MAG Shows Continued Interest in Clairoix Factory
More than a month’s silence over future plans for Continental’s Clairoix factory in France has been broken – a June 10 Reuters report indicates continued interest from the Dubai based Moaffaq Al Gaddah (MAG) Group. The news provider states that MAG plans to purchase the facility and employ around half the current workforce to produce three million tyres per annum. According to a MAG Group representative, the company submitted a letter of intent to Continental AG on June 9, thereby commencing the due diligence process for acquiring the Clairoix factory. We have yesterday sent a letter of intent to Continental,” MAG vice-chairman Fawaz Sabri told Reuters. “The objective is to regulate the relationship until we reach a final agreement.
Continue ReadingTitan International Announces Q2 Dividend
Titan International’s Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of US$.005 (one half cent) per common share for the second quarter of 2009. The cash dividend is payable July 15, 2009, to stockholders of record on June 30, 2009.
Continue ReadingFines Mount Up For Titan’s Bryan Facility
Titan Tire is perhaps smarting a little after being slapped with an additional US$140,000 fine for two wilful violations of workplace safety regulations on top of the $24,500 penalty already mooted by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These violations were discovered following inspections made after a steam explosion at the company’s Bryan giant tyre facility in November 2008, in which one employee was slightly injured. According to the Toledo Blade, OSHA follow-up inspections found problems related to the factory’s tyre curing equipment. Specifically, four of the units that use 2,900 tonnes of pressure to compress rubber and metal into 63-inch, 5.9 tonne tyres “were not adequately proof-tested and had welds of insufficient quality or strength to handle the exerted pressure.”
Continue ReadingConti Promotes ContiCostCalculator at Crewe Roadshow Leg
Continental is spending this week in the grounds of the resplendent Crewe Hall in Cheshire with its European roadshow, promoting the new iteration of its long-haul and regional commercial vehicle tyres (see June’s edition of Tyres & Accessories – soon to arrive at subscribers’ addresses – and Tyrepress.com for more on last month’s launch). The pan-European tour will see Continental’s truck pitch its inflatable display tent in locations including Helsinki, Madrid, Bucharest and most countries in-between. As much as T&A would have liked to take the opportunity to see the display in one of Europe’s cultural capitals, Crewe presented a rather more convenient opportunity to see the interactive displays with which Conti is introducing its series two tyres alongside the innovative ContiCostCalculator, which promises to aid fleet managers in seeing detailed cost comparisons, certified by independent testing organisation Dekra.
Continue ReadingNew Waste Tyre From Goodyear
Goodyear has launched a new line of waste hauler radials in the USA. New is the Goodyear G289 WHA, which features a deep 24/32nds-inch tread, a special tread compound for tread life and scrub resistance, an “all-season” tread design, sidewall protector ribs, a special shoulder design to equalize tread face pressure, and Goodyear’s DuraSeal technology to seal tread punctures up to ¼-inch. “Today, we’ve launched a waste-hauling tyre that we believe sets a new standard when it comes to productivity and cost reductions,” said Donn Kramer, Goodyear’s director of commercial tyre marketing. “The G289 WHA was built from the ground up to be a performance leader.” The G289 WHA is available in size 315/80R22.5, in load range L, with a 10,200-pound capacity. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue ReadingOTR Announces Specialist Fitting
OTR, a UK-based earthmover tyre specialist, has added a specialist fitting truck to its fleet. Based in Leicester, the new Iveco 6x4 EuroTrakker has the latest Euro 5 engine and AS Tronic gearbox, an HMF 2220 fully remote crane complete with OTR 2700 tyre handler and screw compressor air management system. Operations director Darren Flint said, as the new truck went to work, “We have an increased demand for service from customers in the region with larger rigid dump truck tyres so another service vehicle was essential”. OTR operates a fleet of 37 specialist fitting trucks from six regional service hubs and 12 Service Operating Sites located throughout the UK. Working to its universally “Safe Methods of Work” standards, OTR continues to develop earthmover and off-road products and services.
Continue ReadingImported Tyre Manufacturers Association Elects New Officers
At its Annual General Meeting held in Northampton on 4 June, the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association elected Steve Tidmarsh as its new President. Tidmarsh is sales director of the Kumho UK organization will serve a two year term of office effective immediately. The Association also re-elected its long-standing treasurer, Alfred Graham (Alfred Graham Ltd) for a further two-year period. New president, Tidmarsh stated, “Just now all of us in the tyre business face very great challenges, both commercial and technical. Effective trade associations are essential in this environment, especially when faced as we are with a seeming endless raft of new legislation from Brussels. The recently-favoured ITMA European Technical Group is specifically designed to give all our members the edge they need to stay ahead of developments. One of my objectives over the next two years will be to persuade those brands who feel they can still survive without this kind of help that they too should join with us”.
Continue ReadingBrisa 2008 Results Show Sales Increase but Profits Down
Turkish manufacturer Brisa achieved net sales of 772,203,901 Turkish liras (£306.1 million) in the year ended December 31, 2008. This result disclosed in the company’s audited statement of income, represents a 2.9 per cent increase on the previous year. Operating income, at 48,709,571 liras (£19.3 million), was down 26.1 per cent on the 2007 financial year, and although profits of 31,795,956 (£12.6 million) liras were 49.1 per cent lower than the previous year, Brisa remained in the black during the year. The company’s domestic sales came to 610,590,748 liras (£242.0 million), a rise of 5.8 per cent. Exports declined 1.2 per cent during the year to 247,181,348 liras (£98.0 million).
Continue ReadingPirelli Exclusive Tyre Supplier to Volvo Video Game
Computer bound employees around the world have been blessed with the opportunity for a spot of workplace skiving (an activity the responsible and hard-working lads at T&A would, of course, never condone) courtesy of a new video game called “Volvo – The Game”. This timely coffee break tip has been passed on by Pirelli, who is present in the game as exclusive tyre provider. The racing game has been developed by the Swedish company SimBin, a firm noted for its racing related titles. During the course of the action, users are offered the chance to drive a range Volvo cars, from the oldest to the new concept S60 unveiled at the previous Detroit Auto Show.
Continue ReadingDates Announced for New Look CV Show
Following several weeks’ consultation with transport sector suppliers, the Commercial Vehicle Show Partnership has announced dates for the next “Commercial Vehicle Operator Show”. The exhibition will be held between April 13 and 15, 2010 at the Birmingham NEC. The event, reports the organiser, will enable exhibitors to present the widest possible range of products and services used in the day to day running of commercial vehicles of all sizes and types, with a particular accent on environmental impact, improved efficiency and profitability. The following year (2011) will see the first of a new Commercial Vehicle Show series.
Continue ReadingThe New Face(book) of Advertising
The mid-June US market launch of Michelin’s Energy Saver A/S passenger car tyre range will not only be supported by traditional media campaigns – in order to take a more aggressive digital and social media communications approach, the manufacturer is launching its first Facebook application: Michelin Life Balance. Michelin Life Balance allows us to digitally interact with consumers by providing them an opportunity to express who they are, said Jennifer Smith, digital communications manager at Michelin North America.
Continue ReadingContinental, Schaeffler to Avoid State Assistance?
According to Reuters and other German media outlets, sources with “direct knowledge of the matter” report that Continental and owner Schaeffler intend to avoid any requests for government financial aid. The finance minister of Germany’s Lower Saxony region, where Continental has its headquarters, said the state has not been received any requests for aid. “We have not even been approached with a preliminary enquiry,” said finance minister Hartmut Möllring. Neither Continental nor Schaeffler have commented about their intentions.
Continue ReadingBrisa to Suspend Production
According to Forbes, Turkish tyre manufacturer Brisa has given word it will suspend production between July 27 and August 6 due to weak demand.
Continue ReadingYantai Produces World’s Largest Solid Tyre
A 1.78 metre diameter two-ton solid tyre produced by China’s Yantai C.S.I. Rubber Co. Ltd is being promoted as the world’s largest. The Chinese language website shm.com.cn reports that the Yantai tyre, produced after three years of research and development, beats the previous world record for diameter by 16 centimetres. The production process for the tyre is said to have taken 22 hours to complete. These large tyres will reportedly be purchased by Caterpillar for fitment on its equipment.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Gets Buyout Deal in Akron
USW workers at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s race tyre plant in Akron have accepted a buyout scheme. The company has offered buyouts to 120 workers at the plant, about 30 per cent of total employment there, citing reduced demand due to cutbacks made in various race series. USW Local 2, which covers some 440 employees in Akron, passed the offer “overwhelmingly,” according to reports. The deal also preserves some 250 jobs through 2012 at Goodyear’s tech center in the city. However, the agreement allows Goodyear to move rubber mixing from Akron to its Dunlop plant in Buffalo within the next two years. The one-time buyout offer covers the first 120 employees who elect to take it, and gives $2,000 per year of service up to a maximum of $40,000. If fewer than 120 employees take the offer, Goodyear will have the right to layoff workers to reach that level. (Tire Review/Akron)
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