Newly inaugurated Pirelli president, ChemChina’s Ren Jianxin, recently told Corierre della Sera of his pride in his company for completing the recent acquisition of Pirelli and his personal satisfaction to be working with Marco Tronchetti Provera. According to the interview, which was published in the Italy daily newspaper on 22 August, the acquisition and subsequent appointment is a great moment for ChemChina and for Ren himself it is a great honour to be Pirelli president and to work with Marco Tronchetti Provera, who he sees as an older brother and a teacher. He also revealed details of the wider strategy behind the investment.
Gordonind, the equipment manufacturer, has announced that its Mini Mobile Press for solid tyres is being tested by Continental in Europe. Writing in a statement, the company said: “Gordonind are delighted to announce that the prestigious Continental Commercial Specialty Tires (CST) are now testing the Mini Mobile Press In Europe”. The company explained that the tests are being carried out “with a view to improving and enhancing mobile solid tyre service”.
Pirelli, Rosneft and Synthos move to next phase of synthetic rubber cooperation
On 22 October, Pirelli, Rosneft and Synthos signed a further Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the next phase of their synthetic rubber cooperation. The MoU refers to the approval of the results of an initial feasibility study begun in April regarding the development of a synthetic rubber plant construction project in Nakhodka. The document was signed during the Fourth Eurasian Forum in Verona by Rosneft chairman of the management board Igor Sechin, Pirelli executive vice chairman and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera, and Synthos majority stakeholder Michal Solowow.
The tyre market in Costa Rica is forecast to grow during the next few year due to “expanding vehicle fleet and upcoming government reforms to boost growth in construction and transportation sector”, according to the “Costa Rica Tyre Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020” report published by TechSci.
Sumitomo, Falken to present Advanced 4D Nano Design at Tokyo Motor Show
Sumitomo Rubber Industries will present its latest “Advanced 4D Nano Design” materials development technology at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show, with a booth displaying both Falken Tyre and Dunlop brands. The show runs 29 October to 8 November 2015 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. In Europe, Falken tyres have achieved double-digit performance improvements with the earlier application of these design techniques used to develop Ecorun-branded products. With a Dunlop-branded version already on sale in Japan Sumitomo has already previewed a prototype Falken “fossil fuel-free” tyre for the European market, and the 4D Nano design process has been used in their development too.
Heuver Tyrewholesale showcases Aeolus, exclusive Barkley brand at Agritechnica 2015
Heuver Tyrewholesale will give particular attention to the Aeolus and Barkley brands at Agritechnica in Hannover (10-14 November). Aeolus exclusive to Heuver in certain European markets, while the Barkley brand is fully exclusive across the region. Heuver will be located in Hall 22 A14a.
MAN and Goodyear expand driver training cooperation
Goodyear has become MAN’s exclusive tyre partner for its MAN ProfiDrive driver training initiative across Europe. The partnership includes equipping all 25 tractors and trailers used by MAN ProfiDrive with the latest Goodyear premium tyres. These comprise the fuel-efficient Fuelmax, the dedicated mileage line Kmax and the mixed service Omnitrac II for use both on and off road. Goodyear will maintain the tyres, which includes taking over the tyre repair shop. The partnership further involves Goodyear training the MAN trainers in tyre matters. This builds on Goodyear’s and MAN’s long-term close collaboration related to original truck equipment. The two companies have worked together for some time with events such as the MAN Trucknology Days.
At the start of October, the truck/commercial tyre division of Delticom AG, reported that it has successfully recruited further authorized Goodride support centres in Germany.
France’s Eurotyre, BestDrive and Siligom cooperate in Fleetpartner
Three of the largest French tyre distributors have agreed to cooperate on the Fleetpartner fleet tyre project. Together partners Eurotyre, BestDrive and Siligom offer some 550 points of sale across the country, in a move designed to appeal to key account customers.
In response to the rapidly expanding Automechanika Shanghai, Asia’s largest trade fair for automotive parts, accessories, equipment and services will be newly located at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, Puxi, Shanghai. It will house the enlarged 280,000 square metres of exhibition space, which is a nearly 30 per cent increase from last year and completely sold out for the December 2-5 show.
African commercial vehicle demand to double by 2027
A new analysis of future automotive demand in Africa suggests the continent will experience “significant growth opportunities” and almost double in the next 10 to 12 years. The IHS report, which is called “Final Automotive Frontier”, suggests that Africa, with one of the world´s fastest- growing middle classes, is showing “pronounced promise for the global automotive industry”.
Z Tyre has updated its brand website (ztyre.com) in order to promote its expanding range. The website explains the background of Z, outlining its development and market focus as well as how the tyre has been rigorously tested in a variety of European environments. The site also offers tyre advice to drivers on how to maintain peak performance during the life of their Z tyres.
Following the recent publication of “Triangle and Goodyear in ‘long-term cooperation’”, which picked up on a smaller thread in Triangle’s recent conference coverage (see “Triangle ‘goes global’ at Weihai summit”), Goodyear spokespeople from the firm’s US and European headquarters contacted Tyres & Accessories in order to comment on the report. Presenting a statement on the subject, the Goodyear representatives said “Goodyear wishes to set the record straight on public comments made by Triangle.”
European passenger car registrations continued their growth phase with another strong monthly rise in September. According to ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) figures, growth was up 9.8 per cent year-on-year to 1,356,868 units.
Mobivia and Point S have agreed a procurement alliance. According to the two companies, this strategic alliance will cover the listing and sourcing of the products ranges purchased by both Groups – that is tyres and car parts – for the markets they cover. However, while the two organisations are working together in terms of purchasing, under the terms of the alliance each group remains autonomous when it comes to the management of its network, policies and development.
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