OE Success For Bridgestone At DAF
DAF models 45 and 55 and also the successor series LF will be fitted with Bridgestone R 227 tyres on the steer axle and M 729 on the drive axle. It is the first time that Bridgestone has been chosen on an exclusive basis in this middle class truck segment. The choice is part of a long term contract with Paccar, the American parent company of DAF. The trucks will be produced in the UK at the former Leyland plant.
Continue ReadingEuropean Distribution Centre in Rotterdam Opened By Hankook
Hankook has in the past announced on more than one occasion its intention to improve capacity and focus chiefly on Europe. A concrete decision has not yet been made, Jung Rak Chey (Managing Director Europe Regional H.Q.) told the press in Rotterdam in March. He thinks that a factory in Europe seems most likely, but locations in North America or acquisitions in South East Asia are possibilities. Hankook could achieve further successes in European original equipment – the company is already a supplier for the Ford Transit – and Jung Rak Chey talks of negotiations with Volvo and Volkswagen. If a supplier does not have a factory near the customer, then the logistics have to be so efficient that it should seem that such a factory exists. The European Distribution Centre (EDC) opened in Rotterdam is impressive in size, and Hankook itself calls it a milestone in the companys history. Capacity of the warehouse is 300,000 passenger car tyres, 20,000 light truck tyres, and 20,000 truck/bus tyres. Also, 250,000 car batteries are on storage, some of which were already filled in Korea but a filling station also exists in the EDC. Hankooks target is to deliver its customers with three million tyres and one million batteries annually from the EDC. The EDC will supply 35 countries, from Finland to Portugal, from Iceland to Russia.
Continue ReadingRenewed Tyre Deal For Bridgestone/Firestone UK
Bridgestone/Firestone UK has renewed its four-year deal to exclusively supply logistics company Hays Logistics UK with new and retreaded tyres. Hays operates a fleet of two thousand vehicles and trailers and the deal is worth around 1 million Pounds a year. Service will be provided by the Truck Point network of independent tyre dealers.
Continue ReadingInvestment 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.
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