Bettina Feldmann has left Goodyear Germany to take on a new role at Falken Tyre Europe. The Japanese manufacturer has appointed Feldmann chief operations officer of its European business, succeeding Markus Bögner in this position. Bögner remains with the company as managing director, president and chief sales officer of Falken Tyre Europe GmbH.
Falken Tyre Europe is set to be an Official IHF Men’s World Championship 2023 Partner for the upcoming tournament which is taking place at nine venues in Sweden and Poland from January 11th to 29th. The partnership was organised by the sports marketing agency Sportfive, which is responsible for exclusive marketing and media rights for all IHF World Championships until 2031.
In response to growth in recent years, Falken Tyre Europe GmbH has added a further tier to its management. As part of this restructuring, Andreas Giese and Mario Pannwitz join Keiichi Miyamoto in the Falken Tyre Europe executive team. Falken will add “additional key positions” to the management tier over the medium term.
Later this month, Falken Tyre Europe will display a range of more than twenty tyre models at The Tire Cologne. This array of products will include several newcomers, such as the Falken e.Ziex electric car tyre, Azenis FK520 UHP tyre and Eurowinter HS02 and HS02Pro winter tyres.
Falken Tyre Europe will increase the prices of its entire product portfolio by nine per cent on 1 May 2022. Falken states the increase reflects global rises in costs for raw materials, energy, and logistics. This price rise does not affect UK Falken customers, where the brand is distributed exclusively by Micheldever Tyre Services. Like Falken, MTS is owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. A Falken spokesperson told Tyrepress that MTS would inform its customers of any price rise affecting the UK.
Falken Tyres has formed a new partnership with the European Handball Federation. As part of the deal – brokered by Infront – it will benefit from a tailor-made partner package for the 15th edition of the EURO tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Hungary and Slovakia between 13 and 30 January 2022.
Falken Tyre Europe has launched its 2020 “Falken says Tanke” promotional campaign in Germany, Austria and other European core markets. From 15 September to 30 November, customers will receive a 20-euro prepaid card for refueling and shopping when buying Falken winter or all-season tyres in participating retailers. In addition, participants from Germany have the chance to win one of 25 Shell fuel vouchers worth 100 euros. There are also 100 opportunities to win the Shell V-Power Smart Deal, worth 119.99 euros, allowing winners to fill up with V-Power fuels at the price of standard fuels. Falken is also giving away a total of 17 pairs of Dalbello ski boots in the Benelux countries, Germany, Austria, and Poland. These boots come with a co-polymer sole named “GripWalk”, providing extra snow grip – an analogy to winter tyres’ performance on snow.
European lockdowns have caused sever interruptions to many in the tyre industry. But as the continent’s businesses enter a new phase of reopening, it is important to understand how this can be achieved while minimising the associated risks. Due to the different national timelines involved in this process, UK businesses may look to mainland countries a little further along this journey to see how they are proceeding. Tyres & Accessories spoke to the COO and president of Falken Tyre Europe, Markus Bögner, about how the Offenbach, Germany based company – part of Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) – has weathered lockdown, and is now beginning to “see positive changes” in key European markets.
The ADAC TOTAL 24h of the Nürburgring has been rescheduled for September, leaving a cloud-shaped hole in Falken Motorport’s schedule. The tyre brand’s team is followed by an enthusiastic fan base, though, and Falken has found a way to engage them without the totemic event of its motorsport season.
Falken will launch its new Sincera SN110 car tyre in the UK from mid-March 2020 in 49 sizes for 14-16” wheels. The manufacturer said that it aims to “bring the wear and wet grip benefits normally found in top-of-the-range tyres to cost-conscious customers driving mass market cars.” The tyre has achieved A rated wet grip performance on the EU tyre label. Falken says this shows the tyre has not compromised on safety to achieve the tyre’s increased longevity.
Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach has a new premium partner and official tyre partner for the 2019-20 season. The football club, which finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, is now working together with Falken.
Falken Tyres celebrated 20 years at the Nürburgring with sponsorship of the ADAC TOTAL 24-Hour Race (N24), held on 22-23 June 2019. The Sumitomo Rubber Industries brand’s team, run by Sven Schnabl, now fields two cars at the event, and in the VLN Endurance Championship. The UK’s Peter Dumbreck and Swiss driver Alexandre Imperatori drove the BMW M6 GT3 alongside BMW factory drivers Stef Dusseldorp and Jens Klingmann to claim an excellent sixth place finish, having started 31st on the grid, while the new Porsche 911 GT3R, driven by Austrian duo Martin Ragginger and Klaus Bachler supported by Porsche factory drivers Dirk Werner and Jörg Bergmeister, finished the race in 21st, having suffered an off that put paid to its chances of a top-ten finish. Falken also supplied racing tyres to Subaru Tecnica International’s WRX STI. Tyres & Accessories took the opportunity to catch up with Falken Tyre Europe’s new chief operating officer and president, Markus Bögner, on what is probably the rising company’s most important weekend of the year.
Markus Bögner, COO and president, Falken Tyre Europe, has told Tyres & Accessories that the brand reached a “turning point” in 2018, marked by “strong sales in an increasingly competitive market, with volumes exceeding expectations.” He said that the “Falken brand has become a genuine player in the premium tyre field, with OE sales continuing to grow over the past two to three years, particularly with premium manufacturers.
Falken Motorsports has introduced a new Porsche 911 GT3 R for the start of the 2019 motorsport season. The new Porsche will compete alongside the team’s BMW M6 GT3 at the Nürburgring, continuing the Japanese tyre brand’s 20-year commitment to the legendary Nordschleife with racing cars from two premium car manufacturers.
Tyre manufacturer Falken Tyre Europe is the official sponsor of the 26th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany and Denmark.
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