Tyres & Accessories January 2010
Now available to subscribers online, January 2010's magazine includes features on agricultural tyres and motorcycles tyres. For more details and to view the virtual magazine, click more.
Now available to subscribers online, January 2010's magazine includes features on agricultural tyres and motorcycles tyres. For more details and to view the virtual magazine, click more.
In 2009 Maxxis significantly increased its online presence, adding to and improving the content on its corporate website and launching the Maxxis Babes website. Maxxis also saw the benefits from advertising on other websites, with links on Liverpool FC’s and Max Power’s websites drawing in traffic (amongst others). Managing director Derek McMartin has been impressed with an increase in traffic, commenting: “We are delighted that more and more people are actively seeking out the Maxxis brand online, whether they are consumers who want to know more about our products and where to buy them, or tyre retailers who are considering stocking Maxxis tyres.”
When he’s not taking responsibility of Bridgestone’s UK operations, managing director John McNaught’s remit also includes the Republic of Ireland and the Nordic markets of Denmark, Sweden and Finland. For the purposes of the exclusive interview given to Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com at the end of 2009 McNaught generally spoke in his UK capacity, however while the questions centred on the UK, the answers give an insight into the general thinking behind the company’s recent development. John McNaught has worked for over 30 years within the tyre industry, gaining wide experience in equity distribution with a major focus on the truck tyre business. Here he has used this experience to help support Bridgestone to be one of the key players within the UK.
A survey conducted by Motorcycle News has placed Bridgestone’s Battle Wing and Trail Wing as its number one and two “adventure tyres”. The Biking Britain survey questioned 12,000 readers to find their top 10 in the adventure category. Readers scored the tyres highly on longevity, with Bridgestone’s tyres coming out on top of all other brands. As well as scoring highly for their long wear life, the Battle Wing was also praised by bikers for its comfortable ride with the Trail Wing providing “excellent” high-speed stability.
Qingdao, China based Fullrun Tyre Corp., Ltd. specialises primarily in the production and export of tyres for passenger vehicles, trucks and off-road vehicles. In addition to its own four brands – Fullrun, Antyre, Fullway and Clear (all of which, says Fullrun Tyre, have passed various certifications, including Dot, ECE and S-Mark) – the company acts as an agent for more than 100 brands from 56 Chinese factories. In 2009 the company achieved a turnover of US$150 million.
Concept vehicles are an integral part of the motor show circuit, and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is no exception. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO), in cooperation with General Motors, has debuted two new fitments on GMC and Cadillac concept vehicles at the show.
Creditors have reportedly named PricewaterhouseCoopers Korea and Deloitte Anjin LLC as the firms carrying out due diligence on Kumho Tire and Kumho Industrial. The accounting firms may take about two months two deliver reports, however creditors have decided to conclude the process earlier than previously planned to speed up the normalisation of the two Kumho Asiana business units.
At the start of 2008 it was stated that the upcoming launch of two new Citroën models, scheduled for release in the second half of 2009, would end more than seven decades of exclusive Michelin supply to the French manufacturer in Europe. This day has finally arrived – Bridgestone has announced OE supply on the 2010 C3 compact and the DS3, the first model in Citroën’s new premium DS line.
Associated Press has brought details of plans afoot by Washington Tire Corporation to erect an 18-building factory for the production of off-road, truck and passenger car tyres. The company, who in past times was known as American Tire Corporation, will apparently commence work on this Ephrata, Washington State project in April 2010.
The World Trade Organisation will make a ruling on the complaint lodged by China last September over the US tariffs implemented on Chinese manufactured consumer tyres. A WTO spokesperson has confirmed a panel of experts who will decide upon the validity of China’s claim has already been established.
In the US, Dealer Strategic Planning has hired Paul Chizeck to help manage the group’s growing number of Tire Dealer 20 Groups, reports Tire Review. Chizeck recently retired from Bridgestone Americas, where he last served as director of consumer tyre education. Chizeck’s 34-year background in the tyre industry includes store management, retail marketing, promotional support programs and various training and education responsibilities.
(Tire Review) Patty Fleischmann, co-owner of Community Tire & Auto Repair in Phoenix, talked about the dealership’s efforts to address the needs of female customers in a segment on a recent airing of The Chat Room, a local program produced by AZTV. Patty, wife of Howard Fleischmann, talked about the business’ certification as an AskPatty.com certified female friendly tyre and service shop and what female consumers need to know about getting their vehicles properly cared for. She also talked about the value Community Tire has received from participating in the AskPatty.com for Tire Dealers training and certification program, and what it has meant for all of its customers. You can view the video on tyrepress.com below.
Following the launch of the Maxxis Rewards national promotion last year, which the tyre manufacturer says was “highly successful”, 2010’s prizes have been rolled out in conjunction with Grouptyre – the exclusive Maxxis distributor in the UK. The 2010 programme once again features a VIP trip as the main prize. Based on the volume of Maxxis car, van and 4×4 tyres they buy within the promotional period, the top 15 dealers will win a holiday in Shanghai, China’s largest city and the world’s largest cargo port, which will include an exclusive tour of the Maxxis factory in Kunshan.
Hanover-based Delticom AG has released preliminary 2009 financial results that show group revenue totalled 310 million euros, compared with 259 million euros in 2008. The growth realised (+20 per cent) was twice as strong as expected. Last year, 800,000 customers purchased tyres for the first time in one of the company's number of online shops, which includes mytyres.co.uk in the UK.
Hankook Tire has reported record global sales and operating profits of 4.8 trillion (£2.604 billion; 2.985 billion euros) and 549.3 billion won respctively. In the period global sales grew 18 per cent year-on-year, while operating profits shot up nearly five-fold (2008: 114.2 billion won), despite the global recession. 2009 also saw the company’s European production centre in Racalmas, Hungary turn a profit after sales shot up 55 per cent year-on-year (see table). Now the company’s management has raised the bar for 2010 with a global sales target to exceed 5 trillion won (£2.717 billion; 3.109 billion euros) for the first time in its history.
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