Malaysia: Car tyre sales worth US$78 Million in Q4 2010
The latest market data released by GfK suggests Malaysia's passenger car tyre business recorded sales of over US$78 million during the fourth quarter of 2010. The analysts also reported increased popularity of American and European tyres in the market. "It is not unusual for quarter four to register stronger demands as major festivities like Hari Raya, Christmas and school holidays all take place during the last few months of the year," commented Jennifer Chan, general manager of GfK Malaysia. "In preparation for heavier usage of their cars for visitations and long drives, car owners tend to send their vehicles for their due servicing which includes replacing their worn out tyres, around this period of time."
Continue ReadingMaxxis rewards leading retailers with Shanghai trip
Maxxis International thanked its top 18 performing retailers of 2010 – the winners of the top prize in the Maxxis Rewards programme – by taking them on a seven-day, all expenses paid trip to China. A mix of culture and business, the visit combined sightseeing visits to major attractions in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shuzhou with a tour of the Maxxis factory in Kunshan.
Continue ReadingEurotire opens Kazakhstan location
Eurotire has opened up a new location in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Karaganda is located in Kazakhstan’s northeast mining region, an area rich in both coal and hard rock mining. Seeing as Eurotire’s focus is on providing the world’s emerging mining markets with OTR bias and radial tyres/OTR tyre services, the company obviously saw the value of the latest move.
Continue ReadingHyundai, Ulsan – The largest car factory in the world
With more than a quarter (11 million) of South Korea's population of around 40 million living in the capital Seoul and a further 1.1 million living in the country's capital of heavy industry Ulsan, it is clear the country's population s centred on its bustling metropolises. But while space can be found at a premium in the largest cities, the businesses that operate in each of these cities take advantage of the synergies available due to the close proximity of the workforce and other related companies.
Continue ReadingNexen aiming for US$2.5 billion sales by 2015
While most of the western world celebrated New Year at the end of December, both China and South Korea were making plans for their celebrations at the start of February, based on the lunar calendar. Back in 2010 Nexen Tire Corporation announced plans for a 1 trillion won (US$1.2 billion) investment in its largest factory yet in Changneyeong in the same region as its first plant (Yangsan), which along with the company's second plant in Qingdao, China, continues to expand. Just before the oriental entrance into the new decade, Tyres & Accessories had the opportunity to visit Nexen on its home South Korean and adopted Chinese territory and saw how the company is implementing its plans to become a US$2.5 billion company in the next five years.
Continue ReadingCooper JV Plant Earns 9001:2008 Quality Certification
The Mexico based Corporacion de Occidente joint venture, 58 per cent owned by Cooper Tire & Rubber, has earned the ISO 9001:2008 quality certification, joining six other Cooper Tire facilities – the company’s manufacturing facilities in Melksham plus its Findlay, Texarkana and Tupelo plants in the US plus its Cooper Kenda Tire joint venture in China and the Tall Timbers Mold Operations facility in Findlay – that hold this designation.
Continue ReadingChinese Machinery Makers Look to Export Markets
While much attention has been focused on the amount of tyres being produced in China in general and the rapid growth of the most professional Chinese tyre manufacturers, the machinery companies that supply them have kept their similarly meteoric rise somewhat beneath the radar. But while the tyre mould and machinery making companies have managed to avoid the limelight so far, some market observers argue that their growing influence should not be ignored.
Continue ReadingJorge Crespo New Infinity Europe General Manager
Infinity Tyres Europe Ltd has appointed Jorge Crespo as the company’s new European general manager. Crespo joins Infinity following nine years at Cooper Tire Europe where, as sales and marketing director, he was a board member. Prior to joining the Cooper Avon operation in Melksham, Crespo worked in the rubber compounding industry. However, having trained as a solicitor before entering the business world, he also brings a level of legal awareness into his new management position. Crespo took up his new role on 4 January.
Continue ReadingHow to Negotiate Production Over Chinese New Year
With varying reports of a product shortage and increasing raw material and shipping costs, how do companies sourcing products from China expedite production when the workers in the People’s Republic down tools for two weeks over Chinese New Year? Mould maker Bluestar recently contacted Tyres & Accessories offering the following advice.
Continue ReadingInvestments Signal Maxxis’ Competitive Intentions
When financial analysts said that 2009 was a “banner year” for Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd. in a report published back in May, the market watchers weren’t overstating the facts. But in 2010, when the 2009 results were made public, the Taiwan-based tyre manufacturer which is responsible for the Maxxis brand and Maxxis International companies, announced plans for two new factories, an international standard proving ground and some high profile OE contracts. It was also the year that saw the company move into 10th place in Tyres & Accessories’ annual ranking of tyre manufacturing companies. With all this in mind T&A recently visited Cheng Shin/Maxxis’ Kunshan tyre production plant near Shanghai, China and asked if 2010 was the real breakthrough for Maxxis? And if so what happens next?
Continue ReadingCooper Tire Increases Mexico Investments
On January 1, Cooper Tire & Rubber increased its level of ownership in its affiliated Mexican operation from 38 to 58 per cent. The tyre maker states this increased ownership in Corporacion de Occidente SA de CV. has been made as part of its long-term strategy to produce high quality yet cost competitive products. As a result of this transaction, the Mexican entity will be fully consolidated in the company’s financial results for this year.
Continue ReadingMalaysian Distributor Visits Federal Tyres
More than 30 guests of A-One Tyres, Federal Tyre's sole distributor in Malaysia, recently attended a training weekend in Chungli, Taiwan.
Continue ReadingPirelli Renews Slatina Hospital Aid Programme
Three years ago, Pirelli launched a programme to assist staff at the Hospital of Slatina, a facility located near the company’s Romanian car and light truck tyre plant. Since this time the Italian tyre maker has contributed towards the professional training of more than 120 doctors and nurses, who have benefitted from assistance provided by Milan’s Niguarda Hospital Ca’ Granda. Pirelli’s support of the Slatina hospital has now been renewed with the signing of an agreement to expand and extend the programme to 2013.
Continue ReadingWikileaks: Diplomats Bemoaned US Tyre Tariff Decision
While the majority of the 250,000 documents contained in the largest leak of government records in American history focus on diplomatic and political commentaries written by the US ambassadorial network, at least one of the wires published by the Wikileaks website sheds light on behind the scenes discussions on the Obama decision to impose import tariffs on Chinese-made tyres. A document dated 29 September 2009 and classified as secret, reports that US deputy secretary of state James B Steinberg (Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s chief adviser) discussed the tyre tariffs alongside policy objectives for Iran and North Korea with Chinese foreign minister He Yafei.
Continue ReadingReifen China 2010 Had 39% More Visitors
For the fourth time in its history, Reifen China welcomed floods of visitors through the doors of the Shanghai New International Expo Center on 25 November where over 100 exhibitors from some of the country's leading suppliers and traders were waiting to share details of the latest products and business developments. The headline news is that by the end of this year’s show on 27 November, Reifen China had attracted a total of 9356 trade visitors from 75 countries – an increase of over 39 per cent compared with the previous year (2009: 6,693).
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