Bridgestone Australia Leukaemia Foundation Village officially opens
In late November, a Bridgestone Australia-sponsored AU$9.5 million (£5.3 million) patient accommodation village designed to support regional blood cancer patients and their families was officially opened in Adelaide’s north-east. The Bridgestone Australia Leukaemia Foundation Village offers free specialised accommodation and support services to patients and their families, mostly those from regional areas who often have to spend months away from home while undergoing treatment.
Hungary’s Ministry of National Economy has designated Bridgestone’s passenger car tyre factory in Tatabanya its “investor of the month” as part of its “Award for Successful Companies” programme. The accolade, one of three given under the programme, is given to corporations whose activities contribute significantly to the Hungarian economy and export growth, increase local employment and who have invested at least €5 million within the region in recent months. Bridgestone was acknowledged for the expansion it is now implementing at its Tatabanya plant.
Vredestein and German tuner Carlsson have agree to extend their cooperation agreement for a further three years following the signing of a new contract on 3 December. This partnership is part of Vredestein’s Premium Styling concept and has already resulted in unique Mercedes-Benz models styled by Carlsson. In the coming years, the cooperation will move up a gear, focusing on the development of models such as the new Mercedes-Benz S, E and ML. Vredestein is the strategic tyre partner supplying its range of premium designer tyres to Carlsson within the partnership.
Many forward-thinking garages now offer nitrogen tyre inflation as an additional service to customers, but it’s safe to say that the inflation performed by Nie Yongbing would draw bigger crowds. The 63-year old from China’s SichuanProvince is able to inflate car tyre inner tubes using his nostril. During a demonstration held on 6 December, Nie inflated four inner tubes using this unique method in just 20 minutes.
Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing, Inc. (TNA) has broken ground on a 700,000 square foot (65,000m²) addition to its 2 million square foot (186,000 m²) tyre manufacturing facility in White, Georgia. The plant’s warehousing capacity will also be expanded by 323,000 square feet (30,000m²); Toyo says it needs a larger warehouse area to accommodate increasing demand for Toyo and Nitto brand passenger car and light truck tyres. Parent company Toyo Tire & Rubber is investing US$371 million in the TNA expansion over the next four years.
Thailand market dominated by 3 tyre majors – report
According to a report from market research and consulting company TechSci Research, three tyre majors account for more than 70 per cent of tyre sales in Thailand. Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear dominate a market that is expected to grow significantly in the next few years and generate revenues up to around US$17 billion by the end of 2018. However the report, titled ‘Thailand Tyre Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2018’, opines that companies such as Yokohama, Sumitomo and Continental tyres are providing these three with “tough competition”.
As South Africa and the world mourns the passing of Nelson Mandela, Continental Tyre South Africa has paid its respects to the former President in a statement:
Purchasers of Toyo truck and bus tyres in the US will now enjoy a more comprehensive casing warranty. Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. says its improved casing warranty for its medium TBR range sees the casing value increasing to US$110 for the first retread on many popular sizes. The company also offers a rubber allowance of up to $50.00, based on the tyre’s remaining tread depth. Toyo Tire U.S.A. opines that these latest changes to its casing warranty make it one of the best in the tyre business.
Replacement segment increasingly important for JK Tyre
India’s automotive sector has slowed of late and this has impacted on the original equipment tyre business. One manufacturer says it is responding to this by investing more strongly in the replacement business.
GfK: Indian replacement tyre market 5.5 million units
GfK has been carrying out research on car tyres in India since January 2013 and says that, although demand for passenger cars in India has fallen somewhat short of expectations this year, the replacement passenger car tyre market is thriving with robust sales reported for car and SUV tyres in the last three quarters. Car owners in the top 43 cities in India bought more than 5.5 million tyres in first nine months of the year; with the third quarter sales volume having surged by a substantial 11 per cent over the previous quarter.
The amount Cheng Shin Rubber will invest in its new Indonesian plant appears to be much higher than previously announced. While in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange in October the Maxxis tyre brand manufacturer said it will invest NT$2.36 billion (£49.7 million) to build a plant in Indonesia in order to increase its ASEAN region presence, talk now is of investing £195 million.
Apollo Tyres has announced the introduction of the Vredestein brand in India. Four ranges from the Dutch tyre maker will initially be available there - the Ultrac Sessanta, Ultrac SUV Sessanta, Ultrac Cento and Sportrac. These will be sold in a range of sizes for 15 to 20-inch rim diameters. The Vredestein range sold in India will complement the existing Apollo passenger car range, Apollo Tyres states.
German-owned fast-fit network A.T.U. reports reaching a “decisive milestone in its financial repositioning.” The loss-making company’s management and majority shareholder (private equity group KKR) have reached a lock-up agreement with more than 80 per cent of its key bond creditors to reduce A.T.U.’s debt by more than €600 million and inject some €100 million of fresh equity into the firm. In addition, A.T.U. has received a senior secured, 2018-due credit line of more than €75 million from HayFin Capital Management.
Bridgestone sells Sameer share, new technical partnership likely
Bridgestone Corporation has sold its 14.9 per cent share in Sameer Africa Ltd, and the Kenyan tyre maker says it has found a potential strategic investor to replace the Japanese firm as a source of technical assistance and support. To facilitate this new arrangement, the approximately 41.5 million shares Bridgestone held in Sameer Africa have been transferred to Sameer Investments Limited.
Omni United reports that its flagship brand, Radar Tires, has been certified as carbon neutral. To achieve carbon neutral status the company worked with UK-headquartered professional services firm Ernst & Young to conduct a twelve-month assessment on Radar Tires total greenhouse gas emissions; these were monitored between April 2011 and March 2012. Certification involved an independent assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, coupled with an offset-inclusive emissions reduction programme.
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