A new agreement between Bridgestone EMEA, Grupo BB&G and Versalis (Eni) will see the three parties working together to establish a closed-loop ecosystem to transform end-of-life tyres (ELTs) into new tyres, with each contributing its particular innovation, experience and technological skills to the project. The partnership aims to develop a model for the creation of a scalable and increasingly sustainable supply chain.
Kumho Tire has entered into a technology licensing agreement with Blatco (Black Arrow Tire Co.), a Saudi company established in 2019 to kick-start tyre manufacturing within the country with joint venture partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Kumho Tire will provide Blatco its passenger vehicle tyre production technology for the next 20 years.
Tyre dealer and car maintenance network Point S has signed an international service agreement with TotalEnergies Lubrifiants. a leading global manufacturer of lubricants. The company will supply its portfolio of high-performance automotive products, including its range of Quartz engine oils, to the Point S global network of independent dealers and repair centres. The agreement is designed to enhance the international growth of both companies. The Point S network consists of 6,185 points of sale across 51 countries on five continents, while TotalEnergies Lubrifiants is present in 160 countries, including 42 production sites.
In response to its strategy of expanding activities beyond mobility, and against a backdrop of job-changing transformations such as digitalisation and automation, the Michelin Group has signed a three-year job and career management (GEPP) agreement with three major trade unions. Michelin says the aim of this agreement is to bolster the career growth and professional pathways of its 16,000 France-based employees
A new strategic cooperation between Linglong Tire and SAIC Volkswagen will facilitate the development of products and innovations. Wang Feng, chairman and president of Linglong Tire, signed the agreement on behalf of the tyre maker during a ceremony held at SAIC Volkswagen headquarters in Shanghai, China on 12 June.
The research institute behind Sailun Group’s EcoPoint3 compounding technology has established strategic partnerships with two companies to explore synthetic rubber applications for use in tyre production. EVE Rubber Institute has signed agreements with Ecombine Advanced Materials and Arlanxeo High Performance Elastomer (Changzhou), with the three parties planning to draw upon their respective technological and marketing strengths to deliver innovations in liquid-phase mixing.
Pirelli reports that the shareholder agreement between Camfin SpA and LongMarch Holding S.à.r.l. first signed on 13 May 2020 and modified on 30 June 2021 has been renewed for a further three-year period. The agreement thus remains in place until 13 May 2026.
Michelin and labour unions have signed various successive telework deals covering its workforce in France since 2019 and worked together since the start of the Covid-19 crisis to develop a teleworking vision, strategy and arrangements. On 2 December, senior Michelin management and representatives from four unions signed a new telework agreement.
Ocean freight is in the midst of a predicament. The global shortage of shipping containers, primarily caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to continued port congestion and freight prices at all-time highs. Hankook Tire & Technology has worked with Hapag-Lloyd AG, the world’s fifth largest liner shipping company, for more than 20 years and now aims to strengthen its logistics capabilities through a new partnership.
Life for Tyres (L4T) Group has signed a ten-year offtake agreement with Spanish base oils supplier Nexolub to market oils extracted from end-of-life tyres processed at the plant it is currently setting up in Puertollano, Spain. The L4T facility is scheduled to be completed in December and become operational the following month with an annual capacity of 27,000 tonnes – a quantity equivalent to eight per cent of the end-of-life tyres generated in the country each year – it will be one of the largest facilities of its type in Europe.
Sinochem Holdings, the entity who through its China National Tire & Rubber subsidiary has a controlling stake in Pirelli and Aeolus Tyre as well as a substantial shareholding in Prometeon Tyre Group, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Cosco Shipping intended to “guarantee the security and stability” of its industry and supply chain.
Shandong Linglong Tire has signed a strategic cooperation with Shandong Lingong, and no, this isn’t a typo. The Shandong, China-based tyre maker more commonly known as Linglong Tire entered into this arrangement with Volvo Group company Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery (SDLG) on 29 June. Wang Feng signed the cooperation on behalf of Linglong Tire, with Wen Degang, SDLG general manager, performing the honours for the construction equipment company.
Versalis, the Eni-owned elastomer-maker, and AGR, a devulcanization specialist, have signed an agreement to develop products and applications of recycled rubber. According to the two companies, the aim of the November 2020 agreement is to pool their expertise to develop elastomer-based products made from granulated rubber from post-consumer products in order to meet the circular economy needs of manufacturers of tyres and other rubber products.
A signing ceremony between Linglong Group and Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST) on 10 November paves the way for long-term cooperation between the two parties. So far Linglong has shared only a few details of the agreement, however it appears it covers training programmes as well as technological exchanges.
On 27 January, Michelin signed an agreement with global union federation IndustriALL to set up the Michelin Global Works Council. The agreement was finalised by Florent Menegaux, chief executive officer of the Michelin Group, and Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union. Its signing follows nearly two years of discussion and negotiation.
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