Pirelli reverse merges with Marco Polo
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is to officially reverse merge with Marco Polo Industrial Holding S.p.A. This transaction will be submitted to the extraordinary shareholders’ meetings on 15 February 2016, with a view to completing during the first half of 2016.
Continue ReadingGood Design awards for 4 Cooper tyres
Cooper Tire & Rubber shares that two of its products from the USA, the Discoverer STT Pro and Discoverer SRX, and two from China, the Discoverer UTS and Weather Master Ice 100, have earned 2015 Good Design awards from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies for their design excellence. The winning tyres were selected from several thousand entries from more than 47 countries.
Continue ReadingMichelin cancels 265,570 treasury shares
Pursuant to the decision made by CEO Jean-Dominique Senard on 21 December 2015 and the ninth resolution of the company’s 2015 Shareholders Meeting, Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin has decided to cancel 265,570 treasury shares, an amount representing 0.15 per cent of the total shares outstanding. The effective date of the resulting capital reduction is 28 December 2015.
Continue Reading![DLG certification for Vredestein Traxion+ and TraxionXXL](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Apollo-Vredestein-receiving-the-DLG-certificates-sml.jpg)
DLG certification for Vredestein Traxion+ and TraxionXXL
The Vredestein Traxion+ and Vredestein TraxionXXL tyres gained major recognition during the recent Agritechnica agricultural trade show. Following extensive evaluation by German testing and research institute DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, or German Agricultural Society) in the spring and summer of 2015, it was announced at Agritechnica that both tyres have been designated ‘DLG certified’ products.
Continue ReadingPirelli tests guayule rubber UHP tyres
Tests of Pirelli ultra high performance tyres containing natural rubber sourced from guayule plants have taken place at the Circuito di Balocco track in Italy and at Pirelli’s own circuit in Vizzola, near Milan. The manufacturer says that extreme usage simulations showed comparable performance between these tyres and equivalent tyres produced using oil-derived synthetic polymers.
Continue Reading![Fil Filter Joins IAAF](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Fil-Filter-Range-Image-31.jpg)
Fil Filter Joins IAAF
Fil Filter, in partnership with Univar Specialty Consumables, has taken the next step in strengthening its position in the UK aftermarket by joining the membership of The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF).
Continue ReadingIcahn returns with higher Pep Boys offer
The bidding war for The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack has entered a new round, with Icahn Enterprises L.P. offering an extra dollar per share to acquire the US automotive aftermarket retail and service network – a total of around US$56 million more than the offer it made earlier this month. This higher figure has found favour with the Pep Boys Board of Directors – after consultation with legal and financial advisors it determined on 20 December that Icahn’s proposal to acquire Pep Boys for US$16.50 per share in cash constitutes a ‘Superior Proposal’.
Continue Reading![Nizhnekamsk SSC plant produces 3 millionth tyre](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/kama.jpg)
Nizhnekamsk SSC plant produces 3 millionth tyre
Russia’s Tatneft reports that its ‘Nizhnekamsk SSC Tire Factory’ has produced its three millionth solid-steel cord tyre. Commercial tyre production began at the plant in April 2010, and today the Nizhnekamsk facility manufactures 66 types of truck and bus tyres, including products sold under the Kama brand name and 23 tyre specifications made for Continental on an offtake basis. Nizhnekamsk SSC is Tatneft’s largest tyre plant.
Continue Reading![BKT preparing for 51-inch giant tyre production at $500 million plant](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Bhuj-power-sml.jpg)
BKT preparing for 51-inch giant tyre production at $500 million plant
The northwest region of India’s Gujarat state is home to large areas of desert where you may encounter thorny shrubs, packs of wild animals – and a state-of-the-art US$500 million tyre factory. On a 312 acre site, Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT) has erected one of the largest off-road tyre plants in the world, a facility capable of producing 325 tonnes of tyres per day. Tyres & Accessories visited in early December.
Continue ReadingConti won’t rule out new concept all-season tyre
Speaking at the end of a presentation at Continental’s annual ContiTechnikForum, Prof Dr Burkhard Wies, Conti’s head of Tire Line development worldwide commented on the development of the winter and all-season tyres as a sector. This is nothing new. Wies has, of course, tracked the market for some time and has commented on this subject before. What’s different now is that, during the course of 2015, the sector broadened from three segments (winter, all-season and summer tyres) to something more like four (winter, all-season concept I, all-season concept II and summer tyres).
Continue Reading![Continental compares WinterContact TS 860 with 15-year-old tyres…and cars](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/CTF_151207_2321.jpg)
Continental compares WinterContact TS 860 with 15-year-old tyres…and cars
What a difference 15 years makes. Perhaps the most interesting example Continental offered was its “Evolution of Winter Tire Performance” demonstration at this years ContiTechnikForum in Finland. In short Continental invited journalists and tyre testers to experience the performance gap between the ContiWinterContact TS 790 V’s turn of the millennium technology and what the new WinterContact TS 860 has to offer. The twist was that – in order to emphasise the difference – the old tyre was fitted to a new BMW 1-series and the new tyre was fitted to a 15-year old 3-series. Not having the benefit of the latest braking and on-board electronics technology, this gave the advantage to the old tyre and put the new tyre at a theoretical disadvantage.
Continue ReadingDana awarded ‘Best Battery Solution Provider’ crown
Dana Holding Corporation has been named the ‘Best Battery Solution Provider of the Year by the China Decision Makers Consultancy (CDMC). The honour recognises Danas research and contributions to thermal-management technologies for hybrid-electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles.
Continue ReadingVW ‘streamlines’ internal structures
The Volkswagen Group is streamlining its internal structures. CEO Matthias Müller has almost halved the number of direct reports he receives and new appointments to several posts will take effect in the first quarter of 2016.
Continue Reading![Sentury internationalising with US tyre factory investment](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/sentury_builder.jpg)
Sentury internationalising with US tyre factory investment
Step off the plane and into a car at Qingdao airport and it won’t be long before you see a Sentury Tire billboard. While this particular Chinese tyre manufacturer isn’t a global player, it is rapidly internationalising and is selling millions of tyres in Europe (many of which end up in the UK). The firm is expanding very quickly and recent high-profile appointments and off-shore factory investment announcements suggest the firm is well and truly on a growth path. Towards the end of 2015, Tyres & Accessories met with export sales manager Hellen Yang and Davanti vice-general manager Wilson Zhang for a tour of the firm’s large and very modern factory near Qingdao airport.
Continue Reading![AirCell project lands Mitas an AGCO supplier award](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/AGCO-supplier-of-the-Year-sml.jpg)
AirCell project lands Mitas an AGCO supplier award
Honours went Mitas’ way at the AGCO EAME (Europe, Africa and Middle East) supplier day late last month, with the company on the receiving end of a Supplier of the Year 2015 award. The agricultural machinery manufacturer awarded Mitas in the Engineering & Innovation category for its work on the AirCell tyre, which forms a key part of the Fendt VarioGrip Pro system.
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