![VMI breaks ground on Poland plant](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Cornerstone1.jpg)
VMI breaks ground on Poland plant
VMI Group broke ground on its new manufacturing plant in Leszno, Poland on 2 November 2016. In the first phase, the company is building a 13,500 m2 facility on its 8 hectare plot of land with goal of extending the current manufacturing capabilities of the company. VMI Group now has entities in 8 countries on 5 continents.
Continue ReadingChemChina denies bidding for Kumho
Reuters reports that ChemChina did not bid for Kumho Tire, citing a ChemChina executive. told Reuters, denying South Korean media. Roughly 10 parties are said to have expressed an interest in buying a controlling stake in Kumho, which is the worlds 12th-biggest tyre manufacturer. Analysts suggest the deal could be worth around 1 trillion won ($870.02 million).
Continue Reading![Yokohama Rubber aeroacoustic simulation technology wins research project award](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Acoustics-around-Rolling-Tyre-newsimage.jpg)
Yokohama Rubber aeroacoustic simulation technology wins research project award
Yokohama’s research on ‘Highly accurate fluid analysis and data mining for next-generation silent tyre development’ has received an Excellent achievement research project award for general-use research themes undertaken using the High Performance Computing Infrastructure (HPCI). Yokohama’s research was conducted in cooperation with the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), a research arm of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), HPCI is promoted by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The award was announced at the third project report meeting of the HPCI System Including K computer, held at the Kokuyo Hall in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on 21 October.
Continue Reading![Weeting Tyres’ Kings Lynn store joins HiQ franchise network](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/HiQ-Kings-Lynn.jpg)
Weeting Tyres’ Kings Lynn store joins HiQ franchise network
HiQ has boosted its franchise network in East Anglia, adding a new Kings Lynn store. The site, formerly part of Weeting Tyres, will reopen as HiQ Kings Lynn; Weeting Tyres is a long-time partner of HiQ, with several stores already part of the retail network. Its existing HiQ stores, based in Ipswich, Chelmsford and Bury St Edmunds, have been part of HiQ’s franchise network for the last five years.
Continue Reading![Virtual Reality Farming with Trelleborg at EIMA](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Trelleborg-at-EIMA.jpg)
Virtual Reality Farming with Trelleborg at EIMA
Trelleborg will display its new virtual reality app at EIMA International 2016 in Bologna between 9 and 13 November on stand A1, Hall 14. The company says the app gives users to see Trelleborg’s best-in-class agricultural tyres in action. Visitors can also experience the challenges of modern agriculture on-stand with the new Farming Simulator 17 video game, of which Trelleborg is the official partner for agricultural tyres.
Continue Reading![Hunter commercial vehicle alignment system gains Mercedes-Benz OEM approval](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WA360HD-MB.jpg)
Hunter commercial vehicle alignment system gains Mercedes-Benz OEM approval
Mercedes-Benz has given the Hunter three-axle commercial vehicle alignment system OEM approval. Available exclusively in the UK through wheel alignment specialist Pro-Align, Hunter states that its system is the first and only wheel aligner available capable of providing live alignment readings on three axles simultaneously, reducing the time needed to conduct an alignment check. The aligner can be used on all Mercedes-Benz trucks, buses, trailers and vans, including those with multiple steering axles. The CV approval follows Mercedes-Benz making Hunter’s car focused aligners available to dealers last year.
Continue Reading![Motor Wheel Service Distribution restructures senior management](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Matt-Mardle.jpg)
Motor Wheel Service Distribution restructures senior management
Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD) has restructured its senior management in preparation for future growth. The changes follow the launch of MWSD’s German division and the impending implementation of the EU Roadworthiness Act. Company founder and owner John Ellis becomes chief executive and Matthew Mardle, who joined the business earlier this year as operations director, takes the title of chief operating officer. Kevin Ryan maintains the specialist product development and client advisor role as chief technical officer, and Clive Maudsley is now chief financial officer. Michael Payton maintains his position as marketing director.
Continue Reading![De Alessandri – still at Marangoni, at least for the “next few months”](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Massimo-De-Alessandri_tb.jpg)
De Alessandri – still at Marangoni, at least for the “next few months”
Outgoing chief executive officer Massimo De Alessandri will remain involved with the Marangoni Group for at least “the next few months,” the Italian retreading company confirmed to Tyres & Accessories. His continued engagement covers a “phase of the organisational transition,” including the appointment of new chief executive officer Dino Maggioni.
Continue Reading![Algarve Product Experience extends Davanti’s first-year hot streak](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Davanti_Autodromo_Porsche.jpg)
Algarve Product Experience extends Davanti’s first-year hot streak
Davanti’s first full year has seen the brand engage in a broad and intensive range of sales and marketing activities, led by a rapid fire trade show appearance schedule. Interest in the brand has been quick to ignite in its UK home market. The company’s management has consistently said the wildfire-like growth of Landsail – distributed by Grouptyre member and Davanti Tyres sister wholesaler Oak Tyres, and manufactured, like all of Davanti’s current products, by Qingdao Sentury Tire – in the UK has not been the focus; according to them Davanti wants to grow in a more controlled, brand-driven manner. So far the company has certainly more than fired a warning shot across the bows of other brands operating in the highly competitive aspirational mid-range sector of the UK market, while Davanti’s recent appointment of European sales director Michael Eckert, formerly of Sailun, Hankook and Michelin in his 21-year career, demonstrates its seriousness about growing into continental Europe. So this was an excellent time for the company to host its first dealer event; a three-day Product Experience trip at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Continue Reading![Yongtai Chemical-owned Covpress in administration](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/yongtai.jpg)
Yongtai Chemical-owned Covpress in administration
Coventry-based car panel OE supplier Covpress entered administration at the end of September, with administrators stressing there are no current plans for redundancies amongst the 800 staff. Rather there is a good chance the business will be sold as a going concern. So far around 50 companies are said to have expressed an interest. But with business on the up at Covpress, could a deflated Chinese tyre business be behind the news?
Continue ReadingFM Tyres a reliable partner to wholesalers
The last time Tyres & Accessories spoke with Frank van Leeuwen, he was still managing director at Dutch wholesaler Euro-Tyre. He left the company in 2014 and subsequently formed a new business with former Euro-Tyre purchasing manager Mischa Driessen; today the pair are still based in Venlo as shareholders and partners in FM Tyres, and draw upon their more than 20 years of experience in the tyre business in their new role as “reliable partner” to wholesalers around the world.
Continue ReadingTech buys Salvadori
Technical Rubber Company, Inc. (the Johnson, Ohio-based firm also known as Tech or TRC) has bought of Rovereto, Italy-based Salvadori S.r.l in a transaction that completed last week.
Continue ReadingHankook Tire: Revenues decline, operating profit up 23% in Q3 2016
Hankook Tire reports sales revenues of KRW 1.657 trillion for the third quarter of 2016, 3.9 per cent lower than in the corresponding quarter a year ago, and operating profit of KRW 297.1 billion. Operating profit increased 22.9 per cent compared to the same period of 2015.
Continue Reading![Continental celebrates official start of US factory project](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/conti-groundbreaking.jpg)
Continental celebrates official start of US factory project
An official groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday for the new Continental tyre factory in the USA. The ceremony, attended by federal, state and local governmental officials, marked the beginning of the construction process, which is expected to be completed in 2019.
Continue Reading![Aufine highlights new winter, truck ranges](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/citexpo-aufine-sml.jpg)
Aufine highlights new winter, truck ranges
Passenger car tyres account for the majority of Qingdao-based tyre maker Aufine Group’s production, and company general manager David Sun shares that Aufine is now selling these products throughout all of Europe. One range that is selling particularly well within the region is the new Aufine winter car tyre line, the Supergrip S1, which is manufactured in 19 sizes for 13 to 17-inch rim diameters.
Continue Reading