Hayes Lemmerz Receives Engineering Award
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. has been awarded the American Foundry Society (AFS) 2005 Plant Engineering Award for its Vacuum Riserless Casting/Pressure Riserless Casting (VRC/PRC) technology. AFS representatives presented the award on 17 April 17 2005 at the 2005 CastExpo in St. Louis, Missouri.
Continue ReadingWabco Supplies 500 IVTM Systems to Greek Bus Company
The public bus company of Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, is to equip more than 500 of its buses with Wabco’s Integrated Vehicle Tire Pressure Monitoring (IVTM) systems.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Directors Re-Elected
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has re-elected Gary Forsee, Denise Morrison, Thomas Weidemeyer, John Breen and William Hudson Jr to the company’s board of directors. Forsee, Morrison and Weidemeyer were elected to terms expiring in 2008, while Breen and Hudson were elected to terms expiring in 2006. The company’s other directors are James Boland, Robert Keegan, Steven Minter, Rodney O’Neal and Shirley Peterson. At the same time as the board members were elected, shareholders failed to approve an amendment to the companys code of regulations that would have required the annual election of directors, and a shareholder proposal regarding executive compensation failed to receive a majority of votes.
Continue ReadingContinental Supports Chrysler Dealer Training Programmes
For the second year in a row, Continental has agreed to support the Chrysler Group’s dealer training and consumer marketing programmes. Continental will provide support for the Inspired Drives, Camp Jeep and Camp Jeep: On the Road US consumer programmes.
Continue ReadingMichelin Sales ‘Stabilise’
Michelin has released fist quarter results that show the company’s net sales have “stabilised” in value terms. The weakening dollar is said to have contributed to the 0.2 per cent drop in sales to 3.61 billion euros against the same period last year.
Continue ReadingBACRT’s Bohm Plans Retirement
(Akron/Tire Review) Dr Georg Bohm, vice president of research for Bridgestone Americas’ Centre for Research and Technology (BACRT) has announced plans to retire as of 1 May. Dr Hiroshi Mouri, BACRT president, will assume Dr Bohm’s responsibilities at BACRT.
Continue Reading‘The Best News is the Worst News’
“Unfortunately, the best news is the worst news for many Russian news agencies,” according to Sibur press attaché, Anna Stepanova. The Russian tyre manufacturer’s spokesperson made these comments in response to reports stating that the company had reduced first quarter tyre production by 25.5 per cent. While the reports were not inaccurate, Sibur’s management does not agree with the conclusions drawn by Russia’s Analytical News Agency (ANA) and says that numbers went down due to production improvements and capacity transfers.
Continue ReadingATS/CV Show
Last year some 29, 000 business visitors flocked to the combined Automotive Trade Show and the Commercial Vehicle Show. After a strong start in 2004, the ATS and CV show now has the support of market leaders across the entire aftermarket. With exhibitors and visitors expected from all sectors; garage, body shop, fast fit or factor, there will be a range of new products to see and try. Organisers say there is no longer any doubt that combining the two exhibitions was the right thing to do - Tyres & Accessories will be there to see if they are right.
Continue ReadingHigh Performance Tyres
The growth of high performance tyres in the UK is outpacing the rest of Europe. V-Z rated tyres have grown 15-20 per cent in the last year. However the sector has, in the past, been largely led by OE fitment and reserved for the main players. How well are second line and budget brands competing in the aftermarket? Tyres & Accessories looks at how tyre manufacturers are extending the boundaries and what exactly is possible when it comes to upgrading tyres.
Continue ReadingTRIB Membership Reaches 430
(Akron/Tire Review) Trojan Tyres in Australia and Sousa & Companhia LDA from Portugal have joined the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB), giving the organization 430 total members. ”We are now at 430 members in over 30 countries, which is the highest we have been in years,” said Harvey Brodsky, TRIB’s managing director. “As our promotional materials about retreading and tyre repairing continue to be circulated to the trucking and tyre media worldwide, more and more retreaders and tyre dealers who sell retreads are beginning to appreciate the value of TRIB membership.
Continue ReadingShell Joins Shanghai Automotive in Chinese Maintenance JV
(Akron/Tire Review) The Royal Dutch/Shell Group said it has teamed up with Shanghai Automotive Group Co to launch a car maintenance service for motorists in China. The 50-50 joint venture, called Anji Jiffy Lube Automotive Services Co Ltd, will build a network of fast lube service outlets modeled on the Jiffy Lube chain in the US. It will invest around $23 million for the project, which will initially involve 10 pilot outlets in Shanghai within the first year of operation. Anji Jiffy is targeting to open more than 600 branches by 2015 in China, which currently has around 23 million vehicles on the road. In terms of new car sales each year, China is now the third largest in the world, after the US and Japan.
Continue ReadingTreadways’ Dan Wire to Retire
(Akron/Tire Review) Dan Wire, well-known CEO and chairman of Treadways Corp, has announced that he will retire in early 2006. Mr Wire, who said he will remain as an advisor/consultant to Sumitomo Corporation of America and Treadways until April 2008, will retire effective at the end of Treadways’ next financial year on 31 March 2006.
Continue ReadingCTNA Raises Commercial Tyre Prices
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) has become the latest tyre company to announce a price increase. As of 1 June, CTNA is raising prices on all of its commercial tyres – Continental, General and Semperit and private brand lines it produces in a range of four to six per cent.
Continue ReadingStrikes at Bridgestone NZ
Staff at Bridgestone’s Christchurch tyre plant will start picketing today, reports a New Zealand newspaper, in protest of their unsettled wage claims. The workers, members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), have been on an indefinite strike since 9 April after negotiations with the company broke down on 21 March. Union delegate Dave Cahill said that the workers want a five per cent pay rise, shift allowances and a minimum of nine statutory holidays each year. An irregularity in the existing agreement meant some staff received as few as three statutory days off annually, he said.
Continue ReadingCasalbore Leaves Cooper
(Akron/Tire Review) Carl Casalbore, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co’s vice president of marketing and retail sales, abruptly left the company 11 April. The former Pirelli high performance sales and marketing manager left to pursue other interests. Cooper has not yet named a replacement. Casalbore joined Cooper in 1999 after more than 20 years with Pirelli Tire North America, and was initially director of Pirelli sales for Cooper when the two companies worked together on sales and distribution. He later helped spearhead Cooper’s push into the high performance market and with development and launch of Cooper’s Zeon line.
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