Vice President For RubberNetwork.com
Ron Wells has been named as Vice President of Business Development for RubberNetwork.com. Wells has over 22 years experience with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, having successfully implemented brand development programs on a global level and with experience in purchasing and marketing management.
Continue ReadingOE Success For Yokohama
The Super Sport Car V 12 Vanquish will be fitted by Aston Martin with Yokohama tyres AVS Sport in 255/40 ZR 19 (front) and 285/40 ZR 19 (rear). Yokohama has added the exclusive logo AML on the sidewall for the tyres delivered to Aston Martin.
Continue ReadingAgreement Between Ford/Goodyear To Speed Tires to Consumers
Ford and Goodyear made arrangements to allow Ford customers to obtain Ford-approved replacements for Firestone Wilderness AT tires at no charge to the customer. In addition, the tire manufacturer is making arrangements to ensure adequate availability of Goodyear tires at Ford and Mercury dealerships through its own network of independent tire dealers and Goodyear company-owned stores. Goodyear has increased tire production significantly at seven North American manufacturing plants to make tires available for use in the replacement program.
Continue ReadingReifen Gundlach: Successful Marketing of Gajah Tunggal Tyres In Germany
The two managing directors of Reifen Gundlach, Gebhard and Joachim Jansen, once again invited a number of important guests to visit the Gajah Tunggal factory in Jakarta. This journey was to make it clear to everybody that, with the German wholesaler on one the side and the Indonesian tyre manufacturer on the other, two promising partners have been found to make progress in the hotly-disputed home market. The official reason for visiting the company was the introduction of the latest uhp tyres GT Radial Champiro HPZ 40/45 and the Maxmiler CX, which could also be tested on the Sentul racing track. For the management it was important to keep in touch with the world’s leading tyre manufacturers. Referring to marketing, GT was already cooperating with the German wholesaler Reifen Gundlach before the Japanese world trading group Itochu acquired a majority holding in the trading enterprise from Raubach, in September 1998, which is said to be have since grown to 75 percent. Reifen Gundlach’s market acceptance has grown so far, because being part of Itochu has been very important, not least, for the cooperation with Michelin. This is a strategic partnership selected by Reifen Gundlach, in order to bring those customers to the tyre manufacturer that it finds difficult to reach, and to help Reifen Gundlach itself to successfully expand its tyre range.
Continue ReadingInvestor Update From Goodyear
The latest investor update from Goodyear reflects the worldwide state of the motor industry. US and European passenger car replacement sales were above last year’s figures, but commercial sales were down. OE shipments in the US were down, but level with last year’s figures in the European Union. Eastern Europe showed a flat replacement market and a 20% drop in OE supply. In Latin America replacement sales were down, but OE was up in May. A similar picture was painted in Asia. Throughout the world market increasing raw materials costs and reduction in auto manufacture output has affected trade adversely.
Continue ReadingGood Performance For Bridgestone/Firestone Deutschland GmbH
In a difficult environment Bridgestone/Firestone was able to sell in the first half of 2001 more units than in the first half of the year 2000. Managing Director Günter Unterhauser confirmed that, in the first half of this year, his company sold 4 per cent more passenger car tyres and 6 per cent more truck tyres while the market in general fell by 2 per cent and 4 per cent respectively. The increases in motor cycle tyres (plus 29 per cent) and agricultural tyres (plus 29 per cent) were significantly higher. In the EM-Segment Bridgestone sold as many tyres as in the first half of 2000 while the market shrank by 10 per cent. Due to several good test results the management is very confident for the winter season and is convinced that turnover for the year as a whole will be at least 10 per cent higher than the previous year. Operating results are in line with expectations and the management said that it is quite satisfied.
Continue ReadingSecond Quarter Loss for Ford
Ford posted a second quarter loss of $752 million. Excluding a $201million charge attributable to the restructuring of Mazda Motor Corporation, the trading loss stands at $551 million. The cost of replacing the 13 million Firestone tyres more than accounts for that loss. The after tax expense of the tyre recall is expected to amount to $2.1billion. Our decision in May to replace 13 million potentially unsafe Firestone tires was an unprecedented action, said Jacques Nasser, president and CEO. Although were disappointed it resulted in a second quarter loss, it was the right thing to do for the safety and trust of our customers.
Continue ReadingTyre Test Win For Uniroyal Rallye 540
Uniroyals Rallye 540 came out top in the latest and biggest-ever tyre test carried out by Auto Express magazine in the UK. The test took place with the aim of finding the best tyre for the average family car and included budget and second-line brands.
Continue ReadingDespite Increase In Turnover, Vredestein In The Red For H1 2001
The Dutch group achieved a slight increase in turnover but reported a loss of 2.9 million Euro compared with a loss of 1.9 million Euro, in the 1st half of last year. As far as the tyre manufacturing in Enschede is concerned, figures remained more or less unchanged. Vredestein is depending very much on the winter-tyre-season in Germany as well as in Switzerland and Austria.
Continue ReadingDonations From Bridgestone/Firestone Too
Bridgestone/Firestone has donated 100,000 US Dollars (108,178 Euro) to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Customers can also make donations.
Continue ReadingAsian Auto Industry “Faces Continuing Stagnation” – Report
A report from automotive industry consultant Autopolis suggests that the Asian auto sector is half-way through a decade of stagnation. Sales this year will be flat and predictions for next year are for sales outside Japan to fall by 7 per cent and production to drop 8 per cent as exports decline. Chief Economist Graeme Maxton forecasts that it will take until 2005 for the market to return to 1996 levels. He says that there are some bright spots, with opportunities in China and India but the rest of the region is just vegetating.
Continue ReadingGibara Claims Pirelli Comment “Misrepresented”
In an interview with the German magazine Wirtschafts-Woche, Goodyear CEO Sam Gibara is reported as saying that Pirelli would make a good fit for Goodyear, if the Italian company was planning to sell all its tyre interests, rather than merely its truck tyre business. A subsequent statement from Goodyear says that Gibaras comments were misrepresented and that he did not say that Goodyear was interested in acquiring any of the Italian manufacturers business.
Continue ReadingMexican Recall For Bridgestone/Firestone
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc is recalling 8,000 Wilderness LE tyres made in Mexico and fitted on GM SUVs because of adhesion problems. Around 150 tyres, made on April 24 last year, are affected, but one weeks production is being recalled to be on the safe side.
Continue ReadingLay-Offs Next Year At Debica Factory
Press reports say that 800 workers at the tyre factory at Debica in Poland will be laid off by the end of 2001. This represents almost 19% of the total workforce of 4,218 and the move is part of restructuring plans. The Debica factory is controlled by Goodyear.
Continue ReadingCost-Cutting Proposals Rejected By Michelin Workers?
A report in the local paper, the Burnley Express, quoting an anonymous worker, says that workers at the Michelin tyre plant in the town have rejected cost-cutting proposals put forward by management. These proposals are said to include a 25 per cent reduction in shift allowance and some workers moving from a four day week to three days. However, a union spokesman said that proposals have been neither accepted nor rejected and unions and management will meet on 29 January to discuss the situation. Around 450 workers would be affected at Burnley, where truck and bus tyres are made.
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