Indonesia on Apollo, JK Tyre shortlist?
Both Apollo Tyres and JK Tyre & Industries intend to establish new plants in Asia, and the chairman of the Indonesian Tire Producers Association says both firms are looking at his country as a potential site. Aziz Pane told Indonesia’s Investor Daily “the two investors from India are interested in coming here.” He added that each tyre maker would have to invest between US$300 million and $350 million in order to achieve a suitable economy of scale. He also opined that in order not to operate at a loss, the factories will have to be operated on a three-shift day system.
Continue ReadingUS trade body investigating Toyo complaint
The US International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to institute an investigation into the complaint filed by Toyo Tire & Rubber and its US subsidiary and affiliates. The investigation will focus on the tread patterns and sidewall designs used by certain tyres manufactured in China and Thailand, and whether they infringe Toyo patents.
Continue ReadingBridgestone goes into bat for the kiwi
Bridgestone New Zealand has entered into sponsorship partnerships with two organisations looking after the country’s native flora and fauna, and its best-known bird in particular – the Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park and the Motuora Restoration Society.
Continue ReadingMichelin’s India plant almost operational
Michelin’s new plant in Thiruvallur, India has been described as the world’s largest tyre factory. While we can’t confirm the veracity of this superlative, one thing that appears to be true is that the facility is preparing for an imminent production start.
Continue ReadingHennessy adds auto lifts to BaseLine by Coats portfolio
US-based wheel service equipment manufacturer Hennessy Industries has launched a new line of auto lifts under the BaseLine by Coats brand name. As is the case with the BaseLine by Coats tyre changer and wheel balancer ranges, the new lift line-up is designed specifically for workshops seeking quality at an affordable price.
Continue ReadingGroundbreaking held for Yokohama’s US plant
On 23 September, a total of 350 guests joined executives from Yokohama Tire Corporation, including Yokohama Rubber representative director Hikomitsu Noji, and state and local officials in West Point, Mississippi to break ground on Yokohama’s first greenfield manufacturing facility in the United States. During the official groundbreaking ceremony, the first sod was turned on a plant that is scheduled to enter production in October 2015 and manufacture up to one million tyres a year, mostly for the domestic market.
Continue ReadingSerbia expansion means more European made/sold tyres for Cooper
At present, Cooper Tire & Rubber operates eight plants in the Americas, Asia and Europe, and production from all three regions is sold on the European market. However the company believes its value proposition can be strengthened by increasing the proportion of European-made tyres sold here.
Continue ReadingGalgo Pre-Q gains US SmartWay accreditation
Mexican retreading materials supplier Galgo Group recently gained US SmartWay accreditation for one of its Pre-Q products. According to the company, Galgo has always shared the global vision to meet the highest quality standards in each market “And once again we achieved it with our United States Corporate ‘PREQ Galgo’”, company representatives said in a statement announcing the news.
Continue ReadingYokohama donates to local colleges ahead of US groundbreaking
Groundbreaking on Yokohama Tire Corporation’s new factory in the US will take place today, with a ceremony held at the Clay County, Mississippi plant site at 9:30am. The 23 September groundbreaking comes a day after Yokohama Tire Corporation held an honorarium event, at which it gifted US $250,000 each to Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College for workforce development efforts.
Continue ReadingGiti Tire sets up technical centres in Germany, the US
Giti Tire has announced the establishment of new technical centres in Germany and the US. The two sites will work in collaboration with the company’s MIRA-based UK facility as well as its centres located in Indonesia and China. Giti now employs more than 600 R&D personnel and describes the creation of a European and North American technical centre as marking a “significant development in the research and development capabilities of the company.”
Continue ReadingOverseas purchases, plant on JK Tyre agenda
Could JK Tyre & Industries be the next Indian tyre maker to broaden its geographic footprint? Speaking with The Economic Times, company chairman and managing director Dr. Raghupati Singhania said that following the integration of Mexican tyre maker Tornel into the company, JK Tyres has “encountered some interesting propositions for possible opportunities of acquisition to catapult into a global entity.”
Continue ReadingLatin Auto Parts Expo dates announced
Latin Expo Group LLC, the event organiser behind the Latin Tyre Expo, have announced plans to hold the 2014 Latin Auto Parts Expo between 9 and 11 July 2014 at the Atlapa Convention Center, Panama City, Panama. The exhibition it pitched at providing manufacturers and distributors direct access to the Latin American and Caribbean OEM, replacement parts and tuning markets in a warm and personal setting that forges long lasting commercial and personal relationships.
Continue ReadingBridgestone contemplates second Turkish plant
Brisa Bridgestone Sabancı Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Brisa), the joint venture company run by Bridgestone Corporation and Turkey’s Sabancı Holding, is evaluating potential sites within the country for a second factory. Brisa intends to construct a passenger car radial factory to complement the company’s existing passenger car, bus and truck radial plant in İzmit, which entered volume production in 1990.
Continue ReadingSlight rise in visitor, exhibitor numbers at CITExpo
The 11th edition of the China International Tire Expo, held earlier this month in Shanghai, attracted 7,303 visitors. This number represents a slight rise in attendance over 2012, and organiser Reliable International Exhibition Services says that 4,263 visitors, or 58 per cent of the total, came from outside China. The 24,000 square metre exhibition space housed 335 exhibitors, ten per cent more than last year.
Continue ReadingHankook opens Indonesia plant
The official opening for Hankook Tire’s new plant in Indonesia was held on 17 September. The facility in Lippo Cikarang, West Java – the South Korean tyre maker’s seventh global plant – was inaugurated in the presence of top Hankook executives, including Hankook Tire vice-chairman and CEO Seung Hwa Suh, Hankook Tire Worldwide president and CEO Hyun Shick Cho, and Hankook Tire CMO/CCMO Hyun Bum Cho. Also in attendance was Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and several other Indonesian government officials.
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