Nexen gearing up for greater European presence
A lot has been going on at Nexen this year. Much of this activity has been taking place within the European market. And more still was going on during the weeks before, during and after the Essen Show. Less than two weeks before the exhibition opened the company highlighted its recent progress with first quarter results punching above the company’s weight. During the exhibition the company was ostensibly there to display examples from its range and launch three new products – the N’blue HD Plus, Winguard SnowG and Winguard WT1(see textbox for more about what was actually presented in Essen). But it quickly transpired that there is more than this going on.
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The Genesis of Zenises
Mid-way through the Essen Show, the people behind one of the largest plots in hall three (home to the Infinity, Westlake and Linglong brands) announced that they are changing their corporate identity. And while this did mean the unveiling of a Zenises logo and a new range of Z branded tyres, speaking to chief executive officer Harjeev Kandhari reveals that the concept goes far further than this.
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Vredestein Quatrac 5 launch designed to make a marque
On 23 June Apollo Vredestein introduced a new generation of all-season tyres – the Vredestein Quatrac 5. In parallel the company also launched the new Snowtrac 5 winter tyre. However, as much as the launch was about these products and the technology associated with them, there was also a heavy emphasis on further communicating the upwardly mobile so-called “brand emotion” the company has work hard to associated with its name during the last two decades. The launch could also be read as suggesting a broadening in the companys pioneering approach to the development of the winter tyre market in the UK to include a greater role for all-season tyres.
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Hankook scales back production, sets record inventory glut
Hankook has slowed its production in response to amassing a record inventory glut. Seoul’s Yonhap News Agency reports that the manufacturer has 660,000 unsold tyres, or 8.5 per cent of its monthly 7.75 million production capacity. The agency quotes an unnamed Hankook source as saying that the growth in demand expected after March had failed to materialise, leading to the surplus.
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Triangle takes westward steps
China-based Triangle Group Co. Ltd. may already be the world’s 15th largest tyre manufacturer, according to Tyres & Accessories’ latest global tyre manufacturer ranking, but it is clear that the company is intending to go far further than this. Rhetoric to this effect is not uncommon amongst Far Eastern businesses, but as is always the case, actions speak louder than words. With its latest appearance in Essen Triangle has begun fleshing out its plans to take the company from being a Chinese manufacturer with export sales to being a large international manufacturer with global reach.
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Pirelli to exhibit at Brityrex 2014
Pirelli has become the first premium brand tyre manufacturer to confirm that it will exhibit at Brityrex International. Pirelli’s direct involvement represents a something of a coup for the British tyre market show, taking place at EventCity, Manchester on 7-9 October. While the show was able to attract Michelin Training Centre in 2012 – a returning exhibitor in 2014 – this year’s Brityrex is increasing its profile with both major and second-tier tyre brands, a fact that organiser SingEx-ECI expects will increase its appeal.
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Michelin, Dunlop tyres fitted to Le Mans class leaders
The Michelin shod Audi Sport Team Joest and the Dunlop supplied Jota Sport teams were among the class winners at the 82nd Le Mans 24H. The race was won outright by the LM P1 class No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro was driven by Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer – their third victory as a trio – in front of 263,300 spectators over the weekend of 14-15 June.
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Giti to build $560 million US tyre plant
Fresh from entering into the top 10 of global tyre makers, Giti Tire has announced that it will build a new $560 million passenger car, SUV and light truck tyre tyre factory, creating about 1,700 new jobs in Chester County, South Carolina during the next decade.
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Bridgestone becomes partner, official tyre of Olympic Games
Bridgestone Corporation confirmed on 13 June its entry into an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become an official top-tier Olympic partner through to the 2024 Olympic Games. The ceremonial signing of the ‘TOP’ agreement in Tokyo was performed by Bridgestone CEO and Board chairman Masaaki Tsuya and IOC President Thomas Bach.
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Hankook Kinergy Eco a Which? ‘Best Buy’
Consumer reviews magazine Which? has awarded Hankook’s Kinergy Eco tyre ‘Best Buy’ status. The tyre, designed with improved rolling resistance a key consideration, was acclaimed in both the 14” and 15” size categories tested, heading a list of 15 other products.
Continue Reading New R&D centre: Hankook breaks ground on ‘Technodome’
Groundbreaking took place yesterday on Hankook Tire’s new KRW 266 billion (£155.7 million) R&D centre in South Korea. When complete in 2016, the Daejeon-based Hankook Technodome will be the first of two new research and testing facilities the tyre maker plans to establish as the core instruments of its overall research and development infrastructure. The Hankook Technodome will serve as an incubator for innovative new technologies and eventually operate in tandem with a further facility that is scheduled to open in 2018, the Hankook Test Engineering Center in Sangju, South Korea. The Sangju site’s planned function is to act as a hub for tyre evaluation technologies, and it will be equipped with state-of-the-art tyre testing facilities.
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Giti enters the top 10 of leading tyre manufacturers
This year’s annual tyre manufacturer rankings have brought with them a number of key changes at the top of the table. The growth of Far Eastern manufacturers and Chinese companies in particular has long been observed, but 2014 sees Singapore-based Giti Tire break into the top 10 and Taiwan-based Maxxis/Cheng Shin Rubber retains its ninth position. Hot on Giti’s heels, 11th place ZC Rubber (producer of the Westlake brand) gained one place from its position in last year’s table. Indeed this part of the table is extremely close and, such is the competition at this level, if ZC Rubber had achieved the same figures as last year (assuming no-one else had done any better and excluding currency effects) it could have been in 10th position.
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Is Bridgestone set to sponsor the Olympics?
Bridgestone could be about to announce that it will sponsor the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. However while it has confirmed that talks have taken place, the company is being much more tight lipped about sharing any details.
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Rigdon tread no “copycat” – German court rules against Goodyear
We’ve become accustomed to hearing reports of alleged copyright infringements related to tyre and, particularly, tread pattern design. Typically these involve products from Chinese manufacturers, however our German sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung has published news of a copyright infringement dispute that played out here in our part of the world – and ended with a ruling in favour of the alleged copy.
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