Details of Virtual Aftermarket eForum Announced
The first-ever Virtual Aftermarket eForum is set for 30 September. The eForum is an educational symposium focused exclusively on e-commerce and business technology in the automotive aftermarket. The planners chose to apply the latest web conferencing and virtual event technology to the eForum this year as a way of delivering the same content with significant savings to attendees and vendor participants. The eForum will be conducted completely on the web through a virtual event portal powered by ON24 of San Francisco, www.on24.com. The ON24 technology will provide a scalable and seamless experience for participants from the moment they register until the conference shuts down in March 2010. 30 September will kick off the eForum with four streaming keynote presentations on leading technology topics with online interaction and Q&A with the presenters. Registered attendees will have access to download exclusive white papers, videos and other presentations from the eForum archive, which will be available for six months. Attendees can network and participate in discussion chats in the eForum lounge. Individuals will be able to search for others with similar interests and start discussion threads about the presentations or other topics. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit Debts Reach £822.1 million in 2008
Kwik-Fit has warned that it may risk breaching its banking covenants after being hit by increased debts and foreign currency effects in 2008. Kwik-Fit, which supplies around 5 million tyres a year in Britain, reported that net debts increased from £96.6 million to £822.1 million last year. Nevertheless Kwik-Fit reported flat operating profits of £75.7 million last year and managed to grow sales 9.8 per cent (up 0.5 per cent if you only count like-for-like sales) to £942 million despite the recession. However, according to a Sunday Times report on the company’s annual accounts, Kwik-Fit has already sold most of its freehold properties in an attempt to reduce its borrowings. Directors and staff, led by the chief executive, Ian Fraser, own 11 per cent of Kwik-Fit’s shares. According to the Herald newspaper, Ian Fraser saw his pay and benefits surge by 40 per cent last year. Citing accounts filed at Companies House the report points out that the highest-paid director (assumed to be Ian Fraser) got a pay rise of £200,000 to £700,000 in the year to December.
Continue ReadingAustrian Driver Covers 3 Continents in 3 Days with Hankook Tire
When Gerhard Plattner climbed behind the wheel of his Audi A3 on June 8, it was not for trip to the shop or something equally mundane. The Austrian distance driver had a more ambitious journey in his sights – to drive a car on three different continents within three days, a tour that would take him through thirteen countries. Accompanying Plattner, co-driver Franz Doppler and their Audi was a set of Hankook’s Ventus tyres – OE on numerous A3 models.
Continue ReadingPelmar Delivering Right Mix of Product & Price
It doesn’t take an expert team of analysts to realise the tyre industry isn’t exactly awash with cash at the moment. Thus it is hardly surprising that sales of tyre building equipment have dropped off considerably. Yet one company whose business centres on the equipment used in tyre manufacture is bucking this trend – for Pelmar Engineering Ltd, a weak market equals strong sales. The Israel based supplier of refurbished and pre-owned tyre industry machinery notes that while Pelmar is naturally successful in times of industry strength when many companies are expanding and instigating new projects, the prices it can offer enable Pelmar to also do well during periods of market contraction. This is perhaps to be expected when, as the company points out, the landed cost of pre-owned tyre building machinery is approximately a quarter of that for its new equivalent.
Continue ReadingRevised Conti World Cup Website Returns to the Field
Continental’s redesign of its ContiSoccerWorld.com website has been completed just in time for the opening kick-off at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 in South Africa. The football site that was first launched in 2005 is now online with a new layout that offers not just background reports on South Africa and the players, teams and coaches in the worldwide qualification matches, but also statistics, attractive competitions and interactive content. Conti adds that, thanks to a content cooperation with the “sid” sport information service, the site will remain up-to-date.
Continue ReadingProduction Starts at Bridgestone’s Kitakyushu Plant
The manufacture of large and ultra-large OTR radials (ORR tyres) commenced at Bridgestone’s new Kitakyushu plant during June, three months ahead of the planned September start date. The tyre major announced that the first shipment of construction and mining tyres took place on June 16. This facility, located in Fukuoka Prefecture near Japan’s southern tip, is the first new tyre factory opened by Bridgestone in Japan since 1976, when began production at the Hofu plant. By the time Kitakyushu is operating at planned production capacity in the second half of 2012, it will turn out 80 tons of new rubber per day and employ 329 workers. Yoshikazu Seki has been appointed the plant’s first director.
Continue ReadingS.D. International Made New ITMA Member
S.D. International, the company behind the Pace and Zeta brands, has been accepted into membership of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association. The manufacturer’s membership means that the association now comprises twelve members: Alliance, Alfred Graham Ltd., GiTi, Hankook, Kumho, Lassa, Maxxis, S.D.International, Toyo, Westlake and Yokohama. Peter Nicholls, S.D. International’s Sales & Marketing Director explained his company’s decision to join ITMA: “We are rapidly becoming a significant player in the UK and European markets, so have been considering this move for some time. We want to play our part in the industry as well as better protect our interests in the face of the current legislative and regulatory onslaught. ITMA membership fulfils that need.”
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Announces New Website
Avon Tyres has announced the launch of its new website, which the company says is “designed to help car and motorcycle owners choose the perfect tyre.” The homepage features sidebars for its four and two wheel products, each allowing visitors to navigate to information on their desired products quickly. The site was designed, says Avon, in order to help users to browse through Avon’s entire product range quickly and easily, as well as locating their nearest dealer. It also possesses an educational facet, with a technical information section.
Continue ReadingHankook Announces US “Tames the Road” Rebate
Hankook Tire America has launched a $50 consumer rebate programme. Its latest “Tame the Road” promotion provides a $50 mail-in rebate for the purchase of four Ventus V12 evo radials. The rebate programme runs until 31 August, Hankook said, and will be promoted in enthusiast magazines, online search adverts and dealer-level POS and TV/radio spots. Hankook is listening to the needs of our dealers and consumers alike, said Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications for Hankook. We understand that in todays challenging economic environment Hankook dealers are looking for a competitive edge and consumers are looking for the most value with their purchase. With this rebate offer we believe were accomplishing both. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingMichelin to Cut 1,500 Jobs in France?
A report in the French newspaper Le Monde indicates Michelin will eliminate 1500 jobs in France. These job reductions will apparently be part of a range of measures to combat declining tyre demand the tyre major will announce on June 24. Le Monde did not quote any sources for the information given in its June 16 article, however the newspaper did quote a union representative, Sakir Ali Mandjee, as saying on June 9, during a group committee, we have asked whether a layoff scheme was being prepared and the management did not provide any denial.
Continue ReadingThank You for Being Frank…
German communications agency Kienbaum Communications has awarded Continental AG a gold ‘Kienbaum Communications Award’ for its communication with job seekers. The award was given after a jury of five, made up of industrial organisational psychologists, human resource officers, communications specialists and trainees evaluated the letters on the basis of authenticity, individuality, linguistic style and their effect on the addressee.
Continue ReadingMRF Entreaties Employees to Return to Work
Unrest at the MRF Ltd factory in Arakkonam, India is now entering its second month, and the tyre manufacturer has voiced its hope for a swift resolution to the strike. In early June the company sent a letter to the plant’s 1400 workers, requesting their return to work. “You are all aware of the difficulties that we are facing for the past few days due to all the unfortunate incidents that have happened,” the letter states. “Every day, our factory is suffering a loss of Rs 3.5 crore (£445,000). In these difficult circumstances, you must have been aware of the bonus and the wholesome amount to be paid every month. Therefore, be cautious and keep the evil forces at bay and cooperate with us on the path of success.”
Continue ReadingMichelin Selected as an IT ‘Best Place’
Michelin North America has been selected as one of the top workplaces for information technology professionals by Computerworld magazine. The distinction comes as part of the weekly IT publications 16th annual Best Places to Work in IT survey, which was published in the June 15 issue of Computerworld and online at computerworld.com. Michelin was ranked 18th among the 100 companies selected. Respect for people is one of Michelins core values, and this honour speaks to the companys dedication to providing a stimulating and rewarding work environment for all employees, including our information technology team, says Richard Alexander, vice president of information systems for Michelin North America. This award also demonstrates Michelins ongoing commitment to providing our workforce and our customers with the best technology and IT support resources available.
Continue ReadingHankook Tire Continues University Robotics Project
This year Hankook Tire is again supporting the Technical University of Kaiserlautern’s Robotics Research Lab. The lab, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Karsten Berns, has devoted itself to the development of working, autonomous un-manned robots that can be implemented, for example, by emergency services in crisis situations. In 2009 the German university’s ‘RAVON’ robot – fitted with Hankook tyres – is taking part in the ELROB (European Land-Robot Trial – Civil Version), held between June 15 and 18 in Oulu, Finnland. The purpose of the event, held every two years, is to demonstrate the current European state of the art in unmanned vehicles and the possibilities this offers.
Continue ReadingConti to Close Austrian Rubber Mixing Site
Continental has reported the need to ‘respond’ to the continuing downturn experienced by OE and replacement passenger car tyre markets – a market which currently has a production overcapacity of more than 18 million tyres in Europe. As a consequence, the company states, the demand for raw materials is also markedly lower. “Today, Tuesday, we are informing workers at the Traiskirchen site (in Austria) that we are forced to phase out the mixing and gumming activities in Traiskirchen, which employs a total of 195, by the end of this year,” explained Dr. Bernhard Trilken, in charge of worldwide production for the Continental Passenger and Light Truck Tires division, on June 16.
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