Beru AG, the TPMS sensor and diesel coldstart specialist, has officially changed its name into the German equivalent of limited company (GmbH). The company now operates as “BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH”. According to the company, the new name expresses the relationship to the US parent company, BorgWarner, while retaining the valuable Beru brand name.
Continental Tire North America's Commercial Vehicle Tire Division has appointed a new key account manager for aviation. Sandy Schick has joined the division's industrial tyre unit, and will focus upon sales to large aviation customers, including airports, airlines, airport ground support, and shipping ports, with an emphasis on Continental’s industrial and truck tyre product lines.
Al Saeedi Middle East FZCO and Al Saeedi Automotive Trading Co, Dubai have received ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management. They were earlier certified as an ISO 9001:2000 company in year 2005. The Group states that the certificate acknowledges the company’s quality management system based on the process approach, which aims to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting and exceeding customer requirements. The company is the sole distributor of Solideal (solid, pneumatic and industrial tyres) Aufine truck and bus tyres, Maitech off-road radials, Schrader products, Neuton passenger car tyres, and Sicam Tyre equipment.
On December 3, a year and a week after its foundation stone was laid, Continental inaugurated a new office building for its Automotive Group R&D centre employees in the Romanian city of Iasi. The 9,000 square metre premises was erected at a cost of around 20 million euros, and will host the research and engineering brains behind all three of the Automotive Group’s divisions: Chassis & Safety, Powertrain, and Interior. Development activities at the new site will range from electronic brake systems and chassis components to hybrid electric drives and body and security as well as infotainment. In total, approximately 450 people are currently employed at the site.
Automotive industry application is one of a number of uses Momentive Performance Materials states its new Silplus silicone elastomer is suited to. This global heat cured rubber (high consistency elastomer) platform is based on a uniform production process and raw material inputs, and will be produced primarily in Leverkusen, Germany, Shanghai, China and Ohta, Japan. The manufacturer states that all production sites will use a mix process, resulting in higher quality elastomers with good physical properties and a lower level of volatility.
The establishment of Wegmann Automotive in October 2009 saw some of the world’s leading wheel weight brands (Hofmann, Franken, F-Ecoline and Perfect [US]) reorganised into a single unified group. Now united under the Wegmann umbrella brand, sales and marketing director Thorsten Thom reports that the company is facing the current market challenges well and in certain cases actually gaining market share. Thom also praised the positive impact made by recently appointed UK sales manager, David Peacock. According to Thom, 2009 UK market sales have experienced double-digit growth compared with 2008.
Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon, Concorde made its inaugural voyage; The Archies topped the charts with "Sugar, Sugar" and Cliff Jones joined Rema Tip Top. The year? You guessed it – 1969. Cliff Jones began life at Rema Tip Top as a fledgling sales representative selling tyre repair materials to the two-wheel and automotive trade. Since then Cliff Jones has risen to the top in his time with the company. Now in the position of managing director of Rema Tip Top Automotive UK Ltd colleagues recognise that he leads by example, driven by an “inextinguishable passion and burning desire for success, unfazed by hard work, excited by challenge and resilient in adversity.”
Continental AG is aiming to complete the refinancing negotiations of its syndicated loan before Christmas, Reuters quoted sources “familiar with the matter” as saying. Further reports suggest Continental is opting to pay a higher interest rate in exchange for postponing a 3.5 billion euro payment due in August next year. Instead the automotive supplier is expected to use a 1 billion euro capital increase and extend the remaining 2.5 billion in loan payments, “temporarily eliminating any need to raise cash via the disposal of its Rubber Group activities” according to Reuters.
When former BEN chief executive Geoffrey Atkinson OBE and his wife Tina leapt out of an aircraft at a height of 15,000 feet on October 17, they were aiming to raise £15,000 for the automotive and related industries’ charity. As it turns out, they should have commenced their skydive a thousand feet higher – as to date the pair have raised an impressive £16,000 for BEN.
Federal Tires are now on display at Warner Bros. Movie World Australia after the Taiwan-based tyremaker entered a year long sponsorship deal with the park’s Hollywood Stunt Driver attraction. According to the company, the partnership has “opened up a whole new chapter for Federal Tires taking a more stellar role to please automotive enthusiasts when it comes to vehicular theatrics.”
The attraction is said to feature: “An insane and crazy stunt show incorporating a unique combination of thrill and danger with a world-class team of drivers performing their cutting-edge driving skills and riding SS657, taking the stunt show to the next level…All of this creates a strong emotional connection ensuring audiences are engaged, transformed and inspired with tire’s comprehensive.”
“If your car breaks down and an official motorcade drives by, who would you hope had come to your rescue?” That was the somewhat implausible question posed by The Institute of the Motor Industry in a recent survey of 2000 consumers concerning the Automotive Technician Accreditation scheme; but not to be outdone, the Great British Public got behind its monarch, delivering an equally implausible scenario in which the Queen took a look under their hoods. Perhaps drawing on her experience as a fully-qualified World War Two mechanic, HRH Elizabeth II (16 per cent) was considered most likely to undertake basic car repairs, followed by Conservative Party leader David “Dave” Cameron (13 per cent). Predictably, Gordon Brown gained 9 per cent of the vote (a sorry prediction for 2010’s General Election, if fought on the rather unlikely issue of car reparation) while eminently disposable pop culture guru Simon Cowell got 11 per cent.
US based science and technology magazine Popular Science has included Goodyear’s Assurance Fuel Max in its 2009 “100 Most Innovative Products of the Year” list. The Goodyear tyre appears in the Automotive Technology category of the "Best of What’s New" section and is featured in the magazine’s December issue and online at www.popsci.com.
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The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association has announced that chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC and executive vice president of Bridgestone Americas, Larry Magee will do the honours as keynote speaker at its third annual Vision Conference. Aftermarket Business reports that the conference will take place on 17 March at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, Illinois.
China’s growing automotive market presents rich pickings for tyre manufacturers looking to increase sales, and Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber is spending on advertising to ensure consumers know its products. During an advertising airtime auction held by the state broadcaster CCTV on November 18, the tyre manufacturer secured the top rated timeslot directly after the national news programme "Xinwen Lianbo". Hangzhou Zhongce is reported to have paid RMB 47.2 million (£4.13 million) for this premium airtime.
The UK's streets and car parks could see thousands more charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid cars thanks to £30 million of Government funding. Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis today invited cities and businesses to join together to bid for the money which will help fund the installation of charging points on streets, car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities.
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