Alliance Records Profit Following Four Years of Losses
(Akron/Tire Review) After four successive years of losses, Alliance Tire Co. reported a net profit of $0.9 million for 2004 in its newly released financial results. The company ended 2003 with a net loss of $13.1 million. But, in 2004, gross profits increased to $31.1 million, compared to $20.4 million in the previous year.
Continue ReadingJoint Venture Maxxis International UK
Bickers plc (Felixstowe/Suffolk, England) issued new shares and formed a joint venture company with the long-term tyre supplier Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd (CST). The new company will trade as Maxxis International UK plc“ and be located at a new 3.5 acre site in Felixstowe, Britain’s biggest container port.
Continue ReadingNew Michelin Supermoto Tyres
Michelin has expanded its range of supermoto tyres with the introduction of four new tyres: a soft front, a medium/hard rear, and front and rear wets. These are in addition to the existing medium/soft front and medium rear.
Continue ReadingMichelin Adds to X One Line
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) has added the Michelin X One XDA-HT Plus drive tyre to its X One line of wide singles.
Continue ReadingTreadways Appoints New EVP of Operations
Koichiro (Kyle) Iwasawa has been named executive vice president of operations for Treadways Corp. Iwasawa, who is replacing Koji Aoyama, started his career with Sumitomo Corp. in 1979 and worked for Treadways for six years. Iwasawa served as director of marketing and operations from 1993-1995 and vice president of operations from 1996-1999. Most recently, he was general manager of the paper and paperboard export department of Sumisho Paper Co. in Tokyo. Iwasawa will work out of Treadways’ headquarters office in East Norriton, and will report directly to Roy Araki, president of the company.
Continue ReadingMichelin on the Silk Road
Michelin will supply the tyres for the eight Renault Trucks vehicles taking part in the Silk Road 2005 expedition between 2nd April and 9th June. The teams will travel 20 000 km across Europe, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyztan and the Inner Mongolian region of China, following the path of the legendary Silk Road. Michelin will fit the trucks with specially designed all-terrain tyres, sized 395/85 R20 XZL.
Continue ReadingNHTSA Issues Final TPMS Regulations
(Akron/Tire Review) The National Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning issued its final regulations concerning installation of tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) on all new passenger vehicles sold in the US. The precise details of NHTSA’s new regulations must still be determined as a copy of the 187-page document was released only a few hours ago. NHTSA did note that final rule requires automakers to install “a system that can detect when one or more of the vehicle’s tyres are 25 per cent or more below the recommended inflation pressure.”
Continue ReadingYokohama Launches Advan Neova
(Akron/Tire Review) Yokohama Tire Co. has launched its new Advan Neova tyre, available in 14 sizes, in the US. In conjunction with the tyre launch, the company also introduced a new Web site – at www.advan.com/USA – that contains information exclusive to the Advan brand in the US.
Continue ReadingIndian Rubber Industry Consumes 1 Million Tonnes
(Rubber Asia/India) The Indian rubber industry used up a total of over a million tonnes of various types of rubber during 2003/04, according to data compiled by the Automotive tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA). Of this, the tyre industry alone (including cycle tyres & tubes and camelback) consumed 478,734 tonnes of natural rubber — 66.5 per cent of all natural rubber (NR) consumed by the Indian industry as a whole. The tyre segment was also by far the largest consumer of synthetic rubber (140,960 tonnes out of a total of 210,190 tonnes) and reclaimed rubber (38,532 tonnes out of 70,460). More importantly, the Indian auto tyre segment still has 73.34 per cent of its rubber consumption in the form of natural rubber with synthetic rubber (SR) accounting for 23.73 per cent and reclaimed rubber 2.93 per cent. This NR:SR ratio is almost the reverse of the pattern elsewhere in the tyre-making world.
Continue ReadingMaster Contract Proposal Sent To Striking Cooper Workers
(Akron/Tire Review) According to reports, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. sent a summary of its latest master contract proposal directly to striking Texarkana, Ark., plant workers last week, urging them to seek union permission to vote on the proposal. The Texarkana Gazette reported that in the proposal and a letter from Cooper negotiating team to members of United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 752, Cooper officials said “it is important for you to see the entire final proposal that is on the table so you can make your own decisions as to whether this is a fair contract.”
Continue ReadingBridgestone North America Raises Prices
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) announced that it was raising prices on its Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton, associate and private brand tire lines by up to 8%.
Continue ReadingGoodyear’s Asia Pacific HQ in Shanghai
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s push into the Chinese market will include a significant increase in its purchasing there, according to reports in China Daily. Chairman and CEO Robert Keegan was in China last week to announce Goodyear’s planned move of its Asia-Pacific operational headquarters from Akron to Shanghai.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Named North American Highway Hero
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. named a Texas truck driver who saved a family trapped in their car in a water-filled ditch as its 22nd North American Highway Hero. The award was announced Mar. 31 at the Mid-America Truck Show in Louisville, Ky.
Continue Reading160 back at Goodyear’s Tennessee plant
(Akron/Tire Review) With business picking up, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will recall some 160 workers previously laid off from its Union City, Tenn., tire plant. A Goodyear spokesman said there was no timetable for the laid off workers to return, and that they would be brought back over time. The workers being brought back were laid off last October when Goodyear cut 250 jobs at the plant.
Continue ReadingDanish Distributor For Interstate Europe
Interstate Europe BV, has appointed Ovethi A/S as the distributor for Sonar tyres in Denmark. Interstate’s Commercial Director, Mr. Theo de Vries, said he was “very satisfied to have an experienced and professional company such as Ovethi as the distributor in Denmark.” Ovethi A/S has been working for a number of years in the Danish tyre market and has its own retail chain throughout Denmark. The Sonar range includes tyres from 13 inch to 20 inch, plus commercial and 4x4 tyres.
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