CTNA to Launch New General Brand Truck Tyres
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental is set to launch three new General brand truck tyres at the Mid-America Trucking show between 31 March and 2 April in Louisville, Kentucky. According to CTNA, the launch will help commemorate the 90th anniversary of the General brand. No further details about the new tyres were provided by CTNA.
Continue ReadingPirelli Led Group Buys La Rinascente Retail Chain
A group led by Pirelli RE has bought the La Rinascente retail chain in a deal worth 888 million euros (£619 million), numerous business sources have reported. Eurofind, the chain’s previous owner, said the Pirelli led group beat several rival bidders, including French department store chain Galeries Lafayette. The Pirelli RE-led group includes Deutsche Bank Real Estate, private equity fund Investitori Associati, and Milan’s Borletti family, which owned the chain until selling it to the Agnelli family in the 1970s. Rinascente, which owns its namesake department-store network as well as UPIM, a lower-priced chain, reportedly had net profit of around 9 million euros and EBITDA of 68 million euros from 925 million euros of revenue last year.
Continue ReadingMAHA and Scania Sign Global Agreement
Scania have awarded MAHA the status of Preferred Supplier for the supply of truck testing and service equipment. Scania wanted a uniform standard of service and test equipment for all their workshops throughout the world, to ensure that the very high standards that they require from their dealers are achieved.
Continue ReadingNew Start for Prestige Batteries
Platinum Batteries Ltd has released a statement thanking customers for their support during the company’s litigation case with Fiamm Automotive Ltd, which was finally settled last December. “It was extremely difficult maintaining stock levels during the litigation process and our national customer database has been extremely supportive and patient with us. Our situation is turning around rapidly now, with stock levels already back to capacity. “We will be trading as Prestige Batteries, the result of seeing a marked increase in demand for our four year calcium/calcium range of batteries. The company has a bright outlook for the future and much confidence in it’s ability to go from strength to strength, expanding its share of the UK market,” the statement concluded.
Continue ReadingAlcar Takes Over Italian Steel Wheel Maker
The Austrian Alcar group has taken over Italian wheel manufacturer Consud, Srl. Although the acquisition took place some months ago, the news has only just become public. In total, the new factory and the group’s existing Ambrosetti plant will produce 2.5 million units annually. Hayes Lemmerz is another large source of the group’s steel wheels. Alcar is the European market leader for passenger car steel wheels, sellng 5.6 million units in the last financial year. Of these, 90 per cent were produced by either Hayes Lemmerz or the company itself.
Continue ReadingMichelin’s Dundee Expansion Gets Underway
Work has begun on Michelin’s £1.2 million extension of production facilities at its car tyre plant in Dundee, the Evening Telegraph and Post has reported. The project represents the first phase of a planned £4 million investment programme aimed at increasing the daily output of tyres from the Baldovie complex by 20 per cent by 2007. The new facility is due to become operational in October.
Continue ReadingAvon Helps Develop ‘Super Caterham’
As part of a long-standing relationship with the maker of some of Britain’s best loved sports cars, Avon Tyre Racing has developed special ultra-high performance road and race tyres for the 155 mph Caterham Seven CSR.
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit Breaks Tyre Rolling World Record
Kwik-Fit staff, friends and family have successfully set a new Guiness World Record for simultaneous tyre rolling. In doing so they helped to raise over £30,000 for the Tsunami Appeal. The attempt, held at Chester Race Course resulted in 238 people each rolling a tyre over 100 metres, narrowly breaking the previous world record by just one person.
Continue ReadingA New Wheel is Born
(Brisbane/ATD) Just when markets around the world are complaining of being over crowded with suppliers, some companies are arriving on the scene with a difference approach. In Australia, King Wheels PTY Ltd is one such company.
Continue ReadingPirelli to Increase Prices 5 per cent
Pirelli & C SpA has said it will increase tyre prices in Italy by 5 per cent on 1 April, the AFX news agency has reported. According to the manufacturer, the price increases come in response to rises in raw material and energy prices.
Continue ReadingGroup Tyre Moves Into Fleet Market
Group Tyre (UK) Ltd has acquired the majority shareholding in fleettyreline Ltd, the only fleet company dealing solely with motor dealerships. The company will continue to operate under its own name, with founders Dean and Liz Williams continuing to play a leading role. The management team is strengthened by new director of sales, Martin Heath, who joins the company from Fit4Fleet. Group Tyre chairman John Church described the acquisition as “a perfect fit,” adding: “Group Tyre can offer a total and all-encompassing range of services to the motor dealer market, including authorised tyre fitting to fleet cars. This market is set to grow, believes Group Tyre, as the duty of care demanded of leasing companies becomes more significant.”
Continue ReadingUSWA Pickets Unfair
(Akron/TR) “Informational pickets” set up by United Steelworkers of America (USWA) locals representing Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) plants are causing concerns amongst owners of Nissan car dealerships who say such action is unfair and hurts their businesses.
Continue ReadingPenske Names Goodyear as 2004 Tire Supplier of the Year
Penske Truck Leasing has named The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as 2004 Tire Supplier of the Year. Goodyear supplies Penske with a variety of truck tyres, including replacement and retreaded. In 2004, Penske extended a primary supplier agreement with Goodyear until at least 2008.
Continue ReadingLassa to Exhibit at Autopromotec 2005
Lassa has announced that it will be exhibiting at the Autopromotec 2005 show in Bologna on 18 - 22 May. Autopromotec 2005 is attracting an increasing number of national and international visitors, according to the company. Demonstrating its faith in the show, Lassa describes the exhibition as a “valuable opportunity to further penetrate the Italian and international markets, and primarily to support their key customer base within Italy.”
Continue ReadingGoodyear Sells Stow Site
(Akron/TR) Goodyear Tire & Rubber has sold its closed tyre mould plant in Stow, Ohio, to an Akron area developer. Albrecht Inc, a commercial real estate developer that owns and operates a number of shopping centres in the Greater Akron area, bought the 106-acre site for $4.5 million, said Goodyear. The purchase includes land and a 131,500 square foot factory building, at which Goodyear produced tyre moulds from its opening in 1969 until it was closed in 2002.
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