(Akron/Tire Review) Gary N Benninger, PhD has been appointed chief operating officer at Amerityre Corp, effective 16 October. Previously, Benninger was director of technology development at auto parts supplier Magna International Inc. and its affiliate MEC. He was responsible for identifying new technologies and managing product launches.
The sales of PT Gajah Tunggal Tbk are likely to increase 20 per cent compared with last year’s figure of 3.8 trillion Indonesian rupiah (£214 million), the company has reported. Gajah Tunggal director, Catharina Widjaja, said the growth was due to increased domestic demand and additional sales to Michelin & Cie. The company, which is 10 per cent owned by Michelin is under contract to supply the French manufacturer with 5 million tyres per annum until 2010.
Bridgestone Corporation has officially opened a plant that produces urethane foam for automobile seats in China. The operator of the plant is Guangzhou Bridgestone Chemical Products Co., Ltd., a joint venture company for the manufacture and sale of urethane foam for automobile seats located in Guangzhou City. Bridgestone set this facility up together with the automotive components arm of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group Co, Ltd on 5 July 2004.
Matador has revealed a new corporate identity. The Slovakian tyre manufacturer and equipment specialist announced the moves following an enormous publicity drive, which has even seen the company invest in corporate informercials on TV channels like CNN and BBC World.
This year the company celebrated its centenary and saw the occasion as a good opportunity to “modernise and create a better impression about Matador’s work.” Use of the new corporate identity will come into effect from 17 October, when it will replace the old logo.
XL, the automotive parts brand distributed through FPS, has introduced a new 2006 brake calliper catalogue which it claims offers the best range coverage in the UK market.
It contains 204 new part references, increasing the range to over 2,500 part numbers. All XL brake callipers undergo stringent testing and are supplied with a 24 month “no quibble” warranty. Since 2001, XL has been part of Remy Automotive UK Ltd.
Maywood Equipment Group, the sole importers of the world famous Hofmann brand of lifts, has added eight and twelve tonne four post lifts to its range. Both models are supplied in three phase only and include safety deadman controls. In both cases the platform length is 8000 millimetres, which allows for a large range of commercial vehicles. The lifting time is only 55 seconds and both lift to a height of 1750 millimetre.
Maywood also offers four post lifts suitable for wheel alignment, namely the Quadrolift wheel alignment series, available with or without secondary lifting.
All lifts from Maywood are distributed through leading companies such as Unipart Automotive (Partco and Brown Brothers) and members of The IFA (Independent Factors Association).
In response to sky-high fuel prices, US consumers are switching their SUVs for CUVs or crossover utility vehicles. Sema’s Research and Information Center has published figures which suggest that although American vehicle owners are becoming more efficiency conscious, there are no signs that they will abandon SUVs altogether. 56 per cent of those surveyed indicated that they do not plan to downsize their vehicles at all.
Automotive supplier Delphi has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. General Motors, Delphi’s former parent company will bear the brunt of the collapse because it could be liable for up to $11 billion (£6 billion) worth of pension and retirement benefits for about 25,000 Delphi employees.
Kwik-Fit Fleet is poised to launch a business offensive aimed at the small and medium-sized fleet (SME) sector and increasing the profile of the company’s fast-fit and Business Drive Card services.
As part of this initiative, Justin Edgington has been appointed national sales manager and Paul Jones has been made sales manager for North Wales and the North West Midlands.
How does motorsport engineering influence series development and vice versa? This question will be at the heart of the Global Motorsports Congress to be held in Frankfurt on 17 and 18 November.
Researchers and developers from throughout the world of motorsport and series development will attend the two-day event in Germany.
EnTire Solutions, the joint venture between Michelin and TRW Automotive, says it will increase its direct tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) presence in North America for the new 2006 Hyundai Tucson and the 2006 Kia Sportage.
The Aftermarket Show, is putting some “never-before-seen” initiatives into place to attract more exhibitors to the event.
The 2006 show will feature a series of seminars which will tackle various issues for the numerous industry sectors it caters for, including: Accessory retailers, motor factors, distributors, independent garages, fast-fits, body shops and franchises.
Delphi has appointed Lúcia Moretti as managing director, Delphi Product & Service Solutions Europe, Middle East and Africa. In her new role, Ms Moretti heads up a new structure within Delphi’s aftermarket division, designed to drive the growth of aftermarket business in the region.
Just look at how Ryanair and Easyjet caught the traditional airlines off-guard – that’s just what could happen to your business if you fail to spot an opportunity before one of your competitors does.
Of course, in my line of business, I’m interested in how companies can create opportunities for themselves through their logistics management. It’s easy to look at how supermarkets control their supply chain right back to the farmer in the field, and assume that the same will happen in the automotive sector as well. Certainly, the dominant trend in logistics has been the transfer of control from manufacturer to customer.
The first Automechanika Thailand will be held from 10 13 May 2006 at the Impact Centre in Bangkok. Thailand is already the largest manufacturer of vehicles in south east Asia, and some commentators point towards sustained and rapid growth. According to show organisers, Messe Frankfurt, the supply and demand sides of the auto industry are calling for a professional platform such as Automechanika to facilitate trade and maximize the huge market potential.
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