![Goodyear opens Luxembourg Tire Test Laboratory](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/carlos-cipolitti.jpg)
Goodyear opens Luxembourg Tire Test Laboratory
Goodyear has opened its new Tire Test Laboratory at its Innovation Center in Luxembourg. The manufacturer said it will measure tyre development performance, conduct regulatory and homologation tests, and perform quality control at the state-of-the art facility. The lab includes the latest technology for testing car, light truck and commercial truck tyres.
Continue ReadingGuizhou Tyre to set up tyre plant in Vietnam
Guizhou Tyre Co. Ltd. intends to build a truck tyre factory in Vietnam. Chinese industry publication Tireworld writes that the company will invest RMB 1.67 billion (£189.3 million) in the project, which will result in a plant capable of manufacturing 1.2 million all-steel radials per annum. The intention is to set up the factory in the Long Jiang Industrial Park, some 30 miles from Ho Chi Minh City; Tireworld says a 20-hectare site has been selected, with construction commencing in the coming 12 months.
Continue Reading![Global ambitions: Wanli Tire launches ‘F Plan’](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/wanli.jpg)
Global ambitions: Wanli Tire launches ‘F Plan’
China’s Wanli Tire aims to compete on even terms with the established tyre majors, and the tyre maker has its eye on a spot in the global ‘top ten’. The company’s path to international success will be guided by a new strategy that Wanli Tire general manager, Li Xiaoyun, outlined at Auto Shanghai.
Continue ReadingClose, but not yet in the top 20 – tyre retailers pushing forward
By definition, the top 20 ranking focuses its attention on the 20 largest retail chains in a given year. However, it would be wrong to assume that there aren’t equally important changes outside the top 20. Take the next five positions for example, there have also been significant changes in the fifth tier (positions 21 to 25 inclusive). And, with some 20,000 points of sale where tyres can be bought in total (including garages), all 25 positions only account for the top 10 per cent of the overall market. With that in mind, let’s take a look at those that just missed out on the attention of being in the top 20.
Continue ReadingShandong Linglong Tire: Net income up 49% in 2016
Shandong Linglong Tire Co Ltd has reported increased sales and profits for 2016. In its 2016 Annual Report, the Chinese tyre maker declares net sales of RMB 10.5 billion last year (£1.2 billion), a 20.4 per cent increase from 2015 and a record high. Operating income rose 32.3 per cent to RMB 1.1 billion (£124.7 million) and net income was up 49.0 per cent to RMB 1.0 billion (£113.4 million).
Continue Reading![Exclusively online & direct from manufacturer: European launch for Apollo TBR tyre range](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Apollo-EnduRace_RA-sml.jpg)
Exclusively online & direct from manufacturer: European launch for Apollo TBR tyre range
Apollo Tyres has thrown its hat into the European truck and bus radial ring and introduced a complete range for our regions. Furthermore, the company is only distributing these products online, through its own ApolloTyresDirect.com portal. The company is the first, and so far, only tyre manufacturer to use the direct online approach to market here, and it says pricing on the site is completely transparent and free from hidden costs or complicated deals.
Continue Reading![Kal Tire acquires Tyre Corporation’s South Africa business](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kal-Tire_tb.jpg)
Kal Tire acquires Tyre Corporation’s South Africa business
The Kal Tire Mining Tire Group has acquired the South African operations of Tyre Corporation. It is hoped that the transaction, which took place for an undisclosed sum, will enable the growth achieved by Tyre Corporation in South Africa over the past decade to continue. It also gives Tyre Corporation’s customers access to Kal Tire services such as its exclusive Ultra Repair process for ultra-class tyres.
Continue Reading![Protyre is fastest growing UK retail chain for 2nd straight year](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/protyre-portsmouth.jpeg)
Protyre is fastest growing UK retail chain for 2nd straight year
The 2017 edition of Tyres & Accessories’ annual retail report shows that the overall number of branches controlled by the top 20 retail chains continues to grow. However, that is just part of the story and the data shows that there have actually been significant movements in every tier of the top 20. Perhaps the clearest observation is that Micheldever’s Protyre retail chain is once again the fastest growing in the UK – a title it claims in 2017 for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Goodyear’s HiQ franchise network is the top 20’s fastest faller – something that suggests the first changes in the make-up of the top five since we started tracking the UK retail landscape could take place before the year is out.
Continue ReadingTriangle Tire net profit down 2.6% in Q1 2017
Despite a 36.3 per cent increase in operating income to RMB 2.2 billion (£249.4 million) in the first quarter of 2017, Triangle Tire reports that its year-on-year net profit declined 2.6 per cent in the first three months of the year to RMB 156.9 million (£17.8 million).
Continue Reading![Comline braking development shows no signs of stopping](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Braking-collection.jpg)
Comline braking development shows no signs of stopping
Comline Auto Parts (Comline), the award-winning British distributor of European, Japanese and Korean replacement parts, has enhanced its brake pad and disc offering with over 50 new part numbers. The company says its friction offering is a major reason for its status as one of the fastest-growing automotive brands in Europe.
Continue Reading![Michelin: Pre-price rise buying drives Q1 sales](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mich-q1-2017.jpg)
Michelin: Pre-price rise buying drives Q1 sales
A desire to purchase before price increases took effect on 1 April buoyed sales of Michelin tyres during the first quarter of 2017. Increased sales volumes accounted for 7.3 per cent of the 9.9 per cent year-on-year rise in net sales during the period. Net sales amounted to €5.57 billion in the first three months of the year. While Michelin hasn’t published its operating result or margins for the quarter, it expressed a hope that margins will improve in the second half of the year.
Continue Reading![Continental to continue investing in China](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/conti-auto-shanghai-sml.jpg)
Continental to continue investing in China
During the Continental AG press conference at the Auto Shanghai show in China, chief executive officer Dr Elmar Degenhart confirmed that the company intends to continue investing in China “at a comparable level” to recent years. Continental has invested €1.3 billion in the country over the past half a decade. Degenhart also commented that Continental anticipates its sales will grow at a faster rate than the market in China, particularly in the field of mobility services.
Continue Reading![Bridgestone: GM award ‘testament to our product, engineering and manufacturing performance’](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/bridgestone-GM.jpg)
Bridgestone: GM award ‘testament to our product, engineering and manufacturing performance’
General Motors recognised 118 of its best global suppliers during its 25th annual Supplier of the Year awards ceremony on 31 March in Orlando, Florida. Automotive suppliers from 15 countries received GM’s Supplier of the Year award for going above and beyond GM’s requirements, providing customers with the most innovative technologies and the industry’s highest-quality vehicles. More than half of the suppliers were repeat winners from 2015, including Bridgestone Corporation, who received an award for the second consecutive year and for the 15th occasion in total.
Continue Reading![Membat Tire: Opportunities in Asia Pacific](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/tyrexpo-membat-natan-sml.jpg)
Membat Tire: Opportunities in Asia Pacific
Having opened a representative office in Singapore last September, exhibiting at Tyrexpo Asia was a logical decision for Membat Tire. Not only was the Membat range on display at the show and the Membat team engaged in talks with visitors regarding the brand’s expansion, Membat’s R&D manager also gave a presentation at the Tyre Talk seminar series.
Continue Reading![SRI team commended for ‘4D Nano’ research](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/sri-award.jpg)
SRI team commended for ‘4D Nano’ research
Researchers from Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) and two Japanese universities have received an award from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The Science and Technology (Development Category) award was bestowed upon the five researchers during the 2017 Commendations for Science and Technology and was given for their contribution towards tyre development through the coordinated utilisation of advanced technologies.
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