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Schaeffler Negotiates 1 billion euros of Credit

On 7 April Schaeffler Group finalised a 1 billion euro loan agreement with its banks. “With the 1 billion euro credit line we have gained further flexibility for Schaeffler Group,” said Klaus Rosenfeld, group CFO at the automotive supplier, adding: “The conclusion of the loan agreement is an important sign of trust from our banks.” According to a statement issued by Schaeffler’s press office, all parties involved have agreed on strict confidentiality regarding further details of the loan agreement.

While the new financing is likely to help the company shore up its financial position, last year Schaeffler borrowed 16 billion euros to finance the takeover of Continental AG, but when the automotive markets spirally and the company’s share price nosedived Schaeffler was left with high debt service payments in the midst of an automotive industry crisis. This led the company to request support from the German state and federal government. In February co-owner Georg Schaeffler said the group needed up to 6 billion euros in fresh financing.

8th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Acquires Serbian Conveyor Belt Manufacturer

Continental AG subsidiary ContiTech has taken over Serbian manufacturer of mining operation conveyor belts, Univerzal Kolubara. According to ContiTech, the group paid less than ten million euros for the company, which has 250 employees. Investment at the Univerzal Kolubara site is planned in order to take advantage of anticipated growth in the mining of brown coal in Serbia.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

US State Makes Tyre Pressure Checks Compulsory

When a regulation adopted on March 26 comes into force, automotive maintenance outlets in the US state of California will be required to check tyre pressure on every vehicle they service. The Air Resources Board regulation takes effect July 1, 2010, and is one of 44 early action measures intended to extend the average tyre’s useful life by 4,700 miles, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tonnes and the state’s fuel consumption by 284 million litres.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Automotive Industry Optimism Sees Shares Rising

Automotive sector stocks in Europe and Asia soared on April 2 following the release of positive data. Shares in BMW, Daimler and Renault jumped 14.5 per cent, 13.6 per cent, and 12.8 per cent, respectively, while shares in Michelin increased 14.4 per cent. Shares in Continental AG are said to have risen by a similar amount. Investors have been encouraged by US vehicle sales, which jumped by nearly 25 per cent last month from February.

3rd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ContiTech Power Transmission Belts: Brand Products Give Certainty

Car maintenance has once again become a priority in the minds of vehicle owners because cars are being kept longer as a result of current economic conditions. And consumers are also paying more attention to prices at auto repair shops. Anyone trying to save on quality when buying power transmission belts, however, must expect to incur high follow-up costs in the event of belt failure – a warning the sales staff at repair shops should give to their customers.

The qualities of a drive belt are not immediately evident just by looking at the product. “Only by the brand name will the fitter know for sure that he is using a quality product”, stresses Markus Pirsch, head of Marketing Service for the automotive aftermarket at the ContiTech Power Transmission Group. Drive belts made by ContiTech for the automotive aftermarket comply with OE standards, giving shop fitters the certainty and confidence that their customers will also benefit from the features of these products.

31st March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Spring Cleaning Your Warehouse?

Too much wasted space, can’t find what you want, difficult to store and retrieve goods? These are classic symptoms of a disorganised warehouse. You just know that there must be a better way, but what is it? This is where Polish company Arcom can help, as it is in the business of supplying effective storage solutions.

Arcom designs and manufactures welded metal racking mainly for the automotive and related industries. In particular a variety of racks for the storage of tyres: small tyres, medium tyres, big tyres, very big tyres, in fact every kind of tyre that you can imagine. So whether you run a shop, a farm, a tyre services depot or even a huge tyre factory, there is a product to suit you. The company appreciates that tyres have to be moved about so it also manufactures trolleys.

31st March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Rolf Koerfer Elected Chairman of Conti Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of Continental AG has unanimously elected Rolf Koerfer its new chairman at its March 27 extraordinary meeting in Hanover, Germany. The 51-year-old thus succeeds Dr. Hubertus von Grünberg, who resigned on March 6.

30th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

PCL to Pay ‘Prestigious’ Visit to Autopromotec 2009

When Sheffield-based PCL exhibits at Autopromotec the company says it will “provide the Italian automotive industry with a [prestigious] connection between its high quality air tools and top end performance, on Hall 22 Stand C8”. No the pneumatic specialists haven’t taken too much gas and air, PCL’s expert team are planning to introduce visitors to a new addition to its enhanced range of air tools – the Prestige Air Tool range.

The range comprises of 11 top end products which feature low vibration, low noise, ergonomic grip and higher performance. All products are manufactured from magnesium or other composite materials for a high quality, lightweight finish, and are ergonomically designed to help the user perform daily jobs more efficiently and in greater comfort. PCL also says it will show customers how nitrogen tyre inflation can maintain tyre pressure for longer, and provide extended tyre life, increased safety, higher fuel economy and superior handling – with demonstrations of Accura Mobile.

30th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dana’s CTIS Celebrating Quarter Century

This year automotive component supplier Dana Corporation celebrates 25 years of supplying its Central Tire Inflation Systems (CTIS) to military and commercial vehicle customers. Initially developed for use by the US armed forces in 1984, Dana reports that it now supplies its CITS to OEMs in the North America and global markets.

“Dana CTIS is selected by more military vehicle OEMs than all of the competitive systems combined,” said James Beverly, Dana’s chief engineer of advanced chassis control systems. “The product is used extensively by the US Army and Marine Corps, as well as NATO forces, and in a variety of commercial vehicle applications such as oil field exploration and construction.”

26th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Named Fleet News Top Fleet Industry Supplier

Kwik-Fit has beaten a string of companies responsible for delivering a range of solutions to Britain’s multi-billion pound fleet industry to be named Fleet Supplier of the Year by Fleet News. While Kwik-Fit Fleet has been a regular winner of the Best Fast-Fit Company title at the annual awards ceremony, which for more than two decades has been hosted by the fleet industry weekly newspaper, this is the first time that the company has beaten off competition from other sectors – including the likes of AA Business Services and RAC Fleet – to win the top supplier accolade.

The Fleet Supplier of the Year Award is designed to identify the organisation which has gone the extra mile in providing exceptional service to fleet customers and has ‘stand out’ service levels, products and staff and a commitment to providing the best products or services. The award was presented at a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on March 18 and follows Kwik-Fit Fleet being named the nation’s top fast-fit company for an impressive 16 years in succession in the annual BusinessCar Awards announced earlier this year.

23rd March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Unipart Automotive Launches Apprentice Scheme

In the wake of Gordon Brown’s announcement to increase the number of apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds, Unipart Automotive is launching an apprentice scheme across its Unipart Car Care Centre network from September 2009. Funded by the Learning & Skills Council, the programme will enable apprentices to benefit from skills training and continuous professional development, ensuring motorists receive the highest standards of service from the independent garage sector.

The three-year training course will provide successful students with both ATA and NVQ Level 3 qualifications. Apprentices will go through a strict selection process to ensure the most promising candidates are selected. In addition to the structured programme, those who are chosen for the Unipart course will also learn about the importance of using OE matching quality parts, garage accreditation and customer service, as well as elements of the industry renowned Unipart Way to give them tools to help with the day to day running of a workshop. With on-the-job training at Unipart Car Care Centres, the apprentices will be provided with Unipart-branded clothing, protective equipment and specific tools along the way.

20th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

MAM To Introduce EDIWHEEL E-Commerce Functionality

MAM Software has announced the forthcoming release of its 'Autonet Ediwheel Buyer (AEB)' e-commerce solution. When launched in April, AEB will enable users of MAM's Autopart software to retrieve real-time stock availability from any Ediwheel-enabled supplier. In addition, users can place immediate purchase orders and receive real-time line-level acknowledgements.

Ediwheel is a new and commonly agreed e-commerce protocol, developed by the major tyre manufacturers to communicate on a business-to-business basis with their trade customers. By conforming to Ediwheel, MAM's AEB will be compatible with any major European tyre manufacturer and tyre importer that has adopted this standard.

20th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Medicine Hat Goodyear to Shut Temporarily

The Goodyear plant in Medicine Hat, Canada – to the East of Calgary – has announced that it will shut down production temporarily next month. The factory will shut for one week, starting on 13 April. The plant is also set to lose 35 full-time jobs on 28 March, while it recently cut its working week to five days. The company says that stagnant demand and a struggling automotive sector have led to the decision, while plant manager Mike MacGregor has quashed rumours that staff numbers could be cut by a further 40-50, though he told local newspaper the Medicine Hat News that there is a possibility that the plant will shave another day off its already-curtailed working week. “What we’re trying to do is protect the remaining workforce,” he concluded.

17th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tata Nano Tyre Sizes Revealed

Tata Motors is expected to launch its pint-size “Nano” car into the Indian automotive market on 23 March, but what tyre/wheel sizes will run on? According to online sources, the Nano will come in a range of four variants (base, mid level CX and top end LX) and its 0.6 litre engine will drive four 12-inch wheels. Tyres sizes are set to be 135/70 R12 on the front and spare; and 155/65 R12 on the rear. Pressures will be set to 26 PSi (Front), 28 PSi (Rear). According to other automotive sources, the Nano is not expected to arrive in Europe until sometime around 2011, by which time the currently model is likely to be in the Nano 2.0 series.

16th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Automechanika Middle East

Automechanika Middle East is the largest automotive aftermarket exhibition covering entire UAE, Gulf Countries, wider Middle East and Africa. Automechanika ME 2009 will be held from 31 May–2 June, 2009 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE.

Some of the most lucrative export destinations can be reached through the ports of Dubai. Automechanika Middle East is the only platform for the Tyre related companies to target $1.1bn Tyre Industry.

For further information contact:

Jasmeet Bakshi
Show Manager
Automechanika Middle East
Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH
PO Box 26761
Dubai, UAE
Tel. +971 4 3380102
Fax. +971 4 3380041

13th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors