Dieter Hillecke Retires
Dr. Dieter Hillecke (61), Technical Managing Director of Dunlop Germany, retires on 31st December 1999. Before joining Dunlop in 1985, Hillecke filled various positions within the Pirelli international group.
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 ReadingTitan Sales Dropped
Sales of tyre and wheel manufacturer Titan (Quincy/Illinois, USA) have dropped last year to US$ 588 million (1998: US$ 660,8 million). Striking and a bad condition of the American agriculture are assumed to be responsible for the figures showing an EBIT of US$ -11.4 million compared to US$ 8.4 million in 1998.
Continue ReadingCooper Tires with changes in Top-Management
Pat Rooney, CEO and Chairman of Cooper Tires Ohio/USA, is to retire on June 3rd 2000. Tom Dattilo, currently President and COO, will succeed him.
Continue ReadingWFZ Becomes Europart
The German accessories wholesaler WFZ has changed its name to Europart. This is the result of the expansion from a specialised utility to a car part dealer. Europart has a foothold in 15 countries throughout Europe with its own outlets.
Continue ReadingConti Brings Updated COKIS To The Market
COKIS, the multimedia catalogue and information system introduced two years ago by Continental, has been released in an updated form. Further details are available from Continental.
Continue ReadingFast Fit At Peugeot
In 1997 Peugeot introduced a Fast Fit service (tyres, brakes, exhausts, batteries) at its car dealers in France. Now the concept, which is called Rapide, has been adopted in Germany.
Continue ReadingHigher Turnover For Metzeler
The turnover of the motorcycle tyre division of Pirelli Germany (brands: Metzeler & Pirelli) in 1999 amounted to 94.9 million Euro; 1.4 p.c. more than the previous year. In motorcycle tyre terms, Pirelli is the market leader in Germany, Italy and Europe as a whole.
Continue ReadingNew Cars With Recycled Tyres
DaimlerChrysler has launched two Dodge Stratus concept cars in co-operation from a number of suppliers that has been produced mainly from recycled materials including scrap tyre. The programme is part of a scheme to verify which recycled products can be used for the production of future models.
Continue ReadingTurkish Tyre Strike Ends
3,000 Turkish tyre workers returned to work yesterday after the Government had ordered a two-month postponement because of national security issues. The Government wants to reduce inflation from the current 60% to 20%. Unions wanted a 35% rise and were offered 26.5%, which was rejected. Last week the three main manufacturers – Brisa, Goodyear and Pirelli – took out a joint press advertisement attacking the action.
Continue ReadingNew Industry Quality Standard Set By Goodyear’s OTR Retread Plant
Goodyears retread plant in North Bay (Ontario, Canada) is believed to be North America’s first Off-The-Road (OTR) tyre retreading facility to become ISO 9002 registered. The North Bay facility is Canada’s largest OTR retread operation.
Continue ReadingScrap Tyre Disposal
The subject of scrap tyres is one which continues to exercise the minds of all sectors of the tyre industry and, with a ban on landfilling of tyres imminent, alternative methods of disposal are being urgently sought. The UK Government has produced a number of reports on the subject and these are looked into as part of our feature on scrap tyre disposal. Also included are details of possible disposal methods and machinery as well as latest news on the subject, for example the temporary closure and planned refurbishment of the SITA tyres-to-energy power station in the Midlands. Those disposing of tyres are under increasing pressure; not only to find new outlets to take scrap, but also from steep rises in overheads such as fuel. The problem of scrap tyres affects the industry from top to bottom and most observers expect the Government to introduce some method of producer responsibility if the industry does not come up with its own solution in the near future.
Continue ReadingJoint Venture ContiTech Air Spring Systems And Dae Won Kang
ContiTech Air Spring Systems, a business unit of Continental AGs ContiTech group, announced a Letter of Intent for founding a joint venture company with South Korean company Dae Won Kang to build up a plant for producing complete air spring systems. Dae Won Kangs market share in this field in Korea is nearly 100 per cent.
Continue ReadingFord “Has No Plans To Drop Firestone”
Jason Vines, Ford Vice President, has said that the company has no plans to drop Firestone as a tyre supplier, although the relationship will be reviewed on a day-to-day basis. Fords new Explorer 2002 SUV (on the market next year) will be fitted with Firestone tyres, but tyres from another manufacturer, thought to be Michelin, will also be offered.
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