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Strategic Alliance Among Auto Aftermarket Companies

Four companies – SKF, Tenneco Automotive, TRW and Valeo – have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop plans to enhance the services offered to their European automotive aftermarket customers. The companies will investigate opportunities to share skills and resources in the fields of training, technical support services and logistics, especially transportation. The four companies will remain independent. Any alliance between the companies resulting from the initial investigation will be subject to the necessary government approvals.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Receivership For Colway and Motorway

KPMG has been appointed as official receiver for Colway Tyres and Motorway tyres. Production at both firms has ceased and the assets of the firms are to be sold. Total output from the retreading operations amounted to some 1,000,000 tyres in the preceding year. The demise of the retreading operation will indubitably have an effect on the UK retread market, and potentially on the waste tyre problem.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Sales Of Explorer Not Affected By Tire Recall

As US automotive sales figures revealed that the US domestic product was facing a massive slump in sales compared to almost universal increases by imported marques, sales of the Ford explorer held up against the national trend with sales rising 3.8% on the 1999 figure, despite the bad publicity onslaught from the Firestone recall.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

New Tenneco Vice President

Jean Pierre Dolait has been appointed as Vice President Sales and Marketing, Aftermarket Tenneco Automotive ( Monroe brand suspension products and Walker exhaust systems). Previously at Valeo, Dolait reports to Tenneco’s General Manager, Aftermarket, Don Miller.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Delphi Finish Year On A Positive Note

Delphi, the global automotive systems supplier reports a positive year, despite disappointing fourth quarter results due to the sharp drop in fourth quarter vehicle volumes and resultant decline in revenues. Although annual sales are down, net income has increased by $11 million to $1.1 billion. This concludes a good first year for Delphi as an independent,publicly owned company

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

IAA In The Shadow Of Terror

The tragic terrorist attacks against the United States had an effect on the 59th International Automotive Exhibition (IAA), which took place in Frankfurt from 13th to 23rd of September. For a moment it seemed that, as a reaction to the catastrophes in New York and Washington the whole event would have to be cancelled. However, the authorities decided to continue with the show at a subdued level – which meant that exhibitors cancelled their music and showcases, reducing the programme to pure product presentation level. “It was a quiet show,” is how Prof. Dr. Bernd Gottschalk, President of the German Car Manufacturers Association (VDA) summed it up. The official opening ceremony with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was also cancelled. At noon on Thursday 23rd a five minute silence was held over the whole exhibition area in memory of the victims. The first press day of the IAA was attended by around 10,000 journalists who came to report on the 57 world premieres at the show. The news of the apocalyptic terror attacks spread very quickly amongst press representatives and exhibitors alike. In some areas of the exhibition, for example, hall number 10, which was occupied by the garage equipment suppliers, exhibition activities immediately broke down completely. Groups of visibly shocked people followed the TV transmissions. The shadow of extremist terror had touched even this event.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Corporate Sales of Continental Grow to Over 10 Billion Euro

The Continental Corporation boosted its sales in 2000 by 10.8 per cent to 10.1 billion Euro (prior year: 9,1 billion Euro). All corporate Groups contributed to this result. Because of nonrecurring effects totalling 60 million Euro, the operating result (EBIT) was reduced to 432 million Euro (prior year: 511 million Euro). The result after tax amounts to 205 million Euro (prior year: 235 million Euro).

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Asian Auto Industry “Faces Continuing Stagnation” – Report

A report from automotive industry consultant Autopolis suggests that the Asian auto sector is half-way through “a decade of stagnation”. Sales this year will be flat and predictions for next year are for sales outside Japan to fall by 7 per cent and production to drop 8 per cent as exports decline. Chief Economist Graeme Maxton forecasts that it will take until 2005 for the market to return to 1996 levels. He says that there are some bright spots, with opportunities in China and India “but the rest of the region is just vegetating.”

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Canadian Successes For Goodyear

Every year, Canadian automotive journalists carry out a series of driving tests, after which they name their “car of the year” in various categories. In the 2001 awards, 10 out of 15 car and truck category winners were fitted with Goodyear tyres. Wayne Barnes, president and CEO of Goodyear Canada, said that the results underline the way the company works closely with OEMs to achieve better vehicle performance.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Development Of Chinese Market Creates Demand

The rapid expansion of the Chinese automotive industry has created a demand for rubber components. This has developed an import market for specialised rubber products and is producing a boost to the rubber products sector, with special interest in acrylate rubber, ternary ethylene propylene rubber, thermoplastic rubber, flourine rubber, nitrile hydride rubber and chlorine alcohol rubber.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Acquisition In The Automotive Field Planned By ThyssenKrupp

Last year there were rumours concerning a possible hostile takeover bid for Continental by ThyssenKrupp. However, ThyssenKrupp was not able to bring its steel subsidiary company to the stock exchange as planned and it seemed that the acquisition pressure had been halted. On January 15th, the ThyssenKrupp management mentioned during a press conference that they are planning “a bigger acquisition in the automotive field”. No further details were made available.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

50 Years of Eibach

In Mid-September, the Spring-, Suspension- and Chassis-specialist celebrated its 50th anniversary in Finnentrop, with the slogan: “50 years of experience – Ready for the future.” More than 400 guests accepted the invitation for the central celebration event, approximately 50 percent of them being customers, coming from 40 countries. The terror attacks in the USA had their effect on this event too: is it possible to celebrate an anniversary thinking about thousands of victims in the States and the pain of their families? “The main impact has come from our colleagues in the United States, who wanted us to continue with the programme. We also want to give a example of multinational understanding and positive relations”, declared a visibly-moved Wilfried Eibach, head of the family owned company. The success story started in 1951 with the production of industry springs. In the Seventies the department for automotive springs was founded. Nowadays the name Eibach is known world-wide as a synonym for leading chassis technology. For some years the programme has gone far beyond the pure spring. The construction process has been supported by “CAD”-applications and it has carried out pioneer work in the field of new methods of corrosion-protection. Also the chassis system harmonisation is a huge field of activities in the year 2001. Today Eibach AG stands as a family holding on top of the German company group, consisting of four daughter companies. Abroad, Eibach is represented with production, engineering and/or distribution facilities in Irvine (California, USA), Broughton Astley (Leicestershire, GB), Tokyo (Japan) and Warriewood (New South Wales, Australia) and through more than 50 exclusive distributors. In Germany the 250 employees have achieved a turnover of 25.2 million Euro. The world-wide turnover in 2000 of the 400 employees amounted to 48 million Euro. During the celebration guests had practical experience of the secret of Eibach’s success: the fact that – beyond the many technological qualifications – the family owners have never neglected the human dimension, and they have always been aware of their social responsibilities.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooperation Of Continental Teves with Iranian Brake Manufacturer

Continental Teves (Frankfurt), part of the Continental Automotive Systems Group, has signed a licence agreement with Toklan Toos, the largest brake manufacturer in the Middle East. The company will produce and sell Electronic Brake Systems (ABS) in Iran.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Fleet Managing Director For National Tyres

In the UK, National Tyres and Autocare has appointed Kevin Parker as Managing Director of its Fleet Division. His previous position was as Sales Director for FTM Tyrefit and he has 13 years’ experience in the automotive trade.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Strengthening of Continental Brake Business

Continental Teves plans a joint venture with the Shanghai Automotive Brake Company (SABC) – subject to the approval of the Chinese authorities. The aim is to provide the market with a complete brake systems package from one source. SABC already manufactures Continental Teves brake components under license, and produces components for both Volkswagen and General Motors.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors