Michelin Aims to Double Malaysian Market Share
Amongst Michelin’s plans in Asia is a doubling of market share in Malaysia. Yves Pouliquen, managing director of Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd, reports the more than 1,000 outlets selling Michelin tyres throughout the country hold a ten per cent share of the market, and the tyre maker’s goal is to “grow that to 20 per cent.” One means the company has of increasing its presence in Malaysia is via the expansion of its Tyreplus network of independent tyre retailers. A year after its initial Malaysian market debut, the national Tyreplus network contains eight outlets, and Michelin plans to increase this to 50 centres by 2013 through a project Pouliquen says will cost some RM10 million (£2 million).
Continue ReadingCooper Tire Continues ‘Happy Soccer Class’ at Yellow Mountain
In China, Cooper Tire has been continuing a series of measures designed to integrate the company into the communities in which it operates. One such programme is Cooper’s ‘Happy Soccer Class’ which recently saw Alex Koi, general manager of Cooper Tire China operations, lead his team of employees to Tanjiaqiao Central Primary School in Huangshan, also known as the Yellow Mountain, Anhui province. Since January 2010, Cooper Tire working closely with famous soccer commentator Huang Jianxiang, officially launched the Cooper Tires charity soccer with the theme of ‘The wheel of Joy - happy soccer class’. This campaign aims to teach soccer skills to the children.
Continue ReadingHauling Out of the Recessionary Market
As in almost all industries, the calamity of the credit crunch has had a huge impact on the truck tyre market, reducing demand for products, and forcing manufacturers and traders to regroup. As a result of the economic crisis commercial vehicle businesses were forced to become savvier, demanding more from their tyres. Others simply went under. So with the remaining customers demanding improved performance, mileage and fuel consumption from their tyres while simultaneously being under economic pressure themselves, what affect has this scenario had on the size and development of the market? And what does this mean for truck tyre pricing both in the UK and across Europe?
Continue ReadingPirelli Reports ‘Surge’ in Post-Recession Truck Tyre Demand
With the economic recovery now seemingly underway and truck tyre sales in the UK growing again, demand for Pirelli truck products has reportedly outstripped this increase three-fold. According to the company, Pirelli’s success can be attributed to its focus on the premium market, the launch of two “extremely successful products” during the year and a number of new commercial fleet contracts. But how have these three elements linked together to put Pirelli’s sales so ahead of the market trend?
Continue ReadingB-Quik Expands Despite Unrest in Thailand
B-Quik, Thailands biggest independent automotive repair organization, saw revenue grow over 30 per cent in the first 6 months of 2010, this despite the unrest in the Thai capital in the month of May. The company has opened two new stores so far this year (one on the island of Phuket and one in Bangkok) and now operates through 64 outlets. For the second half of the year another seven new stores are confirmed and three more are pending. B-Quik adjusted its revenue expectation for 2010 to exceed 2.5 billion Thai baht (£50 million, 61 million Euros). Growth is almost equally split, 15 per cent from like for like same store increase and the other 15 per cent from new stores build last year and this year. The sales growth is divided evenly over the various product groups but aircon repairs and servicing and oil/filter changes lead the growth.
Continue ReadingBelshina to Establish Brazil Presence
Belarus based tyre maker Belshina intends to establish an office for distributing its products in Brazil this year. Parent company Belneftekhim reports the office will be located in Sao Paulo and is scheduled to open this autumn. The Brazil office will distribute a wide range of Belshina products on the Brazilian market, including truck and agricultural tyres – products the company notes are most in demand there.
Continue ReadingVeyron Tyres Last Just 37 Miles at Top Whack
While everyone else was drooling over the Bugatti Veyron Super Sports’s jaw dropping 267 mph (431 km/h) performance on the BBC’s Top Gear programme last night, Tyres & Accessories was observing the tyre geek angle – at those kinds of speeds even the best tyres simply don’t last very long. During his report, May pointed out that Bugatti engineers had told him the car’s tyres lasted for around 37 miles a speeds of up to 258 mph (414 km/h). At speeds beyond this, however, the tyres’ life expectancy is somewhat more opaque: “Ask an admiral how deep his submarine goes,” Top Gear’s May was told.
Continue ReadingContinental, Tanzania Negotiations “Complex”
According to Nairobi based news portal The East African, the nation of Tanzania is “struggling” to end the multi-billion dollar General Tyres East Africa (GTEA) partnership brokered with Continental AG in the mid-1990s. The East African states that Continental, 38 per cent shareholder in the venture, has been “feuding with the state” since 2006. The GTEA facility in northern Tanzania has been closed since 2007, with 400 workers locked out.
Continue ReadingR H Claydon to Distribute Exclusively Infinity Truck Tyres
Recognising R H Claydon as “the leading UK truck tyre distributor,” Infinity Tyres has appointed the well-known wholesaler as the exclusive distributor for Infinity Truck (TBR) tyres in the UK. The news follows “a couple of months of discussion and negotiation,” which resulted in the new agreement being concluded. Infinity truck tyres will now be available from all of Claydon’s UK branches – Bury St Edmunds, Falkirk, Scunthorpe, Stockport and Swindon.
Continue ReadingSri Lanka Encourages Tyre Rubber Production
At the end of June Sri Lanka’s government announced plans to encourage small farmers to produce more tyre grade rubber. Local news sources reported that plantations industries minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said a policy decision was taken aimed at increasing production of the RSS 3 type rubber grade: “Although most people think RSS 1 is the best and it is, the biggest demand is for RSS 3…That’s what big industrialists want. They are the main buyers of rubber.”
Continue ReadingCuban Retreader Poligom Output 56,900 tyres in 2009
A recent article written by Joel Mayor Loran and published by the Granma and Periodico publications in Cuba gives a fascinating insight into the workings of the country’s National Rubber Company – Poligom. According to the article, which is entitled “How to Save a Million Dollars” the Cuban retreading operation has been facing a scarcity of raw materials and retreadable casings. The Poligom National Rubber Company reportedly runs five factories specialised retreading work, which retreaded 56,900 tyres in 2009. However, the lack of stability in the supply is said to have affected plans to increase production to 90,000 in 2010. In the year to 10 June the retread companies located in the municipality of Cotorro in Havana City, in the central province of Las Villas, and in the eastern provinces of Camaguey, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba received 34,000 casings, 6,000 less than expected.
Continue ReadingAnti-Dumping Pressure Mounts on Chinese Tyre Makers
While most of the rainbow nation was preparing to welcome people from far and wide to the first World Cup on African turf, the country’s legal eagles were deliberating over whether or not to kick certain Chinese tyres out of the country with an anti-dumping investigation. On 4 June 2010 the South African press reported that the High Court of Pretoria’s Judge Willie Hartzenberg set aside an earlier ruling made in 2007 by the Trade and Industry Ministry (Itac), to terminate anti-dumping probes against Chinese tyre exporters. He further ordered that (Itac) complete an anti-dumping investigation within four months. The judgement was duly lauded as bringing "fair competition" to the tyre manufacturing industry by those who brought the case, namely Bridgestone South Africa, Continental Tyre South Africa, Dunlop Tyres International and Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Holdings through their representative body South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference. Whether or not the Chinese tyre imports in question can accurately be described as dumping – and it would be prudent to let the courts decide that – the ruling is another sign that products manufactured in the People’s Republic are not the quick and easy sell they once were. As far as tyres are concerned, the combination of increasing natural rubber, oil and steel input prices, combined with an unstable shipping cost context and added to the increasingly inhospitable international trade climate mean the latest decision in South Africa may force some Chinese factories to rethink either the delivery strategy or destinations of their tyres.
Continue ReadingInfinity Continues to Develop Brand alongside Large Manufacturers in Hall 3
The Infinity brand was presented as part of a 240sqm island stand (shared with its manufacturer Shandong Linglong) situated within Hall 3, a fair indication of the global ambitions explained in previous articles (“Infinity Aims to 'Go Deep' with Fast Growing 'Premium Budget' Strategy” on tyrepress.com), since this was where many of the world’s largest manufacturers also placed their stands.
Continue ReadingSouth African Anti-Dumping Decision "Means Level Playing Field"
An article on the South African website Business Report reported on the ruling of the High Court in South Africa to set aside the decision, made in 2007 by the Trade and Industry Ministry, to terminate anti-dumping probes against Chinese tyre exporters, bringing "fair competition" to the tyre manufacturing industry.
Continue ReadingMichelin Deploys Latest Military Tyre
Weapons manufacturers, government representatives and perhaps, one may speculate, the odd soldier of fortune and terrorist crackpot, are flocking to Paris this week to take part in the Eurosatory military vehicle show. Those perusing the latest additions to our global arsenal were amongst the first to catch a glimpse of Michelin’s new XZL2 tyre. Introduced at the show, the XZL2 is designed for both military and off-road commercial applications, and Michelin states it features a redesigned tread pattern that offers greater speed capabilities and improved tread life over a wide range of terrains.
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