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PJSC Tatneft reports that the Russian Governmental Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investments has approved Tatneft’s purchase of Nokian Tyres plc’s operations in Russia, a deal that was announced on 28 October 2022. That much was expected, some would say overdue. However, Nokian Tyres reports that Tatneft will only be paying around 286 million euros for company’s high-tech St. Petersburg factory and other local assets.
Fire broke out at Hankook Tire and Technology’s Daejeon factory at 22:09 local time on Sunday 12 March. 11 people were injured, 10 Hankook staff members and one firefighter. The injuries are said to relate to smoke inhalation and are not described as serious. Now, as a result of the fire, production has been halted for an indefinite period. Nevertheless, staff say they are making every effort to get the factory operational again.
Trelleborg Group has moved its 2023 Capital Markets Day from 21 March to 23 May. We don’t normally report on such perfunctory announcements, but the reason for the above postponement is what makes this particular news of greater interest. According to an official statement published on 9 March, the reason is that “the divestment of group’s tyre operation” that is Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) “is not yet finalized”.
As the war in Ukraine drags on into its second year, ongoing vehicle usage as well as the kind of tyre failure episodes that have been reported for the last 12 months mean Russian military tyre supply is as stretched as ever. Indeed, some social media videos show Russian military equipment in active service with less than a complete set of tyres.
Roughly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, tyre problems remain a significant hindrance for the Russian army. 12 months ago we reported on how tyre selection and product quality had resulted in military machinery literally getting stuck in the mud and Russian military tyres failing on certain occasions. Now, further evidence suggests that long-term tyre maintenance as well as tyre supply problems are causing additional bottlenecks.
Following reports that Avon is set to become a two-wheel/motorcycle-only tyre brand in Germany in the future, Goodyear representatives have sought to clarify that the Avon brand will remain in the company’s product portfolio both for passenger and motorcycle tyres.
Following Goodyear’s takeover of Cooper and the integration of the German Cooper sales organization in Goodyear Germany, the German wing of Gooodyear EMEA has added two more logos to its product portfolio, those of the Cooper and of Avon brands. However, the German introduction of the latter is bringing with it significant changes in the Avon brand’s positioning.
Toward the end of December 2022, we reported that Tatneft had applied for FAS approval to buy the Nokian Tyres St. Petersburg factory. That deal, which is yet to be completed, centred on “the acquisition of 100 per cent of “Nokian Tyres LLC, Hakka Invest LLC and Nokian Shina LLC from Nokian Tyres” for just over 400 million euros. Around the same time, the Russian national patenting body, Rospatent, reported that Nokian Tyres LLC, which operates Nokian’s Russian tyre for the Finnish tyremaker, had filed applications for the registration of new trademarks.
Despite initially planning to sell its Davydovo, Russia tyre production plant to the factory’s local management, Michelin is now in talks with Moscow-based Power International Shiny LLC. Michelin reportedly hopes to reach an agreement with the new buyers “soon”.
Northern Ireland’s Vehicle Policy Unit at the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is banning tyres aged 10 years and older on the front axles of HGV’s, buses and coaches, and to the tyres on all axles of minibuses when fitted in single configuration. The changes being implemented in Northern Ireland will align with the changes introduced in Great Britain (GB) on 1 February 2021.
10 years after Apollo Tyres’ bid to acquire Cooper Tire fell through, vice-chairman and managing director Neeraj Kanwar says the company is putting its emphasis on back on North America and even hinted at the goal of building a tyre production facility there.
In June 2022, Nokian Tyres was the first tyre manufacturer to use the terms “controlled exit” to describe its withdrawal from operations in Russia. Now, Continental has joined them, with Conti CEO Nikolai Setzer using very similar language as part of the German tyre and automotive supplier’s full-year 2022 financial results presentation.
Following Continental’s mid-January preview of its key figures for the past financial year, the tyre and automotive supplier has officially released its 2022 full-year figures.
NeroForce has expanded its range of buffing blades to a total of 20 different types with the introduction of the new “AIR” blades for Saturn III and R115 rasp heads. Over the past four years, NeroForce has established its position in retreading tools, especially in the buffing blade sector.
In the USA, Vipal Rubber exhibited at the 68th Off-the-Road Tire Conference fair. Running between 22 and 25 February at the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort in the city of Tucson, Arizona and organized by the Tire Industry Association, the OTR Tire Conference presents innovations from the off-road sector.
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