Giorgio Gramegna is GRI’s new director for Europe and in this capacity will lead the specialty tyre manufacturer’s efforts to grow its business within the region. He is joined by Simon Michael, who GRI has named director for MEA & South America. GRI says that these appointments “signal the company’s commitment to being close to and serving customers in those regions.
Announcing the arrival of a new size 9.00-20 tyre, Nokian Tyres states that its Armor Gard 2 Mine “provides exceptional cut resistance, superb handling, and a prolonged service life,” making it an “ideal choice for drill rigs operating in demanding mining environments.” The 9.00-20 tyre joins a 10.00-20 size product in the range.
During what it refers to as a “successful” first quarter 2023, Ascenso Tyres CE has added to its team with the appointment of Pawel Kopinski, who takes over responsibility for the business in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Olaf Sandeck, who joins the company from Mitas to expand original equipment activities. The aim of generating sales of 50 million euros within five years is “thus gaining momentum.”
Galaxy LDSR 500, an all-steel radial L5 tyre for wheel loaders and dozers, is now available in 23.5R25. Introducing this addition to the range, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires says the tubeless tyre is developed for off-road construction and surface mining operations and comes with a non-directional pattern and an extra deep tread. In conjunction with a cut-resistant compound and sidewall protector, the Galaxy LDSR 500 “provides superior strength and endurance plus excellent stability during its long, reliable and productive service life.”
A fortnight ago, BKT announced its aim of increasing production by around 67% and achieving an annual turnover of US$2 billion in 3 years. The company’s Bhuj facility in western India is key to these plans and will soon manufacture numerous new products, including off-highway truck tyres, agro-forestry radials, tracks and an expanded mining tyre portfolio. BKT shares news of these and other plans.
Titan International, Inc. has reported record turnover and profitability during the 2022 financial year. While the US-based manufacturer of OTR tyres and wheels increased its net sales by 21.9% to US$2.2 billion, income from operations jumped by more than 141% to $205.8, almost doubling the return on sales to 9.5%.
Ceat Specialty has appointed Peter James Cawson to lead the company’s growing business in the UK and Ireland. The new Business Development Specialist brings with him 16 years of tyre industry experience, most recently at Michelin, where he served as a territory business manager.
Bridgestone’s Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu tyre plants in Japan are now equipped with solar power systems. With a combined generation capacity of 5.8 MW, these systems will supply electricity to produce tyres at the two sites. Bridgestone speaks of an annual CO2 reduction of around 2,700 tonnes.
Off-highway tyre specialist BKT has quantified its growth ambitions, and the figures are ambitious. Tyrepress reported yesterday that the manufacturer’s capacity across all manufacturing facilities will reach 360,000 tonnes later in 2023. But BKT has big plans for its “most strategic plant” in Bhuj and has announced its goal of harnessing this facility to achieve annual tyre production of 600,000 tonnes in 3 years. It also intends for turnover of US$2 billion a year by the end of this period.
Late in 2021, BKT announced operations would continue at its 1988-inaugurated Waluj factory following the commissioning of a plant originally intended to replace it. A year down the track and BKT reverted to its initial plan and is now redirecting the capital expenditure of Rs 3.5 billion (£35.2 million; US$42.4 million) previously approved for modernising the old plant to the newer Waluj facility to “bring in economies of scale.”
Magna Tyres Group has expanded its global footprint with the purchase of South African tyre dealer network Tirepoint. With this acquisition, Magna Tyres’ global workforce stands at more than 700. The company has declined to disclose the transaction’s financial details.
Reflecting on the year that was 2022, GRI’s Dr Mahesha Ranasoma comments that the company “made significant strides in building its GreenLeadership credentials” during the year. The chief executive officer adds that the off-highway tyre specialist “weathered the storms and the impact of the global economic downturn” during 2022, continuing to “remain resilient throughout the year.”
moveero has appointed Hugo Burgers as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 December 2022. Burgers joined moveero in September 2021 with a senior level background from across the off-highway-industry, including Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, Warn Industries and John Deere.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has reported nine-month 2022 financial results showing record profitability. Despite a 23.6 per cent decline in operating profit to 45.3 billion yen, Yokohama reported a 24.2 per cent increase in business profit, which amounted to 46.1 billion yen (£281.579 million; 321.040 million; US$330.998 million); and a 33.7 per cent increase in sales revenue, to 615.8 billion yen (£3.761 billion; 4.288 billion euros; $4.421 billion).
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
moveero
Yokohama