Double Workshop Power Awards for ECP
Euro Car Parts has been presented with two accolades at the inaugural Workshop Power Awards, including Large Motor Factor of the Year trophy. Held at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on 1 September, ECP head of communications & PR, Paul Baylis, and brand & communications manager, Áine McCarthy, also collected the trophy for Suspension Product Supplier of the Year, as well as framed certificates for being Highly Commended in the Filter Supplier, Garage Cleaning Product and Extra Mile Award categories.
Continue ReadingGiti Tire appoints Torsten Gehrmann as new senior managing director – Europe
Giti Tire has appointed Torsten Gehrmann (45) to the new position of senior managing director – Europe. Confirming the departure of former managing director – Europe Corrado Moglia, Gehrmann said, “we thank Corrado for the work he performed for the company.” Since September 2015 Moglia had split the European MD role with Stefan Fischer following the resignation of Richard Lyons. Fischer will continue in his existing position as managing director - Europe for Product Technology and R&D Centre Europe.
Continue ReadingTariff time again, but will they make a difference?
It’s tariff time again. The US government has imposed trade sanctions on US-produced OTR and industrial tyres before. They have done so with car tyres twice before. This time it’s truck tyres. But are they effective? Will they halt the rise of Chinese tyre manufacturers in general? And what does it mean for those doing business with truck tyres in the UK and Europe?
Continue ReadingTrelleborg buys International Tyre and Wheel Solutions
Trelleborg’s Trelleborg Wheel Systems business unit has agreed to acquire International Tyre and Wheel Solutions Ltd. (ITWS), the UK-based privately owned distributor of large solid off-the-road (OTR) tyres for the waste, recycling and demolition industries. The acquisition follows and, in Trelleborg’s words, complements the recent acquisition of Mitas and gives the firm access to both the pneumatic and solid tyre markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Continue ReadingRockwell helping Chinese tyremaker automate US plant
CEOs and experts from China’s leading companies gathered in Shanghai and Beijing to explore how smart manufacturing will deliver value to the manufacturing industry and support government initiatives including China Manufacturing 2025. Hosted by Rockwell Automation “The Connected Enterprise CEO Forum” was led by Rockwell Automation’s new president and CEO, Blake Moret. However the interesting point from a tyre industry perspective is that the firm revealed that it is helping any unnamed Chinese tyremaker construct a factory in the US.
Continue ReadingHankook signs global partnership with Real Madrid
Hankook has signed a three-season global partnership contract with Real Madrid. The deal, which began in July 2016, was marked by a contract signing at the globally famous team’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium, where Hankook’s advertising has been visible on perimeter hoardings in 2016/17 season home games. Hankook Tire worldwide president and CEO Hyun Shick Cho and Real Madrid CF president Florentino Pérez were joined by members of the first team squad for the occasion. The Korean manufacturer said the partnership adds 450 million Real Madrid fans from different global markets, allowing Hankook to strengthen its engagement and reach out to consumers around the world.
Continue ReadingHarjeev Kandhari: Tyre quality gap is closing and sales methods are changing
In a recent op-ed Harjeev Kandhari, CEO of tyre company Zenises, reflected on possible changes in the way tyres are sold in the future. Kandhari’s first point is that the quality gap between brands that are long-established in the market (the so-called ‘legacy’ brands) and more recent introductions, such as Zenises’ own Z-Tyre, is shrinking fast. There has traditionally been a large difference in price between legacy and the newer tyres, but Kandhari believes that the small differences in performance and technology mean that this gap is no longer appropriate.
Continue ReadingYokohama investing in US R&D centre, doubling staff
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. is to establish a tyre research & development centre in North Carolina, with R&D activities scheduled to start this September initially in the greater Charlotte area. The company presently conducts R&D on tyres for the North American market in several US states and in Japan, but aims to consolidate the majority of these R&D activities at the new centre. With the consolidation, Yokohama also plans to double the current size of its North American R&D staff.
Continue ReadingChinese truck tyres face import duties of 40%
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made truck and bus tyres imported into the USA. In a preliminary determination, DOC anti-dumping duties of between 20.87 per cent to 22.57 per cent would be applied to products. These duties are in addition to countervailing duties recommend for the same products in June. As a result, total import tariffs of around 40 per cent are expected.
Continue ReadingOrion to close French carbon black factory by end of 2016
On 18 August Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.’s French subsidiary, Orion Engineered Carbons SAS, reached an agreement with the Works Council and labour union at its Ambes, France facility on a comprehensive social plan. Following this agreement, the French subsidiary will “proceed to implement the restructuring and down staffing of that facility with cessation of production at the site expected by the end of 2016”.
Continue ReadingMichelin buys Brazilian two-wheel tyre maker
The Michelin Group has acquired Levorin, a Brazilian manufacturer of bicycle and motorcycle tyres. Levorin is a family business which was founded in 1943 by Hercules Levorin. It specializes in the production of tyres for the commuter segment in Brazil. In 2015 Levorin had an annual turnover of 135 million euros and employs 2,000 people at its two plants in Sao Paulo and Manaus.
Continue ReadingPoint S Canada introduces new distribution company following merger
Unimax Ltd., Point S master franchisee for Canada, has announced the creation of Distribution Stox, a new company that specializes in distributing tyres and accessories for cars and vans throughout Canada. Distribution Stox has been founded from the merger of the wholesale activities of Unimax and of three of its shareholders-members (Distribution RT, Distribution DSP and Distribu-Pneus). This new Canadian tyre distributor has more than 300 employees, 19 distribution centres and more than 100 delivery vehicles. The company offers products and services to auto repair shops, tyre retailers and car dealers in Canada.
Continue ReadingVacu-Lug hits 20-year high as Brexit leaves markets ‘wide open’
With Continental’s acquisition of Bandvulc, the voice of independent retreading in the UK has been substantially diminished at a moment of intense market pressure and political uncertainty. Issues surrounding the at times unbelievably cheap new commercial vehicle tyres imported from China have been around for many years now, and have certainly squeezed retread output in this period. The Brexit vote has increased doubt that protectionist European market measures for which independent retreading businesses could lobby the EU to provide would be implemented in a more isolated UK market, though in the short-term the reduced value of sterling has presented opportunities for British-manufactured product. While nothing is currently clear, we will leave our readers to consider the chances of UK market protectionist measures against Chinese imports being implemented while the country redefines its trading relationship with global economic superpowers. It’s not hard to see how the security provided by merger with Conti was attractive to Bandvulc.
Continue ReadingTKH Group reports lower sales, income; organic decline for tyre machinery sales
Organic turnover earned through manufacturing systems produced by the TKH Group’s Industrial Solutions business area, which includes equipment made by VMI Holland BV, contracted 16.2 per cent in the first half of 2016. This decline was due in part to a reduced order intake in 2015 for a range of manufacturing systems equipment, including machinery for the production of car and truck tyres as well as machine operating systems, can washers, test equipment and product handling systems for the medical industry.
Continue ReadingTGI commences legal action against Amrik International
Florida, US-based tyre wholesaler Tire Group International LLC (TGI) has initiated legal proceedings against two companies, Amrik International Trading LLC and Neeto International General Trading LLC, and against all respective principles, including Sabjot Singh Sahni, Simar Singh Sahni, Jasbeer Singh Sahni, and Neeto Singh Sahni.
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