Kumho To Compete In OE Business
Kumho Tire is seeking OE business in Europe and North America. The company has announced expansion of production in Asia, for example in the Nanjing factory.
Kumho Tire is seeking OE business in Europe and North America. The company has announced expansion of production in Asia, for example in the Nanjing factory.
Speedline is a well-known producer of light alloy wheels for original equipment. However, the Italians want to improve their position in the aftermarket and thus a sales company has been formed for Germany in Ravensburg: SL Corse.
In the autumn “Snowprox S950” will be available in 55/50/45/40-series. According to Toyo, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in Germany this year, the new winter tyre has (compared with its predecessor “M+S 920”) improved its performance dramatically.
Two Continental-owned UK wholesalers, Viking Express and Birkenshaw International, have merged to form Viking International. The new company is one of the UK’s largest wholesalers and will operate from twelve warehouses across the country. In charge is Alan Revie, who was MD of Birkenshaw, and he will be assisted by Grahame Rooke, who held a similar role with Viking. There will be no redundancies among the 260-strong workforce. The decision to merge was taken by Continental in Germany and was implemented very quickly, although the two companies have experience of working together, for example as suppliers to the tyre expert programme. Alan Revie is keen to point out that the merger is not the result of panic, nor is it a defensive measure, as both companies were successful in their own right. Instead it is a conscious attempt to create a single force to give a better service to customers. The merger is effective immediately, although it will obviously take time to sort out new livery and new signage. More details are available in the April issue of TYRES & ACCESSORIES.
This year alloy wheel producer BBS celebrates its 30th birthday. BBS is not one of the biggest producers of aluminium wheels but intends to grow significantly: from 2003 BBS plans to build up capacities of more than 4 million pieces a year at its headquarters in Germany’s Black Forest town Schiltach, at Italy’s Ruina factory near Ferrara and at a new plant in Herbolzheim near Freiburg. BBS is an oe supplier for car brands like BMW, Mercedes (AMG), Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Saab, Volvo, Peugeot and Volkswagen and specialises in highly sophisticated wheels which means that the wheels are in extreme sizes or modular or have additional other special features. The history of BBS includes a lot of success in motorsport. BBS has been producing wheels for motorsport since 1974, and in 1991 the cooperation with Ferrari began. High-end products are the forged magnesium wheels for Formula 1 which are also flow-formed. Not only Ferrari with top driver Michael Schumacher, but also Benetton, Jaguar, Arrows, Prost, and hundreds of racing teams in other series all over the world trust in racing wheels by BBS – one of the main reasons that BBS is also the image leader in the alloy wheel aftermarkets of the world. Learn more about BBS in NEUE REIFENZEITUNG’s October issue.
Reifen-Junginger is a leading tyre sales company in the south western part of Germany with nine outlets and is a long-standing member of the Germany-wide operating cooperation “Team”. Rumours are rife that Reifen-Junginger is for sale, with interest coming from companies within the tyre industry, as well as other dealers.
“Ronal is back in the aftermarket” is the current message of the leading European aluminium wheel producer Ronal (Germany), who concentrated on oe business during recent years. With a complete program, availability and optimised market service, Ronal wants to return to its former strong position in the aftermarket.
During the so-called “tyre safety month” organised in Germany for May 2000 motorists are offered a free tyre check. Several associations (DVR, BRV, ADAC, ACE, DEKRA, TÜV etc.) are involved in this initiative as well as ten tyre manufacturers.
After Goodyear gave a profit warning for the second quarter its share prices fell yesterday by 10% to US$22.5; in June 1999 the price was US$58.7. The increase in raw material costs (rubber, oil, carbon black), the failure of securing better prices and extremely competitive prices in the UK and Germany, as well as the weak Euro against the dollar are the main reasons. US economy magazines yesterday wrote about the necessity for Goodyear “to make immediate drastic moves over there (meaning Europe).
The German rubber industry recorded sales of 18.9 bn Marks (+3.9%) in 1999, of which 11 bn Marks (+5.6%) were tyres. German tyre sales (+6.3%) grew stronger than exports (+4.0%). The dramatic increases in prices of raw-materials is a source of worry for the rubber industry, announced the rubber association W.d.K. (Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie).
Pneu-Stössel AG (Schlieren) has sold its eight outlets to the strongest independent tyre dealer organisation in Europe, Danish Viborg Gruppen. With its subsidiary Pneu Matti AG (Dietlikon), Viborg Gruppen was already one ofthe leading Swiss tyre dealers. Integrating Pneu-Stössel creates Switzerland’s market leader among independent tyre dealers with 21 outlets and more than 140 employees.
Dr. Dieter Hillecke (61), Technical Managing Director of Dunlop Germany, retires on 31st December 1999. Before joining Dunlop in 1985, Hillecke filled various positions within the Pirelli international group.
Pirelli Germany’s year end figures show an increase of 33 p.c. compared to the previous year. The consolidated turnover was 626.3 million Euro; slightly higher level than last year. The earnings of the ordinary company activities amount to 21.7 million Euro. The strongest subsidiary, “Pirelli Reifenwerke”, grew five p.c. to 442.2 million Euro. The deliveries in the original equipment market increased 34 p.c and sales of passenger car and commercial vehicle tyres increased 4.8 p.c. to 9.1 million tyres.
To boost market position Degussa-Hüls wants to invest Euro 80 million to expand the production of precipitated silicas at its factory in Wesseling/Germany. Silicas, along with rubber silanes and rubber carbon black, are important components in reducing the rolling resistance of tyres.
After having acquired Monarch (USA), Bergougnan (Belgium) and Vorwerk (Germany, now Rotatec) the new parent company Trelleborg Wheel Systems has re-arranged the distribution in several countries. After changes in France and Italy now the German partner Wenzel-Industrie has exclusive distribution rights for the Bergougnan brand, which, up to May, it shared with Industriereifenkontor Lüdtke.
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