Mitas to announce PneuTrac plans, receives award for tyre/track ‘hybrid’
Although only a concept at present and “still some way off” from its commercial release, Mitas holds high hopes for the PneuTrac, a product it says combines the best of both worlds in traditional pneumatic tyres and rubber tracks. The Czech Republic-based tyre maker is carrying out intensive tests on a prototype PneuTrac fitted to an 18-inch rim, has begun dynamic testing using a 38-inch fitment and is planning to test a new, third size. Mitas says it will announce its plans for PneuTrac at the EIMA agricultural exhibition in Bologna, Italy at a press conference scheduled for 13 November.
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ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 certification for Sumitomo’s tyre factory in Brazil
The Sumitomo Rubber Group’s first tyre factory in Latin America has been awarded both the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard and the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard. Certification of the Sumitomo Rubber do Brasil Ltda passenger car radial plant in Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná state took effect on 30 September 2014. The accrediting body for both certifications was Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA).
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Michelin buffs away loss-making Laurent pre-cure business in Germany
Weak demand and aggressive competition has led to seven-figure losses at the Laurent Reifen retreading plant in Germany, and in response the Michelin-owned company has decided to close its pre-cure retreading operations and lay off almost a quarter of its workforce. But it is questionable whether this measure will suffice to halt the flow of red ink required to write the firm’s balance sheet in recent years; apparently the complete closure of the Laurent Reifen site near Berlin has already been internally discussed.
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Same time, different place – concurrent dates for ‘Reifen’ and ‘Tire Cologne’
Anyone thinking about taking in a tyre show in Germany four years from now will need to schedule their itinerary very carefully. It’s already been reported that current ‘Reifen’ show sponsor the BRV (the German Federal Association of the Tyre Trade and the Vulcanisers’ Skilled Trade) will, come 2018, trade its long-term partner for a new exhibition some 40 miles from the Essen exhibition centre. But what’s only now become clear is that Germany will not only host two tyre shows in the same general vicinity – both will also be held at exactly the same time.
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Point S to lose 12 outlets in Germany through Reifen Ihle sale
A week ago, Tyres & Accessories reported that German tyre firm the Reifen Ihle Group faced being broken up for sale some eight months after filing for insolvency. It has now been officially confirmed that the 12 Reifen Ihle outlets, which operate as part of the German Point S network, have been sold to Reifen Müller KG, a tyre business that operates 30 outlets in central Germany. Klaus Müller told our sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung that the 12 Reifen Ihle outlets “pass perfectly” to Reifen Müller. But while the outlets’ future is now secure, their days as part of the Point S network are numbered.
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Official opening for Bridgestone’s Vietnam plant
A ceremony has been held to mark the official opening of Bridgestone’s latest tyre factory. The grand opening of the Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing Vietnam Limited Liability Company (BTMV) plant in Hai Phong City, Vietnam comes half a year after production of passenger car radials began there. The opening ceremony was attended by guests from the Vietnam government, Hai Phong City, the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, and representatives of companies from the automotive sector.
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Fleet Symposium brings stakeholders together
Just over six months since the last time Tyres & Accessories met Michel Rzonzef at the Geneva Motor Show, the Goodyear executive has switched segments. When we met before he was vice president of the Consumer Tire Business at Goodyear EMEA. Now he is vice president of Commercial Tires EMEA. So, with the move from consumer to commercial still relatively fresh, T&A took the opportunity to discuss the development and direction of the truck and fleet tyre business with Rzonzef during the course of the recent Goodyear Fleet Symposium in Brussels on 14 October. Henk van Tuyl, Goodyear’s director of regional technology - Heavy Tires EMEA, also joined in with the conversation.
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Giti’s European R&D centre ready for growing OE business
It’s been a year since Tyres & Accessories first met the recently-appointed head of Giti Tire’s new R&D Centre Europe. At the time, R&D director Stefan Fischer shared the tyre maker’s plans and showed off the still largely-empty premises where specialists would soon be hard at work. A lot has changed in 12 months: Upon returning to the Hannover, Germany-based facility, we saw it was well and truly up and running and, in the important area of original equipment development, even further established than originally planned.
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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.
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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.
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