Retreading ‘Definitely Worth Considering’, says Conti
Numerous companies have experienced a drop in orders since the start of the financial crisis, and this downturn in business has in many cases been paired with rising costs. Economising is therefore of the utmost importance in 2009. But where should we start? Continental is convinced that truck tyres can still offer the transport industry considerable savings potential in overall operating costs. A second tyre life almost doubles the mileage and reduces costs by up to fifty per cent.
Continue ReadingBridgestone’s Biker’s Club gets on the Road
Bridgestone Biker’s Club is celebrating a new arrival this week – a 2009 Tiger 1050. The newest member of the Club will enable the Biker’s Club team riders to get out and about across the UK, visiting dealers, members and attending biker meets and ride-outs. Andy Whitehead and Gary Hartshorne are looking forward to introducing both the Club, and its latest addition, to the UK biking fraternity. Said Whitehead: “Gary and I really appreciate the kind offer from Cambrian Tyres which allows us to use the new Tiger to showcase the Bridgestone’s Biker’s Club. We will be travelling around the UK on the bike, supporting our trade and consumer customers, and giving them the bikers’ nod of camaraderie when we’re out and about. Our growing Biker’s Club Dealer network and new website, www.bridgestonebikersclub.co.uk, put our UK customers in touch with us here at Bridgestone and we are looking forward to developing our relationship with them and showing our commitment to and appreciation of their business.”
Continue ReadingSchaeffler Negotiates 1 billion euros of Credit
On 7 April Schaeffler Group finalised a 1 billion euro loan agreement with its banks. “With the 1 billion euro credit line we have gained further flexibility for Schaeffler Group,” said Klaus Rosenfeld, group CFO at the automotive supplier, adding: “The conclusion of the loan agreement is an important sign of trust from our banks.” According to a statement issued by Schaeffler’s press office, all parties involved have agreed on strict confidentiality regarding further details of the loan agreement. While the new financing is likely to help the company shore up its financial position, last year Schaeffler borrowed 16 billion euros to finance the takeover of Continental AG, but when the automotive markets spirally and the company’s share price nosedived Schaeffler was left with high debt service payments in the midst of an automotive industry crisis. This led the company to request support from the German state and federal government. In February co-owner Georg Schaeffler said the group needed up to 6 billion euros in fresh financing.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Directors Re-Elected at 2009 Annual Meeting
Goodyear Tire & Rubber shareholders re-elected 11 members of the company’s Board of Directors at the 2009 Annual Shareholder Meeting, held on April 7. Re-elected were: James C. Boland, retired vice chairman, Cavaliers Operating Company, LLC; James A. Firestone, executive vice president and president, corporate operations, Xerox Corporation; Robert J. Keegan, chairman, chief executive officer and president, Goodyear;
Continue ReadingSnider Tire Joins Michelin Retread Technologies Network
The North America based Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT) network of servicing dealers has grown through the addition of Snider Tire. The retreader, headquartered in North Carolina, is one of the largest commercial tyre dealers and retreaders in the US. At present the company operates eight retread facilities and 31 commercial service locations, primarily in the Carolinas, Georgia and Texas area. Snider Tire has long been recognised for the quality of its people and service to the fleets, said Francois Corbin, COO of Michelin Americas Truck Tires. We are confident that John Snider and his team will help us continue to provide excellent commercial truck services to fleet customers.
Continue ReadingBridgestone & TIA Educating Consumers With New Video
Bridgestone Americas is helping consumers make informed choices through the production of a short video that will be launched in time for ‘National Car Care Month’ in April. The company has teamed up with the Tire Industry Association (TIA) to work on the seven-minute video, which is available for viewing online. The video, titled ‘Passenger Tire Replacement’, is comprised of three modules: Module 1 discusses tyre sizing and how the information contained on the vehicle tyre placard helps consumers select the best tyre and inflation pressure for their vehicle. Module 2 helps consumers understand tyre replacement guidelines, most importantly the proper installation when replacing only two tyres and the consequences of improper installation. Module 3 educates consumers on the critical issue of tyre rotation, and how proper tyre rotation can save consumers money, fuel and ensure maximum tyre life and performance.
Continue ReadingConti Bringing the World Cup to Your Mobile
Football fans that can’t get by without their mobile phones will soon be able to gain blessed relief from an online service operated by Continental. The manufacturer is launching a new service that provides news and facts on the Conti sponsored 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Information about tyres and other Continental products will also be available. The website for the company’s German home market has already been launched (http://mobil.continental.de) and Conti says sites for other countries will be introduced in the near future. Additional content is also planned, including a search engine for locating garages, workshops and motorway services.
Continue ReadingDownturn and Rising Raw Material Costs Lead to Alcoa Loss
Alcoa has reported a 27 per cent sequential drop in revenue, resulting in a loss of US$480 million for the first quarter of 2009. This figure, says the company, reflects the impact of the economic downturn on its core industrial and commercial markets as well as an historic decline in aluminium prices. Revenues for the first quarter 2009 were $4.1 billion, down from $5.7 billion in the fourth quarter 2008 and down 36 per cent from revenues of $6.5 billion in the first quarter of 2008 (after excluding divested businesses). The sharp drop in revenue resulted from the impact of the economic downturn on Alcoa’s end markets, including the automotive industry.
Continue ReadingDunlop Wins OE Fitment Contract on Jaguar XFR and XKR
Dunlop has announced that it has been chosen by car maker Jaguar to provide as original equipment the ultra high performance summer tyre Dunlop SP Sport Maxx for both the XFR and the XKR. The new models are the latest additions to the Jaguar line-up, featuring a 375 kW/510 hp supercharged engine and acceleration of 4.8 seconds from 0-100 km/h. Dunlop states that its tyre’s handling and grip qualities make the SP Sport Maxx an important addition, considering the overall car’s performance. It is noted for its dry handling and its luxury sport vehicle applicability, and is also available in sizes for tuned cars.
Continue ReadingAnsteel-Bekaert JV Steel Cord Plant Opens
Last May Belgium’s Bekaert and Chinese steel producer Ansteel established a strategic partnership, and several months later set up a 50/50 joint venture called Bekaert Ansteel Tire Cord (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. Almost a year after the partnership was first announced, the companies have celebrated the official opening of their 150 million euro joint steel cord production plant in Chongqing, China. The new facility is intended to meet rising local tyre industry demand for steel cord, and at present 130 people are employed at the site. This number, says Ansteel and Bekaert, will grow in line with market demand and the realisation of further investment phases.
Continue ReadingPirelli Reviews Star Driver Inauguration at WRC Portugal
Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb maintained his dominance of the 2009 World Rally Championship with victory on the fourth round of the series, the Rally of Portugal, which ended in Faro on Sunday afternoon (5 April). There’s nothing new there, considering Loeb’s early season form, though the Portuguese WRC stage represented a landmark worthy of note for tyre suppliers Pirelli. The Italian giant’s Star Driver scheme – undertaken with collaboration from the FIA in order to develop new young drivers – inaugurated five new drivers, all of whom will compete at a further five events. Jarkko Nikara of Finland, Nicos Thomas from Cyprus, the Czech Republic’s Martin Semerad, Mark Tapper from New Zealand and South African Jon Williams tackled Portugal as the first stage in their WRC education. Pirelli rally manager Mario Isola said, “We are very pleased with the way this event has gone. We had no problems with the tyres. Okay, there were some punctures caused by accidents, but otherwise the hard-compound Scorpion tyre coped very well with the conditions. This has been another very strong drive from Sebastien Loeb, but once again we saw Ford pushing Citroen hard. This was also a historic rally for Pirelli with the Star Driver Scheme. This association with the FIA to help young drivers in the sport has made us very proud as a company. All five of the drivers have performed well and we now look ahead to the rest of the season with these exciting guys.”
Continue ReadingPirelli Researching the Use of Rice Husk Ash in Tyre Compounds
From an ecological point of view, the new Pirelli Cinturato P7 offers three headline benefits - a CO2 emission reduction of up to 4 grams per kilometre driven, 30 per cent lower noise emissions and a 4 per cent fuel saving. Pirelli’s clincher (particularly aimed at current and potential OE customers) is that it is already in position to meet the targets set by the new EU regulations that are due to take effect from 2011 and that it does this without compromising on wet or dry performance. However, none of this explains how the company is able to achieve these goals. In mid-February, Pirelli gave details of how its 2009 – 2011 industrial plan means the company will have an increasingly “green” focus. In particular Pirelli committed to developing a series of new materials that for use in tyre compounds. One particular silica rich material is rice husk ash (RHA). Pirelli is already (as far as the technological requirements are concerned) in a position to use this material in tyre production this year. However, the material is currently the subject of a large scale viability study focusing on the availability of the kind of tonnages needed for tyre industral scale tyre manufacturing. Tyres & Accessories understands that Pirelli already has research and development teams in place in Brazil and the areas surround Milan, which just happen to be some of the best rice production areas in the world.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Americas Announces Motorcycle Tyre Recall
The recall of a number of Bridgestone tyres fitted as OE to Triumph motorcycles in 2008 and 2009 is currently underway. The tyre in question, the Exedra G850 in size 180/70R16 77H, was shipped with the Triumph Rocket III Touring. This particular motorcycle develops very high torque and can cause torque-induced degradation in a body ply, which may result in cracks forming in the rear tyre’s inner liner, leading to a slow leak. This condition does not affect the front tyre.
Continue ReadingKeegan Outlines Strategies to “Weather the Economic Storm”
In his address at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Companys 2009 Annual Shareholder Meeting on April 7, chairman and chief executive officer Robert J. Keegan said he remains confident in Goodyears ability to drive performance during challenging economic conditions and emerge in a position of competitive strength. This confidence, he said, derives from Goodyears game tested leadership team, a proven track record based on strong strategies and continued new product success, as well as actions the company is taking to improve its cost structure and strengthen its cash position.
Continue ReadingDouble Win for Dunlop Direzza
The winner of the Street Touring Ultra class at this year’s Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition, held in California, may have appeared familiar. The man taking the honours at the event was none other than last year’s winner, Richard Jung. At both the 2008 and 2009 competitions Jung attained victory on Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tyres. “There has been a lot of hype about new street tyres from some of Dunlop’s competitors for this type of competition, so it was satisfying to get a repeat victory as evidence that the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is still the tyre to beat,” said Jung. “Enthusiasts are getting the message that this Dunlop tyre is proven to be the fastest in competition. You can feel the difference when you push the Star Specs, which is an advantage, because it allows a more consistent feel and reduced the need for suspension adjustments between runs.”
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