Pirelli Introduces Fourth MIRS Line At Georgia
Less than three years ago, the Governor of Georgia and Guy Mannino, President of Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA), pushed the button to start production at Pirelli’s first Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) module in North America, in Rome, Georgia.
Continue ReadingFive New Treads from Kraiburg
Kraiburg Austria is expanding its high-performance standard range with five additional profiles. Two new designs of the Kraiburg brand are now available for the application “Mixed Application/Off-road” – namely the K208 and K212. These are joined by three new designs for special applications –the K213 as a traction tread specifically for use in winter, the K75 as a Unimog tread and the K63 as a forklift truck or gantry crane tread. Altogether, the Kraiburg standard range for 2005 now includes 59 tread designs. For the second half of the year, the company is planning to introduce further tread designs for long distance applications. As such, the company can offer its retreader partners all the latest products currently in demand in Europe and, with more than 50 years of expertise, Kraiburg can offer the right tread design and the optimum compound for every application.
Continue ReadingNew Bandag dealership opens in Ussuriysk
The Vladivostok-based Vostokshintorg group of companies recently opened the very first Bandag Dealership in this distant part of Russia, a virgin market for retreaded tyres. Although Russia is often thought of as a European country, it also has Asian roots. The Russian Far East, more than 9,000 km to the east of Moscow, extends from Siberia to the Pacific. The city of Vladivostok, on the Pacific coast, is less than 100 km from the Chinese border, and only the Sea of Japan separates it from the main Japanese island of Honshu. Oil, gas, fishing, mining, forestry and four major ports combine with foreign economic ties to make the region one of the most dynamic in Russia.
Continue ReadingTire Wholesaler to Secure New Headquarters
(Akron/Tire Review) Tire Group International Inc. (TGI) has acquired a 600,000-square foot warehouse facility in Miami that will be converted into its new headquarters.
Continue ReadingApollo Tyres’ Vadodara Facility ‘Returning to Normalcy’
Apollo Tyres’ Vadodara is running at normal capacity following more than a week of disruption to its 6000 tyres per day production. The factory had been running at full capacity when at the midnight of 30 May, the leadership of one of the three trade unions declared a strike. Apollo representatives report that such stoppages without prior notice are illegal according to existing labour laws. Furthermore the action was prohibited by an order issued by the Government of Gujarat on 7 June 2005. After this the factory resumed normal operations.
Continue ReadingCTNA Introduces Compact Run-Flat System
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) has introduced the ContiComfortKit (CCK); a run-flat system designed to temporarily seal a tyre puncture temporarily thereby extending mobility.
Continue ReadingPatrick O’Connell Becomes RMA Chairman
The Retread Manufacturers Association has appointed Patrick OConnell, of Bandvulc as the Association’s chairman, effective from 8 June. He succeeds Gary Oliver of C-Tyres, who has stepped down after two years in office.
Continue ReadingGalaxy and Dynamic to Merge Forming GPX
Galaxy Tire & Wheel and Dynamic Tire Corp have agreed to merge. As a result a new company, GPX Tyre & Wheel, will be formed. According to an official statement the new company is expected to record sales of more than $300 million in 2005 and holds assets in excess of $100 million. “The will provide the solid foundation and critical mass necessary for GPX Tire & Wheel to become one of the leading global players in the agricultural, industrial, commercial and off-the-road tyre markets,” the statement says. For the time being the two companies will operate in parallel as separate entities. The merger is expected to be completed by the end of this calender year.
Continue ReadingWhy Doesn’t the Government Ride on Retreads?
Influential members of the retreading community pulled off a successful media coup when their request for more widespread public sector use of retreads was featured in the Daily Telegraph. In the broadsheet article entitled “Green tyres get Government brush-off” RMA director, David Wilson, and former and current presidents (C-Tyres’ Gary Oliver and Bandvulc’s Richard O’Connell) spoke of their wishes to see the government support the retreading business. Its not an unprecedented idea. US president George Bush and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi have both backed similar schemes in their countries. In the UK however, there has been no noticeable move towards enforcing the use retreads on the part of the public sector.
Continue ReadingEuro Car Parts Launches Lion Battery Range
Euro Car Parts has launched its new Lion battery range which it says has the most comprehensive fitment list in the industry. Lion Batteries, exclusive to Euro Car Parts, offer original equipment specification and use “third generation calcium/calcium technology” to deliver the highest levels of performance for the most demanding of today’s vehicles.
Continue ReadingFirst Hakkapeliitta Tyres Produced at Nokian’s Plant In Russia
The first Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 winter tyres have been produced on schedule at Nokian Tyres plant in Vsevolozhsk, Russia. Actions to increase production have begun with the target to produce 200,000-500,000 tyres during 2005. The installation of a second production line will begin in the end of the current year. The official opening of the factory will be in the early autumn.
Continue ReadingF1 Statistics: Michelin Hot on Dunlop’s Heels
If Michelin can continue its recent run of Formula 1 success by winning in Montreal, the French tyre maker could find itself moving up a place in the sport’s list of all-time greats. Goodyear is top of the pile when it comes to F1 tyres suppliers, but this is mainly due to its position as exclusive supplier for many years. Goodyear leads with 368 victories (between 1962 and 1998), while Bridgestone is in second place with 94 victories (1997 to 2004). Dunlop has clocked up 83 successes (1958 to 1970).
Continue ReadingWRAP Programme To Support Tyre Recycling
WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is to allocate “a large part” of the first year’s budget to developing existing processes and exploring “novel applications.” In a statement WRAP reports that it has begun work on developing the UK used tyre market. The aim of the programme, which is part of Defras new Business Resource Efficiency and Waste initiative (BREW), is to increase the inherent value of recycled tyres by stimulating market demand for higher value products.
Continue ReadingToyo Announces Technical Partner Agreements with European Manufacturers
Toyo Tire & Rubber has formed technical partner agreements with Breyton, BMW’s tuner, Kleeman, Mercedes Benz’s tuner, and Sportec, Porsche’s tuner. According to the company, the agreements represent a part of Toyo Tire’s efforts to collaborate with leading European tuners. Toyo Tire expects that the partnerships with these three European tuners will be mutually beneficial in terms of technology information exchanges and increased brand exposure gained by promoting their brands with each other at trade shows and advertising activities.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Names New Manufacturing VP
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co has named Christopher Werner as its new vice president of manufacturing for its North American Tire unit. Christopher Werner comes to Goodyear from GST AutoLeather Inc, a supplier of automotive leather for luxury vehicles from Toyota/Lexus, Acura, Ford, Chrysler and others, where he served as senior vice president of global operations. Mr Werner, 42, will report to Jon Rich, president of North American Tire, and Chris Clark, senior vice president of global sourcing.
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