron/Tire Review) Bandag Inc is increasing prices on “most of its retreading materials” for North America, the company has announced. According to Bandag, all tread rubber products in the US will increase by a per-pound weighted average of 12 cents (US). In Canada, the increase will be 17 cents (Canada). Both increases take effect on 1 May. Bandag officials said that increasing raw material costs cannot be offset by increased efficiencies or productivity.
Continue ReadingNHTSA Denies RMA Petition
(Akron/Tire Review) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally denied the Rubber Manufacturers Association’s petition to establish recommended cold inflation pressure using a tyre pressure reserve. The petition requested that NHTSA include a reserve tyre pressure sufficient to allow tyres to carry the maximum load of a vehicle at the new tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) regulation trigger point. The Tire Industry Association (TIA) had supported RMA’s petition and expressed disappointment with the agency’s ruling. “We are disappointed that NHTSA decided not to build in an additional safety measure and grant the petition for reserve inflation pressure,” said Roy Littlefield, executive vice president of TIA, in a statement. “With this decision coming on the heels of the TPMS ruling, TIA is frustrated with NHTSAs apparent lack of interest in what the tire industry has to say.”
Continue ReadingATD Releases First Quarter Operating Results
(Akron/Tire Review) American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc (ATD) has announced operating results for the first quarter ended 2 April. Consolidated net sales increased 17.6 per cent to $354.3 million, versus $301.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2004, and gross profit increased 10.9 per cent, ATD reported.
Continue ReadingIs a BFNAT Strike Imminent?
(Akron/Tire Review) Recent statements by the bargaining committee representing workers at Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) plants in the US. indicate the union is prepared to go on strike, perhaps as early as next month. Talks between the tyre manufacturer and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International (USW) were scheduled to resume this week, but union negotiators say this could be their last attempt to reach an agreement.
Continue ReadingReality TV Comes to the Garage
British garage technicians are being offered the chance to star in a television series being made in Spain. ‘The Garage’ will follow the progress of an independent garage set in the expatriate community on the south coast of Spain. Endemol UK, the production company involved, was responsible for the highly successful ‘fly-on-the-wall’ series about a hairdressing and beauty operation, ‘The Salon’.
Continue Reading1000 Attend Brahler Industries Open House
Nearly a thousand industry professionals attended an open house and trade fair held here at the world headquarters of Brahler Industries on 5 and 6 May. The open house featured a tour of the new Innovative Tread Replacement (ITR) facility, which is said to be the most advanced retreading facility in North America. Visitors had an opportunity to meet with representatives of Brahler’s Truckers Supply, Gaither Tool Company and Brahler’s Industrial Retreading, all operating companies of Brahler Industries. The trade fair offered visitors a chance to meet with top representatives of key suppliers such as Continental General Tire, Yokohama Tire, Michelin Ag Tire, Tech International, Marangoni Tread, Mid-West Truckers Association and others.
Continue ReadingDeaths Caused by Exploding Tyres
An unnamed 19-year-old man has died after a tyre exploded while he was inflating it at his workplace. The man was working at a tyre firm in Cleland, Lanarkshire when the tyre threw him backwards into a wall, the BBC has reported.
Continue ReadingRussian State to Control Sibur Plants
Russian tyre manufacturer Sibur is to become state-owned company. After a long period of confusion about a possible merger between the gas monopolist Gazprom (that owns almost 100 per cent of Sibur’s shares) with the state-owned oil company Rosneft, the Russian government now has decided to take over the majority of Gazprom’s shares itself, according to Russian media reports. Currently the Russian government owns about 38 per cent of Gazprom but will increase this share up to more than 50 per cent by the end of June, when Gazprom’s annual shareholder meeting takes place. Sibur operates four tyre factories in Russia where it produced more than 15 million tyres in 2004.
Continue ReadingNew Toyo Advertising Campaign
Toyo is set to launch what it calls “an astonishing new, £600,000 advertising campaign.” The innovative Vital campaign is the latest in a string of mould breaking campaigns, designed to position Toyo as the thinking drivers alternative to ordinary tyres. The campaign features a series of images from inside the human body. Toyo tyres are depicted as parts of the body vital to life, such as blood cells. These executions neatly mirror the tyres function, which is essential to driving. Developed with Northampton agency Engine, the anatomical illustrations, coupled with bold, stripped down copy, offer a thought-provoking message.
Continue ReadingAvon Renews Racing School Contract
Avon Tyres has renewed its association with Castle Combe circuit and has agreed a new contract to provide tyres to its racing school. The tyre manufacturer has been involved with the track for 50 years making it the longest motorsport sponsorship in the world.
Continue ReadingNokian Reports Strong First Quarter
Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres Oyj reported profits of 9.4 million euros, compared with 7.1 million euros last year. At the same time net sales rose 129.4 million euros from 112.9 million. Nokian Tyres said its main target for 2005 remains to outperform the results of the previous year in terms of net sales and profit.
Continue ReadingJaguar Plant Number One in US Initial Quality Study
Ford Motor Company’s Halewood Jaguar assembly has earned the Gold Plant Quality Award for assembly plant quality in the European region, according to the J D Power and Associates. The 2005 US Initial Quality Study (IQS) found that the Jaguar X-Type, receives a score of 70 problems per 100 vehicles, the best score among European plants assembling vehicles for export to the United States. The Halewood plant, which was first included in the IQS in 2002, has shown a 55 per cent quality improvement to 70 problems per hundred in 2005 from 157 in 2002.
Continue ReadingTyres Blamed for Ferrari’s Poor Showing
Rival teams have blamed Ferrari’s poor start to the Formula One season on its Bridgestone tyres. Speaking in a press conference prior to the Monaco Grand Prix, Michelin supplied drivers including Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard, Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella and McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen all pointed to inferior Japanese rubber as the reason for Ferrari’s struggles.
Continue ReadingWinning start by Team MRF in Australia
The first round of the 2005 Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) that was run as the Subaru Rally, Canberra, Australia kicked up plenty of dust in more ways than one. When the dust and din settled, debutant Jussi Valimaki (co-driver Jarkko Kalliolepo) from Finland, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII for Team MRF Tyres (India), emerged as the winner. However, the 30-year old Finn, nicknamed Fast Jussi had to wait for the several hours that it took the Stewards to conduct scrutiny and then exclude first placed Toshi Arai of Japan. An obviously elated Valimaki said: This was a good first rally with a new team, new car and new tyres and Im very happy with the result. I am sure with some more time we can get faster - its the biggest win of my career.
Continue ReadingTop Technician 2005 Winner
John Tinham of Chelmsford-based garage, John Tinham Motor Engineer, has secured the title of Top Technician 2005. His name was announced at the Awards Ceremony held at Brands Hatch race circuit, hosted by sponsors Crypton, eXponentia, ReMIT and Vauxhall Trade Club.
Continue Reading
