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Alliance Tire Buys GPX Assets

Company News, International News, Legislation, News

Just a day after GPX International Tire Corporation (GPX) filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Israel-based Alliance Tire Group announced it has signed an agreement to purchase certain assets for a reported $38.3 million. According to Alliance, the deal includes: “GPX’s US operations, customer relationships, warehouse footprint, worldwide rights to the Galaxy and Primex brands, the company’s medium radial truck tyre distribution business and the Company’s South African entity, GPX Tyre South Africa (Pty.).”

According to GPX the purpose of entering chapter 11 was “to separate the company’s operations into three distinct businesses in order to facilitate the sales of those businesses in transactions, which will allow 95 per cent of the company’s current North American workforce to remain employed.” Crucially, the statement points out that “the company will wind down its European operations.” GPX also explained that it has buyers lined to purchase various parts of the business.

27th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop Signs European Road Safety Charter

Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe has joined the European Road Safety Charter, a pan-European initiative with the aim to increase road safety across Europe. The signing ceremony took place in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 26, 2009, in the presence of the Swedish minister for enterprise, energy and communications, Åsa Torstensson, representatives from the European Commission and the ERSC Secretariat.

26th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

SRI Increasing Tyre Prices in Global Markets

SRI Tire Trading Ltd. has announced that prices for its Dunlop, Falken, Sumitomo and Ohtsu brand tyres are increasing in numerous markets. The price increases take effect in November, however Sumitomo Rubber comments that the exact date will vary from country to country. The planned price increases apply to the passenger car, light commercial vehicle, truck and motorcycle tyre segments and will take place in Europe, North, Central and South America, Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Near and Middle East.

20th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Techking Introduces Service Centre Concept

During the CITExpo exhibition Techking Tires focused upon presenting its new “Techking Service Centers” (TSC) to interested parties. TSC is a training and educational facility for customers through which can gain information on topics such as tyre repair and maintenance from Techking specialists. Just recently the Qingdao, China based OTR tyre specialist inaugurated the first TSC as its head office location; it serves as a model for further centres, explains Techking Marketing’s Benjamin Zhang. The first TSC outside of China, located in the vicinity of a local customer will soon open in South Africa. This is, incidentally, an essential component of the TSC concept – the service centres will typically be built in partnership with customers, with all essential equipment and operations supplied. “Our goal is to supply the highest quality tyre solutions possible,” Zhang continues. And, according to Zhang, this is a “key point of difference between us and the competition.”

19th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Hikes US Cinturato P5 and P4 Four Seasons Prices 10%

In the US, Pirellli is raising the prices of its US P4 Four Seasons and Cinturato P5 tyres by 10 per cent, effective 1 November 2009. According to the company, the move is a result of “market pressures created by the recent tariff on Chinese consumer tyre imports” as well as increased rubber and raw material costs.

Pirelli Tire North America’s price increase is the first move from the premium sector in response to the recent Chinese import tariff and suggests that, directly or indirectly, the tariff has an effect throughout the market. Pirelli previously said that only very small shipments of certain specific products would be direcly affected by the tariff and that its influence was “not material.”

15th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kal Tire Buys Majority Stake in OTR Tyres

Kal Tire of Canada has bought a majority stake in Alfreton, Derbyshire-based OTR Tyres, creating the world’s first Global Earthmover Tyre Service company. This means the company will two companies will be rebranded under one name at some point in the future. This means “a gradual migration to a new brand over time.” OTR’s Alfreton head office will continue to be an administrative hub for the various OTR businesses.

12th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Soled African Trainers Proving Popular in Europe

Bless the AFP for bringing us news of an Ethiopian shoemaker who’d like to give Nike a run for its money with the footwear she produces from recycled tyres and traditional woven fabric. Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the news service reports, sees her eco-friendly "SoleRebels" shoes as Africa’s answer to the ‘just do it’ brand, and in her Addis Ababa (or should that be Adidas Ababa?) workshop 40 cobblers can be found at work on the product, turning out up to 200 pairs of shoes per day – solely for export.

12th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Biking Travel Author Circumnavigates Globe on Avon Gripster Tyres

International motorcycle traveller Sam Manicom has navigated his way around the world on Avon Gripster tyres. The 50-year-old adventurer left home back in 1992 on a brand-new BMW R 80 GS with only three months experience of motorcycling under his belt. Since then he’s enjoyed adventures around the world, all of which are recounted in his books: Into Africa, Under Asian Skies and Distant Suns. More than half of the 250,000 miles covered by his trusty BMW over the years have been completed on Avon tyres.

8th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Global Campaign to Highlight Advantages of Michelin Rubber

Michelin’s first ever global advertising campaign got underway on October 6. The new campaign’s theme – “The right tyre changes everything” – is intended to illustrate the competitive advantages of Michelin tyres in media outlets around the world. The French manufacturer states it decided to launch what it calls an “unconventional” global campaign as a response to today’s increasingly competitive business environment.

7th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Tire Europe Appoints New Export Sales Manager

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe has appointed Tom Edwards as its new Export Sales Manager for North Africa, the Mediterranean and Scandinavia. Edwards, 29, moves into Cooper Tire’s sales department from the marketing sector in which he was, until earlier this month, European and EMEA Marketing Manager.

2nd October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hayes Lemmerz Realigns Global Operations

As of September 1 Hayes Lemmerz International has realigned its global operational sites into three regions. According to company president and COO Fred Bentley, "The purpose of the realignment is to become more strategically focused in the operation of the business by aligning the organisation into specific regions. This realignment allows us to continue our global focus on the customer base while creating additional efficiencies from the functional support groups. This is a great move for our business and allows us to continue to develop our future leaders." Mustafa Zaim, managing director of Turkish Operations, will continue in his present role as managing director and will also assume the additional responsibilities coordinating Global Materials management as well as act in an advisory capacity to the EAAP region on operational matters. Zaim will continue to report to Mr. Bentley.

21st September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

More News & Views on China Tyre Tariff Tiff from Tire Review

Tire Review has compiled a variety of news stories based around the introduction of tariffs on imported China-made passenger tyres. Here is a sampling of the most relevant items from the past day:

17th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo’s Schramm Keynote Speaker at Tyrexpo Africa’10 Conference

Georg Schramm, head of marketing and sales for Apollo Tyres South Africa (Pty) Limited, will be a keynote speaker at the inaugural Tyrexpo Africa Conference alongside next March’s Tyrexpo Africa’10. Schramm is responsible for all marketing and sales for the Dunlop brand in South Africa as well as Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. He will provide an expert insight into tyre manufacturing in the African market.

He will be joined at the conference by Dr Etienne Human, chief executive officer of SATRP, the South Africa Tyre Recycling Program. Dr Human will outline the work and remit of the not-for-profit organisation that was established to tackle the waste tyre problem in South Africa and support a sustainable waste tyre producer industry. Members of the body include Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop and Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli, Maxiprest and Trentyre.

14th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

The Hindu: Indian Tyre Exports Down 22% in July

A report published by Indian newspaper, The Hindu states that while the country remains an important hub for passenger car exports, its tyre makers appear not to be keeping up. Citing a report by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, the paper reports in its Business Line section that “automotive tyre exports fell 22 per cent in July to 446,418 units against 571,479” in 2008, while quarterly exports fell “22 per cent to 1,558,393 units (2,042,428 units).”

9th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Tyres Outlines Global Top 10 Ambitions

Apollo chairman, Onkar S Kanwar is not one to avoid big statements when it comes to talking up Apollo Tyre’s ambitions. The Gurgaon-based company is currently estimated to be worth Rs 4,985-crore (£627 million) and is in an expansion mode. While the firm already has a presence in Europe and Africa, it seems it is continuing to look for acquisitions outside India as a route to increasing its presence in the global market.

7th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors