Africa
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.
Continental’s sponsorship of international football events has also yielded a new avenue for the company’s corporate activities. Just under a year before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Continental AG has initiated a special on-location tourism training programme.
Retread manufacturing equipment and garage supply specialist Italmatic Srl may be based in Italy, but the company has long established global intentions. In addition to the Italian headquarters, a far eastern wing (50:50 joint venture, Italmatic Asia) was founded in Singapore in 1984 and the company also has a network of offices in the USA and the UK. Now, 40 years since the company produced its first buffing machines, the goal is to serve customers throughout Europe, Asia and North America with „full technological, training and marketing support.”
China's natural rubber imports jumped 25.8 per cent to 165,876 metric tons in July. Malaysian news sources cite customs reports that show the figure is close to an 11-year high which last peaked in March. China buys rubber from main producers Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as Vietnam, Cambodia and West Africa. The high comes off the back of China’s strong passenger car sales in July, which jumped 70.54 per cent from a year ago.
In September Zimbabwe’s National Tyre Services will reopen the outlets and a factory that had closed due to business conditions. At the company’s Annual General Meeting, CEO Cleophas Makoni told shareholders that the 35.05 per cent Apollo Tyres South Africa owned company will "roll out and revitalise our branch network. We have enough stock and we are in a position to meet the demand."
India is set to have its own dedicated tyre and equipment exhibition following confirmation of plans to stage Tyrexpo India in Chennai in July 2011. The exhibition, based in the region that is home to many country’s leading automotive industry players, including Apollo Tyres, Michelin, Dunlop India and MRF, will be based on the successful model already applied by organiser ECI International at its established Tyrexpo Asia, Tyrexpo Africa and Brityrex events.
Cooper Tire is supporting a charity expedition travelling across the world to highlight the plight of children living in poverty. Dubbed the “Rambling Rat”, Tim Dennis has travelled all the way across Europe, Asia and North America in a Toyota Land Cruiser equipped with Cooper’s rugged Discoverer STT tyres, which have successfully taken him some 44,000 miles across the harshest terrains on Earth.
Bridgestone backed drivers Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki have raced to respectable result in the 2009 Australasian Safari, securing third place overall after 3,500 gruelling kilometres through Western Australia’s outback. Garland and Suzuki, who also have an 11th outright to their credit in this year's Dakar Rally, drove their Isuzu D-MAX to a top three slot after a successful appeal against a two-hour time penalty.
At the beginning of 2009 Polish tyre tube and rubber product manufacturer Kabat Company reported that it increased its annual production capacity by 60 per cent after purchasing equipment from Goodyear-Debica.
While addressing shareholders at the Apollo Tyres Annual General Meeting, company chairman Onkar S Kanwar expounded upon what Apollo has gained and learned in the past year. His topic, titled ‘Navigating a Slowdown’, centred upon the company’s business model, which according to Kanwar has enabled Apollo to remain afloat during the recent slowdown.
This business model, Kanwar explained, covers Apollo’s three main principles: domestic markets, cost and quality initiatives. Sticking to this tried and tested business model has paid dividends during the past twelve months, he added. “Last year’s crisis has allowed your company the opportunity to break structures and behaviours that sap productivity and effectiveness out of organisations. It has allowed your company to realign itself to a new reality.
Apollo Tyres South Africa recently won the contract to supply half of Nissan Diesel’s truck tyre requirements. Nissan Diesel SA (Pty) Ltd, based in Rosslyn Pretoria, have reportedly chosen Apollo Tyres South Africa (formerly known as Dunlop International) to supply the Dunlop brand steel radial truck tyres, in an “open-ended contract.”
The deal with Nissan Diesel is the single largest original equipment deal secured with a vehicle manufacturer since the reinstatement of Apollo Tyres South Africa’s Original Equipment department early last year. Dr Luis Ceneviz, Apollo Tyres South Africa’s CEO said: “We are proud to be collaborating with Nissan Diesel as both companies share a common goal of exceeding customer expectation and growing its share of business. We look forward to many more such partnerships into the future.”
A major marketing campaign is underway to promote the next staging of Brityrex International, which will take place at Manchester Central 5 -7 October 2010. Show organisers ECI International report that early July saw the distribution of 10,000 information packs for the UK’s only dedicated tyre, accessory and workshop equipment trade exhibition. This activity will be supplemented by extensive UK and international tyre trade advertising, marketing, information and online campaigns over the next 12 months.
In addition to covering all sectors of the tyre industry, Brityrex 2010 will also place increased emphasis on workshop equipment, tools and services. Research suggests that tyre retailers and distributors have delayed or postponed making capital purchases during the recession, which is expected to create increased demand for new equipment as market conditions improve later next year.
Tiremart (Qingdao) set up in the year of 2000 in the CBD of Qingdao, China. Its specialises in exporting TBR, PCR, OTR, agricultural, motorcycle tyres, as well as tubes, flaps and rims to more than 50 countries in the world, with its main markets in the Middle East, India, South Asia, Africa and South America. It reports that its annual turnover reaches over $30 million.
The company sells factory brands in addition to its own brand, Maxim. Currently, the Maxim brand includes an OTR series, rims, and TBR 1000R20 with an Indian market pattern. Tiremart says that it plans to develop and promote the brand further in the near future. It also states that the OEM tyre business makes up 40 per cent in our sales volume.
As for its presence at CITExpo, the company states, “We would like to meet old and more new customers. We hope CITExpo this year will bring us good luck and will help us to make another big success in near future.”
Tyrecor is planning to launch a new range of Infinity UHP tyres into the South African market at Tyrepxo Africa next year. Confirming the news, managing director Charl de Villiers said: “Infinity will be launching an exciting new range of products into the Southern African market at the show next March, which will include Ultra High Performance tyres up to and including 21 inches in V and W speed ratings. The Infinity brand already enjoys a large following in Europe and other parts of the world and we have received numerous requests from our dealer base to expand our current range. “We feel that Tyrexpo Africa is the ideal platform to launch this range due to the exposure it offers exhibitors,” he said.
By mid-July, floor space for TyrexpoAfrica’10 was more than 55 per cent occupied and on track to meet targets set by organiser ECI International. There is a current balance of 40 per cent national to 60 per cent international companies exhibiting, with strong representation from China, India, south east Asia, Europe and the US.
During the first quarter of 2009, Apollo Tyres launched its new corporate identity across its operations. Now it’s the turn of its website to don the new look and colours. Apollo has moved away from the earlier usage of black and red to the vibrancy of purple and orange, moderated by shades of grey – colours and usage, which no other tyre company has, and only a few companies across the world dare to incorporate. The colours have allowed Apollo, it says, to bring to the fore its “internal reality of youthfulness and dynamism”.
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