J.J.M. Baudoin Leaves Vredestein
The Supervisory Board of Vredestein NV has accepted the wish of J.J.M. Baudoin to leave the company on 1 June 2000. Rob Oudshoorn will be the sole Managing Director of the Dutch tyre maker.
Continue ReadingMay results of German tyre retailers by BRV
The monthly census of the German tyre dealers association BRV showed the following results for May 2000: Compared to May 1999 the turnover of German tyre retailers decreased 0.9%. In the passenger car tyre segment the decrease was 5.4% and retreading business had to face a decrease of 9.6%. Only the light truck and truck tyre segment showed an increase (+ 2.7%).
Continue ReadingGeneral Motors Honours Meritor
Meritor Automotive has been honoured by General Motors as one of its Supplier of the Year and also received the Best of the Best in South America award for its steel wheel business.
Continue ReadingSuit Against Concorde Tyre Supplier?
A San Francisco-based specialist law firm is exploring the possibility of filing a lawsuit against Goodyear in Ohio and is contacting dependants of the crash victims. Goodyear has been the exclusive tyre supplier for Air France Concordes since 1995. Therefore the which crashed recently was equipped with Goodyear tyres, too. Whether or not a blown tyre caused the disaster is still not known and a Goodyear spokesman said its way too early to make any assumptions or comments.
Continue ReadingRacism At Goodyear Warehouse?
At a Goodyear warehouse in North Brunswick (N. J.) members of the all-white management discriminated against black employees, The Akron Beacon Journal reports, quoting court documents and statements of two Goodyear managers. The eleven workers have been in court for two years in order to get more than 100 m US-$ compensation for discrimination. Goodyear has denied the claim.
Continue ReadingFord’s Behaviour Examined More Critically
Ford has conceded that it was aware of problems with Firestone tyres in Venezuela as long ago as 1998. Ford CEO Nasser admitted two weeks ago that, in Venezuela, not only had the tyres been changed, but modifications had been made to the vehicle suspension. Analysts said that attempts to place the entire responsibility upon Firestone have failed.
Continue ReadingNew Exhibitor Record For Automechanika
Automechanika – the International Trade Fair for Car Workshop and Service Station Equipment, Automobile Spare Parts Accessories – has set a new exhibitor record: 3,909 exhibitors occupied all of the approx. 300,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor exhibition space to present their latest products and technical innovations. The almost three percent increase in exhibitor numbers was the result of growth in the number of German exhibitors. 67 percent of all exhibitors came from outside Germany. The top five exhibitor nations were Germany and Italy, followed by Taiwan, the USA and Great Britain. The exhibition ran from 6 to 10 September 2000 and Messe Frankfurt welcomed around 150,000 trade visitors from all over the world during the five days of the fair, where exhibitors took many orders and transacted a lot of business. In contrast to this positive attitude at the trade fair, the background situation of the market does not look that good: The car boom of previous years came to a sudden end this year. The EU-Commission in Brussels is thinking about ending the exclusive distributor networks of car retailers. Parallel to this the car manufacturers - especially Ford and Mercedes-Benz – are restructuring their distributor networks, which means that they are reducing the number of their retailers. The pressure on the suppliers exerted by the car producers continues to increase and as a result they are showing a stronger interest in the aftermarket business. Furthermore Goodyear/Dunlops daughter company Pneumant was the fist tyre producer for several years to have a booth at the Automechanika. However, it is doubtful that this is the first example of a growing trend, as the Reifen exhibition, central event of the European tyre world, was held just a few months ago and it is to be considered that - in contrast to the alloy wheel business - the target audience of the tyre manufacturers is most probably not those who attend the Automechanika. In NEUE REIFENZEITUNG 10/2000 we review the show.
Continue ReadingFondmetal Boss Sells the Majority of His F1 Racing Team
The owner of the well-known Italian aluminium wheel factory, Gabriele Rumi, with 68% has sold the majority of the Minardi Formula 1 racing team to US-media conglomerate Panamerican Sports Network, but still retains 30% of the shares.
Continue Reading“No Defects Found In Recalled Tyres”
Bridgestone/Firestones chief executive in the USA, John Lampe, has said that the company has not found a defect in its recalled tyres, but he did say that there was a safety issue with a small percentage. Lampes definition of a defect is something you can point to and say there is the cause and we havent been able to find a cause or combination of causes. He added that he believes the tyres only pose a safety problem when fitted to Ford Explorers.
Continue Reading“Smart Tyre System”: TRW Joins Michelin
Michelin and TRW Automotive Electronics have agreed to develop advanced tyre pressure monitoring technology, hand in hand with Michelins PA System Technology. The companies displayed their linked technology . The technology is being displayed at the Convergence 2000 International Congress on Transportation Electronics, being held in Detroit. The TRW system will give drivers advance knowledge of underinflation and allow them to remedy the fault before pressure falls to a dangerous level. In the event of a fast puncture the PAX system ensures the tyre stays on the wheel. The TRW system uses a sensor mounted in a high tec valve that sends details by radio signal to the on board control unit. The agreement will see both companies working towards the most effective method of alerting the driver to possible problems.
Continue ReadingRecall Almost Completed For Bridgestone/Firestone
Bridgestone Firestone has announced that it has provided customers with 5.5 million P235/75R15 ATX, ATXII and some Wilderness AT tires in under four months of the recall process. The firm also advised that there are sufficient stocks of new tyres to replace the outstanding numbers of tyres under the recall - waiting lists in most areas have now been eliminated. It had originally been thought that it would take a full year to reach this stage in the recall. According to John Lampe , CEO at Bridgestone Firestone Inc., No major automotive recall has achieved such significant results in so short a period (...). The next step is to determine the root causes of the problem that led to the recall.
Continue ReadingNew Pirelli Calendar 2001
World renowned photographer Mario Testino visited locations in Naples for the Pirelli Calendar 2001. This years format will feature 12 of the worlds top models in the usual alluring poses in natural settings around the famous Italian coastal city.
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit To Acquire Silver Shield Screens
Kwik-Fit is to buy Silver Shield Screens Ltd, the automotive glass repair and replacement company. Silver Shield has 57 branches and 225 company-owned and franchised mobile fitting vehicles, providing a 24-hour windscreen repair and replacement service. The purchase price was £6 million, with up to another £2 million, dependent on future events. Silver Shield is number three in its market, with annual sales of more than £20 million.
Continue ReadingGibara Explains Goodyear’s 2000 Strategy
At a dealer conference in Las Vegas, Goodyear Chief Gibara explained to an audience of 4,500 tyre people the need for consolidation in 2000, following the recent aggressive expansion strategy. Gibara pointed out the importance of the personal touch despite the fast growth of e-commerce and the Internet. The fill-rate problem will be improved through shipments from Latin America, Eastern Europe and Turkey for the US replacement market.
Continue ReadingPorsche Award For Bridgestone
Bridgestone has won Porsches Supplier award for 1999. The tyre company was also assessed by Porsche as Top Best for product quality and delivery; the only tyre manufacturer to achieve this ranking. The award was presented to Michael Conrad, OE sales manager for Bridgestone/Firestone Deutschland, and Stephen Rambow, engineering account manager in charge of Porsche affairs, at a ceremony attended by senior representatives of Europes auto industry.
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