The best designers and manufacturers of the year were recognised on 3 July at the Red Dot Gala 2017 event in Essen, Germany, and amongst the products selected by the 9-strong Red Dot judging panel were five tyres; these gained ‘Red Dot’ awards in Product Design. The awarded tyres are the Continental PremiumContact 6, Federal 595RS-RR, Laufenn I FIT, Kumho Crugen HP71 and Nexen N’Fera RU1.
In addition to reporting a pause in production at its Chungli plant due to a fire at the site, Federal Corporation also says it is readying its new factory in Taoyuan City’s Guanyin Industrial Park for its operational debut in February 2017. The Guanyin plant is Federal’s second on the island of Taiwan and the company’s third – Federal also operates a plant in Nanchang (Jingxi Province, China), which it acquired from Hero Tire in 1997.
Federal Corporation reports that production at its main factory in Chungli, Taiwan has been halted due to a fire at the site on 17 January. Warehouse facilities were damaged during the blaze, however the Chungli plant’s manufacturing facilities were unaffected and Federal confirms there were no casualties.
The leading Taiwanese tyre manufactures are reportedly planning to raise prices by between 8-12 per cent during 2017. According to local news reports, the price hike is a reaction to the jump in synthetic rubber and natural rubber prices.
Federal Tyres will exhibit its latest e-marked UHP and studless winter tyres at Reifen 2016. Federal’s range will include the Evoluzion ST-1, 595 RS-Pro, and Evoluzion F60 summer high and ultra-high performance tyres; the Himalaya Kattura for mild winter road conditions; the Ecovan ER02, which demonstrates durability for the commercial market; and the Glacier GC01 for winter conditions. The Taiwanese manufacturer will exhibit from stand 3C27 in Hall 3, between 24 and 27 May.
Grouptyre says that UK retailers continue to demand a diverse range of tyres from different manufacturers to meet the varying needs of their customers. Its exclusive brands, which include Landsail, Evergreen, Federal and Goodride, are designed to offer affordably priced products that cover a range of driver demands.
At a ceremony attended by local government officials, senior management and international customers, last month Federal Tyres formally broke ground on its third tyre plant in Taiwan. The new facility is being erected on a 14,000 square metre site in the Taoyuan Industrial Park, and the NT$8.1 billion (£166.7 million) investment will be completed in two phases between 2014 and 2020; once the plant is fully operational, it will create 836 jobs and produce an estimated maximum of six million tyres a year.
At Saturday’s Federal Tyres 60th anniversary celebration in Moscow, more than 100 of the tyre maker’s Russian market partners met guest of honour Bryan Robson. The former Manchester United player addressed the partners along with representatives from Russia’s automotive and football media.
Federal Tyres has confirmed that Manchester United and England veteran Bryan Robson will be their guest of honour at the Taiwanese tyre company’s 60th Anniversary celebration in Moscow on 30 August, during the Moscow International Automobile Salon [MIAS].
Following the unveiling of Federal Tyres’ latest marketing activity with Manchester United in Russia, Tyrepress got in touch with marketing manager Geoffrey Chang to ask a bit more about the attraction of the club and the English Premier League for a brand trying to make waves in Russia. Federal became the club’s Official Tyre Partner in the Russian and Taiwanese markets at the beginning of last season. While things haven’t gone entirely to plan on the pitch for any of the three men placed in charge of the club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure – most recently Louis van Gaal’s home defeat to Swansea – and doubts have been raised about Manchester United’s value as a brand partner (especially given its multiple tyre partners), Federal remains ebullient about the deal.
Federal Tyres is hoping the allure of the world’s most famous football club will contribute to its success at one of Russia’s biggest motor shows, the Moscow International Automobile Salon (MIAS). A mystery “Manchester United legend” will join Federal on its interactive exhibition space at the show, continuing its United-themed marketing campaign in the region. The brand is also to run a competition through its online channels to win a Manchester United shirt signed by the first team in the run up to the event. The manufacturer has been the Official Tyre Partner of Manchester United in Russia and its domestic market, Taiwan, since August 2013, engaging in activities such as the Manchester United Soccer School programme and harnessing the club’s brand equity to target the Russian market, in which it hopes to build a significant presence by 2019.
Taiwanese manufacturer Federal marked its 60th anniversary with a gala party held in the Philharmonie Essen RWE Pavillon. Featuring its product range and long-serving and popular mascot Feddi at its Reifen 2014 stand, Federal’s diamond jubilee was described by chairman Jamie Ma as “just the beginning” in a speech given to business partners at the evening event.
Since 1999, Manchester United has been helping young football talent develop through its Manchester United Soccer Schools, and today the Manchester United Soccer School, or MUSS, operates in a number of countries around the world. It has now been extended into Taiwan, and club sponsor Federal Tyres is sponsoring 32 children to take part in the first ever MUSS three-day programme, which will be held at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.
Following its latest annual shareholder conference and the 21st board meeting, which was held on 12 June, Federal Corporation appointed Shao-Jin Ma the new chairman of the Federal Group and Jamie (Shu Jam) Ma as chairman and general manager of Federal Corporation.
Taiwanese tyre manufacturer Federal Tyres has joined the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association (ITMA), and in doing so receives access to regular updates on technical and legislative matters affecting the sale of tyres within the EU, helping it to ensure its products remain fully compliant for sale.