The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid Long is the first imported hybrid vehicle to hit Japan’s roads, so it’s no surprise that Bridgestone is proud to announce the supply of its Potenza RE050 Ecopia range as original equipment. The RE050 Ecopia will be fitted to the large German saloon in 255/45R18 99Y size.
A group of 10 workers at Bridgestone America’s Firestone agricultural tyre plant in Des Moines are a bit happier today. The group cashed in on a winning ticket in the Iowa Powerball lottery last week, taking in a total of US$1 million.
Russian petrochemicals group OAO Tatneft (Kama and Niznekamshina’s parent company) said it is set to expand its tyre manufacturing capacity with the commissioning of a 1.2 million tyres a year all-steel truck and bus radial plant near its existing Niznekamshskina plant in Niznekamsk. The commissioning follows investment of around 17 billion rubles (£362 million; 388 million euros; US$578 million) in line with a plan first conceived in 2006. Increasing demand in this part of the Russian market is said to be behind the move, with Tatarstan truck manufacturer KamAZ Auto Manufacturer lined up as a customer.
According to Tatneft such large-scale construction of a factory from scratch is “really unique in today's Russia” and is part of a strategic investment programme scheduled to continue until 2013 – providing for the “further increase of the Kama-Euro type tyre production.” According to a company statement, Tatneft has implemented major investment projects in this field during the past few years, such as organizing the production of Kama-Euro passenger cars and light truck tyres using Pirelli technology and the construction of a new rubber-mixing complex.
The new plant, which Tatneft refers to as its “SSC Tire Factory” (SSS = Solid Steel Cord) reportedly allows the company to produce tyres which offer 8 per cent more weight capacity and “significantly reduce fuel consumption.” In addition, SSC tyres can reportedly be retreaded up to three times, thus extending potential life up to 500,000 kilometres, says Tatneft.
Representatives from the US Navy may have hauled up their anchors and, as it were, set sail for Greenville, South Carolina during October’s Navy Week 2009 festivities, but whether Michelin North America has grounds for continued celebration remains to be seen. While Michelin is currently top dog in the US military supply game, a defence bill passed by the US House of Representatives in late July opens up bidding on military contracts to other potential suppliers.
(Tire Review) Pep Boys has agreed to acquire Orlando-based Florida Tire for $4.4 million, the latest in a series of deals that has seen 90 independent tyre dealer locations change hands over the last 60 days. Florida Tire has ten locations in the Orlando are, and posts annual sales of $14 million. The acquisition is expected to close 30 October. Since the beginning of September, four other independent dealers have sold some or all of their businesses. Erlanger, Kentucky-based Bob Sumerel Tire sold its 30-store retail tyre business to an Ohio arm of AAA. Terms of the deal were not released, but the deal did not include Sumerel Tire’s commercial tire division, which includes 12 commercial tyre centres and four mixed commercial/retail locations. Greensboro, North Carolina-based Snider Tire Inc. acquired Greenville, South Carolina-based Consolidated Tires Inc., with six commercial centres in South Carolina and Georgia, and one retread plant in South Carolina.
Commercial production of agricultural tyres at Alliance Tire’s factory in Tirunelveli, India is anticipated to begin before the end of 2009 following the recent commencement of start-up test production. The first products from the US$100 million plant are expected to be cross-ply off-road tyres, and the start of manufacture in India is anticipated to allow Alliance to increase radial production in Israel.
A voluntary recall has been issued on a number of sizes in Hankook Tire’s RA08 light commercial tyre range. The sizes included in the safety recall are 185/75R16C, 205/75R16C and 215/75R16C tyres produced at Hankook’s facility in Dunaujvaros, Hungary between April 2008 and June 2009.
Mancton Rubber Technologies – a tyre reclamation facility in Sheffield – has been aflame since 22:00 on 13 October and reports suggest that it could continue throughout the remainder of today after firefighters agreed to allow the fire to burn out. The 60 firefighters and nine engines at the scene are concentrating their efforts on cooling structures around the Stevenson Road, Atercliffe factory, using water from the River Don to prevent steelwork constructions from collapsing. Police say they will investigate the causes of the fire when it is no longer ablaze.
75 per cent of tyre referrals now come through the DriveRight system, according to the tyre and wheel data specialists. Company data shows DriveRight assists in facilitating over $4,500 worth of wheel and tyre business every second in the US alone. In the UK, 95 per cent of alloy wheels and 75 per cent of tyre referrals are said to be sourced using DriveRight data.
With consumers more commercially aware and web-savvy than ever, some tyre shoppers are wooed by user-friendly interfaces proving step-by-step guides to selecting a range of tyre options. Yet those inside the industry realise that while a GUI presentation is important, the integrity of the data at the back end is critical to business.
Stapleton’s says that, despite the current economic climate, sales have been “performing well” over the past twelve months, reaching levels similar to those in 2008, and that it feels well-placed to take advantage of the current growth in the replacement tyre market. That the wholesaler has seen its private and exclusive brands – which include Primewell, Matador, Prestivo and Nexen – growing is perhaps unsurprising due to current market conditions, though Stapleton’s is keen to show that the programmes available alongside these labels are to some extent also responsible for their rise. “All of these ranges are offered with attractive dealer support packages to reward valued loyalty,” the company states. It also stocks all the major names.
Bridgestone has announced that it will continue its policy of taking two tyre options with a wider compound stiffness gap to the penultimate Grand Prix of the Formula One season. Sao Paulo’s undulating anti-clockwise Interlagos circuit will see super soft and medium compound Potenza slicks used between 16 and 18 October. The combination has been seen previously this year in Australia, China, Bahrain and Germany.
New research conducted by safety organisation TyreSafe shows that drivers in East Anglia and the North West are among the most likely to be involved in a tyre related car accident. Nearly one in four drivers in these regions have never checked the depth of their tyre tread. TyreSafe's research was conducted in August 2009 among 1552 motorists across the UK and found drivers in Wales were found to be the most responsible. Here, 40 per cent claimed to have checked their tyre tread depth within the last month, the maximum period recommended between checks. This was closely followed by drivers in Scotland where nearly four in ten drivers performed checks.
The International Tyre, Rubber & Plastics Federation (ITRPF) has confirmed Alan Davis nomination as general secretary of the association. Alan Davis was originally nominated during a board meeting held at the Sheraton Conference Center at Frankfurt Airport on Monday 6 July 2009. Alan Davis has spent 36 years working in the tyre industry within various departments such as manufacturing, technical, tyre research, and purchasing. His last position was UK purchasing manager for Goodyear Dunlop. The federation is currently renewing its website and reportedly intends to intensify its activities and involvement in environmental concerns, technical and technological support, and industrial trends and development of tyre and rubber waste. The ITRPF is holding its next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 11 November at the InterCity Hotel in Celle near Hannover, Germany in conjunction with the AgriTechnica Show that will be held on 10 to 14 November 2009.
Tyrespot has announced that al all of the company’s drivers “sailed through their level two NVQ” qualifications. Each member of staff successfully passed the seven modules on topics including contributing to effective working relationships; maintaining the safety and the security of the load, self and property; contributing to the provision of customer services; completing pre-journey and post-journey procedures; planning the route and timings for the delivery and collection of loads; transport goods and materials; and handling goods and materials. Congratulating them on their success, Tyrespot wholesale director Alan Tippin said he is “proud of every member of staff for passing these seven points.”
The UK automotive industry gained a boost on October 13 when Lord Mandelson’s persuaded Vauxhall’s new owner to back down on redundancy plans that could have cost 5,000 workers their jobs. Magna International made a commitment to the long-term future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port and Luton plants in exchange for concessions including a two-year salary freeze. Mandelson will now commence final talks with the German Government over how much Britain will contribute to the £4.1 billion state loan the Germans have committed to back the Canadian company’s takeover of General Motors Europe.
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