TyreCheck 2000 Results From NTDA
The National Tyre Distributors Association held a press conference to reveal the results of its TyreCheck 2000 campaign. This was part of a wider European initiative to increase tyre awareness and collect data in support of a campaign to increase the legal minimum tread depth. The UK campaign lasted a week and over 37,500 tyres were checked. A depressing 10% were below the 1.6mm legal minimum and a further 17% had tread depths below 2mm, which is the level being proposed as the new legal minimum. 26% were damaged in some way and 46% incorrectly inflated. Spare tyres were also checked and 33% of these had a tread depth below 2mm. 66% were wrongly inflated. In a telephone survey of people who had recently bought tyres, 75% did not know the legal tread depth and 43% said they check their pressures regularly; a figure not borne out by the above statistics. It is planned to repeat the exercise next year, hopefully on a larger scale, and the results will be used to lobby individual governments and European authorities through Bipaver for a change in the tyre laws in Europe.
Continue ReadingShares In Bridgestone Rise Despite Saudi Ban
In Tokyo, shares in Bridgestone have risen 3.09 per cent to 1,300 Yen, having recovered from an eight year low earlier this month of 1,067 Yen. This comes despite the news that Saudi Arabia has banned Firestone tyres; an action described by Bridgestone as uncalled for and extreme.
Continue ReadingETRA Scrap Tyre Recycling Conference II In Leipzig
Following the 1999 event in Schwerin, this year’s ETRA Scrap Tyre Recycling Conference will take place in Leipzig/Germany. It is scheduled for 5th December.
Continue ReadingNew Tyre Production Ceases At Michelin’s Stoke Factory
Michelin has announced that car tyre, van tyre and rubber mixing production will cease at its Stoke-on-Trent factory in the second half of 2001. Production of truck retreads, mould and steel cord production will continue. In total, 950 jobs of the 2,350 currently on site will be lost. The move is part of Michelins European rationalisation programme.
Continue ReadingSurvey By Michelin Shows Contradictions
In the UK, Michelin has carried out a survey of attitudes to tyre pressures. 83 per cent agreed that correct tyre inflation is important to safety and 88 per cent related correct pressure to fuel economy. However, 50 per cent check their pressures monthly, 30 per cent rely on services for pressure checks and 5 per cent never check tyre pressures.
Continue ReadingThe End Of A Long Lasting Partnership
Deutsche Bank has announced that it will sell-off its industrial holdings which are worth about 40 billion Euro based on current share prices. This move has been made possible by recent German tax reform, effective from 2002, which makes capital gains by corporations tax free. The Bank has an 8 p.c. stake in the German tyre manufacturer Continental which is presently worth about 200 million Euro.
Continue ReadingGeneral Tire Recalls Truck Tyres In The USA
In the USA, General Tire has begun a recall of 4,750 truck tyres, produced between December 1998 and February 1999. A Continental Group spokesman pointed out that the company is not acting under any legal obligation, and the move is a precautionary one.
Continue ReadingBoss Of South Pacific Tyres Goes Ashore
John Gurrieri, CEO of South Pacific Tyres for five years, is leaving the company at the end of February after 29 years service to seek new challenges. South Pacific Tyres is a 50/50 joint venture between the Pacific Dunlop group and Goodyear.
Continue ReadingNew Power Station To Burn Tyres
Construction work is set to begin this month on a new power station which will burn 65,000 tonnes of scrap tyres annually. It is sited at Four Ashes in Staffordshire and is due to become fully operational in January 2002. The total cost will be around 332.4 million.
Continue ReadingIs Goodyear Ignoring European Rules?
The Italian Goodyear factory should close in March. EU officials have criticized the American company for not considering the rights of the employees involved.
Continue ReadingEDI Connects Tyre Retailers And Industry
At the beginning of February, German tyre dealers and the tyre industry signed an agreement that will introduce EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) as the uniformed system of electronic communication between the two business partners throughout the country.
Continue ReadingThailand Investment By Michelin
Michelin and its local joint-venture partner Siam Cement has announced an investment of THB 3,82 billion in their Laem Chabang production plant near Bangkok. The development will double the capacity to 6.12 million passenger and light truck tyres a year. Michelin Siam also operate an additional two plants in Thailand providing production of truck, earthmover and motorcycle tyres.
Continue ReadingPacific Dunlop Appoints New Tyre Chief
Robert McEniry (52) has been named as Chief Executive Officer of the Tyre Unit in which Pacific Dunlop and Goodyear each hold a 50% stake. John Gurrieri gave up his post in February to seek new challenges.
Continue ReadingGerman Insurer “Allianz” To Sponsor Formula 1 Team
The German insurance company Allianz wants to become involved in Formula 1. As the newspaper Die Welt announced recently, Aliens wants to sponsor the Williams-BMW team. Already with the coming German Grand Prix in two weeks at the Nürburgring, the company label will be on the racing car of the British team. It was mentioned that the insurance intends to invest 50 million DM (£16.3 million) in the team of Ralf Schuhmacher and Jensen Button.
Continue ReadingHigher Turnover For Metzeler
The turnover of the motorcycle tyre division of Pirelli Germany (brands: Metzeler & Pirelli) in 1999 amounted to 94.9 million Euro; 1.4 p.c. more than the previous year. In motorcycle tyre terms, Pirelli is the market leader in Germany, Italy and Europe as a whole.
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