Agricultural Tyres
They say that you never see a satisfied farmer. What about agricultural tyre manufacturers and distributors - what sort of year has it been for them? We take a look at the factors affecting the agricultural tyre market and some of the latest products available. We also get the views of those who attended the biggest UK agricultural event, the Smithfield Show.
Continue ReadingFurther Turmoil At Fiat
In 2000, GM acquired 20 per cent of Fiat Auto. As part of the deal, Fiat could sell the remaining 80 per cent to GM in 2004. Now there are indications that the Italian company is offering to free GM from its obligation in return for GMs approval of restructuring moves. Nothing has yet been decided, but the restructuring could involve bringing in VW as an investor in Fiats Maserati brand, or a possible sale of part or all of Alfa Romeo. Any such move would require the consent of GM, and the price for this could well be the removal of the obligation to purchase. In the meantime, Fiats joint chief executive Gabriele Galateri has resigned after less than six months in the job.
Continue ReadingTyre Repairs And Materials
We are often told that we live in a throw-away culture; when somethings worn out or damaged, we replace it rather than repair it. But this tends not to be the case with tyres - for truck tyres especially, a properly-repaired tyre can give thousands of miles of service, thereby saving money. Of course, the accent is on the words properly repaired.
Continue ReadingFiat Layoffs Lead To Trouble
Fiat has laid off 5,600 workers for at least a year while the company restructures. Those laid off blocked two main roads in Italy, while some of those who still had jobs went on strike in sympathy, halting work at the companys Mirafiori car assembly line. More stoppages are planned and the metal-workers trade union is calling for a general strike in Turin this Friday. The Italian government has given Fiat the go-ahead to lay off up to 8,100 workers, some of them temporarily.
Continue ReadingDate Change For Reifen 2004
The organisers of the Reifen 2004 show have changed the dates of the exhibition. Instead of being held in Mid-May, Reifen 2004 will now take place from Tuesday 8 June to Friday 11 June 2004. The switch has been made to avoid a clash with Drupa 2004 (Dusseldorf), which is scheduled for May.
Continue ReadingKumho To Be Control Tyre For International F3 Series
Kumho will be the sole supplier to the new Formula 3 Euro Series, supplying its ECSTA Formula 3 slicks and wet weather tyres to all teams. The series comprises ten races between April and October next year and the races take place in five different countries (Germany, Italy, France, Austria and The Netherlands).
Continue ReadingTyre World To Be Held At ExCeL Next November
Idex Media, the organisers of the new tyre exhibition Tyre World, have revealed that the show will be held at Londons newest venue, ExCeL, situated in the heart of the capitals Docklands. Tyre World will be held on November 23rd and 24th 2003 and, because the 23rd is a Sunday, this should make the show more accessible to the smaller, independent tyre retailer. Buzz Carter, of Idex, described ExCeL as a superb venue with cutting edge facilities and easily accessible by road, air and rail.
Continue ReadingKumho Winter Tyre Wins Ecolabel Award
Kumho has become the first tyre manufacturer to be awarded the Green Swan Ecolabel for a new product. Both the companys KWN7401 IZen tyre and the manufacturing process passed stringent tests set by the Nordic Ecolabelling Board. These had to demonstrate that the tyre was made with the lowest possible impact on the environment and that it operated in an environmentally friendly way during its lifetime, with low noise levels, low rolling resistance and the ability to be reused after its first life.
Continue ReadingVW Aims To Recapture Market Share In China
VW is to launch two new models in China, the Golf and the Polo, aimed at the fast-growing low-price vehicle segment. VW holds a 40 per cent share of the Chinese market, down from over 54 per cent two years ago. The company expects to sell 500,000 vehicles this year and hopes to double this figure by 2007 as the market continues to expand. This year China overtook the USA to become VWs second largest market after Germany.
Continue ReadingKaplan Praises Sava Performance In Interview
In an interview with a Slovenian newspaper Jarro Kaplan, president of Goodyears Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East region, paid tribute to the part played by Sava Tire in Goodyears global business activities. Since Goodyear took an 80 per cent stake in Sava in 1998, the Slovenian company has grown in international importance, exporting more than 90 per cent of its production to 70 countries, with plans to enter the US market soon. Kaplan described the Sava workforce as well educated, highly productive and internationally oriented. A five-year investment program in Sava was completed a year ahead of schedule and, says Kaplan, Goodyear is seriously considering further production expansion. In addition to the Sava brand, the factory produces Goodyear, Dunlop, Fulda and Debica brand tyres and is Goodyears only European factory to produce 17.5 inch truck tyres.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Lowers Profit Forecast
Bridgestone Corporation has reduced its profits forecast for the year by 43 per cent; down to 40 billion Yen (322.3 million Euros) from 70 billion Yen. This is a result of the planned investment in the corporations European operations of 400 million Euros and a one-off charge of 300 million Euros to cover the write-down of equipment. Analysts believe that Bridgestone is now concentrating on reviving its European operations, having concentrated on the US over the past couple of years, due to the Firestone recall. In the USA, Bridgestone/Firestone is set to make a profit of $70 million this year, compared to last years losses of $1.67 billion.
Continue ReadingNo F1 Rule Changes Until 2005
It has been decided by Formula 1s governing bodies that any technical changes will be delayed until the 2005 season. One of the expected changes is the re-introduction of slick tyres, but this has been opposed by Rory Byrne, Chief Designer for Ferrari. He believes that driving on slicks with todays faster lap times would increase the danger for the drivers.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Director Resigns
In the USA, Philip A. Laskawy (61) has resigned from Goodyears Board of Directors, which he joined in August 2001. Laskawy is set to join the Board of General Motors and, as Goodyear is a major supplier to GM, he felt that remaining on Goodyears Board could lead to a potential conflict of interests, hence the resignation.
Continue ReadingFTM To Cease Trading And To Integrate Into Kwik-Fit Fleet
Following a review of its business operations, CVC, the new owners of Kwik-Fit, has made changes to its fleet operations. FTM Tyrefit will cease trading on 28th February and its call centre activities will be integrated into Kwik-Fit Fleet, which will also take over responsibility for FTMs outsourced business. Mike Wise, recently appointed Kwik-Fits Fleet Sales Director, said that he expects the transition to be seamless.
Continue ReadingNew Business Plan For Bridgestone Europe
Bridgestone Firestone Europe is to increase its capital by 400 million euros before the year-end, which will be undertaken by Bridgestone Corporation (Japan). Bridgestone will use capital to rebuild its manufacturing resources and to reinforce its sales organisation and financial position. The production capacity for high performance tyres will be strengthened by strategic investment in passenger car tyre plants to facilitate quick changes to future products. This will include the expansion of the Poznan plant, which will increase its capacity up to 23,000 tyres per day from its current capacity of 10,000 tyres. In addition, Bridgestone will increase the truck and bus tyre output from its Bilbao plant from 3,500 to 4,600 units per day by the end of 2005.
Continue Reading
