Agricultural
Mahansaria Tyres Private Ltd (MTPL) has completed the previously announced acquisition of a majority stake in European Agriculture Tyre Distributor (EATD). As a result, EATD has relocated its operations from Strijen, The Netherlands, to Wallenhorst in Germany.
Having made its CombineMaster tyre available in a VF version, Continental has added 10 new sizes to extend the range. The first VF CombineMaster tyre in size 500/85R24 became available in July. Both versions of the CombineMaster feature the patented N.flex and d.fine lug technology for “flexibility with low vibration on the carcass and high resistance to wear and tear”.
Trelleborg Group has reported “satisfactory” second quarter 2020 financial results “under the circumstances”, the company stated in its second quarter results. Specifically, Trelleborg Group organic sales declined 19 per cent, albeit with an improvement in the latter part of the quarter. As a result, net sales for the second quarter declined 18 per cent to 7,689 million Swedish krone. Pre-tax profits (EBIT) declined 29 per cent, corresponding to an operating margin of 12.3 per cent. At the same time, operating cash flow was strengthened “significantly”, according to the company.
Trelleborg’s reorganisation, which gave greater prominence to tyres and wheels via its Trelleborg Wheel Systems business, was detailed at the end of February, just prior to the global spread of Covid-19 causing monumental disruption throughout Europe. Tyres & Accessories commented at the time that we planned to meet UK managing director Richard Lyons for the first time since his January appointment at the event in Sweden – as it turned out, Lyons was unable to make the trip for reasons detailed later. At the end of June, T&A met Lyons – fittingly on Microsoft Teams – to discuss how the pandemic has affected the market and the company’s response to the challenges of 2020, in addition to talking about how he is settling into his new role within the company.
Over the past 12 months, Continental upgraded its agricultural tyre range with very high flexion (VF) tyres and other technological improvements, such as the single filament bead core on its CombineMaster. These improvements have made the manufacturer’s agri range more versatile, safer on the road, and more efficiencient in the field; VF tyres help to reduce soil compaction, which helps to promote increased yields. Conti re-entered the high-value agricultural tyre market in 2017 with the radial Tractor70 and Tractor85 ranges, with portfolio expansions following in the years since. This year has yielded many significant challenges for the tyre sector – but agricultural tyres have provided a much less gloomy segment outlook than others. Tyrepress asked Ivonne Bierwirth, global head of marketing Commercial Specialty Tyres, about the Continental business unit’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and how it has affected both its agricultural tyre activities and those of other commercial specialist tyre segments.
The second quarter of 2020 provided the worst quarterly sales results in recorded memory, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) states. Publishing its members’ replacement tyre sales for the Covid-19 pandemic stricken quarter, ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp said: “The tyre sector’s full recovery is still far away. For the moment, we can only hope for the market to stabilise in the second half of the year. Our outlook for 2020 remains bleak with a double-digit drop in sales expected across all segments.”
FG Pryor & Son has chosen to fit a new set of Michelin YieldBib tyres on its Bateman RB35 sprayer. The tyre in size VF 380/85 R34 149A8/B TL was the original equipment fitment for the sprayer, primarily used to support potato and cereal crops on Colwyn Farm, in Truro, Cornwall. Michelin Exelagri dealer Geoffrey Harris Tyres supplies and fits the replacement tyres. “We have found the YieldBibs to perform really well for us and we had no hesitation in going back for another set,” says Warwick Pryor, driver and farmhand at FG Pryor & Son.
Titan International has been manufacturing Goodyear Farm Tires in USA for more than a decade. It returned to the European and UK markets last year after Titan purchased the licence. It has also made a significant investment in new plant and equipment to manufacture tyres specifically for the UK and European markets. Lindsay Hart, tyre sales director at Titan Europe and Goodyear Farm Tires, gave Tyres & Accessories an insight into demand for agricultural tyres during the Covid-19 crisis.
Michelin has urged farmers to pay close attention to the condition of their tyres as they head into the harvest season. Gordon Brookes, customer engineering support manager at Michelin, explains: “We would always recommend a thorough inspection of your harvester tyres before you get the machine out into the field, but this year it’s probably more important than ever.
Continental has announced the reorganisation of various global specialist tyre activities into a single ‘Specialty Tyres’ business unit. Formed on 1 July, the company has combined its ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’, ‘Two Wheel Tires’ and ‘Hoosier Racing Tire’ business areas under the new umbrella unit. The result of the reorganisation means the entire Continental speciality tyre business will be developed, manufactured and distributed worldwide under the new unit. It brings together tyres for material handling, the agricultural, port, and construction sectors, bicycle and motorcycle tyres, and tyres for racing. The move continues the evolution of various specialist tyre segments within the company, begun at the start of 2013, when Conti renamed its industrial tyres business ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’.
Apollo Vredestein tells Tyres & Accessories that it has focused strongly on the agricultural sector of the market during the Covid-19 lockdown. Although some of the wider company’s employees were “placed on furlough leave,” its agricultural team was kept functional with some home working facilities provided by the company. Just prior to UK entering lock down, Apollo Vredestein’s UK team, anticipating what had already happened in other European countries, doubled UK stock levels of agricultural products, as reported by Tyres & Accessories. This was also supported by transfer of resources in manufacturing and administration to allow continued agricultural tyre production in the factories.
ATG has extended its leading range of Galaxy brand radial tyres for small tractors used in gardening, orchards and vineyards. The Galaxy Garden Pro offers nearly 50 per cent greater tread depth than typical R3 tyres – Galaxy calls it an R3+ tyre – with a solid-to-void tread ratio of 49:51 to promote self-cleaning. It is available in 23 sizes for rim sizes between 12 and 30, including five newly launched sizes. ATG says Galaxy now covers the segment of smaller and medium utility tractors in the segment.
Michelin Tyre Plc reopened its retread manufacturing plant at the end of April, but – like much of the company – has been largely working remotely during lockdown. Now, the company is reopening its Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent headquarters from mid-July in a bid to move towards the new normal. But what does that look like? Tyres & Accessories spoke with UK managing director Chris Smith in order to find out.
Goodyear Farm Tires has recruited a new distributor. South West Tyre Services, based in Somerset, has added Goodyear brand agricultural products to its portfolio. The brand, manufactured by Titan International, has been building a network of distributors across the UK and Europe since returning to the market last year. Titan told Tyres & Accessories that the deal with South West Tyre Services strengthens its position in the UK agricultural market. The distributor’s range includes tyres for cars, commercial vehicles, agricultural and plant machinery.
Continental has released a new combine harvester tyre, its first with a single filament bead core. In order to make the tyre safer and reduce slippage on the wheel, the manufacturer has designed a new bead construction for the the CombineMaster. In addition to road safety, reducing slippage also helps to reduce soil compaction – one of the most important considerations for agricultural tyre suppliers. By reducing compaction, the new tyre helps to protect the fissures in the soil that promote healthy growth. This increases the yield potential in the field. The tyre is the latest in Conti’s line of “Master” agricultural products. Conti has recently developed its agricultural tyre business with a 10-year guarantee and very high flexion (VF) fitment options.
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