Marangoni Offers Synergies and New Products in “The Village“

“For over 50 years our Group has believed in tyres and has educated its people and developed new technologies to be able to handle every aspect and every phase of a tyre’s life cycle,” Mario Marangoni president of the Italian Marangoni group points out. Today Marangoni belongs to the few companies that are covering all the different aspects of tyres. In the future this is going to be communicated even more. Marangoni now wants to harmonise and internationalise its own brand appearance, says Massimo De Alessandri, managing director of the Marangoni Holding company in an interview with Tyres & Accessories.

Marangoni’s highly integrated activities are covering whole life cycles of tyres in the different market segments. Starting from the development and production of machinery and technology for the tyre industry to the development of modern retreading systems; continuing with the production of new tyres for industrial use as well as for passenger cars including their respective retreading. The distribution of all of these products is organised through a network of branch offices and distributors in many different countries and in Italy through Marangoni’s own retail network. All the life cycles are ended with the generation of power by recycling scrap tyres. All these different commercial activities are now organised in three fundamental business units Retreading Systems, Car Tyres as well as Commercial & Industrial Tyres. Several operating sites across Italy, Europe and the world belong to each of these business units.

It was most important to generate synergies by the interrelation of the three business units. In particular, this was shown through Marangoni’s very extensive work in research and development, De Alessandri explains. This means comprehensive know-how which is deepened in many different details.

Marangoni’s strength in specialised tyre applications, its ability to respond to the rapid evolution of the product and the market’s new technologies come about from this experience developed in 50 years of research, work and knowledge.

Marangoni Retreading Systems

Marangoni Retreading Systems is one of the group’s three business units. It operates in the sector of material and technology for tyre retreading. This unit incorporates Marangoni Tread, Ellerbrock in Germany and Eurorubber, companies that, through their vast and integrated ranges, have become the European leaders in the pre-cured retreading market, Marangoni says. Today about one quarter of cold retreaded truck tyres use materials made by Marangoni Retreading Systems. The unit has an annual turnover of more than 130 million euros (60 per cent in Europe, 40 per cent in the rest of the world), operates six manufacturing facilities, with three in Italy (two in Frosinone and one in Parma), one in Germany (Hamburg), one in the United States (Nashville), and one in Brazil (Belo Horizonte), with a total workforce of 500 people, 350 in Europe and 150 in the other countries.

Marangoni’s presence at the Essen exhibition this year was especially significant, given the huge success achieved by the Ringtread System on the German market, thanks to the involvement of the Ellerbrock subsidiary. Marangoni Retreading Systems this year aims to reach a 10 per cent market share in the pre-cured ring segment in Germany, just three years after its introduction: a figure approaching the market share held in the rest of Europe.

In order to promote the use of tyres which were retreaded according to the Ringtread system and in order to deliver services and consultation to fleets, last year Marangoni founded RingNet, the specialist Europe-wide network of retreaders and resellers of Ringtread tyres. In Europe there are currently around 60 retreading centres belonging to the network that, through their own service centres, cover the whole of Europe. RingNet is also rapidly expanding through the participation of the main European tyre truck dealers.

Car Tyres

In a market that is increasingly moving towards specialisation, Marangoni’s car tyres division has for some time now been focusing on the development and production of high and ultra high performance summer and winter tyres. This decision has been backed by intense R&D work and driven by the strong synergic relationships that bind together all the Marangoni Group companies and over the last 10 years, the result of this approach combined with top Italian quality has seen the increasing impact of Marangoni car tyres in the world’s most demanding and selective market, Europe, explains Andrea Vassura, managing director for the tyre division.

Senzaria is the latest run-flat technology designed by Marangoni, which ensures the tyre is self-supporting and anchored firmly to the rim even when the tyre loses pressure. Even in the event of punctures or sudden loss of pressure the tyre will not break from the wheel rim and will remain drivable. The exceptional strength of the tyre also offers greater safety in terms of damage prevention, therefore reducing the risk of punctures. The first Senzaria prototype, applied to the top-end Mythos and Meteo HP products in the 225/45 R17 size, was presented at Reifen 2006.

The special self-supporting structure of the Senzaria is the result of an exclusive combination of reinforcements, the overlapping of special plies and innovative compounds. Products with Marangoni Senzaria technology also feature MHCT, a specially developed protection system that prevents the tyre from overheating in conditions of stress. This in turn limits temperature increases inside the tyre structure, even when driving with a loss of tyre pressure. The range of Marangoni tyres available with Senzaria technology and the corresponding marketing release dates will be published shortly.

Apart from Marangoni’s new run-flat technology the Italian group also showed more of its latest products from the passenger car tyre segment in the so-called “Marangoni Village.” For example the new Marangoni Mythos from the UHP segment. Currently there are 17 dimensions available between 17 and 19 inches, aspect ratios 45 to 30 and widths of 215 to 275. Marangoni is going to launch three more dimensions for its new Meteo HP high performance winter tyre: 205/60 R16, 205/50 R17 and 225/50 R17.

Commercial & Industrial Tyres

In this market segment, Marangoni is one of the main European producers; it is the largest supplier for one of the most important manufacturers of forklifts, a leader in the spare parts markets and at the top thanks to the quality of its products, the Marangoni group claims. The range includes three classic types (super-elastic, cushion and pneumatic) and covers a wide range of applications: from forklifts, raised platforms, port equipment, trailers, crane, bulldozers to airport trailer carts.

Marangoni considers itself as the undisputed leader in the European earthmover retreaded tyre sector. This position, gained in the past few years, was a clear demonstration of how the knowledge of every aspect of a tyre’s existence can become an influential role in the development of extremely hi-tech and rapidly-evolving new products.

Retreaded passenger car tyres that offer quality, safety and performance, while respecting the environment – this is Marix’s mission (Marangoni’s brand name for retreaded passenger car, 4×4 and light truck vehicle tyres) which puts its know-how and top level experience on the table. With a production of 1 million pieces per year, each Marix tyre is a product of Marangoni’s long running know-how developed through research and experimentation.