Investment And New Jobs For Continental Teves Factory
Over the next five years, Continental will invest just over $51 million in its Continental Teves brake factory, located at Jicin in the Czech Republic. The investment will mean that the factory is amongst Europes largest brake system manufacturers and will mean another 670 jobs to the 900 already employed at the plant.
Continue ReadingCo-operation Between Bandag and Continental
European Bandag licensees will retread Continental truck tyres using the latters tread patterns, using Bandags Cold Retreading Process. The tyres will be distributed through the Continental dealer network as well as by Bandag licensees. The initial volume will be around 60,000, rising to 180,000 pieces per year. The agreement does not include any financial links, nor does it include the hot retreading process which Continental operates with other producers in Europe under the Contire brand.
Continue ReadingWheels Division Of ArvinMeritor Honored
ArvinMeritor Wheels Division announced at its plant expansion ceremony in San Luis Potosi (Mexico) that it was named General Motors Supplier of the Year for its superior performance in quality, service, technology and price. The award was given during ceremonies Saturday, April 28 at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. This marks the 9th consecutive year the division has been honored with this prestigious award.
Continue ReadingTrust in Michelin Shares
Deutsche Bank AG sees potential in Michelin shares, which lost about 10 % at the stock exchange last week, and they recommend these as a buy. On the one hand analysts foresee cheaper raw material prices and on the other hand they believe that, as Michelin is focussing on the high end of the market, the company will be the winner because American consumers are making a flight to quality after the recall of Firestone tyres.
Continue ReadingHow Easy Is It To Buy On-Line?
The Internet, we are told, will revolutionise our working and private lives. Many companies trumpet the fact that they have websites, but what happens if you want to purchase a tyre over the Internet? Our article sets out to do just that, with mixed results. Some companies were easier to find than others, while the ease of ordering tyres on-line varied considerably. Some of our findings might surprise you.
Continue ReadingInternet Solutions for Fleetpark Management Systems
Truck manufacturer Scania (minority shareholder VW) and electronic systems specialist gedas (100 % owned by VW) will co-operate in order to connect the fleetpark management system FAS (Fleet Analysis System) and the logistic portal logiweb. The planned telematic solution will make far-reaching analysis of the condition of a truck – for example the tyre pressures – possible via the internet.
Continue ReadingManagement Moves At Ford
In a management reshuffle at Ford in the USA, Henry Wallace, Chief Financial Officer and Wayne Booker, Vice Chairman, are to retire. There is speculation that Martin Inglis, Head of Operations for Ford North America, is to succeed Wallace and that Nick Scheele, Chairman of Ford Europe, is to return to the States as a replacement for Inglis. Ford stressed that these latest moves have no connection with the current Firestone recall situation.
Continue Reading5th International Autosalon Opens In Moscow
The 5th International Autosalon in Moscow looks set to be the most successful yet. More than 600 exhibitors from 27 countries are showing their latest products. It is expected that the number of vehicles in use in Russia will double by 2005.
Continue ReadingSemperit Sport Grip With New Sipe-Technology
Continental’s subsidiary Semperit introduced its new winter-tyre Sport Grip for stronger motorised passenger cars to the press at the end of September in Austria. With its new sipe-technology called Add Traction and a corresponding profile structure, the new tyre has been designed to meet the most difficult driving conditions of the winter season. In addition, modern silica tread technology will guarantee a balanced handling up to speeds of 210 kilometres per hour. The Add Traction sipe consists of three parallel ordered straight sipe pieces which are angled in a z shape. In the immobile middle of the block they double the effective length of the grip edges, thus significantly increasing traction. The directional profile of the Sport Grip is also characterised by diagonal profile blocks and enlarged grip edges that optimise traction and side stability. Initially, the Sport Grip is available in 21 sizes from 185/65 R15 Q up to 225/50 R16 H, which represents a market coverage of about 83 percent.
Continue ReadingStephan Kessel, Continental’s CEO: A Separation On Friendly Terms
Someone who acquires a seat at the top, and even reaches the CEO position at Continental, will neither be fired nor will he just quit. There is what is called a separation on friendly terms. The question whether Kessel and von Grünberg could ever have been friends is not even relevant. Whoever thinks that von Grünberg just shrugged and happily retired to some comptroller’s position will find out that he was wrong. Von Grünberg is the type of man who may occasionally loosen the handcuffs, writes a German daily newspaper, but he also tightens them again. His thumb pointed downwards, and that gesture determined Kessel’s future, and the whole board went along, including the banker Weiss.
Continue ReadingUS Management Team Restructuring For Hayes Lemmerz
Troubled wheel manufacturer Hayes Lemmerz has announced a reorganisation of its North American operations into a single strategic business unit, uniting the Fabricated Wheels and Cast Wheels businesses. The new unit will be known as the North American Wheels Business. The reorganisation also involves a number of management changes and appointments.
Continue ReadingBrazilian Joint Venture For Watts
Watts Industrial Tyres (WIT), the UK market leader for industrial tyres, has signed a joint venture agreement with its Brazilian distributor to manufacture and distribute Watts brand solid tyres in Brazil. The company is Souza Pinto Industria e Comercio de Artefatos de Borracha Ltda. and production begins this month at a new factory near Sao Paolo.
Continue ReadingNew President For The Swiss Tyre Dealer Association RVS
The Dr. Jürgen Gerster & Partner AG is no longer leading the association. Together with Mrs. Maggie Soder, he has been made an honourable member of the association. Gersters successors are Fischer & Sievi, a law and consulting firm.
Continue ReadingGet The Lead Out
The motor industry is under attack from all sides by the green lobby and the car is subject to environmental constraints at all stages of its life cycle. It looks as though yet more restrictions will be imposed on the industry with the likely adoption of the End Of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV); this lays down minimum requirements for the recyclability of cars and also seeks to reduce or eliminate toxic or environmentally-unfriendly materials used in construction. Lead is one such material and it is not only used in car building, but also in wheel balancing weights. If lead is outlawed, what are the alternatives for the automotive industries, and the tyre trade? What alternative materials are available, and what are the likely costs? Coated lead weights do not solve the problem, which leaves steel and tin as the most likely solutions. Tin is easier to work than steel, but it is many times more expensive than lead, and could lead to significant increases in costs for tyre shops, who will have to decide whether or not to pass this on to the customer. The ELV places the responsibility for disposing of vehicles squarely on the shoulders of the manufacturers, and they will put pressure on their suppliers to ensure that levels of toxic materials are kept to a minimum.
Continue ReadingFine For SITA Tyre Recycling Ltd After Environmental Offences
On January 24, SITA Tyre Recycling Ltd., the company running the whole-tyres-to-energy power station which has been closed since June, pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Magistrates court to five environmental offences. The case was brought by the Environment Agency and SITA were fined a total of £28,500, and ordered to pay costs of £15,392.50. Meanwhile, the SITA tyres-to-energy power station (formerly Elm Energy), based in the midlands in the UK, is unlikely to open its doors again as a tyre-burning facility, at least under SITA ownership. Initial investigations indicated that rectification work would cost 4 million Pounds and a closer examination revised this figure to 6 million. There were doubts too that a viable price could be achieved for a regular supply of tyres. Eventually, the decision was taken to mothball the plant until SITA either finds a buyer, or uses it for something else. 59 of the 60 employees have been made redundant.
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