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Good Showing from International Companies at Autopromotec 2009

With a record 1,443 exhibiting companies from 47 countries and 150,000 square metres of exhibition space, Autopromotec is recognised as a leading international trade exhibition for specialised automotive products and services. This biennial event was held at the Bologna Exhibition Centre in late May. The increasing number of exhibiting companies from outside the host nation was particularly apparent this year, with a total of 468 foreign businesses from 46 countries presenting their products.

Also, despite the current global economic downturn, the continually evolving international influence of the event is manifest in the number of foreign visitors present. During the five days of Autopromotec there were a total of 101,620 visitors, 16,689 of whom were from overseas. As part of a joint agreement sealed betweenthe Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, the Italian Ministry for Economic Development and the Italian Automotive Service Equipment Manufacturers Association, the show hosted 90 trade delegations from 16 countries including: Argentina, Brazil, China, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, USA and Vietnam.

3rd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo to Launch Full Range into Europe in 6-12 Months

Despite the fact that the Apollo/Vredestein takeover contracts were signed just a month before Tyres & Accessories visited Enschede, the integration process is said to be already well underway. What’s new is the announcement that in less than a year a full range of Apollo tyres will be launched into the European market. The newly merged Apollo Vredestein will be responsible for sales and marketing of all group brands in Europe. Of course when it comes to making major changes to the Apollo brand strategy this will have to be done in consultation with Delhi, but to all intents and purposes Vredestein will be masters of their own and Apollo's destiny within the bounds of the continent of Europe and the USA. In return Apollo will take the lead when it comes to selling Vredestein-branded tyres into the new Asian market territory the recent combination of the two companies brings.

2nd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pelmar Engineering to Coordinate Sale of Dunlop Nigeria Machinery

Pelmar Engineering has announced that it is coordinating the sale of Dunlop Nigeria’s tyre manufacturing plant and machinery. According to the company, the equipment is suitable for car, light van, truck and farm tyre manufacturing for tyres of both radial and cross-ply construction. The machinery was reportedly used in the full production of tyres for OE and replacement market until the end of 2008.

“In 2004 Pelmar sold the equipment to Dunlop Nigeria. It was completely reconditioned prior to installation and running in by the middle of 2005,” said Hagai Peled, senior VP and COO of Pelmar, adding: “The equipment is in excellent condition, hardly operated and offers our customers a rare opportunity to buy high quality equipment with the Pelmar assurance of quality.”

Dunlop Nigeria ended local production in April less than four years after the decision was taken to invest an estimated 6.5 billion naira (£29.4 million) on radialising plant technology. The company, recently renamed DN Tyre & Rubber Plc, now imports its tyres from South Africa.

29th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Next Generation Goodyear RunOnFlat Launched as Merc E-Class OE

Goodyear has launched the new generation of its RunOnFlat tyre with an original equipment fitting on the new Mercedes E-Class, which left factories recently. Goodyear states that the latest generation tyre offers numerous benefits to car makers, consumers and the environment, including improved comfort, reduced mass and rolling resistance, improved fuel consumption and consequently reduced CO2 emission levels. The tyre-maker suggests that the tyre is comparable to regular tyres in terms of comfort. Car manufacturers do not need to modify the suspension or chassis of their cars to use them, Goodyear claims.

Mercedes-Benz recently awarded the ultra high performance summer Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric RunOnFlat tyre with its ‘Mercedes Original Extended’ (MOExtended) seal of quality, with the term Extended signifying the tyre’s safety capabilities.

22nd June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Production at Clairoix Site in 2010 a Possibility, Says MAG

Dubai’s Moaffaq Al Gaddah (MAG) Group hopes, according to numerous news sources, to complete an agreement to buy Continental’s Clairoix factory in France before the end of 2009. According to Fawaz Sabri, the company’s vice president for strategy and finance, if “they (Continental) sign (the due diligence process) by the end of this month, we can start the process on July 1, and by November or December could sign a final agreement … production would be in 2010.”

18th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Revised Conti World Cup Website Returns to the Field

Continental’s redesign of its ContiSoccerWorld.com website has been completed just in time for the opening kick-off at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 in South Africa. The football site that was first launched in 2005 is now online with a new layout that offers not just background reports on South Africa and the players, teams and coaches in the worldwide qualification matches, but also statistics, attractive competitions and interactive content. Conti adds that, thanks to a content cooperation with the “sid” sport information service, the site will remain up-to-date.

17th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Organiser Reports Successful Automechanika Middle East

A total of 15,431 visitors attended Automechanika Middle East during the three-day event. Of this number, notes organiser Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH, 46 per cent were international visitors, converging on Dubai from a total of 114 countries. According to the organiser, buyers arrived in large numbers from the GCC, Middle East, Iran, Africa, CIS and India.

Considering the tough economic climate, adds Epoc Messe Frankfurt, Automechanika Middle East registered a remarkable increase in the number of exhibitors; a total of 966 exhibitors from 46 countries were present, and exhibition space this year occupied 31,000 square metres at the Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre.

9th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti South Africa Appoints New Marketing Manager

As of June 1 Russel Stewart has taken on the role of marketing manager at Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA). Stewart has been with Continental since 2004, most recently holding the position of key accounts manager in the Original Equipment division. He has also served as product marketing manager and marketing services manager.

3rd June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Nigeria Receives First Shipment of Dunlop Imports

DN Tyre & Rubber Plc, formerly known as Dunlop Nigeria Plc, has taken delivery of the first consignment of tyres imported from South Africa. The company’s external communications manager Olusola Adebanjo said in a press statement that dealers in various regions have been “delighted” to receive the imported Dunlop brand tyres and that their delivery will end the tyre scarcity in the Nigerian market that followed the recent ending of local production.

“Our accredited dealers, who are placing orders will therefore be stocked with this product so as to satisfy the needs of premium vehicle owners who appreciate the superior quality of the brand,” said Adebanjo.

28th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

“Headway” Made in Conti Clairoix Negotiations

Negotiations between Continental AG’s French and German management and representatives of the French government and the CGT trade union have, reports Conti, “made a bit of headway.” The respective parties met in Paris on Tuesday May 26 to discuss solutions for the company’s Clairoix facility, and further talks are scheduled for later in the week.

“We entered into a detailed discussion of the offer presented last week and argued for an adequate overall solution that takes into account seniority at the company and further training measures,” remarked Dr. Thomas Winkelmann, who represents Continental’s German management in his role as HR manager for replacement market passenger car tyres in Europe and Africa. “So far, union representatives have concentrated on uniform one-off severance pay for all employees affected. In the next round of negotiations we intend to talk over a detailed package solution.”

27th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear to ‘Explore’ EMEA, Latin America Farm Unit Sales

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced plans that would end consumer tyre production at its Amiens, France plant and could result in the sales of its European and Latin American agricultural tyre businesses. Goodyear’s Asia Pacific farm tyre business is not included in the potential divestiture. The company sold its North American farm tyre operation in 2005.

According to an official statement, ending consumer tyre production at the Amiens plant would result in the reduction of approximately 6 million units of production, which is part of Goodyear’s strategy to remove 15 million to 25 million units of capacity over the next two years.

26th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Appoints New PR Firm for World Cup Tyre Campaign

Continental has negotiated a deal reportedly worth six figures with Inside Media for consumer PR in the UK, selecting the firm after pitches from five companies. PR Week’s Chloe Markowicz reports that the German manufacturer has given Inside Media a UK brief that will include the promotion of the brand’s safety message and its involvement in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The commercial vehicles side of the business will still be related in the media by Conti’s existing agency Automotive PR and motoring PR will be processed in-house.

The major focus is said to be in publications outside the sphere of the traditional motoring press, with the more generalised lifestyle media specifically in the frame. Continental’s communications manager Laura Hardy told Tyrepress.com, “Inside Media are working to increase our press coverage outside of the motoring pages. A lot of drivers don’t read the traditional motoring media but we still want to take the Continental brand name and our safety message to them, that’s why we’ve chosen Inside Media who are specialize in national press and lifestyle media coverage.”

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Concludes Vredestein Banden Acquisition

The Apollo Tyres acquisition of Vredestein Banden BV, now officially concluded, has been described by Vredestein Banden CEO Rob Oudshoorn as a “win-win combination for both companies.” With all regulatory approvals and place and consent from the Judge of the Dutch Courts granted, Apollo now holds a 100 per cent share in the Netherlands based manufacturer. While official statements on the acquisition give no purchase price for Vredestein-Banden, the Wall Street Journal notes that a ‘person familiar with the situation’ disclosed a sum of 175 million euros.

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Imported Tyres Replace Local Production at Dunlop Nigeria

In late April Dunlop Nigeria’s long awaited end of local production was realised. Less than four years after the decision was taken to invest an estimated 6.5 billion naira (£29.4 million) on radialising plant technology with a view to further boosting commercial vehicle tyre output, domestic production has been replaced by tyres imported from South Africa.

The Dunlop Nigeria plant held a capacity to turn out 300,000 heavy-duty tyres per annum and manufactured products such as the Supersteel 315/80, which was launched in May 2006. Its demise so soon after upgrading is being blamed upon a combination of the faltering domestic economy and an influx of cheaper foreign produced tyres. The unreliability of power supplies in Nigeria is also said to have pulled the plug on the manufacturer’s competitiveness, and the company’s hope of a reliable source of affordable carbon black from local refineries was never realised.

6th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Wheels of Middle East Tyre Market “Set to Keep Turning in 2009”

According to the organiser of Automechanika Middle East, the exhibition’s host country retains a strong tyre industry despite the global slowdown. Dubai’s direct trade in tyres, it says, was valued at more than AED 6.6 billion (US $1.8 billion) in 2008, an increase of 12 per cent from 2007. And organiser EPOC Messe Frankfurt GmbH believes that “even with the economic downturn catching up, wheels of the tyre market in the UAE are set to keep turning in 2009” – and thus it has high hopes for the exhibition, which opens on May 31 and runs until June 2 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

29th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors