Tyres & Accessories January 2011
January's Tyres & Accessories contains features on the growing – excuse the pun – agricultural market and the world of two-wheel tyres. Subscribers can read the whole magazine in e-paper format by clicking more.
Agricultural
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Mitas signs contract for US factory equipment
NewsMitas Tires, formerly CGS Tires US, reports the signing of a contract covering US$10 million worth of curing presses for its factory in Charles City, Iowa, which is currently under construction. The presses will be delivered and installed in August and September this year and the production of radial agricultural tyres will begin in 2012. In its first year of operation the plant will employ an estimated 159 workers and the company plans to employ 262 people in the US by 2016.
CGS Tires Changes Name to Mitas Tires North America
Career TracksAlongside its decision to build a tyre plant in Charles City, Iowa, CGS Tires US Inc., the US subsidiary of Czech-based CGS Tyres, has changed its corporate name to Mitas Tires North America Inc, reports Tire Review. When the new plant is ready, the renamed company will relocate its US headquarters from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Charles City, Iowa.
CGS Tyres Expands in France
NewsCGS Tyres has announced plans to expand in the French markets after Copadex agreed to cede exclusivity in distributing CGS-produced Continental agricultural tyres in France as of 15 January 2011. CGS Tyres now sells all its brands in France, namely Mitas, Cultor and Continental (produced under licence). This consolidation was preceded by an announcement made in September about CGS Tyres acquiring distribution rights for Mitas tyres from L’Européenne de pneumatiques. Copadex will continue to sell Continental tyres.
Michelin Launches Ag Tyre Spec Service at Lamma
NewsMichelin has announced a new bespoke tyre specification service for farm vehicles, which will launch tomorrow at Lamma 2011. The service will run free of charge at all of the trade shows the manufacturer will attend this year, which will include the Irish Machinery Show, Grasslands & Muck, Cereals, Royal Welsh Show and Royal Highland Show. Michelin technical specialists will carry out a detailed technical appraisal, taking into account the precise machine model, individual tyre sizes, operating weights, desired applications and surface type. This information will then be used to determine the most suitable Michelin or Kleber fitments, together with recommended operating pressures.
BKT Outlines Key Factors in “Success”
NewsIndia’s Balkrishna Tyre (BKT) is setting some ambitious targets for its continued growth. In 2009 BKT held a 3 per cent market share in the off-highway tyres segment (comprising Agricultural, Industrial, Construction, Earth Moving Equipment, ATV and Lawn & Garden), with an expected share for the end of 2010 reaching 4.5 per cent, according to BKT. By 2015, the company hopes to reach a 10 per cent share. BKT has grown its turnover from $82 million in 2004, to $220 million in 2007 and $310 million at the end of 2009. The production value for the end of 2010 is estimated to be $450 million.
Kings Road Tyres adds Kleber to Agricultural Product Range
NewsKings Road Tyres claims to be at the forefront of agricultural tyre distribution in the UK, and as an official wholesaler for leading agricultural manufacturers such as Michelin, Firestone, Trelleborg and Goodyear, as well as the exclusive UK wholesale distributor for both Taurus and Jetire brands, the company is already able to offer an extensive range of agricultural tyres. This product line-up has been further extended for 2011, with the addition of the premium Kleber agricultural tyre range.
Soopa Toobs Adapting Range for Increasingly Varied Ag Vehicle Inventories
NewsHertfordshire’s Soopa Toobs says it has continued to develop and expand its range of quality inner tubes to suit the increasing variety of radial and low-profile agricultural and implement tyres on the market, particularly with many farmers, estate managers and groundsmen using utility vehicles and ATVs to get around, increasing vehicle inventory. Company representative Martin Mansfield says demands continue to change while the increased longevity of machinery used means that there is an opportunity for suppliers able to provide a wide range of sizes and applications.
CGS Supplies Deutz-Fahr 8-Wheel Prototype Tyres
NewsWith more than 70 per cent of CGS Tyres’ revenues coming from its agricultural tyre range – comprising Mitas, Cultor and Continental under licence – the Czech tyre division of CGS Holding Group (Czech Rubber Company) boasts an extensive international sales and distribution network operating in 13 countries, including the United States and Mexico. The manufacturer has an annual turnover of more than $430 million cementing a place among the top three European producers of agricultural and construction equipment tyres. With its current operations based in Europe, 90 per cent of CGS Tyres’ sales are on the European market. The company’s development strategy states that the company will focus on increasing its global presence, which has begun with the establishment of a US base in Iowa.
Michelin “Doubles Up” for Lamma 2011
NewsThe UK’s leading farm machinery and equipment show Lamma 2011 will be taking place at the Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground from Wednesday and Michelin will be exhibiting both its synonymous brand and its Kleber brand agricultural tyres at Stand B96, Avenue U. Michelin says its investment will enable the company to display the largest line-up of agricultural tyres in a four year history of attending the show.
Starco Introduces New Trailer Retread Range
NewsStarco RT Agritread tyres for agricultural trailers, slurry tankers, muck spreaders and more are not just two new members of Starco’s product range; they also represent a new product line, since the RT Agritread ML and RT Agritread SL are high quality retreads. The tyres were designed for a high proportion of road use, in addition to high-speed medium to heavy load applications such as slurry tankers. The RT Agritread ML (Mud & Load) pattern is suitable for field and road usage, providing better traction in field, yielding greater fuel efficiency. The RT Agritread SL (Speed & Load) was designed for a large proportion of road work, with the ribbed pattern providing a smoother, quieter run and longer lifetime. Starco says the tyres are being rebuilt exclusively from premium brand carcasses exclusively to the ECE 109 standard, which makes them “a safe, durable and economical option”.
Trelleborg to Pursue Service Goals through Dealership Network in 2011
News, PremiumHaving taken the reins of Trelleborg Wheel Systems UK in September 2010, managing director John Westwood believes there is an important job to do in the distribution of agricultural tyres at the dealer level. As a whole, Westwood explains that TWS’s philosophy has undergone a “change of focus”, altering the emphasis “from products to solutions”. The implication of this attitude is that TWS will try to find ways to show the value of choosing its self-professed premium products, which often include the mounts in addition to the tyres. When Tyres & Accessories met with Westwood at the company’s Ashby de la Zouch office, he looked back on the successes Trelleborg has experienced with original equipment partnerships, such as that with New Holland Agriculture and AGCO, the company behind Challenger, Fendt, Massey-Ferguson and Valtra tractors, while explaining that the next step forward would be to forge partnerships with “progressive tyre dealers” who want to engage in technical conversations with end users, creating a “premium dealership network” to deliver “solutions rather than just products”. As well as what the dealers can offer Trelleborg, Westwood explained that the company would seek to “become proactive in helping dealers sell out”, a fact underlined by the company’s commitment to spending four per cent of its annual turnover on communications.
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Heuver to Boost Agri Tyre Exports
NewsRecent restructuring at Heuver Tyrewholesale has given the company’s agricultural division a more prominent role, and Heuver reports its intention to strengthen agricultural tyre export activities, in particular the export of its brands to Germany, Belgium and France. The Dutch wholesaler says it “expects a great deal” from this.
Kirkby Reveals New Tyres, Patterns, Sizes for 2011
NewsKirkby Tyres, based near Liverpool Airport in Speke, has been distributing tyres and wheels for over 60 years and now lay claim to being a top UK agricultural tyre wholesaler, with what it says is “the largest and most comprehensive range available.” The company has UK distribution deals with the Alliance Tyre Group and Balkrishna Tyre, and has recently extended its agricultural range with the introduction of new tyres from both companies.
Maxxis ATV, 4×4 Range Offers Agricultural Applications
NewsMaxxis International’s large ATV and 4×4 range makes the company’s tyres a suitable option for agricultural workers’ lighter transport needs. Maxxis is an accredited original equipment supplier to Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Polaris and Suzuki, giving it a track record of producing all-terrain tyres which perform across a variety of applications. In the Trailermaxx range, Maxxis also offers a line of high-speed trailer tyres.
