Wheel manufacturer BBS intends to gradually withdraw from the original equipment segment and concentrate on aftermarket business. This decision was announced by Stefan Prutscher, regional secretary of the IG Metall trade union. According to the union, BBS will cut 160 jobs at its Schiltach and Herbolzheim sites in Germany. The wheel manufacturer, which filed for bankruptcy for the third time in summer 2020, will retain 280 jobs.
KW automotive GmbH intends to acquire wheel manufacturer BBS, and signed a contract to this end late last year. The deal is still subject to a number of contractual conditions that should be met in the near future. The company anticipates taking over the BBS brand in June 2021 together with a minority shareholder, entrepreneur Mathias R. Albert. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Following on from the Ronal R62, which can be customized with coloured design elements, Ronal Group is launching another product with two different coloured applications: the Ronal R67.
At the start of this year the Borbet Group became a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). The alloy wheel manufacturer shares that its decision to join the ASI as of 1 January 2021 reflects an intention to actively address ecological challenges in the field of sustainable wheel production.
The world’s first carbon neutral wheel comes to market at the end of this month. This is the Ronal R70-blue, and the Ronal Group says it manufactures this passenger car rim using 100 per cent renewable energy and primarily from reused aluminium, a material that’s 100 per cent recyclable.
The rise of diamond turned alloy wheels, which have overtaken traditional painted alloys as the most common product on the market, presents an opportunity for garages and fast-fit operations to diversify, Portsmouth-based innovator, Diamond Cut Refinishing (DCR) says. The refurbishment of these wheels is often reallocated, with significant lead times. However, DCR’s latest machinery for the automotive aftermarket enables depots to offer the restoration service themselves. It says the technology “saves hours of time in repair work” and “opens up a significant new revenue stream worth hundreds of pounds per day.”
Zalloys International Limited, manufacturer of WHEELUV Alloy Protection, has launched to the aftermarket a “patented, OEM quality and impact-resistant” wheel protection system that “offers technicians and installers a unique profit opportunity.” Built to withstand the elements, WHEELUV Alloy Protection has undergone rigorous testing and is industry approved, used by vehicle manufacturers and tested by HORIBA MIRA and Intertek to offer total quality assurance. Intertek has subjected WHEELUV to up to five year accelerated ageing tests.
Wheel manufacturer BBS applied for bankruptcy protection at the district court in Rottweil, Germany on Monday 13 July 2020. It is the third time in the past 15 years BBS has done so. There were also bankruptcies in 2007 and 2011, our German group publication Neue ReifenZeitung (reifenpresse.de) reported.
While production has now resumed at BBS’s Schiltach and Herbolzheim wheel plants, the crisis and the wheel manufacturer’s adapted 50th-anniversary celebrations have given Markus Wartosch a tricky start as the newly appointed global head of sales and marketing at BBS. He is supported in this role by Erwin Eigel, who continues as Head of the IAM division at BBS.
The Ronal R62 design was only available in two surface finishes. On request plastic elements could be added in three different colours. But now a new trend is being reflected in available finishes.
Mak, a leading player in the Italian aftermarket alloy wheel segment, has announced that it will release 11 new models. At the same time, the company has also announced that Jeep and Tesla drivers will be able to equip their cars with dedicated MAK wheels – the Liberty for Jeep and Voltage for Tesla.
Demand for new cars has dropped as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, and vehicle manufacturers have adjusted their production accordingly. Their suppliers have too, and alloy wheel manufacturer Ronal Group is the latest company to announce a temporary shutdown of its facilities. Deliveries of products will continue from existing stocks.
The perfect wheels for drivers who give way to the right? It’s most certainly unintentional, but some who look at the rims fitted on one particular SUV model see something surprising. To be precise, they see swastikas.
As car security systems become increasingly sophisticated, thieves are turning their attention to car parts instead. This is bad news for owners of vehicles fitted with alloy wheels, but Ford now offers a way of keeping those wheels yours – and the solution is guaranteed to get car owners talking.
Autoparts Garage Equipment (AGE), one of the UK’s leading suppliers of garage equipment, has launched a new alloy wheel straightener.
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