Sales Of Cars In Asia To Fall Next Year
Despite the recovery in vehicle sales in Asia over the past two years, analysts are predicting a slowdown in sales in parts of the region, notably South Korea. The Asian car market is expected to fall by 3% next year, with little sign of recovery in 2002.
Continue ReadingToday “Only” A Tyre, Tomorrow A Measurement Tool?
The automotive business is moving more and more towards an intelligent chassis control or a total chassis management. In this scenario tyres are playing a role of growing importance. Today consumers and tyre manufacturers still focus on comfort, rolling resistance, handling etc. But what about tomorrow? Electronic sensors within the tyre will be able to supply additional information to the driver or to systems like ESP. For 20 years, the interaction between road and tyres has been studied at the University of Darmstadt and has for example led to the so-called Darmstädter Tyre Sensor or a special trailer for measurements concerning tyre noise emission. But in mid October – after events in 1996 and 1998 – this was also the place where the third Reifenkolloquium was held for international experts to discuss topics related to research and development in the tyre, wheel and related businesses. About 90 attendees were at the event this year. After an introductory speech entitled The Tyre – Key Component For Driving Dynamics And Steering another twelve lecturers followed. Divided into four sections Tyre/Road Noise, Tyre Evaluation/Test, Models & Simulation and Sensors & Road Parameter Evaluation they reported the recent results of their studies. Some of these, which are not too technical, are summarised in the November issue of NEUE REIFENZEITUNG.
Continue ReadingRecall Burdens Ford Results
Ford Motor Company has suffered a reduced profit of 888 million US-$ in the third quarter, compared to the same period for 1999 (959 m). Ford Chairman Jacques Nasser attributes the results to the Firestone recall. To provide good tyres to Ford customers is more important than realising short term profits.
Continue ReadingMAHA Acquires Slift
The German supplier of various items of equipment for the tyre shop, MAHA (Maschinenbau Haldenwang), has acquired lifting platform specialist Slift. With this acquisition, MAHA staff numbers increase to 1,000.
Continue ReadingPolish Opening For Kwik-Fit
In two weeks time, Kwik-Fit will open its first fast-fit centre in Warsaw, Poland. Another six, purpose-built centres are scheduled to be opened in Poland in the near future.
Continue ReadingPirelli Makes It Clear
In reply to an article in NEUE REIFENZEITUNG entitled Bremsspuren im Odenwald (Pirelli Shows Brake Lights in Germany) Dr. Wentz assured the Darmstädter Echo in an interview that the company was about to conclude an extraordinarily good 1999 business year and that there would be no personnel cuts. The correct version is: In the year 2000, Pirelli Germany (by which we mean Pirelli AG, Metzeler, Drahtcord and Pirelli Reifenwerke) will not be sacking 140 white collar workers, as previously reported, but only 45. On the other hand, Pirelli says it is going to employ 48 more blue-collar workers. These are the official figures from the office of Dr. Wentz, which we have no cause to doubt. Having said that, the numbers do not correspond with information that we have from other sources and they apply only to the year 2000. Further details will be given in future issues of NEUE REIFENZEITUNG. In October 1999, Pirelli chief Tronchetti Provera explained, against the background of falling profits, the need to reduce staff numbers in the Tyre Division by 800 in the year 1999.
Continue ReadingChanges at ContiTech
The Benecke-Kaliko Group is the second-largest part of ContiTech. Continental has decided to increase its shareholding in the company from 50.1% to 99%, buying from DG Bank. Bamberger Kaliko will be separated from the group by a management-buyout.
Continue ReadingGeneral Motors acquire remaining 50% of Saab
General Motors announced that it will acquire the remaining 50% of Saab. 130,000 Saab vehicles were produced in 1999.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Opens Fourth Japanese Plant For Diversified Products
On February 15th, Bridgestone opened its fourth plant in Japan devoted to the production of diversified products such as high performance functional films and precision components of rubber and plastic. The factory, sited in Iwata, covers an area of 17.3 hectares, of which 2.3 hectares are under cover, and employs 130. It is Bridgestones 15th factory in Japan.
Continue ReadingGoodyear decrease in net income
Goodyears net income for the fourth quarter of last year amounted to US$ 47.8 million compared with US$ 121.5 million in the fourth quarter of 1998. The companys net income for the whole of 1999 was US$ 241.1 million compared to US$ 682.3 million in 1998.
Continue ReadingMarc P. Frissora Is New Tenneco Chairman
Marc P. Frissora, President and CEO of Tenneco Automotive since April 1999, succeeds retiring Dana G. Mead as Chairman of the US manufacturer of shock absorbers and exhausts.
Continue ReadingTyres And More With Michelin
Consumers can boost their air miles accounts with Lufthansa by 2,000 miles if they buy four Michelin Pilot tyres and are willing to fill out a customer survey questionnaire. More information is available from Michelin in Karlsruhe or from Michelin trade partners, although they were not able to answer questions from this magazine.
Continue ReadingFifty Years Of Matador – Transformation Process Concluded
At the beginning of May the Slovak tyre manufacturer Matador celebrated the 50th anniversary of the company. The rubber factory in Puchov continued the long tradition of the trademark, which started in Slovakia’s present capital, Bratislava, in 1905. In the thirties Matador tyres were already original equipment on all vehicles then produced in Czechoslovakia. In those days Matador’s market share in the CSR was more than 20 p.c. Building work at the Puchov factory started in 1947, and the first tyres left the new production facility three years later, on 1st May 1950. In 1953 restructuring of the Czechoslovak tyre industry took place. A new trademark was created: Barum, combining the three manufacturers Bata, Rubena and Matador. From then on the Puchov factory also produced under this brand name. After the partition of Czechoslovakia in 1993 the Barum brand was taken over by Continental. The Puchov factory, however, was not part of the deal and reverted to the old brand name Matador. Today Puchov exports more than 80 p.c. of its output under this registered trademark. The 1999 turnover of the group of companies was about 600 million DM, with the tyre activities claiming a 65 p.c. share. Investments amounted to almost 15 million DM, and 12 million DM was spent on the research and development sector. This year investments are scheduled to double. More financial resources will be directed towards sales support measures and marketing for a further improvement in market acceptance. Since January 1999 Matador has produced radial truck tyres in a production joint venture with Continental, but with the distribution of the tyres still handled separately by the two partners. In the course of an ambitious restructuring programme the Puchov factory is to be thoroughly modernised to become the largest radial truck tyre factory in Europe. Read more in NEUE REIFENZEITUNG 5/2000.
Continue ReadingThat’s the Spirit!
The new blimp Spirit of Goodyear was christened by former NASA astronaut Sally Ride. Goodyear-CEO and President Samir Gibara was also on board for the first official flight.
Continue ReadingUK Commercial Vehicle Show A Success
This year’s Commercial Vehicle show at the NEC was a combination of three exhibitions – the SMMT’s CV show, the IRTE Show and Tipcon. No fewer than 579 exhibitors filled 42,500 square metres of floor space. Held over three days, the event attracted a remarkable 22,556 visitors and was generally held to be a great success. The tyre sector was well-represented, with manufacturers, retreaders and service providers, illustrating the importance of the commercial fleet market to tyre companies. Competition in this sector of the tyre business is fierce, with margins consequently depressed. TYRES & ACCESSORIES spoke to ten tyre manufacturers and retreaders at the show and the overwhelming message was that customers were demanding ever-increasing amounts of information and more sophisticated back-up services. The actual product of the tyre, given that it is of an acceptable level of quality in the first place, appears to be of less and less importance in today’s market. An increasing number of fleet customers are looking for a partner to handle every aspect of their tyre policy, from supplying product to carrying out maintenance and servicing breakdowns. How do the smaller companies, which lack the resources of large manufacturers, survive in such an environment? Read the views of the following ten companies in the May issue of TYRES & ACCESSORIES. Bandag, Bandvulc, Bridgestone/Firestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Marangoni Tread, Michelin, Truck Tyre Specialists and Vacu-Lug.
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