Agritechnica 2001
Agritechnica is the largest agricultural exhibition in Europe and the 2001 event was held in Hanover from 13th to 17th November. This year’s show area has increased by 4% to a total of 196,000 square metres and more than 1,300 exhibitors from 30 countries showed their goods and services. The exhibition showcases the latest advances in technology for modern agriculture, including tractors, other agricultural machinery, accessories and spare parts. Included in these are tyre manufacturers who offer agricultural tyres, with such famous names as Continental, Goodyear, Michelin, TWS and Vredestein, among others. Agritechnica usually proves a great draw for those involved in agriculture; this year with 247,000 visitors 9.5% more came through the doors than two years ago, 34,000 of these coming from 100 countries outside Germany, and similar levels were expected this time around. The November date for the show is well-timed, as this is the time of year when many farmers are planning their investments for the coming season.
Continue ReadingAgricultural Tyre Market: 2001 has been a difficult year
The world-wide market for agricultural machines and tyres is has been characterised by a rationalisation processes over several years. The leading competitors in the tyre sector (Michelin-Group, Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS), Continental and Goodyear) have more or less completed repositioning themselves in the market. The widest multi-brand variation has been attained by the Michelin-Group, which covers with its four brands (Michelin, Kleber, Taurus and Stomil) all price-segments and applications. However, the development of this tyre segment cannot be viewed in isolation. It is influenced and defined by a number of fundamental and mutually connected parameters. These are: · the general economical development of the agricultural sector, · the changing structure of the German agricultural sector since reunification, · seasonal influences/aspects (e.g. weather conditions) and · sales, numbers and specifications of agricultural machines (especially tractors). In Germany fewer and fewer farming companies have concerns about a permanently increasing average area of land - a trend that can be observed throughout the rest of Europe. At the same time agricultural machinery is becoming more powerful, larger and faster, and the tyre manufacturer has to produce a product that can cope with these demands and yet remain gentle on crops to ensure maximum yield. In the first half of the year 2001 the already decreasing number of machinery sales found an additional seasonal reason in the sinking investments of the farmers, due to the BSE and the FMD-crisis. The increased cost-consciousness of the farmers became obvious in an trend towards cheaper brands. In the second half of the year the tyre market recovered a little bit from its bad results in the first six months but the overall negative figures could not be overcome completely so that ultimately a five percent loss was expected, compared to the previous year. This meant a total number of 220,000 tractor tyres sold in Germany (radial: 143,000 pieces).
Continue ReadingDunlop Record Growth in 1999
Dunlop GmbH (Hanau) expects further turnover and profit increases in the 1999 tyre business. Turnover will rise by almost ten per cent over the previous year to 1.64 billion marks. The pre-tax group profit will be significantly above the 1998 level of 133 million marks. The good business development is due to consistently strong demand for Dunlop tyres both in original equipment and in replacement. High winter tyre sales figures also contribute to this development, representing approximately 20 p.c. in Dunlop’s total German production. Dunlop 1999 winter tyre sales will probably have gone up by 16 p.c. over 1998. Since 1994 Dunlop GmbH has doubled its car tyre sales. During the last few years the Hanau tyre manufacturer has made progress in the high-performance tyre segment far above the market average, and the company operates a profit-sharing scheme for its employees. Against the industry trend, the Dunlop payroll has increased by almost 21 p.c. since 1991, with the number of people working for Dunlop GmbH at the end of November 1999 reaching almost 5,000. If one leaves out the former subsidiary Dunlop TECH, which ceased to belong to the contributing members of the Dunlop GmbH group in the middle of last year, the figure is similar to that of the previous year.
Continue ReadingFirst Prize For Conti Teves
A. T. Kearney and the weekly magazine Produktion held a competition for the best factory of the year. 80 plants were nominated and the winner of the first prize for outstanding manufacturing processes was the Conti Teves factory in Rheinböllen, which produces brake components.
Continue ReadingStudy Says UK Motor Dealers ‘Unable To Compete’
A report by the Consumers Association says that UK franchised motor dealers cannot compete effectively against rivals in every area of business, from new car sales to servicing. When it comes to repairs and sales of spare parts, the dealers cannot match prices and performance of competitors such as the large fast-fit chains, the study concludes.
Continue ReadingNokian To Produce Commercial Tyres In The USA
Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian has confirmed that the company intends to produce commercial tyres in the USA as soon as possible. The first products will be forest tyres, followed by industrial tyres. A spokesman for Nokian said that it had not yet been decided whether the company would build its own factory in the USA, whether there would be some kind of joint venture co-operation, or whether tyres would be manufactured in an off-take agreement. The Finnish company has been active in the US and Canadian markets for some years.
Continue ReadingFirst Take-off For “Spirit of Goodyear”
Goodyears newest Blimp has finished its first flight successfully. The blimp Spirit of Goodyear follows the Spirit of Akron which crashed last year.
Continue Reading“Goodyear, All Systems Go!”
A lengthy report of a speech by Goodyear boss Sam Gibara, in which he tells of the group’s return to the position of number one tyre manufacturer. The speech encompasses a range of subjects affecting Goodyear – the importance of the Goodyear family and the Goodyear culture, above all the importance of people. The example of Nokian Tyres is held up as, size for size, it is probably the most profitable tyre manufacturer in the world. What Nokian can do, Goodyear subsidiaries can surely do? It is important to get the right mix of products and to shorten the time to market, it is important too to be able to supply customers with what they want, when they want it, and Mr. Gibara acknowledges that, in the past, fill rates have not been all they might be. A decisive factor in Goodyear’s success will be the effectiveness of its multi-brand strategy. Other tyre manufacturers have successfully developed such strategies and Goodyear, with its own name and that of Dunlop, has two very powerful brands in its armoury. Customers differ in their driving habits and incomes and thus they need different tyres to fulfil these various needs. Goodyear has the brands to satisfy all these customers. Finally, Mr. Gibara reiterated Goodyear’s goal to be not only be the number one tyre manufacturer in the world, but the most profitable one. And then he closed the meeting. Except that he didn’t; there was no meeting and there was no speech from Mr. Gibara. The article which can be downloaded in full length as PDF file (size: 2.84 Mbyte, Adobe Acrobat Reader required) is, in fact, an imaginative piece written by Klaus Haddenbrock, outlining what Mr. Gibara could have said on such an occasion. And Mr. Gibara’s reaction? See his letter in reply in TYRES & ACCESSORIES’s April issue.
Continue ReadingMetzeler Honoured For Environmental Efforts
Pirellis German motorcycle tyre plant Metzeler has been accredited with ISO certification 14001 for environmental efforts.
Continue ReadingW.d.K.Announces Price Increases
The Wirtschaftsverband der Kautschukindustrie (German association of tyre and rubber manufacturers) is pointing out the necessity of price increases as soon as possible to offset ongoing increases in raw materials costs (rubber, oil, carbon black).
Continue ReadingTyre 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.
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