Continental Tire the Americas reports that it has signed up its first retreader in Canada. Montreal area retreader Pneus et Rechapage Uni has become the first retreader in the country to obtain a license for ContiTread brand flat pre-cure treads, and will now supply authorised Continental truck tyre dealers throughout Eastern Canada with ContiTread retreads.
Aeolus, Athlete, Linglong agri a Reifen focus for Heuver
Heuver Tyrewholesale has announced it will once again attend the Reifen trade show, which takes place in Essen, Germany this May. The wholesaler says its trade fair schedule features a lot of time for maintaining and expanding customer relations, while also highlighting the latest products by its important and exclusive (in eight markets) brand Aeolus. In terms of wheel rims, Heuver will give specific attention to the Athlete brand. It will also focus on the latest agricultural tyres by LingLong, which Heuver distributes in a number of markets. The Heuver stand can be found in Hall 2, stand number 2E48.
Indian tyre maker MRF Ltd. is eyeing several acquisition opportunities but remains cautious over committing itself to inorganic expansion, chairman and managing director K.M. Mammen told The Times of India. Referring to the aborted deal of major Indian rival Apollo Tyres, whose acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. came undone, Mammen told the newspaper, “You can acquire like how my dear friends did and then get slapped.” He added: “There is a way of acquiring. You should acquire what you can swallow. A bad acquisition can kill you.”
Ceat radial production getting a boost in Sri Lanka
Production capacity at Ceat Kelani Holdings’ site in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka will rise by almost 70 per cent following the entry into operation of a new plant dedicated to passenger car and SUV radial production. When the new tyre building machines and curing presses start production in April, CEAT Kelani will increase its radial tyre building and curing capacity from 23,000 tyres per month to 39,000. The facility has been established through an investment of Rs 600 million (£2.8 million).
Groundbreaking takes place for Bridgestone’s factory in Russia
Almost a year after Bridgestone’s plans to establish a joint-venture factory in Russia’s Ulyanovsk Oblast region were made public, groundbreaking was held at the site of the tyre maker’s future passenger car radial factory on 1 April. The facility will be erected on an 81 hectare site around 900 kilometres (560 miles) southeast of Moscow, and production is expected to start in the first half of 2016. Plant output estimated to reach approximately 12,000 units a day by the second half of 2018.
Football sponsorship has been a favoured means of brand promotion at Continental since it became a Champions League partner in 1995, and in addition to its numerous global, regional and national commitments it has now signed up as an official sponsor of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015. At the centre of this deal with the Asian Football Confederation is a championship taking place in Australia between 9 and 31 January 2015; teams from 46 countries will be involved and match coverage will reach up to 2.5 billion spectators.
Germany’s Reiff Group, whose business portfolio includes tyre and wheel wholesale and retail activities, has reported that “two negative influences” affected its business in 2013: A one-off effect of €4.9 million and a drop in margins in its tyre business. Group turnover fell 3.6 per cent year-on-year to €509 million, with €358 million coming from its tyre and auto business. The company reported a net loss of €8.7 million; in 2012, it achieved a net profit of €0.6 million.
According to a new study from J.D. Power, the number of problems owners in the US experience with their original equipment tyres declined 22 per cent to 68.5 problems per 100 vehicles in 2014 - down from 88.3 in 2010. The 2014 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study also found the incidence of all tyre problems measured has declined over the five-year span, with the largest improvements in fast tread wear, slow leaks and uneven wear. The study measured tyre owner satisfaction after two years of vehicle ownership in four segments: luxury, passenger car, performance sport and truck/utility. Satisfaction was examined in four factors: tyre wearability, tyre ride, tyre appearance, and tyre traction/handling.
EU model used for Chinese green tyre specification
Recently the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) gave word that trials of a new eco tyre specification (standard number XXZB/LT-102-2014) began in China on 1 March. Chemical manufacturer Lanxess, which is currently participating in the CRIA-hosted China Rubber Conference in Qingdao, has provided additional information on the specification: it says the Green Tire Technology Specification is based on the tyre label introduced in the European Union in November 2012.
Apollo Tyres has inaugurated the second of its two global R&D centres. According to Indian publication The Hindu, the tyre maker opened the centre at its Chennai facility today. The centre will focus on the development of commercial vehicle tyres.
Redefining ‘tyre wear’ – new Goodyear clothing range launched
A brand new range of ‘vintage’ t-shirts and sweatshirts with Goodyear branding has gone on sale at Pull&Bear retail outlets worldwide and online, as part of the Goodyear Vintage fashion programme. As part of a deal brokered between IMG Licensing and the Goodyear Company, the clothing will be sold at Pull&Bear stores in 62 countries around the world and on their e-commerce website alongside the existing local Goodyear range of clothing.
Swedish distributor Däck Partner has named Starco Sweden as one of its top three “Suppliers of the Year.” The company says this recognition from Däck Partner is “a welcome acknowledgement of the achievement of Starco Sweden, proving that the presence of a special wheel and tyre company in the Swedish market is worthwhile.”
Pirelli may reduce 2014 sales goal due to Russia, emerging market pressures
While Pirelli’s recent sale of a 13 per cent shareholding to Russian petrochemical giant Rosneft brings it access to 2,800 petrol station/tyre points of sale, some industry observers are also warning that the political environment and the deal itself are on shaky ground. On the one hand the collaboration is expected to put Pirelli on a par with the premium leader in Russia, Finnish tyremaker Nokian Renkaat, in terms of a distribution network size there is more than one way to skin a cat in terms of distribution and other factors could end up affecting Pirelli’s overall sales targets. The company is set to publish its full year 2013 results this evening, along with its 2014 outlook commentary.
Maxam Tire personnel have recently returned from the USA, where the company took part in the Conexpo exhibition, held from 4-8 March in Las Vegas. Conexpo is one or the world’s premier shows for the construction, mining and earthmoving sectors, held once every three years and attracting over 2,400 exhibitors and more than 125,000 visitors over the five days of the show. The Maxam stand was 164 m2 (1800 sq. ft) in area and on show were 10 of the extensive ranges of Maxam construction and radial OTR tyres.
Connell Brothers to market Lehigh tyre industry raw materials in SE Asia
Connell Brothers (CBC), the largest distributor of specialty chemicals and ingredients in Asia-Pacific, has announced a partnership with specialty materials company Lehigh Technologies to market Lehigh’s PolyDyne micronised rubber powders (MRP) to the tyre and rubber industries in Southeast Asia.
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