Bad Winter Forecast In USA
If early-season prognostications from the US National Weather Service ring true, American motorists may be in for an extra-snowy winter in many parts of the country. Goodyear officials say theyre ready for an early snowfall. Goodyears family of Ultra Grip winter tyres offers motorists a range of choices for seasonal tyres. The Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 features Goodyears innovative V-TRED technology, which aids in dispersing water and slush from the tread. The new 3D-BIS technology provides high tread blade density and additional biting edges while maintaining block stiffness. This translates into increased grip in snow and ice, but with controlled wet and dry steering stability. A rim flange protector helps to protect expensive custom wheels from potential kerb and pothole damage during the winter. The Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 is available in North America in 21 sizes, ranging from 15- to 18-inch rim diameters, and in aspect ratios from 65 to 35.
Continue ReadingGoodyear’s Newest Eagle Radial Street Tyre Touts Race Roots
The latest street tyre from Goodyear, the new Eagle GT-HR, features RaceWrap TM construction technology, evolved from the way Goodyear develops tyres for NASCAR racing. The Eagle GT-HR has a ply that wraps from the centre of the tread down around the bead, up the sidewall and back up under the steel belts. The result is an H-speed-rated tyre in 20 popular sizes for the auto enthusiast who demands high performance in a value-priced package. However, its 50,000-mile tread life limited warranty is a far cry from its racing cousin that is ready to retire after 100 or so laps on the racetrack. Because the basic construction of a race tyre is similar to a consumer auto tyre, some of the subtle improvements we make in tyre performance on the track transfer readily to high-performance auto tyres. said Randy Brayer, team leader for advanced engineering.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Announces Expansion Of Truck And Bus Tyre Production
Bridgestone Corporation has announced an expansion in truck and bus radial production at three plants in Japan and one in Thailand. In Japan, two billion Yen (US$16.86 m) will be spent to increase capacity to 1,300 tyres a day. The factory at Chonburi, Thailand, will begin production in the second half of next year, at a rate of 2,500 tyres daily, which will double by 2006. Total investment in the plant will reach 24 billion Yen ($202.3 m).
Continue ReadingUS Court Rejects Tyre Monitoring System Regulation
In the USA, a panel of three federal judges has rejected a proposed tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) as it allowed too great a margin for error. TPMS was made compulsory in new cars following the Ford Explorer/Firestone tyre episode. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was ordered to come up with a TPMS for cars and it offered two systems - one which required a sensor on all four tyres (direct system) and one which used existing technology systems, such as ABS, to estimate pressure (indirect system). Consumer groups claimed that the second system was not effective all the time, and thus did not meet the laws requirements, and the judges agreed, ordering the NHTSA to formulate a new rule.
Continue ReadingFord’s Head Of Europe Resigns
Martin Leach (46), appointed as president and COO of Ford of Europe a year ago, has resigned to pursue new opportunities, says the company. This follows publication of Ford Europes second quarter figures, which show that the car manufacturer made a 2Q pretax loss of $525 million (462 m Euro). Leachs job will be carried out by David Thursfield, president of international operations and chairman and chief executive of Ford of Europe, until a replacement is found.
Continue ReadingGreenhouse Gas Legislation To Affect Tyre Production?
The EU is planning legislation to significantly reduce (by 25 per cent) the amount of fluorinated greenhouse gases in a range of products by 2010. One of the worst greenhouse gases is sulphur hexafluoride, which is present in tyres, and which has a greenhouse effect 23,900 times that of carbon dioxide. Should the proposals become law, any EU country not meeting the standards could face sanctions and non-EU countries wanting to export goods that do not comply with the standards into Europe would be prevented from doing so.
Continue ReadingRL Automotive: Taking the high tech route
Whilst it was Digital data gathering that set the ball rolling for RL Automotive, today it caters for the tyre market’s every need. RL Automotive is a far cry from the usual tyre parts supplier. Here is a business where, from the outset in 1998, technology was always going to be at its core. Unlike many opportunists who see the tyre industry as a market for their latest software packages, RL Automotive is much more directly linked to the tyre business and offers technology in such a way that even the most Luddite of mechanics (is that a contradiction in terms?) can understand the benefits. It began with the understanding that the emphasis on tyre costs was moving away from the cheapest-to-buy policy, to the cheapest-to-run, cost-per-kilometre approach to tyres. The tyre management theory of extending tyre life through a proper monitoring and maintenance schedule is in itself nothing new, but it is something that can only truly be worked efficiently by using computers to analyse the data gathered. With the advance of computer technology there is no difficulty in compiling statistics and generating maintenance schedules from the statistics. The problem lies in the gathering of the data. Amazingly, it is still being done manually onto bits of paper, often using “less than perfect” tread probes. The whole process leads to poor quality data on reams of paper that more often than not can not be analysed correctly. It is also a system which cannot function in wet weather! Mark Longden, MD of RL Automotive, saw an opportunity to develop digital tyre reading equipment that made life simpler for the collector of the data. It also created a platform that can, with wireless technology, enter and then deliver data from the tyre depth gauge into the vehicle record back at base. Where relevant, this same information can then effortlessly be collated at Head Office and the information used in countless ways. At the same time as developing this digital product range, the company has built up a mainstream Tyre Service Products distribution business by selecting high quality products from around the world.
Continue ReadingEquipment Services PLC: The Yorkshire name in garage equipment
Ten years of quiet growth have brought this Bradford firm to a leading position in the automotive equipment market. Equipment Services is a Bradford-based garage equipment supplier specialising in the fast-fit sector. The business was founded in 1993 as a garage equipment service and maintenance operation. As the business developed the then partners decided that since there was a potential volume to be attained by the business they would make the move into selling equipment and latterly to become importers and sole distributors of garage equipment wherever the opportunity arose. As the stature of the company grew so too did the service contracts, amongst which could be counted Charlie Browns, Chessington Tyres, F1 Auto Centres, Kwik-Fit and Nationwide Autocentres. The business grew on these contracts and in spring 2003, Equipment Services became a UK PLC. The company now has five directors, John Prout is the managing director, Carl Allenson the sales and marketing director responsible for all sales operations and marketing the company. Paul Duckworth the service director looks after the service operation and Andrew Marshall the field operations director is responsible for ongoing training, development and quality in the field. The financial director is B.S. Panesar whom has a wealth of business and financial knowledge has recently been named by Natwest entrepreneur of the year 2003. In the space of five years Equipment Services has committed to volume and through its sole distribution contracts with Teco, tyre changers and wheel balancing equipment, Parise compressors and OMA vehicle lifts. The company offers a full equipment range under its own Equip brand and also has a full range of reconditioned and used garage equipment to meet all requirements. The head office in Bradford has a fully fitted showroom and training centre with a comprehensive range of fully operational equipment always on display for both sales and training purposes. Equipment Services also offer a range of service options on three main levels. There is a nationwide service division responding to call outs to service and repair equipment wherever it may be in the UK at the beck and call of the trade at large. Secondly there is a preventative maintenance division carrying out preventative maintenance work under contract, and thirdly there is the nationwide installation division that undertakes anything from installing a single tyre changer through to complete garage design and fitting out services. Equipment Services also offer a comprehensive project management facility from initial measurements and drawings through to commissioning equipment. The company has a great deal of experience in working with the vehicle inspectorate and installing and calibrating equipment to VI standards and will readily undertake class 1,2,4,5 and 7 full MoT bay installation to turnkey standard.
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit moves up a gear
It was in August last year that Tim Parker (48) was named as the new Chief Executive Officer of Kwik-Fit, following the purchase of the company from Ford by CVC Capital Partners for a reported £330 million.
Continue ReadingDekk Partner aims to develop the independent market in the face of multinational competition
The Nordic Market is very different from the highly developed mass markets of the UK or Germany – both of which are recognised as the most highly developed markets in Europe. The Nordic market might be considered to cover essentially Norway, Sweden and Finland, and possibly Denmark – depending upon your point of view or your business strategy. In any of these countries logistics would give most typical regional wholesalers nightmares. In the case of the three northern countries deliveries are hampered by long distances, less developed road networks, and for around half the year, bad weather conditions – not to mention fjords and ferries in Norway. Denmark, being more densely populated and considerably less mountainous has a better transport system, but also relies heavily on ferries between the islands that make up much of the country. Leif Kristiansen has a long history in the tyre trade and in 1993 was working with Vianor when he saw the need for a tyre retailer group that not only served as a buying point for tyres, but as a much wider partnership aimed at helping the independent tyre retailer compete in a market increasingly dominated by equities. Leif Kristiansen says, Dekk Partner is owned by the members, each with one share so that there is no controlling member. That is very important. There are no suppliers involved in the group and no producer can buy shares. We want Dekk Partner to be fully independent. Our members are free to buy and sell what they want from whoever they wish but we do have a loyalty rebate scheme for our members that encourages them to buy within the group. It is highly successful. With respect to the suppliers, there are none with a contract any longer than two years. So irrespective of the brand or the manufacturer, we work on two year contracts to keep the standard of service provided as high as possible.
Continue ReadingBrian Smith talks about Continental
Some 18 months after Continental divested itself of NTA Retail, NTA Commercial and Viking International, T&A approached Brian Smith to find out how Continental Tyre Group was managing in its current format. After all, the complete closure/sale of a manufacturers equity is not an every day occurrence and must have had negative effects on Continental’s business in the UK. Brian Smith knew that the performance of Continental Tyre Group without its UK retail and wholesale operations was going to be at the heart of the matter and he went straight to the point. Continental Tyre group has shown its ability to handle change both quickly and professionally. One of our great strengths is the ability to make decisions, act on them and adhere to them even though they may be difficult courses of action to follow. We can spot opportunities and act quickly to take advantage of them. That is one of the core policies at Continental, to take opportunities and to handle changes when things don’t work out as planned. There is a table in reception that carries the Continental Mission Statement: To establish Continental Tyre Group as the most professional supplier of quality tyres and customer services, respected for consistent, stable, business relationships. To be known for understanding the customers needs and for being responsive in meeting them. That is a benchmark for the standards we apply at Continental Tyre Group and we need to ask ourselves, are we really like that? If we are to achieve that mission it is the customer services element which is particularly important. Then we need to consider how we think internally and what our aims are within Continental Tyre Group. It is in many ways more important therefore to differentiate ourselves from our competitors by the way we handle our customers to develop consistent business relationships.
Continue ReadingFit4Fleet expands into Irish Republic
Fit4Fleet, the GM-backed network of independent tyre dealers supporting company car fleets, has extended operations to provide coverage in the Republic of Ireland as part of plans to provide customers with extensive coverage throughout the British Isles. Managing director, Dominic Bateson, believes that the move will also bring a great improvement in the service standards enjoyed by fleet drivers in the country, saying: Most of the tyre chains that have traditionally serviced fleet drivers are concentrated around the main conurbations, such as Dublin, Cork and Waterford. But what use is that to drivers having a tyre problem out on the road, many miles away from one of those cities? Their needs have to be catered for also. To us, this was an obvious gap in coverage and one of our core objectives has been to establish a comprehensive spread of centres throughout the Republic, so that when a driver has a problem, assistance can be provided promptly. Fit4Fleet already has 60 centres in the Republic, with at least one in each of the countrys 26 counties, and personnel at each centre have undergone training to ensure that they are fully able to meet the standards required. This means that the network now numbers more than 900 depots in the UK and the Irish Republic.
Continue ReadingTWS wants to become the market leader in agricultural tyres
Two years ago Trelleborg took over from Pirelli the 40 per cent share of the former commonly owned company Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS), which produces agricultural tyres. Now TWS aims at becoming market leader with its two brands Pirelli and Trelleborg. A major part of this strategy is improving the name recognition of the Trelleborg brand, which up till now has been regarded as another name for bias ply tyres within the TWS-group while Pirelli covered the radial segment. In addition to that TWS is thinking about bringing another brand into the company’s portfolio. Whether this will be accomplished by the creation of a completely new brand, or by the acquisition of a known brand, has not been decided yet, Maurizio Vischi, president of TWS, told Tyres & Accessories. The Swedish corporate group Trelleborg, named after the town where it is located, has reached a turnover of about 1.95 billion Euro and has almost 15,000 employees. As one of four Business Units, Trelleborg Wheels Systems (TWS) contributes about 330 million to the overall turnover, with 2,380 employees. When it comes to the agricultural tyre segment, the direction of the TWS brands has been contrary. While the Pirelli brand was regarded as a synonym for the use of radial technology for agricultural tyres, the Trelleborg brand stood for bias ply forestry and implement tyres. Slowly, the boundaries seem to become blurred. For example, the new TM 2000 radial tyre for harvesters, and a new radial implement tyre, are produced with the Trelleborg logo on the sidewall.
Continue ReadingCreating a winter tyre market
When we contacted a number of tyre manufacturers to obtain information for this feature, we received a number of reactions along the lines of Winter tyres? Theres not much call for them in the UK. Some companies had to contact their mainland European offices for product details and the situation is neatly summed up by the fact that, if you want Michelins latest high speed winter tyre in the UK, it has to be ordered specially. Perhaps this is not that surprising, as there is a shortage of winter tyres in mainland Europe, caused by the long winter which went on into March this year. One estimate is that winter tyre inventories are now around 15 per cent below normal, at six million units. But the UK winter tyre market is minimal, mainly because we have light snowfalls over much of the country. However, you do not need snow for a winter tyre to be effective and to improve driver safety. The main supporter of this view is the head of Vredestein UK, Bert Stellinga. When he first came to the UK, he declared himself amazed at the tiny size of the UK winter tyre market and it is his ambition to see this grow. If they are not designed for snow, then why fit winter tyres? The simple answer is that, when it is cold and wet – which, lets face it, is more typical winter weather than snow – a winter tyre performs better than a summer version. Research showed that, in these conditions, braking distances were significantly shorter for winter-shod vehicles. The figure that you will see mentioned throughout the articles in this feature is +7ºC; below this, winter tyres outperform summer tyres. Vredestein wanted to enhance winter tyre sales, so the company joined forces with a medium-sized car leasing company and the Euromaster chain of tyre retailers. The leasing company was looking at ways to differentiate itself from the herd and, after being convinced by a series of braking tests that stopping distances were indeed shorter on winter tyres (and by analysing accident statistics and finding that more happened in the winter) it came on board. Says Bert Stellinga: Back in 1995, winter tyres accounted for half of one per cent of Dutch tyre sales and, by the end of 2002, it was up to around seven per cent he remembers. If we accept the rough figure of 25 million tyres in the UK replacement tyre market, then seven per cent equates to 1.75 million tyres, which is a figure that should be of interest to the manufacturers and to the tyre dealers too.
Continue ReadingDirect Tyre Pressure Monitoring System From TRW
TRW is introducing its second generation direct Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) for a major Japanese vehicle manufacturer on a 2004 model year application.TRW, in c-operation with Michelin, has developed the EnTire Solution, an advanced direct TPMS. The system delivers accurate readouts and has the ability to indicate what tire is under-inflated, front or rear, left or right, and offers other major benefits to the driver. Using predictive algorithms, the driver can be warned that there will be a low-pressure tire problem in the near future. This alerts the driver to take action before getting on a long stretch of motorway. False alarms are another concern that can cause a true low-pressure warning to be ignored even by the most conscientious driver. TRW Automotive and Michelin have incorporated such advanced monitoring algorithms into the EnTire Solution TPMS that detect slow leaks, yet also account for driver habits and environmental conditions to reduce the occurrence of false warnings.
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