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Taray Sets up Team USA Domestic Group

Taray International Corp. introduced team USA, headed by Craig Russell (formerly of Multi-Seal Corp.), to serve as the company’s domestic sales, marketing and service group. “For the past 30 years, Taray has provided its international customers with top quality products and unrivaled service at very competitive prices. With the introduction of Team USA, our domestic clients can now enjoy the same level of service and quality as our international clients,” the company said in a press release.

Team USA is a group of field representatives divided into three territories across the U.S., allowing Taray to meet the needs of customers much faster, according to the company. Taray supplies tyre retreading supplies, automotive service equipment and commercial tyre products, including Bosch rubber extruder sales and repair; expandable rim sales and refurbishing; hand and pneumatic tools; and much more. For more information, visit www.taray.com. (Tire Review/Akron)

29th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Market Coverage Assured with Universal Automotive Range

Kidderminster-based parts distributor Universal Automotive provides its customers a range of well-known OE quality branded products and parts under its own VECO brand name. In the brakes category this branded range of pads, shoes, discs and drums is complemented by the globally repected Brembo name, for whom Universal Automotive acts as UK logistics partner. Through this arrangement the company is able to supply the complete Brembo programme of top-of-the-range aftermarket discs and drums, including the Brembo Max performance range.

29th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Harvie to Retire as Goodyear General Counsel, Successor Named

Come October, Goodyear Tire & Rubber will have a new general counsel following the announcement of incumbent C. Thomas Harvie’s imepnding retirement. Mr. Harvie will retire on October 31 following more than 14 years in the position; Goodyear’s Board of Directors have elected David L. Bialosky, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of TRW Automotive Holdings as his successor. Bialosky will join Goodyear in late September.

29th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Tire Doubles Quarterly Operating Profits

Hankook Tire has reported strong second quarter sales of 1,257.3 billion won (£613.945 million; 715.822 million euros; 1.009 billion), up 10.3 per cent from 1,111.7 billion won (£545.693 million; 637.191 million euros; $893.855 million) in the second quarter of 2008. However, the company also recorded a 239.6 per cent increase in quarterly operating profits, which grew from 79.0 billion won to 144.8 billion won (£71.098 million; 82.944 million; $116.456 million) in the second quarters of 2008 and 2009 respectively.

The Hankook Tire China and Hungary operation saw record-high growth that led to a triple-digit percentage increase in its operating profit figures. In particular, the China operation reportedly recorded a 34.8 per cent sales increase quarter-on-quarter due to an increase in consumer demands and OE supplies, in line with the growing Chinese automotive industry. The Hungary operation showed a 44.6% sales increase year-on-year and resulted in operating profits following growth in the European market and cost efficient production.

29th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts: Continental’s New In-Vehicle Infotainment System is ‘Revolutionary

While the top level executives at Continental AG, Schaeffler Group and the panel of banks they owe huge sums of money to slog it out over who will run the companies, for many who work within their subsidiaries it is business as usual. And while one of the fiercest battles in German corporate history rages at the upper echelons of the business, Conti’s in-car division is apparently doing something right. According to a report released today by Frost & Sullivan, Continental’s AutolinQ in-vehicle connectivity and infotainment platform is set to “revolutionise the automotive world, ushering in new business models that are simpler, more flexible, and better set to maximise payoffs for all players along the telematics value chain.” However, questions of connectivity, the overall selling model, cross industry collaboration and application types must be ironed out first.

28th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hurricane Damaged Firestone Retail Centre Re-Opens

Four years after Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage throughout the city of New Orleans, Firestone Complete Auto Care has celebrated the reopening of one of its centres in the city. The outlet on Carrolton street was forced to close its doors due to damage received on August 29, 2005, and to-date has been one of only a handful of automotive retailers to have returned to the area.

“Our Firestone Complete Auto Care stores are important parts of their communities,” said Ottis Lewis, vice-president, South Central Zone, Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO). “Our teammates not only care about our customers, but we care about the communities that we call home. Since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it has been BSRO’s goal to reopen this store – we are thrilled to be able to serve this close-knit community once again.”

24th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

CRI: Chinese Tyre Exports ‘Not Very Promising in 2009’

In April 2009 tyre yields in China increased 13.7 per cent, compared with the same period of last year, to 58.15 million units. According to new data released today by China Research and Intelligence (CRI), between January and April 2009 the tyre yields totalled 185.6 million units in China, up 0.2 per cent year-on-year. In light of the major difficulties facing automotive suppliers in general and tyre manufacturers the past year, flat growth is really quite positive. However according to CRI, “exports are not very promising” by comparison.

Between January and April 2009 China exported 81.31 million tyres, valued at US$2.01 billion (down 23.3 per cent and 21 per cent respectively compared with the same period in 2008). Exports in April amounted to 23.16 million tyres, down by 19.2 per cent and valued at $580 million (down 16.1 per cent).

22nd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Autopromotec 2009: New Parker TyreSaver 3.0

“The air we breathe consists largely of nitrogen, oxygen and water. The oxygen and water contained in compressed air has a negative impact on tyres and will influence handling, fuel efficiency, tyre life and rim condition, the environment and your own safety. The solution is to inflate tyres with a high concentration of nitrogen. Tyres filled with nitrogen last longer, are safer and more eco-friendly. In the future, every driver will have nitrogen inflated tyres,” claimed product manager at Parker Filtration and Separation B.V., Robin Biemans.

A new design and engineering project has seen the company produce a new nitrogen tyre inflation tool. It can be used to inflate car, motorcycle, trailer and van tyres. The TyreSaver 3.0, describes Parker, is a robust, lightweight, mobile, nitrogen tyre inflator for the automotive industry, with low investment costs, making the company certain that it has a high sales and profit margin potential. “This workshop tool can be connected to a compressor and automatically generates nitrogen from compressed air; a simple concept that is, above all, inexpensive. This means that the investment will pay for itself in no time at all. The TyreSaver 3.0 is fitted with an exchangeable membrane cartridge that will operate for thousands of tyre inflations. The patent is currently pending,” continued Robin Biemans.

22nd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

French Car Plant Workers Hold-Off Factory Bomb Threats

Factory bomb threats have reportedly taken over from so-called “bossnappings” (where factory managers are held hostage) on the part of French automotive worker faced with plant closures. According to news reports, workers at the New Fabris plant have voted to remove gas canisters they were using as explosives, union representatives are quoted as saying. In return for holding off their plans for what can perhaps be described as corporate terrorism (others may describe it as economic freedom fighting) the company’s union is demanding 30,000 euros (£25,870; $42,470) each from Renault and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen for all of its displaced employees. The combined figure of 60,000 is nearly ten times what Renault and Peugeot have committed to after buying New Fabris’ remaining shares, “subject to quality guarantees, on condition that the money goes to the company’s former workers.” The two car makers are New Fabris’ biggest customers.

20th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hofmann Helps MIRA Stay Balanced

MIRA, the leading automotive design, development and certification consultancy, has chosen a Hofmann geodyna 6900p wheel balancer for its vehicle dynamics laboratory. The geodyna 6900p wheel balancer features a number of patented innovations, including virtual plane measurement to ensure accurate balance results that are insensitive to ambient conditions such as temperature, humidity, fatigue and overload. In addition, it also includes a so-called “WeightMiser” function which allows removal of sufficient vibration from a tyre and wheel by applying a lower amount of weight than a normal balance function recommends, thereby reducing the amount of costly balance weights required.

20th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental AG Posts Half-Year Profit

Based upon preliminary figures for the second quarter of 2009, Continental AG is reporting a “clear profit” for the three-month period, with an adjusted EBIT of 283.0 million euros. Reported EBIT for the quarter was 38.8 million euros, compared with a loss of 34.3 million in the first quarter. These results, says Continental, demonstrate the company’s “unwavering operational strength in the midst of the ongoing crisis in the automotive sector.”

“In an extremely difficult business environment and despite the current paralysis due to its uncertain future, Continental still achieved its operating goals,” said Continental Executive Board chairman Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann on July 20.

20th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Report Shows Real Cost of Scrappage Schemes

With our own scrappage scheme now underway, it is perhaps timely to look at the experiences of our European neighbours. It is estimated that some 3.6 million new cars will be sold in Germany this year, around 800,000 more that would have been the case without the country’s 2,500 euro scrapping incentive, which owners of vehicles more than nine years old are eligible to take advantage of. However a report from the German website ‘Kfz-Betrieb Online’, based on a study conducted by automotive industry business intelligence provider Eurotax-Schwacke indicates that government incentives to scrap old cars are no silver bullet. “The premium doesn’t rescue the [automotive] sector, it only defers the problem,” stated Eurotax Schwacke managing director Michael Bergmann.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Website “Offers Peace Of Mind To Consumers”

From today, motorists can be confident of receiving fair and honest services from the automotive sector, says Motor Codes Limited. Announcing the launch of its new comprehensive website www.motorindustrycodes.co.uk and the addition of another Code to bolster its armoury of consumer protection, Motor Codes Limited aims at providing a robust method of delivering ever-increasingly high levels of customer service to motorists.

The website, which is now the central source of advice and information for motorists who need help and advice on a whole range of subjects – not just Codes of Practice – is supplemented by a freephone advice line 0800 692 0825 for when the motorist needs to talk to the experts.

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Ontario Announces Incentives to Buy, Drive Electric Cars

The Ontario government has reportedly announced rebates of up to $10,000 to people who buy plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles after 1 July 2010. Premier Dalton McGuinty said his government aims to have one out of every 20 vehicles driven in Ontario electrically powered by 2020. The size of the rebate will depend on the vehicle’s battery capacity.

Local news sources quote automotive analyst Dennis DesRosiers said the incentive plan isn’t well thought through: “The fact they are offering such a high upfront incentive is an admission that there is high risk for this technology,” Mr. DesRosiers said. “Years before the vehicles are available they’re putting a bribe of $10,000 in the market place and the only reason they do that is because they anticipate they aren’t going to sell.” DesRosiers said the government would have been further ahead if it followed the lead of the U.S., which has invested $25-billion in a fund to promote electric battery technology. (Tire Review/Akron)

16th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Reminds Consumers of Kevlar’s Strong Points

Goodyear has been using high-strength Kevlar in its products for some years now, and recently the company highlighted the advances made using the fibres developed by the scientists at DuPont. The US based tyre major points out that tyre reinforcement was the initial application for Kevlar more than 40 years ago, and today the product is used across the company’s range. The material property advantages of Kevlar are extensively used in developing products that address the issues of ride and comfort, handling, thermal and flame resistance, reduced tyre weight and road noise.

15th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors