E-Business Partner For Michelin USA
Michelin North America has selected Modern Media, a e-retail software specialist to develop its B2C initiative in North America. Michelin North America Incs Debra Track said, Modern Media will help us create a platform that will allow us to go after a new generation of consumers that dont necessarily use traditional media in their shopping habits. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
Continue ReadingEighth Member Of RubberNetwork.com
Toyo Tire & Rubber has become the eighth manufacturer to sign up to RubberNetwork.com, the world-wide electronic purchasing and procurement marketplace. RubberNetwork.com will be launched in North America next month and further launches are planned for July (Europe) and September (Asia). The eight members represent over half of the worlds tyre manufacturing capacity.
Continue ReadingGovernment Appoints Rubber Industry Researcher
The Department of Trade and Industry has appointed Chem Systems Ltd. to conduct a three month survey into the rubber industry in the UK. This will include the tyre industry and focussing on end-user needs should provide recommendations upon which trade bodies and the government can plan future policy to develop the industry.
Continue ReadingBorbet Group Acquires Casting Facilities From Michelin-Kronprinz
Effective May 1, 2001, the Borbet group will acquire the casting facilities for light alloy wheels from Michelin-Kronprinz in Solingen (Germany). The production of steel wheels and fabricated aluminium wheels is still owned by the Michelin group. Customers for cast aluminium wheels made by Michelin-Kronprinz – annual capacity around 1.25 million – are solely in the oe market, mainly BMW and Volkswagen, plus Audi, the PSA group and Renault.
Continue ReadingFirst Quarter Outlook Announced By Hayes Lemmerz Hayes
Lemmerz International, Inc. – the worlds leading global supplier of automotive and commercial highway wheels – announced that first quarter 2001 diluted earnings per share is projected to be a loss of $(.27) compared to earnings per share of $.51 in first quarter 2000, and compared to a loss of $(.58) per share in fourth quarter 2000. Sales are lower than the record levels experienced in first quarter 2000, but have rebounded significantly from the levels experienced in the fourth quarter of 2000, when North American car producers reduced volumes to adjust light vehicle inventories. Ron Cucuz, Chairman and CEO: Light vehicle production in North America has stabilised compared to the fourth quarter and volumes have strengthened slowly through the first three months of our current fiscal year. Europe and other operations outside of North America continue to perform very well.
Continue ReadingAbout Turn For Bridgestone/Firestone As It Re-hires Workers
There are reports that, in the USA, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. will be re-engaging 330 of the 700 workers who the company laid off recently from its Oklahoma City factory. The plant manufactures passenger car tyres and the latest move is in response to a need to increase output because of rising sales.
Continue ReadingFactory Expansion Planned For Sime Tyres
Managing Director of Malaysian tyre manufacturer Sime Tyres International, Ahmad Zubir Murshid, is reported as saying that the company has plans to spend the equivalent of US$ 2.65 million on expansion of its factory. This would double tyre output to 20,000 pieces a day. Rising demand, both domestically and in Europe and the Middle East, was given as the reason for the expansion, which is scheduled to begin at the end of this year and take three years to complete.
Continue ReadingFinancial Times Report – Bridgestone Falls From Global List
The UK newspaper Financial Times has published its annual list of the worlds 500 largest companies, ranked by market capitalisation. The only tyre company to appear last year was Bridgestone, at number 300. The company does not make this years global top 500. Among Europes top 500 are the following tyre companies, with their positions. Michelin (301) Pirelli (242) and Continental (479). Mention should be made too of Sabanci Holdings, the ultimate parent of Lassa/Brisa, which appears at number 331 in Europe.
Continue ReadingCooperation Between Continental And Yokohama Intensifies
Continental and Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama, who already operate a plant together in the USA, producing truck tyres, want to intensify this cooperation. They want to create a 50-50 joint venture in Japan by the end of the year, merging their Japanese activities and focussing on their Japanese OE customers. Yokohama will also help Continental increase its replacement market business. In addition, the two companies want to work more closely together in production in the NAFTA area and are looking at potential synergies, in areas such as purchasing.
Continue ReadingThe Truck Tyre Business
That the heavy truck tyre business is changing dramatically at all levels cannot be denied. Tyre dealers doing this business almost as a sideline in their local markets are facing a decrease but they are not too sad about this development because it is becoming harder and harder to earn money with truck tyres. This sector of business is decreasing because, for hauliers and their fleets, an enormous process of consolidation is taking place. In the future we will have tyre dealers saying good-bye to the truck tyre business and tyre dealers being strong in car and truck tyres. The media predict that goods traffic will increase significantly in coming years. Tranportation by waterway, railroad and especially road haulage will grow. But that might be a scenario for the longer term, because now we can read predictions of lower new truck registrations of about ten percent this year, and also next, in most European countries. But the stock lists seem to be stable because hauliers use their trucks longer (although they would prefer to buy a new one but it is too expensive) and modern trucks have a greater life expectancy than previously. The truck market is undergoing a process of structural changes. Mega fleets have arisen, absorbing a lot of the medium-sized and small hauliers. For the big fleets the four premium tyre brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone and Goodyear dominate. Their second brands are cheaper but good quality nevertheless. At the budget tyre level, brands like Toyo, Hankook or Marshal compete with the third brands of the four big market players for 15 percent of the market.
Continue ReadingTyreCheck 2001 In Germany
In the course of this years TyreCheck in Germany during May, 1.3 million cars were checked (previous year 200,000). 4 per cent of tyres had a tread depth below the 1.6 mm minimum, while another 15% had tread depths near to 1.6 mm. The TyreCheck, which was also carried out in other European countries, is designed to increase awareness of tyre safety. The German tyre dealers association (BRV, Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseur-Handwerk) described the participation of its members as disappointing, but the car testing organisations (TUV, Dekra, GTU) demonstrated a very high level of involvement.
Continue ReadingNew Forest Tyre by Nokian
Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian is expanding its range of forest tyres with the new Forest King E, which is designed to meet the demands of the OE- and aftermarket segments. The tyre has been developed for forest machinery up to a maximum weight of 14 tons and is available in sizes 700/45-22.5, 600/55 -26.5 and 700/50-26.5. For heavier machines, Nokian manufactures the new PR-20-tyres, which are available in sizes 600/55-26.5 and 700/50-26.5.
Continue ReadingMore Production Cuts From Goodyear
In the US, Goodyear says that it will reduce tyre production this month and next, due to weak demand for new cars and trucks. Cuts will be made across the board with no layoffs or shutdowns planned. The reduction follows a second quarter cut in production of six million tyres, despite increased demand as a result of the Firestone recall. Shares in Goodyear fell 20 cents at the news.
Continue ReadingMore Firestone Tyres To Be Replaced
The US Government has asked Firestone to recall another 3.5 million tyres. Shigeo Watanabe, president of Bridgestone stressed that this was not a recall, but a replacement programme as Bridgestone Firestone had not admitted any defects. The tyres being exchanged are P235/75R15 and P255/70R16 fitted to Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs up to 1998.
Continue ReadingWarnair From Dunlop Is Standard In The New Mini
The new Mini will be equipped with Warnair as a standard feature. Dunlops tyre pressure warning system notifies the driver if a tyre loses more than 30 per cent of its air. Approval of the system for the Mini represents the first time that Dunlops Warnair has been included as standard equipment for a model in the small car sector. Since the introduction of Warnair in August 1997, 500,000 such tyre pressure monitoring systems have been installed worldwide. In addition, Dunlop is offering 26 additional sizes of the SP Winter Sport M3 which was developed for all categories. The tyre is now available in diameters from 13-19 inches.
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