HGV trailer sales fell 6.3 per cent in 2012
Sales of heavy good vehicle trailers fell 6.3 per cent across Western Europe in 2012. Meanwhile heavy truck demand fell by more than 9 per cent, according to market analysts from the Clear agency, which pointed out that the figures were in line with its expectations. The fall was almost universal – only Norway and Denmark experienced increased trailer demand. The worst performing markets were Italy, Portugal and Spain, which saw falls of between 20 and 40 per cent.
Continue ReadingMichelin franchises to more than double within 5 years
At present, Michelin operates around 2,000 franchised dealer points of sale around the world; according to information published in the tyre maker’s 2012 annual results presentation, the exact figure is 2013. Yet within a few short years, this number should this number should increase by around 150 per cent. Michelin says it intends to have 5,000 franchised dealer points of sale by 2017.
Continue ReadingCeat to open Bangladesh JV factory
India’s Ceat Ltd will start manufacturing tyres in Bangladesh as of next year through a joint venture operation with Bangladesh-based business conglomerate AK Khan & Co Ltd. The tyre maker will hold a 70 per cent share in the new company, Ceat AK Khan Bangladesh Ltd, with AK Khan & Co. possessing the remainder. Ceat AK Khan Bangladesh will produce cross-ply truck, light commercial vehicle and motorcycle tyres for the domestic market. The joint venture has been set up with an initial investment of US$67 million and will have a 110 tonne per day capacity when production commences. Around 1,000 people are expected to be employed in the new company.
Continue ReadingEnd of the road for Goodyear’s Amiens-Nord plant?
The sword of Damocles has hung over Goodyear’s production site in Amiens, France for years now. Most recently, in 2009 the American tyre maker openly discussed plans to end the production of passenger car tyres in Amiens-Nord; the site suffered from “uncompetitive costs,” the company said. Two years ago Goodyear attempted to emulate the deal it made in Latin America and sell the Amiens plant’s agricultural tyre production to Titan International. But all plans for the Titan-Goodyear deal collapsed at the end of 2011. Titan chairman and CEO Maurice Taylor pulled the ripcord and withdrew from Europe, visibly frustrated by the union representatives in Amiens.
Continue ReadingMichelin dominates Dakar following three-year commitment
Michelin has begun its three-year commitment to the Dakar Rally as it means to go on, with its tyres fitted to victors in the Bike, Truck and – on the tyre manufacturer’s comeback to the category for the first time since its 2001 victory – Cars. The French tyre giant brought its Latitude C tyres for the Car class, the Bib Mousse-equipped Desert Race for Motorbikes, and the XZL for Trucks, showing the strength and versatility required for competitors to tackle the frequently punishing conditions encountered.
Continue ReadingVoith buys Thyssenkrupp Services in UK
Voith Industrial Services has strengthened its position in the UK automotive industry by acquiring ThyssenKrupp Services Ltd. According to the company, the acquisition will create a combined business with a workforce of over 2,000 employees at 35 locations. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Continue ReadingStellana launches Optima system
Stellana, Inc., a moulded polyurethane wheel manufacturer recently introduced its Optima line of polyurethane tyres for the material handling industry, which apparently differ from press-on bands. “Standard press-on tyres come with costly trip charges, press-on charges, and downtime expenses. The Optima Tire System eliminates these costs: simply bolt the tyre onto your lift truck and you are up and running again,” said Stellana’s sales and marketing manager, Michael Scoon.
Continue ReadingThailand woos global tyre manufacturers
Thailand, currently the world’s largest rubber producer with an output of 3 million tonnes/year, is seeking to attract investment from international tyre producers in an effort to promote its domestic market and simultaneously contain its rubber export volume. Deputy Agriculture Minister Yutthapong Charasathian invited tyre makers to come and construction manufacturing plants in the South East Asian country, saying the Thai government has already sounded out “leading tyre manufacturers in the US, China and Japan” to expand tyre manufacturing operations in the country.
Continue ReadingMesnac establishes global sales and service network
China’s Qingdao Mesnac Co., Ltd, the company said to be the world’s second largest supplier of tyre and rubber manufacturing equipment, has set up a new global sales and service network. Mesnac says rapid growth in China, Asia and internationally since the firm’s founding in 2000 made the establishment of the new Mesnac Global Sales and Marketing Company (SMC) necessary. Zheng Jiangjia, executive vice-president of Mesnac, has been appointed president of the new operation; Zheng will lead five regional sales and marketing teams, which will be located in China, Southeast Asia, India, Europe and North/Latin America.
Continue ReadingNorgesdekk buys P. Holth
Norgesdekk AS has bought P. Holth AS in a move that sees the company expand to five locations. The business already has operations in Bergen, Jaeren Kristiansand and Tonsberg, Norway. According to the company, the expansion takes effect on 1 January 2013.
Continue ReadingAdvan V105 – Super-sport meets luxury
With a technical background that includes a stint as a motorsport technician working in the UK 30 years ago, Yokohama’s president went on to share further details of exactly how the new tyre surpasses its predecessor. To improve steering stability, a new "Matrix Body Ply Structure" was developed employing technology fostered through participation in world motorsports. According to the company, weight was reduced while rigidity was maintained, producing more agile handling and more comfortable ride, although this upgrade is not available on all sizes in the range. Meanwhile the asymmetrical, non-directional tread pattern - inside for enhanced performance on wet surfaces, outside for dry - features a new compound created to provide “exceptional” grip.
Continue ReadingThrills and spills in Macau
Three decades after Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama began supplying tyres to the Macau Grand Prix, the company returned to the glitz and glamour of what is the Chinese equivalent of Las Vegas to celebrate 30 years of partnership with the event. In order to mark the occasion, Tyres & Accessories was there to smell the rubber and witness the racing action as well as report on the race-to-road developments of the tyre supplier (see separate article in December's magazine for more on this).
Continue ReadingNokian withdraws winter tyre label
Nokian Tyres withdrew its self-produced “winter grip label” on 21 November following pressure from European tyre manufacturer’s organisation ETRMA and some competitors. The company reports that the label had not been and was not planned to be distributed outside Nordic countries. The news is set against the backdrop of the introduction of mandatory tyre labelling on 1 November 2012.
Continue ReadingTrailer market 5-year forecast downgraded
With Germany the only market out of the Big 7 economies that will have positive GDP in 2012, this deterioration has reportedly fed directly into slowing trailer sales. In the first quarter of 2012 trailer demand was up 0.4 per cent, but it will finish the year down 6.3 per cent. Nevertheless 77 per cent of goods in Europe are moved by road and most of that proportion is transported on a trailer, making the progress of this sector of significant interest.
Continue ReadingPirelli to invest 105 million euros in Slatina, Romania plant
Pirelli will invest 105 million euros in its Romanian plant over the next five years, the manufacturer has announced. The investment, which is supported by around 35 million euros of state aid, is designed to increase the size of the factory – from 180,000sqm to 200,000sqm – the number of employees by 500 to 3,500 in total, and its capacity. Initial estimates say the company plans to raise the current production figure of 8.5 million tyres per year to 10 million at the end of 2013 and 13 million by the end of 2017.
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