In what it calls a landmark commitment, Tyre Stewardship Australia has announced that off-the-road (OTR) tyre importers Bearcat, Bridgestone Mining Solutions, Goodyear, Kal Tire, Michelin and Yokohama have committed to joining the voluntary Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme from January 2022.
Toyo Tyre Australia Pty Ltd., the Australian sales subsidiary of Toyo Tire Corporation, will wind up its rubber mixing business as of 13 December 2021. The closure of the 1974-established operation directly affects 36 of the 107 people employed (as of 31 December 2020) by Toyo Tyre Australia.
Despite Covid-19 restrictions preventing too much fanfare, Bridgestone has opened a new distribution centre in Truganina, Victoria, Australia. The official opening of Bridgestone’s Truganina hub sees the relocation of the company’s former warehouse, state office and store at Derrimut relocated to the new site, as well as the convergence of the state operations for Lube Mobile, Webfleet Solutions and the expansion of services into new segments – highlighted by the launch of an onsite truck wash.
Australians with tyres on the brain can convert this to a profitable business with help from Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA). The association representing firms across the tyre supply chain states that if someone fitting this bill has “an idea that utilises end-of-life tyres,” then it “has the funds to assist.”
National Tyre & Wheel Limited (NTAW), the largest independent tyre and wheel wholesaler in Australia and New Zealand, has made several changes to its leadership team. The company states that these and other appointments made over the past year will help it “set a new benchmark in customer experience” that will “underwrite further growth.”
Hankook Tire & Technology Group is the latest tyre manufacturer to partner with Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), an organisation set up to promote the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres, and as such is now contributing to the National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme. The Korean tyre maker’s engagement lifts the number of participating tyre importers to nine; in addition to Hankook, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear & Dunlop, Kumho, Michelin, Pirelli, Toyo, Yokohama are involved with the scheme.
Continental Tyres has signed a significant sports sponsorship agreement in Australia, and for the 2021 season becomes a Major Partner of the Australian Football League (AFL). This deal with the pre-eminent Australian rules football association also sees Continental become exclusive naming rights partner of the AFL Trade Period and official sponsor of the AFL Runners, the messengers who exchange information between the coach and players on the field.
After rekindling their partnership in 2019, Goodyear and Brabham Automotive have once again teamed up. Goodyear is supplying its Eagle F1 SuperSport RS as original equipment tyre for the road-going version of the Australian-made supercar, the Brabham BT62R.
With its AU$48.7 million (£26.7 million) acquisition of Tyres 4U assets in Australia and New Zealand, National Tyre & Wheel becomes one of the region’s largest tyre wholesalers and the largest independent, multi-branded wholesaler in both countries. The transaction was finalised in August and more than doubles National’s distribution centre footprint in the two countries, with its nine company-owned and four third-party facilities complemented by 11 Tyres 4U centres in Australia and three in New Zealand. Combined tyre volume for the Australian financial year ending 30 June 2020 exceeded 2.5 million units, with a revenue of $450 million (£247 million).
As we reported last month, Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies (GDT) believes the time is right for them to expand internationally. Now the company is highlighting its intentions to move into the European market. Tyres & Accessories understands that Greece and Italy are at the top of the list, but talks are also ongoing in the UK.
Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies, which recycles tyres according to a kind of pyrolysis process, is considering expanding into the UK and other international markets.
Expansion began with an agreement with a tyre collection business who are so confident in the Australian technology that they have increased their commitment to GDT from 10 tyre recycling facilities across the US to 15 with the construction of three key plants to commence as soon as the regulatory agreements and government approvals are obtained.
More news from Australia, this time a tyre test win for Continental. The PremiumContact 6 has been named victor in Wheels magazine’s ten-tyre comparative evaluation.
Australian motorists have named Bridgestone as ‘Australia’s Most Trusted Tyre Brand’ for the seventh consecutive year in the annual Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands award.The brand’s unblemished record thus remains intact, with Bridgestone the only tyre company to win the title since the tyre category was introduced in 2014.
Bridgestone Australia
ZC Rubber
Green Distillation Technologies
GDT
Continental AG