CASCAR Supplied By Goodyear
Goodyear announced that it is to be the official tyre supplier to the Canadian CASCAR Castrol Super Series, underlining the companys commitment to stock car racing. Special Eagle tyres were developed in Akron and manufactured at the companys racing tyre plant in Chile.
Continue ReadingB2B E-Commerce not a Revolutionary Subject for Michelin
Evolution for sure, revolution not at all. Thats Michelins opinion regarding the B2B E-Commerce initiative of leading global tyre producers which was announced recently.
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 Reading“Only Over My Dead Body” – Goodyear And Dunlop Brands Remain In Competition
Sylvain G. Valensi (58), who has 34 years service with Goodyear, latterly as Vice President Goodyear Europe, has, since the joint venture with Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), assumed the role of Vice President of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe. Talking to this magazine during the recent Reifen 2000 exhibition in Essen, he stressed that the major brands Goodyear and Dunlop will remain independent and will almost be in competition with each other.
Continue ReadingJoint Venture For PAX and EMT Formed By Goodyear And Michelin
Tyre giants Michelin and Goodyear are to work together in the future on their run-flat systems PAX and EMT. A joint venture company has been formed, based in the Netherlands.
Continue ReadingMontinex In Administrative Receivership
On Friday 4th August, the Montinex tyre retail group went into Administrative Receivership. Discussions with potential purchaser Stapletons Tyre Services broke down last month. The parts of the Montinex group in Receivership are Chessington Tyres, Malvern Tyres, Northway Tyres and Charlie Browns Autocentres, totalling some 144 retail outlets. It is hoped to sell these as a going concern. Fleet Tyre Management is not in Receivership and is continuing to trade. Montinex turns over £86m annually and employs 840.
Continue ReadingMorgan Tire And Auto Inc. To Buy Tires Plus Ltd.
Larry Morgan, one of the key note speakers at last months BRV/MMS-seminar at the Reifen 2000 exhibition is purchasing Tires Plus Ltd. This company has 140 outlets in nine US-states and a turnover of 220 million US-$. Combining Tires Plus Ltd. and Morgan Tire together will create the second biggest independent tyre dealer in the United States with 540 stores in 24 states and a turnover of 745 million US-$ – a retail powerhouse is how Larry Morgan describes it.
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit Buys Majority Of Montinex
It has been confirmed that Kwik-Fit has purchased the vast majority of depots which made up the Montinex group retail chain. Montinex was put up for sale by the Administrative Receiver in early August and the deadline for receipt of bids was 18th August. The Kwik-Fit deal was finalised less than two weeks later. Kwik-Fit would not reveal the exact number of centres involved, but said that the company would study them in detail in order to determine the best way forward for each - at this early stage no decisions have been made.
Continue ReadingSales Target Of 10 bn Euro In 2000 For Continental Achievable
The German group aims to achieve 10 bn Euro in sales this year. After having presented the half year figures for 2000 this is still likely, but they cannot improve the Earnings previously predicted. While Teves and ContiTech are in EBIT better than last year, the truck tyre division could improve the EBIT by five million to 33 million Euro. The p.c-tyre division is 24 million Euro in EBIT below the first half of 1999 despite an increase in sales of 4%. The situation with General Tire is poor. The companys sales climbed by 23% (in dollars only by 8%) but the EBIT is 20 million Euro below the comparable time last year. General Tire will have difficulties avoiding red figures this year.
Continue ReadingGold-Mine For Pirelli
Pirelli sold a 90% share (Cisco holds 10%) in the very young company Optical Technologies. OT has around 100 employees and a first half-year turnover of US$ 12 m. Turnover for the whole year is expected to be US$ 30 m. Optimistic observers speculated that the price would be around US$ 1 bn, while Pirelli in fact received slightly over US$ 3 bn (after tax) in cash. According to the management, acquisitions in the tyre field are unlikely, but it may be that Pirelli can bring forward the introduction of its MIRS system faster than expected. Pirelli is, and will remain, in partnership with Michelin and Goodyear to promote the PAX system.
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 Reading“Smart Tyre System”: TRW Joins Michelin
Michelin and TRW Automotive Electronics have agreed to develop advanced tyre pressure monitoring technology, hand in hand with Michelins PA System Technology. The companies displayed their linked technology . The technology is being displayed at the Convergence 2000 International Congress on Transportation Electronics, being held in Detroit. The TRW system will give drivers advance knowledge of underinflation and allow them to remedy the fault before pressure falls to a dangerous level. In the event of a fast puncture the PAX system ensures the tyre stays on the wheel. The TRW system uses a sensor mounted in a high tec valve that sends details by radio signal to the on board control unit. The agreement will see both companies working towards the most effective method of alerting the driver to possible problems.
Continue ReadingJoint Venture Between Autobytel And Continental
Tyre manufacturer Continental intends to engage itself more in the e-business arena – especially on the B2C (Business to Consumer) level. The company has therefore decided to begin cooperation concerning tyre distribution with autobytel.com, an independent US-American internet-platform which offers a complete car service to its customers covering the complete life cycle of the car. Working together with tyre retailers, a complete service package will be offered to customers. All retailers interested in this project will be given the opportunity to participate, even if they do not possess the necessary infrastructure at the moment. The two companies explained during a press conference in Frankfurt what they are going to do. Continental is initially investing about 15 million Euro, most of it for the creation of a tyre portal. At present the whole project exists only on paper but Continental wants to arrange the basics of this project by the end of February 2001, and the operative start is planned for autumn 2001. During the press conference, Conti CEO Kessel underlined his interests in working closely together with the professional tyre trade.
Continue ReadingYokohama Restructures To Face The Future
A year ago, there were rumours that Yokohama was seeking an alliance with Michelin. TYRES & ACCESSORIES recently visited the company and, in addition to factory and R&D facility visits, interviewed the President of Yokohama Rubber Company, Mr. Yasuo Tominaga. Mr. Tominaga spoke of the companys wide-ranging restructuring plan and whether a company the size of Yokohama can survive alone in a global market dominated by the big three manufacturers.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Invests 50 Million Marks in Production Base Philippsburg
This year Deutsche Goodyear will invest a total of 50 million marks in new production facilities at its Philippsburg factory while simultaneously introducing more flexible working hours. Having obtained the agreement of the works council to a seven-day week (now 21 shifts per week instead of the former 17 shifts), productivity at the German Goodyear factory is now set to increase once more. The additional capacity thus created will be utilised chiefly to produce high-speed tyres, whose market importance in Germany has been rising steadily for several years. Central to the investment is super-modern machinery for the further improvement of product quality in the manufacturing process for high-speed tyres -–a market segment of central importance to Goodyear’s strategic development. The production volume of five million tyres at Philippsburg will remain unchanged for the time being, declared Leo Ruf, a member of the management, but the share of high-speed tyres in our annual production will go up by 700,000 to approximately four million units. The background: Since 1995 demand for technologically sophisticated tyres in high-speed categories of more than 240 km/h (speed indices W, Y and ZR) alone has grown by over 200,000 units per year in the German market. This interesting niche is estimated to double from 1.5 to at least three million units by the year 2001.
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