CART Series To Use Bridgestone Potenza Tyres
From 2002, cars in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) competition will be racing on Bridgestone Potenza radials instead of Firestone tyres. The company says that the Bridgestone brand has had limited exposure to racing fans in the US up till now but, with CART evolving into an international program, it is appropriate to capitalise on Bridgestones reputation as an international race brand.
Continue ReadingGibara Claims Pirelli Comment “Misrepresented”
In an interview with the German magazine Wirtschafts-Woche, Goodyear CEO Sam Gibara is reported as saying that Pirelli would make a good fit for Goodyear, if the Italian company was planning to sell all its tyre interests, rather than merely its truck tyre business. A subsequent statement from Goodyear says that Gibaras comments were misrepresented and that he did not say that Goodyear was interested in acquiring any of the Italian manufacturers business.
Continue ReadingService From Vredestein
With its Tyre Information Center, Vredestein is offering a special service for tyre specialists. Under the e-mail address info@vredestein.com, the service provides speedy and competent answers to technical questions regarding tyres.
Continue ReadingDeath Toll Linked To Firestone Rises
In the USA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency has reported another 29 deaths linked to alleged failures of Firestone tyres. This raises the total of fatalities under investigation to 148 and injuries to 525. Five of the 29 deaths involved Firestone tyres not included in the voluntary recall.
Continue ReadingCost-Cutting Proposals Rejected By Michelin Workers?
A report in the local paper, the Burnley Express, quoting an anonymous worker, says that workers at the Michelin tyre plant in the town have rejected cost-cutting proposals put forward by management. These proposals are said to include a 25 per cent reduction in shift allowance and some workers moving from a four day week to three days. However, a union spokesman said that proposals have been neither accepted nor rejected and unions and management will meet on 29 January to discuss the situation. Around 450 workers would be affected at Burnley, where truck and bus tyres are made.
Continue ReadingDetroit Motor Show: Concerns About The Economic Situation In The USA
Almost all car manufacturers are offering new SUV models. While sales figures for December last year fell dramatically for the big three, the European, Japanese and Korean producers were very successful. Analysts are worried because they expect a price war in the till-now-profitable SUV segment, caused by growing over-capacity. Products from Chrysler especially, but also from GM to some extent, are under growing pressure. So far, the big three have cut back production in order to avoid a costly incentive programme. During press conferences in Detroit, high ranking managers were unable to dispel these concerns and thus analysts do not recommend GM and DaimlerChrysler shares as a buy; in fact, quite the contrary.
Continue ReadingRubberNetwork.com Joined By Yokohama
Within days of RubberNetwork.com receiving the all clear from the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), Yokohama Rubber Co has joined Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Sumitomo and Cooper in the global electronic purchasing and procurement market. The RubberNetwork marketplace will be open to all tyre and rubber industry manufacturers and suppliers. The European launch of the market is scheduled for early July.
Continue ReadingVW Sets Aside DM 1bn For ELVD
The European End of Life Vehicle directive (ELVD), due to come into force in 2007, has threatened to be expensive for car manufacturers. Just how expensive is shown by press reports that Volkswagen has announced that it will be setting aside DM 1 bn in order to comply. BMW has already set aside half this figure and Daimler/Chrysler up to DM 400 m. Other manufacturers are expected to wait until next year
Continue ReadingDecline Forecast In European Truck/Bus Market
MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, the commercial vehicle unit if MAN AG, expects to see a flat 2001 and is cutting 1,200 jobs in Germany and Austria. The vehicle manufacturer expects to see a 5-8% cut in the European truck and bus market in 2001 but intends combating this by increasing its own market share.
Continue Reading100,000 Tyre Inflation Brochures In The USA
Bridgestone/Firestone and the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB) are co-sponsoring the distribution of over 100,000 tire inflation brochures at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Roadcheck 2001 program to be held throughout north America June 5-7, 2001. The four page brochure titled What are the high costs of low air pressure is entirely non-commercial and originally appeared in Bridgestone’s tire topic magazine, Real Answers. The brochures will be distributed by highway patrol officers at weight stations in all fifty states and U.S. territories, and all Canadian provinces and territories, as part of CVSA’s program to heighten truckers’ awareness of the importance of maintaining proper air pressure.
Continue ReadingNew Chairman And CEO Of Bridgestone/Firestone Europe
Mr Shoshi Arakawa has been appointed chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bridgestone/Firestone Europe (BFE). He succeeds Mr Takeshi Uchiyama, who retires and returns to Japan after leading BFE for the last three years.
Continue ReadingNew Noise Restrictions For Tyres
The EU parliament in Brussels has set new rules regarding tyre noise levels, rolling resistance and abrasion, to come into effect in 2003. Passenger cars will be allowed to have noise emissions between 72 and 76 decibels, light trucks between 75 and 79 decibels.
Continue ReadingGoodyear And The Dunlop Acquisition
A comprehensive article in TYRES & ACCESSORIES (We were hoping for architects, but so far we have only seen cost-cutters) commented critically on the Goodyear acquisition of both the Dunlop activities in Europe and North America and the joint venture with Sumitomo in Japan, with all their particular opportunities and consequences. While Goodyears CEO Sam Gibara accepted that the facts had been reported correctly, he did not agree with much of the analysis. At the Goodyear head office in Akron, Ohio around Easter time, he gave a detailed and exclusive interview, in which he explained the reasons for, and the background to, the acquisition and the joint venture. Furthermore, Gibara was forthcoming about why cooperation with Dunlop is so important that he is even willing to accept a temporary interference in the balance sheet.
Continue ReadingTauzin Data Forwarded To Ford
Republican Senator Tauzins data on 11 replacement tyre models has been forwarded to Ford. Tauzin, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has asked Ford for a comprehensive explanation of how it decided which brands of tyres to use as replacements. He has also asked Ford to run rig tests on all replacement tyre brands before installing them. This follows Committee investigators claims that 11 of the replacement tyre models had higher damage and injury rates than the Firestone Wilderness ATs being replaced.
Continue ReadingThousands Of Tonnes Of Tyres For Pyrolysis At Coalite
Coalite, the UK-based manufacturer of smokeless fuel, has gained a major variation to its Licence to Operate at Bolsover, Derbyshire. The company has modified its pyrolysis batteries to deal with tyres. The first battery comes into operation in September 2001. Within 18 months a total of six batteries will be in operation processing some 90,000 tonnes of tyres per annum, making it the largest single tyre recycling unit in Europe.
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