A Better Press For Kwik-Fit
Following the negative Which? report on UK fast-fits, including Kwik-Fit among others, there is better news for the company from other magazines. A survey carried out by the publications Top Fleet, Fleet Management and Business Car voted Kwik-Fit best fast-fit company in the UK for the eighth year running. The readers of these magazines comprise fleet management companies and people responsible for the maintenance of the majority of UK company cars.
Continue ReadingEU Distribution Centre Of Hankook Officially Opened
Hankook Tires has recently completed the construction of its new European Distribution Centre at Rotterdam, enabling the tyre manufacturer to improve its service to customers throughout Europe. The EDC – a 10 million Euro investment – was officially opened on 7th March.
Continue ReadingBad Weather Creates Opportunities
The Automobile Association (AA) revealed figures for its busiest and quietest days of 2000. 20% of call outs were for flat or faulty batteries. The advice from the AA is that if a battery is struggling, get a new one. The second largest reason for call outs was for tyre related problems, with 7% of callers having tyre problems.
Continue ReadingNew Leader For Goodyear’s Global Marketing/Brand Management
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has elected Cathryn M. Fischer, vice president and chief marketing officer. Fischer, 39, will be responsible for the worlds largest tiremakers global marketing and brand management efforts. She will report to Robert J. Keegan, president and chief operating officer.
Continue ReadingRestructuring Of Accuride‘s Light Wheel Production
Accuride Corporation (North Americas largest manufacturer and supplier of wheels for heavy/medium trucks and trailers) has announced plans to optimise its operations by restructuring the Companys light steel wheel operations and closing its Columbia, Tennessee, facility. Accuride will consolidate the production of light wheels currently produced in Columbia into its other facilities.
Continue ReadingMinicar-Segment Entered By Nissan
As announced in a press conference in Tokyo, car manufacturer Suzuki will supply 3,000 so called minicars a month to Nissan from 2002 onwards. With this agreement Nissan will enter the small car segment – with a maximum capacity of 660 cc – which already has a market share of 30 percent in Japan.
Continue ReadingExpansion Of Production For Goodyear, Michelin
In the wake of the Firestone recall, Michelin says it has tripled tyre production in the USA as well as shipping thousands of tyres from Europe. A special customer service centre is handling 8,000 calls a day. Goodyear plans to provide more than half of the tyres replaced because of the recall and has increased production of Ford-approved tyres tenfold. The company has increased shipments to 9,000 outlets, including company-owned stores, independent tyre retailers and Ford dealers.
Continue Reading“Grand Prix de la Publicité” for Pirelli TM600-Campaign
The advertising campaign for Pirelli TM600 standard series tyres, launched in July 2000, has been rewarded by the French Grand Prix de la Publicité de la Presse Agricole, for the mechanization sector. The prize is given every year by a jury of experts to the advertising campaign that makes use of the press media in the most creative and effective way. Developed with the international ageny Ogilvy & Mather of Milan, the campaign has been translated into seven languages.
Continue ReadingOfficial UK Launch Of Goodyear’s Greenest Ever Tyre
In London, Goodyear officially launched its GT3 passenger car tyre – the first tyre to incorporate new BioTred technology, in which carbon black and silica fillers are replaced by starch obtained from maize plants. Not only is the T-rated tyre more fuel efficient, says Goodyear, but because maize is a renewable resource and converts carbon dioxide to oxygen while it grows, the GT3 is claimed to be the most environmentally-friendly tyre ever. Goodyear released news of the new technology earlier this year, but this was the first time that the tyre had been shown to the UK press.
Continue Reading“Sportec M-1” To Replace Metzeler’s “ME Z3”
With the arrival of the Sportec M-1, Metzeler has launched its latest motorcycle tyre which is planned to replace the ME Z3. The international press was invited to Biarritz, France, to take a close look at the new tyre designed to meet the niche between the race oriented Racing tyre and the touring targeted ME Z4. The M-1 is dedicated to the customer with a sportier riding style. The Sportec M-1 will be available from the beginning of October in five front wheel dimensions and six real wheel sizes. With a 0° steel-belted carcass and the multi-curvature tyre contour allied to the so-called MAW system (Metzeler Advanced Winding), or with the new compound and tread design, Metzeler has done a great deal to guarantee more enjoyment and safety for motorcyclists using the new Sportec M-1. Metzeler say that prices for the new tyre will match the market requirements, we can only guess what distribution manager Holger Schwedt means by that. Obviously Metzeler want to offer the Sportec M-1 below the price of its predecessor, the ME Z3, in order to minimise the advantage to its competitor, Bridgestone, who – if you look at market shares – came very close to the German market leader in recent years. We are no longer seeking to simply retain a stable market share, we wish to fight for more, explained Schwedt.
Continue ReadingThe Financial Experts’ Favourite – Michelin
Reports from financial and industry analysts generally agree that the tyre industry, among others, is facing a difficult time with market conditions having worsened recently. Despite this, the Deutsche Bank AG, London is recommending Michelin shares as a buy, even though the organisation is downgrading its 2001 profits forecast for the French manufacturer by 3%.
Continue ReadingCooperation Between Cooper-Avon And Kenda
An agreement has been reached whereby Taiwanese tyre manufacturer Kenda will make passenger car radials for Cooper-Avon. Cooper says that a number of brand names will be manufactured, including Cooper and Avon, initially T-rated tyres and, again initially, for sale in Europe. The agreement frees up valuable capacity for high performance tyre production at Cooper-Avons Melksham plant, says Managing Director Ron Shield.
Continue ReadingNew Member of TecDoc
American automotive supplier Delphi has become the latest member of the TecDoc automotive parts information platform. With a turnover of 29 billion US-Dollars in 2000, Delphi Automotive Systems is the biggest automotive supplier in the world. Altogether 114 companies worldwide, representing 130 brands, now support the TecDoc platform, covering 100 percent of the European spare parts market.
Continue ReadingEarly Entry Into 500cc Bike Racing For Bridgestone
Bridgestone has announced that it will supply tyres next year to competitors in World Grand Prix 500cc motorcycle racing, one year earlier than originally planned. The company only began testing the tyres this January, in conjunction with Kanemoto Racing; the team that will ride on Bridgestones next season, fitted to NSR 500 bikes from Honda Racing. Bridgestone has supplied tyres for 125cc racing for the past decade and the latest move is designed to enhance the companys image in the ultra high performance tyre sector.
Continue ReadingKelly On The Way Out
In Europe the Kelly brand will be removed as part of a plan to reduce the number of Goodyears brands in Europe. Kellys removal is expected to be followed by other brands (Sava, Debica), with appeal only in Eastern Europe. The decision to scrap Kelly comes only seven months after the brand was comprehensively relaunched in the UK at Tyrexpo Europe.
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