Production Cut By Bridgestone/Firestone
In a move unconnected, according to Bridgestone/Firestone, to the recall, production is being cut at three tyre production plants in response to oversupply. Cutbacks will affect LaVergne, Tennessee, Oklahoma City, and at Decatur, Illinois. Some 450 employees are also being laid off indefinitely at the Decatur plant, centre of attention in the recall.
Continue ReadingCall For Resignations At DaimlerChrysler
Some shareholders are calling for the resignations of DaimlerChrysler chairman Jürgen Schrempp and head of the supervisory board Hilmar Kopper, following the recent controversy and lawsuits resulting from alleged misrepresentation at the time of the merger of the two companies.
Continue ReadingConsumer Campaign Launched By RMA
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) is launching a tyre safety awareness campaign called Be Tire Smart – Play Your PART urging consumers to think about Pressure, Alignment, Rotation and Tread. The campaign supported by the American Automobile Association (AAA) comes in the light of a RMA survey which showed that most drivers failed a tyre safety quiz. In the survey only four percent admitted to checking tyre pressures regularly. Only 28 percent knew the regular service interval for rotating tyres. Only 22 percent knew the legal minimum tread depth. In the overall quiz only 23 percent managed to get a grade C pass or better.
Continue ReadingContinental Ends Champions League Sponsorship
At the end of this seasons competition, Continental will cease its sponsorship of footballs European Champions League. The company has been a major sponsor of the competition for the past five years.
Continue ReadingTwo Times Degussa-Huels
Degussa-Huels is a leading supplier for the tyre industry. In Poland the company has just acquired Nafta Polska, a producer of carbon black. In Thailand Degussa-Huels has purchased a 70 per cent share of Oriental Silica, a producer of ingredients for the so called green tyre.
Continue ReadingNissan’s Xterra is US “Truck of The Year 2000”
Spokesmen of The Big Three expect auto sales this year to be about 16.5 to 17 million vehicles.
Continue ReadingYokohama Shares Rise
Yokohama Rubbers share price surged by at the end of February. Analysts are speculating whether this marks the beginning of a new round of consolidation in the tyre industry.
Continue ReadingA Job With Future, But Vacant
The image of jobs in tyre repairing and fitting is not the best in Germany. In spite of being a job with future and a high level of unemployment (more than 10 per cent) not enough young peoble wants to occupy the vacancies.
Continue ReadingDegussa-Hüls Increases Prices for Rubber Blacks in Europe
Degussa-Hüls AG, worldwide the second largest carbon black manufacturer with production sites in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, again announces a price increase of 25 Euro per metric ton for its range of rubber blacks effective May 1, 2000, in Europe.
Continue ReadingCarlos Ghosn Becomes Nissan President
Carlos Ghosn, once top man of Michelin in the USA will become President of Nissan, effective 1st April 2000, in addition to his post as Chief Operating Officer. Ghosn is interested in speeding up the Nissan Revival Plan, implemented in October last year.
Continue ReadingGerman Insurer “Allianz” To Sponsor Formula 1 Team
The German insurance company Allianz wants to become involved in Formula 1. As the newspaper Die Welt announced recently, Aliens wants to sponsor the Williams-BMW team. Already with the coming German Grand Prix in two weeks at the Nürburgring, the company label will be on the racing car of the British team. It was mentioned that the insurance intends to invest 50 million DM (£16.3 million) in the team of Ralf Schuhmacher and Jensen Button.
Continue ReadingNew Managing Director For Kwik-Fit GB
Bryan Liddle has been appointed MD of Kwik-Fit GB. A former professional footballer, Bryan has worked with several large plcs and he joins Kwik-Fit from Associated Heating Distributors, where he was MD.
Continue ReadingManagement Changes At Nokian
Lasse Kurkilahti, President and CEO of Nokian Tyres, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Raisio group from September 1st. He will continue as a director of Nokian. The Raisio group is active in the margarine, grain and chemical industries and employs 2,900 people. No decision has yet been made as to who will succeed Mr. Kurkilahti as Nokians President, but Chairman Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said that the search for a replacement would begin soon.
Continue ReadingGlobal Players – An In-Depth Analysis
More and more nowadays, we hear that the tyre industry is becoming increasingly global and ever-more companies describe themselves as a global player. But what exactly makes a company a true global player? An in-depth article in TYRES & ACCESSORIES 6/2000 looks at the criteria by which a so-called ‘global player’ should be judged and concludes that the only three companies that merit this term are Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin. The article examines in detail each company’s performance in the world’s most important markets, their market shares and turnover figures, their strengths and weaknesses and their prospects for the future. The article goes on to examine the home markets of the global players (USA, Europe and Asia) and discusses the performances of the lesser players and what is likely to happen to them. Todays global tyre market is one of acquisitions and alliances, mergers and new technological advances. Competition is intense and, in terms of market share, none of the big three seems able to leave its rivals standing, neither is the gap between the big three and the second three growing. Having said that, none of the second three stands a realistic chance of becoming a true global player in the future. The article gives a detailed, objective assessment of today’s tyre industry, together with some speculation concerning what might happen in the future.
Continue ReadingMore Organosilanes From Degussa-Hüls
Degussa-Hüls AG is doubling capacity at one of its production plants in Antwerp, Belgium for sulphur-functionalised organosilanes. These rubber silanes are used as coupling components when precipitated silicas are used as fillers to reinforce rubber. Together with rubber silanes and rubber carbon blacks, precipitated silicas are the major component in Green Tyres which feature reduced rolling resistance and thus help to cut fuel consumption.
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