![Mahle Aftermarket introduces new division, appoints European head](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/170914mahle.jpg)
Mahle Aftermarket introduces new division, appoints European head
This year’s Automechanika show in Frankfurt, Germany is the scene of several debuts for Mahle Aftermarket. The Mahle business unit specialising in spare parts is introducing its new Mahle Service Solutions division; this new division expands Mahle Aftermarket’s product portfolio to include repair shop equipment. Other first-time highlights on display this year (hall 3.0, stands A11 and A20) include complete solutions from Mahle for air management, oil management, piston systems and cylinder components, and engine cooling.
Continue ReadingNokian to ‘adjust’ output at Finnish plant
Nokian Tyres intends to implement a series of measures at its passenger car tyre factory in Nokia, Finland to “adjust the production to meet the market situation.” It will begin statutory negotiations with this goal in mind on 25 September. Nokian says its negotiating aim is to adjust how production capacity is utilised and to create cost savings.
Continue Reading![Point S split in the Netherlands – “No winners, just losers”](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/point-S-Development.jpg)
Point S split in the Netherlands – “No winners, just losers”
For many years Point S Development has been coated in the glossy sheen of constant growth, but now a scratch has appeared in this growth story – and more than a dab of polish is needed to buff it out. The organisation’s Dutch operation is in acute danger of splitting in two as many local Point S partners consider the return on their master franchise fee too low, they see too little support coming from the company’s international headquarters and no real “European strategy”, and they wish to renegotiate their contracts. But the two shareholders in Point S Development – the national Point S organisations in France and Germany – appear uninterested in revising terms and conditions in the Netherlands, and therefore some Dutch partners are negotiating new franchise contracts elsewhere. Should Point S partners in other markets follow suit, we may see a process that results in no winners, rather only losers.
Continue Reading![Apollo Tyres to restructure African operation](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/apollo-sa.jpg)
Apollo Tyres to restructure African operation
Apollo Tyres Ltd has initiated voluntary business rescue proceedings for its Apollo Tyres Africa Proprietary Limited subsidiary. The company has informed the BSE that a specialist has been appointed to restructure its South African operation; the specialist’s evaluation will “decide the future course of action for the company in South Africa.”
Continue ReadingBattery Electric Vehicle manufacturers unite to form charging network
A partnership of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) manufacturers have joined forces through the European Union’s TEN-T programme to create a multi-standard and inter-operable charging network through the United Kingdom and Ireland. As well as helping to finance the €7+ million scheme, the consortium is providing other members of the project with the benefit of its […]
Continue Reading![ZF acquires TRW Automotive, sells steering system business](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/6_Semi-automated_Driving.jpg)
ZF acquires TRW Automotive, sells steering system business
A new “heavyweight” in the automotive components sector has been created today with the acquisition of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. by ZF Friedrichshafen AG. TRW announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with ZF Friedrichshafen, which will see all outstanding TRW shares acquired for US$105.60 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.5 billion. The announcement that TRW is changing hands followed a separate statement from ZF Friedrichshafen announcing the sale of its 50 per cent share in the ZF Lenksysteme GmbH joint venture to partner Robert Bosch GmbH for an undisclosed sum; this transaction is said to have been made to satisfy antitrust requirements prior to the acquisition of TRW.
Continue ReadingPirelli named segment leader in Dow Jones Sustainability indices
For the eighth consecutive year, Pirelli has been nominated the world leader in the ATX Auto Components sector of the Dow Jones Sustainability indices, with a score of 85/100 compared to a sector average of 48/100. The results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) review were announced on 11 September by S&P Dow Jones Indices, one of the world’s largest providers of financial market indices, and RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on sustainability investing.
Continue ReadingLehigh raises funds for international expansion
US-based end of life tyre recycler Lehigh Technologies says its recent US$8 million round of financing, held to support the company’s geographic expansion and technology roadmap, saw Japanese specialty chemicals firm JSR Corporation join the ranks of Lehigh investors. And Koichi Kawasaki, executive managing officer at JSR Corporation, describes partnering in Lehigh Technologies’ expansion strategies as a “great fit for JSR”, as Lehigh’s micronised rubber powder (MRP) technology offers its customer base “a new material that brings a strong value proposition and sustainability benefits.”
Continue ReadingTitan International announces Q3 cash dividend
The Board of Directors of Titan International has approved a quarterly cash dividend of US$.005 (one half cent) per common share for the third quarter of 2014. The cash dividend is payable Wednesday 15 October 2014 to stockholders of record on Tuesday 30 September 2014.
Continue Reading![Michelin to buy Germany’s largest tyre wholesaler](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Ihle-Baden-Baden_tb-800x600.jpg)
Michelin to buy Germany’s largest tyre wholesaler
According to information available to Tyres & Accessories, major European wholesaler Ihle Baden-Baden AG may soon belong to Michelin. The French tyre maker is said to be planning a 100 per cent acquisition of parent company Ihle Holding AG, whose assets include some 20 companies. Ihle Baden-Baden AG, which is headquartered in the spa town that serves as its namesake, is Germany’s largest wholesaler and enjoys an annual turnover of around €175 million (2012). German and other European authorities are conducting merger control proceedings.
Continue ReadingTrelleborg divests automotive rubber component facility
Swedish firm Trelleborg has signed an agreement to divest a facility that manufactures rubber drive shaft and steering boots for light vehicles. The business operation is based in Spain and is part of the Trelleborg Industrial Solutions business area. The buyer is the French Group Delmon Industrie S.A.
Continue Reading![Groundbreaking held for Continental’s performance tyre, technology facility](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2_HPTC_Spatenstich.jpg)
Groundbreaking held for Continental’s performance tyre, technology facility
Yesterday, Continental officially broke ground on its new High Performance Technology Center (HPTC), a new “factory within a factory” at the company’s Korbach plant in Germany. The HPTC is being erected on a 12,000 square metre site and the building is expected to be completed by the end of May 2015, with operations at the completed facility scheduled to begin in July 2016.
Continue Reading![Apollo Tyres launches Manchester United ‘Apollo Challenges’ competition](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/apollo-challenge.jpg)
Apollo Tyres launches Manchester United ‘Apollo Challenges’ competition
The word to Louis van Gaal is that Manchester United must finish ‘no lower than third’ in the Premier League this year, and should the recently-appointed manager meet this expectation it will be a marked turnaround of last season’s fortunes. Sponsors, such as tyre makers Federal, Multistrada and Apollo Tyres – the latter official partner for the club in 69 countries – also stand to benefit from a better year on-field.
Continue ReadingBASF brings Antwerp butadiene plant into service
A new butadiene extraction plant at BASF’s Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium has entered operation, the company reported today. The plant is the second BASF butadiene extraction plant in Europe – the other being its 105,000 tonne per annum Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany – and its 155,000 tonne a year capacity more than doubles the firm’s butadiene production capacity in the region.
Continue Reading![Evonik gains additional precipitated silica capacity in the US](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/np-evonik.jpg)
Evonik gains additional precipitated silica capacity in the US
A 20,000 tonne expansion to Evonik Corporation’s precipitated silica plant in Chester, Pennsylvania officially opened on 9 September, and has boosted the company’s global capacity for precipitated and fumed silica and matting agents to around 550,000 tonnes per annum.
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