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100 Jobs to Go From Michelin Canada Plant

Michelin will cut 100 jobs from its Granton facility in Nova Scotia, Canada later this year in a move the company says is necessary to keep it competitive in the marketplace. According to Michelin, about 70 per cent of those losing their jobs will be offered early retirement, with the remaining cuts coming through the axing of contract positions.

The Granton plant, which produces passenger car and light truck tyres, as well as rubber compound for other tyre lines, currently employs some 1400 staff, half of whom are, Michelin claim, eligible to retire within the next five years. Company manager of corporate communications Sheri Somerville, speaking to Canadian broadcaster CBC, claimed Michelin are “not laying anyone off and we are not forcing anyone to retire,” and added that the cuts and retirements will give younger workers at the plant increased opportunities to advance. However some employees have voiced the opinion that many will be coerced into retirement despite wanting to continue working.

20th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Positive Feedback from Automechanika Asia

Major Southeast Asian automotive parts and equipment exhibition Automechanika Asia has been staged for the fifth time, and has been praised as a great success. At least 5,480 buyers from 60 countries and regions visited the exhibition, held at the new Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre between 29 March and 1 April 2007. While the majority of the visitors were from Malaysia, the exhibition also attracted many attendees from other Asian countries, most notably China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The organisers of the exhibition report that attendee feedback was very favourable, with most exhibitors responding positively to the high quality and professionalism of the buyers onsite.

As part of the Automechanika global group of trade fairs, Automechanika Asia offers a professional forum where automotive industry suppliers and buyers can meet, create partnerships and build their business in the booming ASEAN region. A total of 151 exhibitors from 18 countries & regions joined the show, including those from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and the UK.

12th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Japanese Retailer to Buy Bankrupt Strauss Chain

(Akron/Tire Review) Automotive News has reported that giant Japanese auto parts, tyres and wheels and vehicle service chain Autobacs Seven plans to buy bankrupt Strauss Discount Auto, based in New Jersey.

The deal is subject to bankruptcy court approval. Strauss has 91 locations in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City.

Autobacs Seven currently operates some 500 outlets in Japan, Southeast Asia, China, France and the U.S., where is has a 35,000-square-foot mega-store in Stanton, California.

11th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrepress Asia – News with an Asian Emphasis

Tyrepress Asia, sister publication to Tyres & Accessories and NEUE REIFENZEITUNG, is very pleased to announce the launch of its new website Tyrepress Asia and associated e-Newsletter. Based upon the successful format established by Tyres & Accessories and Neue Reifenzeitung’s UK and European e-Newsletters, the Tyrepress Asia e-Newsletter is specifically tailored to provide news and articles from our online publication that are of particular relevance to the Asia and Pacific regions. Our regular newsletter is the only English language tyre industry news source to exclusively cover news and developments from Russia and China down to Australia and New Zealand and from India across the Pacific Rim, and its online format ensures our reports will reach their intended audience while still fresh and newsworthy.

Each year a greater proportion of the world tyre parc is produced in Asia, and companies within the region are increasingly looking to become established global brands. This is a time of rapid growth within the region’s tyre industry and an exciting time to be involved in the business. Therefore it is essential to remain informed of decisions made by both today and tomorrow’s leading players in Asia.

For a limited time Tyrepress Asia is offering free subscriptions to their e-Newsletter and newly launched website Tyrepress Asia– a website where tyre professionals from around the globe can obtain unrestricted access to the latest information coming from Asia’s tyre industry and markets. Produced by experienced industry journalists, the website contains news, feature articles and downloads designed to keep the reader informed. If you conduct business in the Asia and Pacific regions, or simply have an interest in keeping informed about developments in these and coming markets, then Tyrepress Asia invites you to visit our website or click here to obtain your free subscription.

4th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Elite Direct.Com Limited – Providing a Better Customer Experience

Elite has gone out of its to make the purchasing of wheels a pleasant experience. At its conveniently located 20,000 sq. ft premises on the A1306 near Rainham and Dagenham in Essex, the company not only has a large and well-appointed showroom open to the public, but also a waiting area complete with a café serving hot food and drinks – so waiting for a new set of wheels need not be a tedious event. And while the customer enjoys some refreshment their vehicle is seen to in one of Elite’s 19 fully operational service bays.

The large and modern facility Elite operates today is far removed from the company’s humble beginnings, when partners Steve Eldridge and Sean Soyka opened for business in 1987, operating out of a cramped former car showroom in Hornchurch, just a couple of miles from the company’s present position. Today the company specialises in wheels and tyres for passenger cars, 4×4 vehicles and light commercials, but also stocks exhausts, shock absorbers, suspension kits, and brakes amongst other items.

30th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Stamford Sport Wheels: Swift Growth in Asia

Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW) is gaining popularity as a provider of quality aluminium wheels courtesy of its TÜV certified manufacturing complex near the Thai capital Bangkok. A division of Stamford Tyres, SSW was established in 1995 and today produces more than 30,000 wheels each month, with 80 per cent of these destined for export markets.

SSW describe their facility in Thailand as ‘state-of-the-art’, and all equipment in use is fully automated and computerised, with each level of production closely monitored and controlled. All wheels are cast using the tilting gravity casting technique, complete with automatic robotic feeding which results in less air turbulence during the pouring process. This results in ensure stronger and more durable wheels with reduced porosity and fewer pinholes.

26th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli – China is “Pivotal”

In addition to its commitment to the FIA-GT Championship, which kicks off for 2007 at the Zhuhai circuit in Guangdong Province on March 23, Pirelli Competizioni will also take a leading role in an up and coming race series, the Asia SuperCar Challenge (ASCC), a series for GT cars in South-East Asia. Pirelli has entered into an agreement to be the exclusive tyre supplier for all 10 scheduled races held between March and September.

The Italian tyremaker views the agreement signed between Pirelli Competizioni and series organisers, the SuperCar Club Hong Kong Ltd, as confirmation of Pirelli’s focus upon China – including on the sporting front – and the company’s efforts to become firmly established as more than just another international tyremaker operating in China. Therefore, Pirelli point out that the presence of PZero Racing tyres in the ASCC series should not be seen as a surprise development, but as a product of the company’s ongoing support for an extremely interesting, immense and competitive market, one in which Pirelli Tyre SpA has been active for two years and is experiencing healthy growth, thanks in part to the company’s newly established facilities for the production of car and truck tyres.

21st March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Shares Rise as Sale of Division Draws Closer

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. shares rose more than 6 per cent on March 19 following a ratings upgrade stemming from the anticipated announcement that the company will sell its engineered products division. According to KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Saul Ludwig, the sale of the division could be announced in April. “Industry contacts tell us that a deal could be announced within the next 30 days and the selling price could top the $1 billion that is widely expected,” he reported.

Ludwig raised his rating on the US tyre major to “buy” from “hold,” citing the possibility of the sale of this unit plus that of Goodyear’s global off-road, aircraft, or international farm tyre businesses, as well as plant closures in Europe, Asia and South Africa, other cost cuts and an equity offering of at least US$1 billion.

20th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Plans New Thailand Proving Ground

Thai Bridgestone Co. Ltd has been granted official approval from the Thailand Board of Investment to establish a new proving ground. The company intends to construct a facility for the purpose of enhancing Bridgestone’s research and development capabilities in Thailand, and it is hoped this new centre will improve the speed and efficiency of testing for both the OE and aftermarket sectors. Additionally, the proving ground will also be used for both internal and external sales promotion and training and safety education activities.

Thai Bridgestone does not intend for the new facility to only serve Thailand’s domestic market. It also plans to utilise the facility for developing and evaluating tyres for the Asia and Pacific markets. The new proving ground is needed to supplement Thai Bridgestone’s current proving ground, opened in 1996 and located adjacent to the company’s Nongkhae factory, as this facility is currently struggling to keep up with future market requirements due to increasing vehicle ownership levels throughout the Asia/Pacific regions. The new and larger-scale proving ground will be suitable for the development of the next generation of high-performance tyres, which will be evaluated at the facility.

19th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Net Income Up for Sumitomo Rubber

Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd has announced its consolidated financial results for the 2006 year. For the twelve months ending December 31, 2006 the company’s net sales came to 534,086 million yen (£2.34 billion), up 4.1 per cent on 2005’s results. The company’s operating income was 36,789 million yen (£161.2 million), substantially lower than in 2005, but net income, taking income taxes and extraordinary profit and loss into account, increased by 7.6 per cent during 2006, up to 27,585 million yen (£120.1 million).

13th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Reifen Tyre Show for China

REIFEN Essen, arguably the world’s leading tyre industry fair, is heading for China. Between November 14 and 16, 2007, the first Reifen China, 1st Asian Essen Tire Show, will open its doors to the international trade public. Held at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, the project is a joint venture between Messe Essen GmbH and the Chinese company China United Rubber (Group) Company (CURC).

12th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Shanghai to Host Rubber & Tyre Expo

With the Chinese and Indian tyre industries proving to be the most rapidly transforming, the Asian region is one that has the attention of industry players and observers worldwide. According to 2005 statistics these two countries account for almost 30 per cent of the natural rubber produced globally each year, with much of this rubber ending up in tyre production.

5th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Amtel-Vredestein to supply tyres to Renault in Russia

Amtel-Vredestein N.V., has confirmed that its Russian subsidiary, OJSC Amtel-Vredestein has been nominated to supply tyres for Renault Logan cars produced in Russia. According to the company, the signed Protocol provided Amtel-Vredestein an opportunity to participate in tenders to develop and supply tyres to various Renault projects worldwide. “This agreement is further validation of our prominent position in the Russian market and the outstanding quality of our tyres. We are honoured to be selected by Renault,” said Amtel-Vredestein CEO, Alexei Gurin.

2nd March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Opens New UHP Factory in Romania

Pirelli Tyre’s IPO last summer completely failed when the parent company was required to sell about 39 per cent of its tyre division Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. to a group of corporate investors from the banking sector rather than to private shareholders. And it will soon be seen whether these moves have actually more than merely temporarily quenched the parent company’s thirst for money. It appears that the tyre maker’s parent company, Pirelli & C. S.p.A., continues to have problems. Its shareholding in Telecom Italia has always been troublesome and was (and is still) obviously not fulfilling high expectations. Only recently more and higher depreciations had to be integrated into Pirelli’s balance sheet because the stock price of Telecom Italia proved unable to recover. In glaring contrast, however, is Pirelli’s tyre business.

1st March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

MRF Signs Top Local Driver for APRC

Indian tyre major MRF has signed up popular Indian driver Gaurav Gill to compete in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) for a full season this year. Addressing a press conference to announce MRF drivers for the championship, K M Mammen, MRF’s chairman and managing director, said “this is the first time that an Indian will be vying for honours in the event by competing in six of the seven legs. Gaurav (Gill) is also the first Indian to register with the FIA for the APRC Series.”

28th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors