Tag: North America
Continental: High retread demand driving 300% production boost at USA plant
Almost 60 ContiLifeCycle partners around the world, including 30 in the USA and Canada, currently retread tyres using ContiTread treads. Demand for these pre-cure treads is growing in North America. For this reason, Continental is raising production this year at its February 2018-inaugurated tread plant in Mount Vernon, USA by 300 per cent compared to 2018 levels. A second shift was added in March to facilitate this.
Clif Armstrong to lead Marangoni North America
Marangoni Tread North America (M.T.N.A.) is preparing for a change of leadership. Bill Sweatman, the company’s president and chief executive officer, will retire on 1 May and be succeeded by Clif Armstrong.
TGI appoints Wheeler to head North American sales team
US-based independent tyre wholesaler Tire Group International (TGI) has appointed Rick Wheeler its vice-president of National Sales. In his role, Wheeler is responsible for sales, marketing, and customer service teams for the North American market.
North American launch for Agilis CrossClimate
Michelin’s all-season tyre for light commercial vehicles will be available in the USA and Canada as of 1 April. Michelin North America has released the range seen in the UK and Europe in five C-Metric sizes, offering fitments to European van platforms that have become increasingly popular in the North American market. The Agilis CrossClimate name has also been given to a LT-Metric tyre designed specifically for ¾- and 1-ton pick-up trucks and vans. This product can be identified at a glance by its non-directional tread pattern; the LT-Metric range covers 16 sizes.
Nokian Tyres’ US plant on track for 2020 start
Providing an update on its USA factory project, Nokian Tyres reports it is on schedule to begin producing tyres at the Dayton, Tennessee site in 2020. Progress made so far on the facility’s construction, it adds, has been “significant”.
Giti’s US plant approved for tyre supply to VW
Giti Tire's United States manufacturing facility in South Carolina has completed an audit by Volkswagen to supply two tyre sizes for the 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The plant can now officially begin producing the All-Season GitiComfort A1 as an original equipment fitment for the Passat in sizes 235/45R18 95H and 235/40R19 92H. Production commences in the first quarter of the year; these tyres are the US plant’s first original equipment supplied tyres.
Cooper Tire launches Roadmaster RM351 HD mixed service drive tyre
Cooper Tire has launched the Roadmaster RM351 HD mixed service drive tyre to its North American commercial range. Engineered for mixed service applications such as construction, logging and mining operations, the tyre is designed for both on- and off-road driving, and comes in two sizes: 11R22.5 and 11R24.5, in load range H.
Pirelli’s American motorsport commitments ‘never more relevant’
Pirelli is involved in 10 major championships at the forefront of American motorsport. It commits 40 personnel to a variety of races and rallies every weekend, supplying tens of thousands of tyres. The scale of Pirelli’s competition involvement this year in North America shows, the company states, that motorsport on the continent has never been more relevant. This is because motorsport represents a part of the Italian company’s research and development for ultra-high performance tyres – an “open-air testing laboratory,” in its words – pushing the extremes of performance on track to create products for the road.
Magna Tyres Group expands into North America
Magna Tyres Group is expanding its network of offices and distribution into the United States and Canada. According to the company, Magna Tyres Group will start its expansion into the North American continent with an office in Canada.
Michelin acquires Tablet
Michelin has bought Tablet, an online travel agency specializing in boutique and luxury hotels. Headquartered in New York, Tablet was founded in 2000 by Laurent Vernhes and Michael Davis to provide a high-quality selection of unique hotel experiences to millions of travellers, and an associated booking platform. The purchase of The Tablet follows Michelin’s earlier purchase of Bookatable.com in January 2016 and Restaurantes.com in December 2016.
Toyo investing US$138 million in US plant expansion
Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. is set to create more than 150 jobs when it invests over US$138 million in its manufacturing operation in Cartersville, Georgia. According to an official announcement, new jobs will include positions in production, support and administration.
Nokian Tyres: Financial targets aim for faster growth in Europe, North America
The Board of Directors at Nokian Tyres has set new financial targets for 2019-2021. These targets include faster than market growth of more than five per cent CAGR, EBIT at 22 per cent and a shareholders’ dividend of more than 50 per cent of net earnings. Nokian says the financial targets will guide the company in reaching the strategic ambitions it set in early 2018, which include increasing sales by 50 per cent in Central Europe and doubling them in North America within the next five years.
Michelin increasing prices in North America
Michelin North America has announced increases for US national account prices of up to eight per cent for all commercial brands, products and services. The new pricing takes effect 1 December 2018. Separately, prices for car, light truck and two-wheeler tyres sold under the Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal brands in the United States and Canada will increase by up to five per cent, effective 1 January 2019.
Toyo OE for Audi Q8 in North America
The Toyo Celsius SUV A has been selected as an original equipment tyre for the Audi Q8 that goes on sale in North America this autumn. The Audi SUV wears the Toyo tyre in size 275/50 R20 113H.
John Aben appointed to head Prinx Chengshan’s North American operation
Over the past two and a half years, Prinx Chengshan has established a presence in our region with the build up of its Prinx Chengshan Europe operation in Slovakia, however the tyre maker’s international growth plans don’t just include Europe. This year a new sales and marketing subsidiary in North America is also being established. The operation is headed by John Aben, who joins the company from Giti Tire.