Truck Racing Loses Its Sponsor Continental
Continental wants to guarantee the supply of race tyres for the Truck Racing Championship next season. However, the sponsorship activities will be finished at the end of this season. This cost saving activity is justified with the promise of other accents on marketing, by which fleet managers can be targeted more efficiently.
Continue ReadingNew Tyre Concept From Goodyear
Concerning tyre design its no longer the geometric dimensions which represent the state of development, but rather the intended application. Goodyear is meeting this challenge with its most recent generation of radial tyres, the Optitrac product family. Segmentations which were popular in the 70s or 65s series have been replaced by the terms wide or volume. The launch of the Optitrac DT818 as a super-wide tyre and the DT824 as a volume tyre is regarded as a considerable step forwards towards the completion of this concept.
Continue ReadingNew Structure At Goodyear USA
In the USA, Goodyear has appointed Ted J. Fick to the newly-created position of vice president, commercial systems, which makes him responsible for leading Goodyears commercial tyre business unit in the North American market. Fick joins Goodyear from Toyota subsidiary Hino Diesel Trucks, where he was senior vice president and COO. This is one move in the introduction of a new structure, focused on distinct business segments; eight US regional offices will be closed and functional support activities run from Akron.
Continue ReadingHeinz-Theo Pecher To Take Over Top Position At VRG
Heinz-Theo Pecher (57), who has spent 26 years working in the tyre industry in different leading positions, is now working for VRG in Norderstedt/Hamburg. VRG is a large buying group for tyre dealers. On 1st January 2002 Pecher will take over as managing director from Klaus Heymann, who is to retire but will act as a consultant until the end of June 2002. Pecher came from Continental, where he was responsible for the German truck business replacement market (all brands). He sees excellent opportunities for VRG in a fast moving market. In the future, VRG will focus not only on Germany but also on Austria, Switzerland and Denmark, as well as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
Continue ReadingRise in Pirelli Management
The Board of Directors appointed Giovanni Ferrario Managing Director, who also keeps the position of General Manager Pirelli. Responsibilities for all Operating activities are delegated to Giovanni Ferrario. Finally, Francesco Gori was appointed General Manager Tyre Sector.
Continue ReadingInnovation Award For Michelin PAX System
Michelins PAX System has been named as the runner up in the Transport section of the Business Innovation Awards, handed out by the Wall Street Journal Europe. A panel of fifteen judges, covering all aspects of business disciplines, decided on the winners from more than 220 nominations. The paper also revealed that the PAX system is to be incorporated on the Edonis, a car from Italian company B. Engineering SRL, designed to break the world speed record.
Continue ReadingExclusive Distribution of Alliance
German wholesaler Bohnenkamp (Osnabrück) has been the exclusive distributor for the Israeli agricultural tyre manufacturer Alliance in Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic since the beginning of July. With this step Bohnenkamp intends to underline its leading position in the distribution of imported tyres. The company has been chosen by Alliance due to its elaborate distribution network and flexible logistics. Alliance offers more than 500 different sizes in the agricultural, MPT-, EM- and industrial tyres sectors and presents – in the neighbourhood of Bohnenkamp – a completely renewed product range with many new profiles and dimensions.
Continue ReadingAnother Loss Warning From Ford
Ford has warned that it expects to lose $900 million in the fourth quarter; which will be the companys third consecutive quarterly loss. This figure is in addition to the estimated $700 million one-off charge that the company will make to facilitate restructuring. Fords shares fell by 3.8 per cent at the news, despite a general rise in the stock market.
Continue ReadingExclusive Race Deal With Goodyear/Dunlop In US
The Grand American Road Racing Association has chosen Goodyear and Dunlop as exclusive tyre suppliers from next year to 2004. Goodyear radials will be used exclusively in Grand Ams SportsRacing Prototype I and GTS classes, and Goodyear bias-ply tyres will be used in the American GT class. Dunlop will be the exclusive tyres for the SportsRacing Prototype II and GT classes.
Continue ReadingLight At The End Of The Tunnel For Firestone?
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. has taken a major step forward in its efforts to draw a line under the tyre recall saga by hammering out a settlement to avoid lawsuits by US States. The company will pay $500,000 to each of the 50 states and to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. BF Inc. will also spend $5 million on a consumer education campaign and a further $10 million for the states legal costs. Up to another $10 million could be spent reimbursing those motorists who have not yet replaced their tyres. Total costs could reach $51.5 million (57.5 Million Euro).
Continue ReadingNew Member for SupplyOn
Siemens VDO Automotive is to join SupplyOn, the internet marketplace for the automotive supply industry. Among the other members are companies such as Bosch and Continental. SupplyOn represents a buying volume of around 35 billion Euro.
Continue ReadingNew V-Rated Winter Tyre From Vredestein Carries The Load
Vredestein has introduced the Wintrac V XL, a V-rated winter tyre that has the same load capacity as W, Y and Z-rated summer tyres. With few, if any, winter tyres available at these higher speed ratings, drivers have previously had to fit V-rated winter tyres with lower load-carrying capabilities. The Wintrac V XL will be available for this years winter tyre season.
Continue ReadingSecond ContiTech Fluid Joint Venture in China
ContiTechFluid, the business unit of tyre producers subsidiary ContiTech, has recently purchased 51 percent of shares of Chinese hose producer Grand Ocean (Chang Chun). From January 2002 the 100 employees will produce parts for VW models Jetta and Bora and the Audi A6. The project in the north of China requires an investment by ContiTech of up to five million euro.
Continue ReadingReorganisation In Store As Hayes Lemmerz Files For Chapter 11
Hayes Lemmerz, the wheel manufacturer that has been undergoing difficult times recently, has filed for restructuring under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The company is at pains to point out that it has not gone bankrupt, neither is it going out of business and that Chapter 11 is a court-supervised restructuring proceeding, not a liquidation proceeding. It also applies only to Hayes Lemmerzs own operations in the USA and that operations outside the country (except for one plant in Mexico) and joint ventures are not included. Declining market conditions and excessive debt were blamed for the action. Hayes Lemmerz shares fell to 52 cents at the news.
Continue ReadingInvestor Update From Goodyear
Goodyear has published its monthly investor update, giving brief details of the companys performance in various world markets. In North America in October, industry shipments of OE and replacement tyres fell. Goodyear made production cutbacks, which continued during November. European industry-wide replacement tyre shipments fell for both passenger and commercial and Goodyears sales followed this trend. For OE, Goodyear shipments of consumer tyres were up on last year while those of commercial tyres fell. In Eastern Europe, Goodyears shipments of OE and replacement tyres fell from October 2000 levels. Replacement shipments in Latin America fell and OE shipments rose, while in Asia, OE and replacement shipments both rose.
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