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Abu Dhabi tyre blowout death toll up to 13 in six months

The number of people killed in accidents caused rapid deflation of tyres or blowouts in Abu Dhabi rose to 13 in the first six month of 2011, according to report in UAE newspaper The National. There were 41 accidents caused by burst tyres during the first half of the year, compared with 30 during the same period last year. Thirteen people died as a result of those accidents compared with 10 last year. The number of injuries nearly tripled in the same period, from six to 17.

The figures follow the news in June that the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology announced it was working closely with the Ministry of Interior to review the tyre regulations. A task force comprising the country's largest tyre suppliers and manufacturers has been assembled to look at the technical aspects of the regulations. The proposed regulations on the manufacture, handling, and storage of tyres, will be presented to the country’s Cabinet next month for approval.

16th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon Tyres to supply Classic Safari Challenge competitor’s tyres

Shropshire couple Keith and Norah Ashworth, owners of Avon Tyres fleet customer Burnt Tree Vehicle Rental, are to tackle the Classic Safari Challenge 2011. The pair will contest a classic 1964 Mercedes-Benz 190 Fintail, shod with Avon rubber, in the event, which runs from August to September. The event, organised by the Endurance Rally Association, covers more than 3,500 miles of stunning African landscape as it crosses Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa on its mammoth journey.

12th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Material costs, muted growth a bottom line dampener for Apollo

Reporting its performance during the first quarter of India’s financial year, Apollo Tyres says net sales during the period were “robust”, increasing 55 per cent year-on-year to Rs 28.22 billion (£382.60 million). Despite this, factors such as all-time high natural rubber prices and “sluggish” growth in some markets dampened the company’s profitability in the three months between April 1 and June 30, 2011. Operating profit rose 20 per cent to Rs 2.42 billion (£32.81 million) while net profit was up 3.9 per cent in the quarter to Rs 771.28 million (£10.46 million).

11th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo signs lease on Laos rubber plantation

To secure its own supply of natural rubber, Apollo Tyres has leased approximately 10,000 hectares of land in the Southeast Asian country of Laos. Company chairman and managing director Onkar S Kanwar announced at Apollo Tyres’ Annual General Meeting on August 11 that the tyre maker has “actively entered the area of rubber plantations to try and secure future supplies.” Kanwar later noted that the yield from this rubber plantation would be ready for tapping in within two to seven years and that within five years Apollo plans to meet 25 per cent of its total natural rubber requirements from leased plantations. Reaching this level of self-sufficiency is viewed as a form of insurance – Kanwar opined that a crisis situation currently exists in India in regards to increasing raw material prices and natural rubber shortages.

11th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop announces Motorsport leadership, farm appointments

Goodyear Dunlop has announced three new leadership appointments in its international Dunlop Motorsport business. The appointments of Patrice Omont as director, tyre technology, motorsport and motorcycle; Sebastien Montet, manager, motorsport technology; and James Bailey as director, motorsport marketing and communications are aimed to help promote the motorsport aspects of the brand in world motorsport. In addition to the motorsport leadership changes, the company has announced alongside a new farm tyre specialist, responsible for the East Midlands and Lincolnshire region.

10th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti’s “hard conditions” too much for General Tyre East Africa

International News, News

Tanzanian newspaper The Guardian reports its country’s government plans to hand over General Tyre East Africa to Tanzania’s National Development Corporation (NDC) in response to what it calls the “hard conditions” imposed by shareholder Continental AG. The country’s Industry and Trade Minister, Dr. Cyril Chami, is reported as saying talks with Continental, who holds a 24 per cent share in General Tyre East Africa, failed to reach a suitable conclusion. He attributes this lack of success to conditions Continental wishes to impose, such as restricting General Tyre’s activities to its domestic market and just two export destinations – Uganda and Burundi – and that the Tanzanian tyre maker should pay back its outstanding US$3.321 debt to Conti. Continental’s alleged lack of investment plans for General Tyre is another given factor.

10th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Ruia preparing for further growth in automotive sector

It may be currently copping flak over its Dunlop India tyre plant in Sahaganj, West Bengal, yet the Ruia Group seems to be going from strength to strength in another area of the automotive industry. Having snapped up five European vehicle seal manufacturers since 2008, the Indian company is now erecting a Rs 1.1 billion (£14.7 million) greenfield seal manufacturing plant in Pune, Maharashtra state and has plans to establish another in India.

8th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental AG manager investigated for Corruption

One of Continental AG’s managers is reportedly under police investigation relating to corruption allegations. Following an article in Germany's Bild newspaper, Bloomberg reported that Frankfurt prosecutor’s office confirmed that such an investigation is underway.

4th August 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

‘Fendering’ & ‘Tyre Hire’ two focus areas for Kal Tire

An area of focus for UK company OTR since its integration into the Kal Tire group is the further development of the ‘fendering’ process for its tyres. As Wayne Cornell, Kal Tire’s UK & Africa manufacturing manager explains, “the sidewall of a tyre is a large exposed area and, at the same time, is the thinnest part of the tyre. In harsh working environments this area is more susceptible to damage as the sidewall makes contact with objects – so the logical solution has always been to protect the sidewall i.e. fendering.”

29th July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Q2 results 'another step on the path towards 2013 targets'

Richard J. Kramer, chairman and chief executive officer of Goodyear Tire & Rubber, says he is “very pleased” with the tyre maker’s “outstanding second quarter results.” Goodyear’s figures for the three months to the end of June, which were released on July 28, show a 24 per cent increase in sales to US$5.6 billion, despite a two per cent decline in unit sales. The results, Kramer added, “represent another step on the path toward our 2013 targets. They present confirmation that our strategies are right and that they are working.”

29th July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama S. drive OE on Smart Fortwo

Daimler-Smart, manufacturer of the diminutive Smart Fortwo, has granted Yokohama Rubber a third original equipment approval. The Japanese tyre maker has been approved as an original equipment supplier for the current Smart Fortwo and will supply its S. drive AS01 in sizes 175/50R16 77T for the front and 215/40R16 82T for the rear. This latest approval builds upon a relationship with the Daimler AG subsidiary that began in 2002 with homologation of original equipment tyres for the Fortwo Coupe Brabus, and was continued with selection as an original equipment supplier for the Smart Fortwo Brabus in 2007.

22nd July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear’s Fioroni promoted

Goodyear Tire & Rubber has promoted Roberto Fioroni to vice president and general auditor, effective August 1. Currently finance director for Goodyear’s Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa operations, Fioroni replaces Rich Pegher, who left the company to pursue other opportunities. In his new position, Fioroni will report to executive vice president and CFO Darren Wells and remain part of the Goodyear’s global finance leadership team.

21st July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

First Tyrexpo India prompts organisers to confirm dates 2013 show

The first staging of Tyrexpo India 2011 in Chennai was said to have been so successful that organisers ECI International have announced the dates for the next show in 2013. Managing director Paul Farrant said: “Our original intention was to review the show for several months before reaching a decision on a follow up, but we’ve already seen enough to make the decision with confidence that the show will be back in Chennai from 9-11 July 2013.”

14th July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Rebranding establishes OTR as key part of global service group

Now an integral part of the Kal Tire Mining Tyre Group, OTR is close to completing the systematic ‘rebranding’ of its corporate image to the new global Kal Tire corporate brand. As part of this, the traditional green/black/white OTR identity is in the process of being replaced by the orange/blue/white of Kal Tire, and all new company trucks now hit the road branded in the Kal Tire ‘all white’ livery.

7th July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop makes further inroads into construction, port sectors

Motivated by the positive response it received in 2010, on June 22 and 23 Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK was back at Vertikal Days, the country’s only dedicated event for the lifting industry. On the company’s stand at the Merseyside-based show was the Dunlop SP ER50 crane tyre – a product Goodyear Dunlop says has taken off since last year’s show.

6th July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors