![Next ‘Apollo Challenges’ Manchester United contest begins](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/apollo-challenge2.jpg)
Next ‘Apollo Challenges’ Manchester United contest begins
The second test in the Manchester United ‘Apollo Challenges’ skill challenge has been released. This unit is called the ‘Apollo Control Challenge’ and sees Manchester United and Belgium international midfielder Marouane Fellaini demonstrate how to master perfect ball control, an invaluable skill when playing in one of the most competitive and fast-paced areas of the pitch. The challenge can be viewed at the apollochallenges.com website.
Continue ReadingGuayule tyre performance at least equal to conventional tyres, says Cooper
Cooper Tire & Rubber is now evaluating the first tyres it has built using rubber derived from guayule plants, and says that to-date the wheel, road and track tests suggest tyre performance that is at least equal to tyres manufactured using traditional Hevea-sourced rubber. The tyre maker reported this development to its consortium partners – PanAridus, Arizona State University, Cornell University, and the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) – at the group’s recent meeting for its third annual meeting and progress report on their US$6.9 million Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) grant, ‘Securing the Future of Natural Rubber—An American Tire and Bioenergy Platform from Guayule.’
Continue ReadingCAM signs design agency cooperation agreement
CAM and CAM International have signed a technical cooperation agreement with Pineapple Creative Ltd. The agreement will help the tyre industry software supplier to provide customers in the UK and Republic of Ireland with the opportunity to access cost effective web-oriented design and development for e-commerce related projects in conjunction with its own services.
Continue ReadingSensata completes Schrader purchase
Sensing and electrical protection supplier Sensata Technologies has completed its acquisition of Schrader, the global tyre pressure monitoring sensor (TPMS) and valve solutions manufacturer. The transaction provides Sensata with a leadership position in the growing TPMS market, the company said in a statement announcing the news.
Continue Reading![Aeolus Tyre is a ‘strategic’ enterprise for China](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Aeolus1.jpg)
Aeolus Tyre is a ‘strategic’ enterprise for China
Even today the number of Chinese tyre makers, and tyre brands, remains exceptionally high. The necessity for consolidation is obvious and something China’s authorities are well aware of. And in the People’s Republic of China, where the state has a closer relationship to the market than in the West, how a firm appears to measure up can be crucial. Tyre makers who fail to meet targets set for them fall by the wayside while those who establish a global presence grow in favour and are viewed as strategically significant enterprises. This state-business relationship also means companies can rely upon government support in one form or another – and this certainly applies in the case of Jiaozuo, Henan Province-based Aeolus Tyre Co., Ltd.
Continue Reading![Kings Road Tyres builds brand portfolio, fleet in year following sale](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/KRT-Maxam.jpg)
Kings Road Tyres builds brand portfolio, fleet in year following sale
At the beginning of 2014, Kings Road Tyres entered a new era. A controlling interest in the wholesaler was purchased by a group involving Chinese European and North American interests, and involving the Sailun Group “indirectly”. Following its sale, the existing management team, led by Adrian Bader, has overseen the development of its brand portfolio, with an increased involvement in the passenger car segment for the commercial vehicle tyre specialist heralded by an agreement to distribute Aeolus-branded PCR and 4x4 products. KRT says this deal, launched at October’s Brityrex show, alongside other investments in its brand portfolio and business infrastructure is setting up leading UK tyre wholesaler Kings Road Tyres (KRT) for a sustained period of long-term growth.
Continue Reading![GT Radial to make Euro Bus Expo debut](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/giti-tyres.jpg)
GT Radial to make Euro Bus Expo debut
Early next month Euro Bus Expo 2014 is coming to the NEC Birmingham, and GT Radial will attend the show as an exhibitor for the first time. A range of products aimed at the passenger transport segment will be on display at the GT Radial stand, with the GSR225 Combi Road and GAU861 all-position urban city-bus tyres heading a comprehensive portfolio.
Continue Reading![Toyo Tires partnering Leicester City](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Photo-of-KI-at-LCFC-Press-Release-1-2.jpg)
Toyo Tires partnering Leicester City
Leicester City Football Club has announced that Toyo Tires will be joining the Foxes as a Club Partner for the 2014/15 season. Toyo Tires’ club partnership will see the Japanese company enjoy a “considerable commercial presence” at King Power Stadium, while their branding will also be visible on City’s first team training wear. Keishi Inoue, managing director of Toyo Tires UK, said: “Our partnership with Leicester City starts at a great time, because it provides a fantastic opportunity to grow our brand with a genuinely aspirational club on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages – the Premier League.
Continue ReadingGerman authorities give Michelin green light to acquire Ihle Baden-Baden
The German Federal Cartel Office has decided that no further proceedings are necessary prior to granting approval for Michelin’s planned acquisition of Ihle Holding AG, parent company of tyre wholesaler Ihle Baden-Baden AG. In an official notification, the Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) reported that the acquisition is seen as posing no problem.
Continue ReadingBridgestone releases latest mid-term management plan
The Japanese word ‘dan-totsu’ can be translated as ‘unrivalled or ‘unassailable’, and this is what Bridgestone aims to be; in its Mid-Term Management Plan 2014, released today, the tyre maker outlines the steps it intends to take on the path to reaching a dan-totsu position.
Continue ReadingPirelli a Top Manufacturer Award finalist
Water awareness at Pirelli’s Carlisle plant has put the company in the running for a prize at The Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2014. Pirelli is on the shortlist as a finalist in the Sustainable Manufacturing category joining the likes of Coca Cola Enterprises; Johnstons Sweepers; the Vallant Group; and Encirc & Capporo Industries.
Continue Reading![Groundbreaking held for Hankook’s US tyre plant](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/hankook-groundbreaking.jpg)
Groundbreaking held for Hankook’s US tyre plant
Construction work has officially begun on Hankook Tire’s new factory in the United States following a groundbreaking ceremony held at the plant site in Clarksville, Tennessee on 9 October. The new facility, which is expected to begin operation in 2016 and will reach a production capacity of 12 million units, is Hankook’s eighth production facility worldwide and first in North America.
Continue Reading![Goodyear suggests tyre label incentives, mandatory truck TPMS](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/DARREN-WELLS.jpg)
Goodyear suggests tyre label incentives, mandatory truck TPMS
Goodyear today published a whitepaper culminating in recommendations including incentives for truck fleets to purchase high label-rated tyres and the mandatory fitment of TPMS in commercial vehicles in a way similar current rules for passenger cars. Other recommendations include: offering incentives for fuel efficient fleets; clarity on reforms to rules related to weights and dimensions of commercial vehicles; further guidelines on cross-border operations of larger vehicles; more support to make the most from new telematics technology like harmonized standards for telematics; and extra support from regulators to the road fleet sector to attract and retain skilled drivers.
Continue Reading![Continental furthers Asian football activities with Chinese sponsorship deal](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/conti-cfa.jpg)
Continental furthers Asian football activities with Chinese sponsorship deal
Football is Continental’s chosen brand promotion method in many parts of the world, and its involvement in the game has been extended by its entry into a four-year collaboration with the Chinese Football Association. This deal with the CFA was announced at the start of Continental’s AFC Asian Cup 2015 Australia Trophy Tour on 26 September. Continental states that this new agreement, along with its AFC Asian Cup 2015 sponsorship, represents a specific focus on the Asia Pacific region.
Continue Reading![Tyre unit sales stabilised amongst ETRMA members during Q3 2014](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/etrma.jpg)
Tyre unit sales stabilised amongst ETRMA members during Q3 2014
Unit sales for tyre makers belonging to the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association were stable in on-road segments during the third quarter of 2014, while the agricultural segment experienced a year-on-year decline. Unit sales of passenger car tyres increased 1.4 per cent to 58,409,000 pieces, a development the ETRMA attributes to a growth in new car registrations. Commercial vehicle tyre unit sales remained relatively flat, declining only 0.23 per cent to 2,552,000 pieces, while two-wheeler tyre sales were up 0.90 per cent to 1,797,000 units. The only area of the market where ETRMA members saw major movement was in the agricultural segment, and this was movement of the unwelcome variety, as unit sales dropped 8.97 per cent to 386,000 pieces.
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