4×4 – Profitable Opportunities
Sales of SUVs and 4x4s are booming across Europe. This is reflected in a vast increase in sales of tyres fitted to these vehicles, with tyres for on-road use dominating the statistics. Tyres & Accessories will review this particular market, giving an insight into its future development and its profit making potential.
Continue ReadingChanging Truck Tyres on the Move
RTS Engineering has launched a completely autonomous ‘energy module.’ Billed as “the ultimate” in mobile tyre fitting equipment, the new product is made up of an engine, a hydraulic pump and a hydrovane compressor.
Continue ReadingBrityrex Review
This month sees the much-anticipated return of Brityrex. After an eight year absence the show is returning to Harrogate as Brityrex International and the organisers, ECI International, are determined to deliver exactly what they promised from the beginning - an exhibition dedicated to the tyre and related industries. As sponsor of the event Tyres & Accessories will provide an in depth report on the new show and assessment of the products on show.
Continue ReadingStapletons Joins Whistleblower Hotline
Security Risk Management Ltd (SRM), a UK provider of operational risk management services, has announced that it has added Stapletons Tyre Services to its client portfolio. From 1 June SRM will be offering a dedicated confidential phone service providing Stapletons employees with the opportunity to raise any concerns relating to illegal or improper behaviour in the workplace. The service will be open to all of Stapleton’s 800 employees.
Continue ReadingUHP Tyres – More Than a Tuning Accessory
Wide and super wide tyres are developing into the first choice tuning accessories for cars, usually in combination with trendy light alloy wheels. One out of every four people interested in tuning fits their vehicle with alternative wheels, and a majority of these bump up the size of their wheels by one or two inches. Of these there are two kinds of customer - those that upgrade their rims but keep the same tyre size, and those that ‘tune’ their alloys, switching for more modern designs, while replacing tyres like-for-like.
Continue ReadingTVR Plotting MG Takeover?
The rumour mill is churning our speculation that sport car manufacturer, TVR’s, bosses are poised to launch a bid to buy what’s left of MG, Auto Express has reported. Not only that, but the report suggests that such a move would also see the company mothball its Blackpool, Lancashire, factory in favour of moving back to the currently idle Longbridge site in Birmingham. The idea is said to be backed an unnamed member of MG’s former management. Neither TVR or MG Rover administrator PriceWaterhouseCoopers gave any comment.
Continue ReadingThe ‘Market Leading’ CV Show and ATS
The Commercial Vehicle and Automotive Trade Show held last month, comprised of over 600 exhibitors, spread over 90,000 square metres and 11 halls making this year’s event the largest show ever held in the UK. Home to the UK’s road transport and automotive aftermarket businesses there were more car, van, truck, trailer, bodywork and road transport suppliers at the exhibition than at any other business to business show in Europe over the last year.
Continue ReadingMichelin Raises Siam Joint Venture Stake to 90 per cent
Groupe Michelin will buy a 30 per cent stake in its Michelin Siam joint venture from partner, the Siam Cement Group, raising its stake in the venture to 90 per cent. In a statement published on the Siam Cement web site, the company announced that it will gain 3.3 billion baht (£44.6 million) between 2005 and 2008 as a result of plans to reduce its stake in the joint venture. The company plans to steadily reduce its stake in Michelin Siam to 10 per cent from its current level of 40 per cent beginning in the fourth quarter of this year, it said in a filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand. In 2004, Michelin Siam recorded total revenue of 328 million euros.
Continue ReadingContinental Cuts Production at Charlotte Passenger Plant
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) announced today that it is making a significant cut in tyre production at its Charlotte, North Carolina passenger and light truck/SUV tyre plant, a move that will result in some 200-300 layoffs. From 1 July, Charlotte production will be cut from approximately 25,000 tyres per day down to some 17,500. CTNA said the cutback was due to “a substantial increase in inventory levels for certain passenger tyre products and high process costs at the Charlotte plant.”
Continue ReadingAA Tops 2005 Roadside Assistance Index
The AA has been ranked as the top roadside rescue and recovery service in the annual JD Power 2005 Roadside Assistance Study. The survey records the opinions of over 23,000 motorists to create an index of customer satisfaction based on three main components – timing, performance of the patrol, and performance of the call handler.
Continue ReadingPirelli Sells Cable Business to Goldman Sachs for 1.3 billion euros
Pirelli & C SpA has sold its Energy and Telecom Cables and Systems business to Goldman Sachs for 1.3 billion euros. So what will the investment company get for its money? In 2004 the cable business turned over more than 3.2 billion euros, with an operating income (EBIT) of more than 110 million. The transaction includes intellectual property rights and Pirelli brand licensing for two years. While the business itself employs 12,000 people in its 52 plants around the world.
Continue ReadingFour People Critically Injured in Tyre Recycling Blast
Irish Health & Safety Authority officials are investigating an explosion at Crumb Rubber Ireland, the only collector and processor of scrap tyres in the Republic of Ireland.
Continue ReadingGetting the Message Across
“The UK aftermarket industry must play a key role in bringing the findings of new research into tyre performance to motorists’ attention” – this was RoadSafe’s message at its recent ‘safety in the wet demonstration,’ a message it successfully managed to impress on guests. MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) and RoadSafe welcomed both journalists and ‘opinion formers,’ including representatives from the AA, police and RoSPA, to the association’s test grounds in Nuneaton last month, to host comparative tyre tread depth tests and to promote the industry’s 3mm tyre replacement cause. Guests were offered the opportunity to take part in a practical demonstration that aimed to further impact the tyre safety message. Four cars, each with one of the specified tread depths, 8mm, 4mm, 3mm or 1.6mm were available for guests to complete wet braking tests. The results were strikingly clear, the lower the tread depth the longer and further it took to stop the vehicle. A simple exercise, a simple message; yet despite the simplicity a large percentage of motorists drive on illegal levels of tyre tread. What the 3mm working group says is that it’s up to the UK tyre industry to do something about this and promote change.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Recalls 500,000 Valve Cores
Bridgestone is to recall some 500,000 tyre valve cores used in its tyres due to a pressure leak problem. The manufacturer reports that it has informed the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure of its plans to recall the valve cores which were made by Asahi Metal, and produced between October 2004 and May 2005.Bridgestone said it has received reports of 20 cases of malfunction in Japan relating to the valve cores but no accidents. The affected tyres are only said to be available in Japan.
Continue ReadingATSE Pushes Cold Weather Tyres
ATS Euromaster is urging fleet managers to prepare their drivers for winter by placing orders for cold weather tyres before the end of July to ensure stock availability and delivery before the winter season sets in. The retailer’s interest coincides with the UK tyre industry’s recent commitment to create a cold weather tyre market in the UK, as opposed to a winter tyre market.
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