A report from the global business advisory firm AlixPartners says that, while the global automotive industry overall remains a growth industry, the Western European industry is facing the prospect of its second severe market downturn in recent years.
Young people considering their future career options are to get an insight into manufacturing as Michelin hosts two tours of its Stoke factory as part of a national Government apprenticeship drive. The site tour is part of a Government initiative called See Inside Manufacturing. Originally launched last year by Business Secretary, Dr Vince Cable, the initiative is designed to deliver an additional 250,000 apprenticeships in the UK.
To coincide with the London Olympics, Hankook Tyre UK is launching a new outdoor advertising campaign. The ads will be positioned in key locations in central London, including Cromwell Road, North Circular Road, Whitechapel Road, York Road and the Chiswick Roundabout, and will run until mid-September – a timeframe covering the entire Olympic Games. Hankook anticipates the location of the ads will expose thousands of games visitors to its ‘Be One with It’ campaign, an advertising series the tyre maker describes as “an important pillar” of its marketing strategy.
Hubert Plouchart has joined the French subsidiary of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe. Holding a BTS in Management and a Masters in Business and Marketing from ESSEC, Plouchart was formerly head of National Sales of the glass repair department at Speedy France.
The tyre and automotive sectors are Lanxess’ most important in Turkey, and the company aims to further expand in this growing market. On 18 June the specialty chemicals firm took what it calls an “important step in this direction” with the official opening of its new subsidiary in Istanbul. In future, Lanxess Kimya Ticaret will manage the company’s business in Turkey, a market where it generated record sales of some 125 million euros in 2011, nearly triple the firm’s 2009 result. The new company will initially start off with 20 employees and is headed by general manager Ömer Bakir.
The position of managing director of Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd, made vacant by George Rietbergen’s impending move to Brussels and new role as vice-president for the company’s EMEA region Commercial Product Business Unit, has been filled by Erich Fric, the tyre maker has announced. Fric, whose career with Goodyear Dunlop began in Austria in 1994, will take over from Rietbergen on 1 July.
Mitas Tyres Limited claims to offer the UK’s largest range of high-spec row-crop tyres, and the company showed the latest products from its range at Cereals 2012 together with Case IH. The company also provided visitors with advice on correct row-crop tyre selection.
Strathclyde Tyres is promoting apprenticeships as an alternative route to work for young people struggling to gain access to college courses that would have provided them with the vocational qualification to begin their working life.
Charles D. Foran Jr. (Dave) has been appointed as the new president of USON, the automated leak detection equipment maker. Dave Foran brings more than 35 years of experience leading diverse organizations. “I am extremely pleased with the opportunity to help USON, the market leader in leak detection instruments, go to the next level. USON will soon celebrate 50 years in business and my goal is to enable USON to leverage the power of the Internet to set a whole new standard in how USON reaches out to the marketplace and to our customers,” he commented.
Southampton based Supertracker, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012, has recently introduced a new alignment-based addition to its extensive product portfolio – a new fully computerised truck aligner, the STR410T. The new aligner has been specifically produced for the commercial vehicle sector and provides many of the Supertracker STR410R car aligner's features as well as incorporating a number of additional data adjustments for the professional alignment of trucks.
The successor to Falken’s flagship FK452 is now available in the United Kingdom. Deliveries of the Azenis FK453 began in May, and shortly before the range’s local launch, Tyres & Accessories had the opportunity to speak with Falken tyre development engineer Sven Kruse, who is part of the Japanese tyre maker’s Frankfurt, Germany-based engineering team. Kruse talked T&A through the company’s new top high performance tyre, and explained the differences those familiar with the FK452 can expect.
BEN, the automotive industry charity, in conjunction with the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, held the first of its two annual car boot sales on Sunday 13 May 2012 at Heritage Motor Centre, Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwickshire.
Momo, a well known Italian automotive brand most famous for its wheels, has announced that it is launching a tyre range in partnership with Univergomma S.p.a. at next week’s Reifen exhibition in Essen, Germany.
ATS Euromaster will service tyres fitted to global transport and logistics specialist DSV’s 7,000-strong European trailer fleet, having secured the major three year contract. ATS Euromaster’s team of mobile technicians will provide complete tyre maintenance, comprising routine tyre safety inspections and any follow-up service work, to up to 1,000 DSV trailers transiting through the UK every day. The company says it will be fitting “premium remould tyres”, supplied predominantly by Vacu-Lug and Encore, to the trailers, replacing a former Bridgestone policy.
Remy Automotive, the automotive parts manufacturer, has appointed Peter Cunningham as key accounts manager, with a national responsibility, at Remy Automotive UK Ltd.
Cunningham has been in the UK motor trade since 1983, working initially in sales for two leading motor factor groups prior to working for Turtle Wax and Wynn’s, latterly as an area manager. He worked for Remy as a key accounts manager for 2 years before leaving in 2010 to pursue other interests. According to the company, he is delighted to return to Remy, working on a national basis.
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