Although Continental doesn’t plan to cease production at its Aachen factory in Germany until next year, it isn’t making any tyres at all there at the moment. Corona virus is to blame for this pause in production. To date, 19 of the 1,800-strong workforce has tested positive and a further 130 have been quarantined. Continental has thus stopped work at the site until the end of 26 May.
Despite some businesses being forced to lock their doors, garage equipment and testing equipment supplier MAHA remained open in-line with lockdown rules and while admitting the early stages of the pandemic caused uncertainty, the managing director of the UK subsidiary of the German-based company, Neil Ebbs, said trading figures had “exceeded expectations”.
Wheel manufacturer Borbet says that production is continuing “without disruption” after a fire at its Solingen site in Germany. Fire services were called out on Tuesday to deal with a thermal reaction in an outside IPC container in which aluminium sludge was stored for disposal.
Germans can forward to a number of public holidays in the coming weeks, but part of the workforce at the Goodyear Dunlop tyre plant in Hanau won’t be taking these days off. Local media sources report that the plant is responding to production backlogs by declaring the Ascension, Pentecost Sunday, Whit Monday and Corpus Christi holidays to be “compulsory work days” at the Hanau facility.
Wheel manufacturer BBS intends to gradually withdraw from the original equipment segment and concentrate on aftermarket business. This decision was announced by Stefan Prutscher, regional secretary of the IG Metall trade union. According to the union, BBS will cut 160 jobs at its Schiltach and Herbolzheim sites in Germany. The wheel manufacturer, which filed for bankruptcy for the third time in summer 2020, will retain 280 jobs.
Automechanika Frankfurt 2021, which takes place from 14 to 16 September, will be run according to a ‘Digital Plus’ format for one year only. This means, that, in addition to a compact physical exhibition, Automechanika’s primary focus is on offering all participants the opportunity to network and present their companies digitally. Next year, the leading international trade fair will return to its familiar format on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds from 13 to 17 September 2022.
Almost a year after Jürgen Titz announced his departure from Goodyear after more than 22 years of service, he is back in the tyre industry. The experienced manager, who most recently served as Goodyear’s managing director consumer Europe Central and chairman of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany, has now taken on a partnership role within the tyre trade.
Continental is extending its commitment to sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain. The tyre maker and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have agreed to significantly expand their project to ensure full traceability within the natural rubber supply chain in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan (Borneo).
Tyre production at the Continental plant in Aachen, Germany will cease at the end of next year, if not earlier. This is one of the outcomes of talks between the company and representatives of Aachen plant employees. Continental has also published details of upcoming retraining programmes.
As of March 2021, Asahi Kasei Europe has now fully relocated to Düsseldorf Harbour, Germany. The Asahi Kasei Europe R&D Center’s move to Düsseldorf from the nearby Chempark Dormagen complex follows the relocation of the Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH offices and those of its sister company Asahi Kasei Microdevices Europe GmbH last November.
KW automotive GmbH intends to acquire wheel manufacturer BBS, and signed a contract to this end late last year. The deal is still subject to a number of contractual conditions that should be met in the near future. The company anticipates taking over the BBS brand in June 2021 together with a minority shareholder, entrepreneur Mathias R. Albert. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Wheel and automotive structural components manufacturer Iochpe-Maxion has entered into a strategic partnership with Stuttgart-based global innovation platform Startup Autobahn. Founding members of Startup Autobahn welcomed Iochpe-Maxion and other new partners to the ever-growing network during EXPO 9, a virtual event held on 25 February.
Cross Magazin has given the Dunlop Geomax MX53 its ‘Product of the Year’ award in recognition of the motocross tyre’s wide range of performance and longevity after extensive testing. In its January 2021 issue, the German specialist publication presented Geomax MX53 as its ‘Product of the Year’ for 2020, explaining that its performance window as an intermediate to hard motocross tyre and durability after varied testing was not only an improvement over its predecessor the Geomax MX52, but outstanding in its own right.
Nexen Tire Europe is rationalising its approach to sales and marketing, and has thus announced changes affecting its operations in Austria and Sweden. The tyre maker will transfer responsibility for both markets’ sales organisations to its European headquarters in Kelkheim, Germany by the end of Q1 2021.
Goodyear is the new ‘Official Tire Partner’ of the Nürburgring circuit in Germany. It gained this status upon expanding its existing partnership with the Nürburgring Driving Academy, the ring°kartbahn and Offroadpark to cover the entire Nürburgring organisation.
MAHA