Council chiefs have warned that the country is facing a roads crisis that is escalating at an “alarming pace” after new research put the cost of bringing highways up to a decent standard at over £12bn.
The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey from the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) shows that councils fixed just over 2m potholes in England and Wales last year, yet record rainfall meant the overall conditions of local roads deteriorated again.
A two-year experiment by the Danish road directorate shows accidents have fallen on single-carriageway rural roads where the speed limit was raised. Accidents have also fallen on motorways where the speed limit has been increased.
Kumho Tire and North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) have entered into a new multiyear marketing partnership that will make Kumho the official tyre of the NBA and NBA Development League (NBA D-League) in the US and South Korea. This is the first official tyre partnership for both leagues and is Kumho Tire’s first partnership with a US sports league.
The Board of Directors at Yokohama Rubber and Kumho Tire have resolved to enter into master technological alliance agreement. This agreement is the result of discussions between the two companies following their signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 29 November 2013; Yokohama says the newly-signed agreement defines the framework and purpose of the technology alliance the two tyre makers will share, and it paves the way for further discussion of the details of the their proposed technology tie-up.
A survey by The Parts Alliance has revealed that garage owners are feeling confident about the future with many planning to invest in equipment and training, and some looking to take on extra staff. Some 67 per cent of those who responded said they expected the first half of 2014 to see an upturn in trade and, looking further ahead, some 73 per cent felt ‘very confident’ about the year as a whole. The survey was conducted among garages belonging to the Servicesure Autocentre garage programme run by The Parts Alliance.
Peter Sephton, who joined as Parts Alliance group CEO in August 2013 has announced some senior appointments. Sephton is aligning the four businesses into two regional alliances, the Western Alliance formed from GMF and CES and the Eastern Alliance, formed by SCMF and Allparts. Each Alliance will share resources, systems and best practice to accelerate growth, facilitate new branch openings, develop staff training and invest in tools to take customer service to world leading standards.
Canada’s Pneus Supérieurs and OK Tire Stores have entered into a strategic alliance that creates one of the largest networks of tyre and automotive service dealers in the country. Under the agreement, Pneus Supérieurs will join OK Tire Store’s network of independent dealers as an associate member and shareholder.
Bruce Besancon has been appointed vice-president of marketing at Alliance Tire Group’s US subsidiary. Besancon comes to Alliance Tire Americas with more than 20 years of expertise working for Michelin North America, including five years heading marketing efforts for Michelin’s earthmover business unit.
Drivers Lobby Group the Alliance of British Drivers have expressed concern that losing the hard shoulder on the proposed M1 Managed Motorway scheme could jeopardise motorists safety.
The group are concerned that the modern trend for car manufacturers to substitute a can of foam for a proper full size spare wheel will put lives at risk where there is no longer a motorway hard shoulder.
During the course of the recent Agritechnica event, Alliance Tire Group launched the 396MPT – an all-steel high-speed radial floatation tyre. Capable of speeds up to 100 km/h, the latest product is described as “revolutionary technology” by Alliance owing to its high floatation, traction, speed, stability and comfort characteristics. Indeed, according to the company, “this new approach provides a performance combination that was not possible before.”
Amongst the Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks range on display at Agritechnica is a version of the Arocs retrofitted by the manufacturer for agriculture. The 310kW (421hp) tractor Arocs 2042AS is fitted with permanent all-wheel drive in order to facilitate the efficient transportation of heavy loads at speed – an application that requires specific tyres.
Alliance Tire Group has brought three new tyres at the 2013 SEMA Show/Global Tire Expo, Tire Review reports. These are two new entries in the company’s Increased Flexion agricultural tyre line, and a new Galaxy garden, turf and vineyard tyre.
The relationship between Kumho Tire and the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team will continue for a fourth consecutive year. Kumho Tire USA has renewed its status as “Official Tire of the Los Angeles Lakers” for the 2013-2014 season; as such, it will be represented at home games on signage and will enjoy increased visibility on the Lakers.com website, which it claims is the “NBA’s most visited team site.”
Bridgestone Australia states it has relinquished its Australian Tyre Industry Council (ATIC) membership for “a variety of business reasons pertaining to the operation of the Council.” No further details explaining the tyre firm’s differences with the ATIC have been given.
The Parts Alliance announced Delphi’s reconfirmation as its preferred supplier of premium braking systems in June. Steve Fulford reasoned that Delphi is “strategically best positioned for our distribution network and more than 20,000 customers. As a leading supplier to the top 25 vehicle manufacturers worldwide, Delphi’s established presence on the OE platform and their expertise complement our future strategies. Not only will we have access to their high quality parts but also training and support services to deliver the most comprehensive solution to our customers.”
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.