Alongside an exclusive tour of Linglong Tire’s new European production base in Serbia, Tyres & Accessories sat down with chairman Wang Feng in a conversation that covered topics including the company’s plans for its latest factory in Serbia, the location of its next manufacturing investment and the fast-growing tyre manufacturer’s strategic goals.
Hankook Tire, new official technical partner and tyre supplier of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and title sponsor of the current season’s opening race, says it is “prepared and ready” for its engagement in the all-electric race series. The Hankook Mexico City E-Prix takes place on 14 January and is the first of eleven race weekends around the world this year that will host a total of 16 races.
Pirelli marked the 10th anniversary of its Silao, Mexico factory with the announcement of 114 million euros of investment, envisaged in the 2021-2022 to 2025 industrial plan. The construction project is aimed at further increasing high-value production at the Mexican site and will take place during a two-year period, according to the company. As a result, the plant will see an increase in production capacity of over 1 million units, making a total of 8.5 million tyres a year by 2025 when fully operational, up from 7.2 million at the end of 2022.
It is 70 years since Galgo took its first steps towards becoming a leading supplier to the tyre retreading industry. The company began producing and marketing shoe soles in August 1952 in Mexico City but soon expanded its portfolio to include rubber flooring and mats, gaskets, tubes, flaps, and, of course, retreading products.
Pirelli has hosted the governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, which hosts one of Pirelli’s most technologically advanced industrial hubs, at its Milan headquarters. Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo discussed the latest $36 million plan, which would bring the tyre manufacturer’s annual production capacity to 7.2 million tyres in Silao, Mexico, with Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice chairman and CEO of Pirelli, and the company’s top management. The governor also visited the Research & Development center and the Fondazione Pirelli. Luigi De Chiara, the Italian ambassador in Mexico, and Carlos Garcia De Alba, the Mexican ambassador in Italy, also participated in the visit.
Continental has reopened its Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico retreading factory in alliance with Vitallantas Servicio. The tyre manufacturing partners report that the implementation of a more functional and sustainable system helped make the reopening possible.
Yokohama Tire is returning as the title sponsor of the Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 for the fifth consecutive year. And this time the tyremaker is bringing along elite drivers such as Justin Lofton and new Team Yokohama member Tanner Foust for the 54th running of the iconic rally, which takes place on the famed Baja peninsula 25-29 April 2021.
Cooper Tire wasn’t initially looking to sell when Goodyear chief executive Rich Kramer approached the company, Cooper’s president and CEO told journalists in a virtual press conference on 22 February 2021. Rather, Cooper’s management and board were convinced by Goodyear’s “compelling offer” and “strategic logic”. So, what exactly was it that convinced Cooper’s leadership team?
Galgo has announced that Rimay has become part of its worldwide network of independent dealers. The new state-of-the-art 10,000 sqft Rimay retread plant is strategically located in the Central Business Park in Mérida Yucatán, Mexico.
Continental has reported second quarter 2020 consolidated group sales of 6.620 billion euros. This equates to -39.8 per cent drop year-on-year. Pre-tax profits (EBIT) came in at -9.6 per cent of sales (-636 million euros). However, sales in the Rubber Technologies division, which includes tyres, were 2.962 billion euros and the adjusted EBIT margin was 1.2 per cent (around 36 million euros). Thus, Continental’s tyre business has managed to remain profitable despite the obvious pressures of the coronavirus context.
Cooper has begun the process of restarting its tyre manufacturing plant in El Salto, Mexico. The manufacturer said it is restarting production on a limited basis today. It states that it has “put in place a comprehensive set of procedures that include required employee health disclosures, increased cleaning and disinfecting of facilities and equipment, social distancing and physical barriers, visitor restrictions, and other measures.” These measures are aligned with the company’s “first priority of employee health and safety,” it added.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is set to open its manufacturing plants in the United States and Serbia next week (the week commencing Monday 27 April). The facilities have been temporarily closed for approximately five weeks due to coronavirus and its impacts. The company’s plant in Melksham, UK remains temporarily closed. And Cooper’s Mexico plant is to close temporarily.
Operations at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company’s production facility in El Salto, Mexico resumed yesterday. Measures to protect the health and safety of employees, including social distancing, additional cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, as well as restricted visitor access, were put in place as employees returned to work. Cooper announced the plant’s temporary closure due to coronavirus impacts on 21 March.
SPR Group recently set up a new tyre recycling plant in San José, Costa Rica via its affiliate in Mexico.
The new facility, located in the capital city of Costa Rica, has been designed to afford the use of the secondary fast-rotation granulator getting an input up to 5 tonnes per hour. This technological solution developed by SPR Group makes it possible to obtain a granulometry lower than 35 mm ready to be used as Alternative Fuel in the industry.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company announced on Friday that its tyre manufacturing plants in North America will remain shuttered for at least another two weeks. The company began closing down its Findlay, Clarksdale, Tupelo and Texarkana facilities in the USA and El Salto plant in Mexico on 21 March and intended to shut them down for two two three weeks. It says the production pause is being extended both to protect the health and safety of employees and as a response to decreased market demand. Cooper will continue to closely monitor the situation and adjust timing as necessary.
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