Tyre Manufacturers In FT Top 500
The Financial Times has published its annual list of the top 500 global companies, ranked by market capitalisation. The only tyre company in the world list is Bridgestone, at position number 300. In the list of the top 500 European companies, there are three; Michelin (304), Pirelli (311) and Continental (482).
Continue ReadingTyre Manufacturers In Global E-Commerce Initiative
Six of the largest tyre manufacturers have announced their intention to develop a global e-business purchasing company. Rubbernetwork.com is an independent company which will host a global exchange, including Conti, Cooper, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli and Sumitomo Rubber. Confidentiality is assured and the exchange will be open to all manufacturers and suppliers. It will be operating by the year end. Significant savings and efficiencies in purchasing are predicted.
Continue ReadingGeneral Motors Award For ContiTech
After last years success, Continentals business unit ContiTech has again been awarded Supplier Of The Year by the American General Motors Corporation. ContiTech Vibration Control won the prize for supplying damping elements for the engines of Opels Astra, Omega and Vectra.
Continue ReadingContinental Truck Road Safety Round Table
Every so often, Continental Tyre UK assembles a panel of interested parties to talk through a subject of interest. The most recent ‘Round Table’ was on the subject of truck safety, particularly that of tyres. Roadside checks on trucks seem to reveal a story of tyre neglect, with many tyres showing damage which would be obvious to the most cursory examination, implying that nobody bothers to look. The legal minimum tread depth for trucks in the UK is 1mm, and has been so for the past three decades. Conti is not convinced that raising the limit to 1.6mm would have a significant effect on safety. Most good fleet operators change tyres at 2mm anyway, which is what Conti recommends. Roadside fitter safety was discussed – a dangerous job made even more so by the extensive use of the mobile phone, which removes the police from the equation. If the police do not know of a breakdown, they cannot provide safety backup for the fitter. Like many other companies, Continental provides a complete tyre management service for fleets, taking on all responsibility for tyre-related matters. This not only means peace of mind for the operator, but should ensure better maintained, safer tyres. Full details of the Round Table discussion can be found in TYRES & ACCESSORIES 6/2000.
Continue ReadingFewer Visitors For “Tyres 2000”
According to Peter Hülzer, CEO of the German national tyre dealers association BRV, the Exhibition Tyres 2000 in Essen attracted a total of 15.000 visitors. This is 1,100 visitors fewer than for the 98 exhibition. The main reasons for this development are reckoned to be the later-than-usual date of the exhibition, the start of the holiday season in some parts of Germany and in a period of very hot weather during the exhibition.
Continue ReadingOlaf Papke Succeeds Manfred Riemer
After working for Vredestein for 30 years, Manfred Riemer – responsible for agricultural tyre sales for the past 15 years – has retired. His successor is Olaf Papke, who was already engaged in the agricultural tyre business at Trelleborg before joining Vredestein.
Continue ReadingNew Strategy At Titan
With the sale of assets Titan International (Quincy/Illinois), a manufacturer of speciality tyres and wheels, has exited the oe business with lawn and garden equipment as well as all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and improved its second quarter results due to the price paid by Carlisle Tire and Wheel Co. The new strategy of Titan will be to concentrate on agricultural and construction wheel business and tyre assemblies and to focus more on aftermarket demands.
Continue ReadingAttorney General: Charges Justified In Recall Case?
US Attorney General, Janet Reno, is looking into whether or not Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone violated any civil or criminal laws in the way that complaints about allegedly faulty tyres were handled.
Continue ReadingAvon Builds World’s Biggest Bike Tyre
Avon has produced the biggest motorcycle tyre ever made. It is a 250/40 - 18, nearly ten inches wide and does not fit any known motorcycle. Avon says it wants to inspire custom designers to create a bike which will take the tyre.
Continue ReadingWaiting for Keegan – Goodyear is lacking life
Robert J. Keegan (53), one time top manager with Kodak, assumed the position as Goodyears‘s president and chief operating officer in Akron on 1st of October, making him the deputy and named successor of chairman Sam Gibara (61). According to group publications, Keegan will be responsible for day to day business, whereas Gibara will be more concerned with strategy.
Continue ReadingWinter Tyre For Scooters
At the INTERMOT – the international exhibition for motorcycles in Munich – the German Tyre Manufacturer Reifenwerk Heidenau has introduced a winter tyre for Scooters. For higher grip under winter conditions, the so-called Snowtex features textile fibres in the tread which emerge from the rubber surface after 300 to 600 kilometres driving. Therefore Heidenau suggests changing to winter tyres some weeks before the cold part of the year begins.
Continue ReadingNew Pressure Monitoring Agreement for Goodyear
Goodyear has developed an agreement with Phase IV Engineering of Boulder, Colorado aimed at fully developing a tyre pressure monitoring system. After the recent agreements with Michelin and Cycloid Systems this is the third such agreement Goodyear has completed. The long term aim of this strategy is not only to develop a fully operational system, but to extend Goodyear beyond the automotive tyre field.
Continue Reading33rd Essen-Motor-Show International
From the 1st till the 10th of December the 33rd Essen-Motor-Show-International opened its gates. For ten days, more than 550 exhibitors in 18 exhibition halls were showing the whole range of individual vehicle models for the world market and the broad palette of vehicle accessories. The Essen-Motor-Show enjoys the international reputation of being the biggest and most comprehensive show for automobile tuners. The tuning business is booming in Europe. Whereas the German passenger car market has decline by more than ten per cent this year, the tuning companies are reporting increasing turnovers. After 7.8 billion DM in the previous year it is expected that the eight billion DM benchmark is going to to be reached this year. But the tuning business guarantees not only high net earnings, it guarantees jobs as well. In 1999 the sector employed 18.000 people. For the car tuners the Essen-Motor-Show is traditionally the most important platform for presenting their products. The exhibitors have shown numerous world premieres in Essen. A review on this event is features in the December edition of NEUE REIFENZEITUNG.
Continue ReadingProfit Warning Announced By Vredestein
In a reversal of a previous prognosis, Vredestein NV this year will be facing substantially lower profits and a weaker cash flow situation than in 1999. However, the board declared that losses are not expected.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Top Management Under Pressure
The sharp drop in prices of Goodyear shares over the past three months has put extreme pressure on Goodyears top management. Possible reasons for the drop include increased raw material costs and apprehension among shareholders that the Dunlop acquisition could have a negative impact on results in the year 2000.
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