Local newspaper, The Sentinel reports that a 70-year old man from Stoke-on-Trent was placed under citizen’s arrest earlier in the week after a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator said he saw him “stab the tyres of a Ford Ka” in Sneyd Green.
When at the start of the year Japanese manufacturer Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. put the brakes on expenditure in response to the global economic and financial crisis, the package of measures implemented were received with a shock: layoffs, massive budget cutbacks, withdrawal from the Tokyo Motor Show, restrictions upon travel for management and so on. Later it became public knowledge that top managers voluntarily forewent their bonuses. Since that time a collective sigh of relief has been breathed that some of the restrictions didn’t turn out to be as severe as first anticipated, and for Toyo’s factories in particular the tide has turned. "Our plant utilisation in Japan is already approaching a hundred per cent," comments Tatsuo Mitsuhata (44), executive vice president Toyo Tire Europe. The company’s Japanese competitors are somewhat lagging in this respect and their recovery not occurring as quickly as Toyo’s.
With a strong focus in its corporate communications on providing more fuel efficient tyres with reduced rolling resistance, Michelin clearly sees an opportunity for its premium products in the current climate by emphasising its tyres’ abilities in this area.
Alcoa’s Wheel and Transportation Products business has introduced the "CalcuLighter". Found at http://www.alcoa.com/calculighter, the CalcuLighter is an on-line tool for truck fleet and owner-operators that is designed to provide exact financial data comparing steel and aluminium wheel alternatives. Designed primarily for US based users, site visitors can quickly compare steel duals versus aluminium duals or wide base wheels, or aluminium duals compared to wide base, simply by entering a few specifics regarding their own operational needs.
Continental Tyre Group is highlighting the benefits of using its free online fuel saving calculator to lower operational costs. Continental’s fuel saving calculator is designed to compare all premium competitor products for regional and long distance applications. By entering the fleet size, the number of kilometres travelled per year, the average fuel consumption of the selected tyre brand and the fuel cost in £ per gallon, the tool calculates the annual fuel consumption with the chosen brand and the annual fuel spend.
Recent positive economic indicators coming out of Europe, Asia and the US have given analysts reason to forecast a recovery in the global logistics industry. However for global freight and parcel volumes and revenues to rebound significantly – and therefore the tyre sales which rely on logistics firms’ prosperity – analysts at Datamonitor suggest there will need to be “major improvements in consumer confidence, industrial output and subsequent international trade volumes.”
1 in 5 companies in the UK Tyre Manufacturers & Distributors industry are now making a loss making according to analysts at Plimsoll Publishing. The report’s author, David Pattison, commented: “Increasingly we are seeing companies making a loss for the first time in their history and I think they can rightly claim they are victims of difficult trading conditions.”
However, 30 companies are reportedly making a loss for the second and even third year running. According to Plimsoll, “these companies are either blatantly undercutting the rest of the market to enhance or maintain market share or, more likely, have delayed making…painful decision[s]…No one wants to trim costs, lay off staff, cancel dividend payments and the like but continuing on regardless is fast becoming unviable.”
20 per cent of tyres fitted to major leasing fleet vehicles are being replaced early due to avoidable tyre damage. According to figures published by ATS Euromaster following a review of the tyre replacement cycle across 100,000 lease vehicles, the average remaining tread on tyres removed through damage is 4.8mm. With 1mm of tread equivalent to approximately 4,000 miles, these damaged tyres are achieving less than half their potential life. Across a sample fleet of 25,000 vehicles, this damage is costing over £440,000 each year in wasted mileage potential.
The three-year contract BFGoodrich signed with the United Steelworkers for its Tuscaloosa, US plant is said to have had one of the lowest number of ‘no’ votes ever experienced by the local union chapter. "'We are pleased with the contract. We are pleased with the vote," USW Local 351 president Jimmy Price told local media. Price, who was on the union's bargaining committee, added that he felt BFGoodrich was "very responsible to give a fair contract."
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) in the US have come across a potential replacement for silica as a reinforcing filler in tyres. Microcrystalline cellulose, which can be produced from almost any type of plant fibre, is a micrometer-sized type of crystalline cellulose that can be produced through the low-cost process of acid hydrolysis using cellulose, the component that comprises about 40 to 50 per cent of wood.
This year Toyo Tires are the official group sponsor at the Goodwood Revival for the first time. Sarah Clavey, senior marketing executive at Toyo Tires commented: “Toyo Tyres have achieved great success within a relatively short period in the Trackday and motorsport arena. Our range of motorsport tyres, led by the Proxes R888 are fast becoming the tyre of choice by many competitors and in many championships. As the Goodwood Revival celebrates all aspects of motorsports, from past to present, we are very excited to be associated with such a prestigious event which brings together all of our motorsport values.”
We’ve been praying for this to happen…a church north of Glasgow has decided to build its new place of worship out of old tyres and other waste products. Colston Milton Parish Church will find out on August 28 whether its new building project has obtained Glasgow City Council approval, and should the blessing for it to proceed be given, construction should start next summer.
When building its all-new factory in China, Toyo Tire & Rubber will be going it alone. During a Board of Directors meeting on August 27, the company decided to end its joint venture agreements for tyre production in China. Toyo has operated Cheng Shin-Toyo Tire & Rubber (China) Co., Ltd. together with Taiwan’s Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd. since the end of 1995, with a focus upon manufacturing car tyres and tubes for the Chinese market. The company also began a partnership, Cheng Shin-Toyo Tire (Xiamen) Co., Ltd., with Maxxis International Co., Ltd. in 2002, producing commercial vehicle radials. Both joint ventures have been terminated as of August 27.
Faced with weak global demand for tyres during the first half of 2009, Indonesian manufacturer PT Gajah Tunggal has reported a year on year decline for this period. According to the company, sales fell in the first six months of 2009 by 2.9 per cent to nearly 3.8 trillion rupiah (about £232 million). Operating margin […]
ATS Euromaster are offering a series of discount vouchers redeemable at any ATS Euromaster centre in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland online. Consumers can access the deals by logging on to www.atseuromaster.co.uk and include discounts on a range of different car and van tyres, including Michelin and Pirelli, as well as great savings on an array of popular fast-fit parts and services such as wheel alignments, batteries and exhausts.
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