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Apollo to Lay Off 1,500

The downturn in the automotive industry has seen Apollo Tyre’s OEM demand drop 43 percent in terms of value during the last financial quarter, and according to company chairman and managing director Onkar S Kanwar, “car sales have plummeted [and] tyre sales have also gone down proportionally.” During the last quarter commercial vehicle tyre sales have also experienced “a serious drop”, he added. In light of this decreased demand for the company’s products, the Hindu Business Line reports that Apollo is considering laying off 1,500 workers.

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Volkswagen Group UK First Car Company to Join TyreSafe

Volkswagen Group UK Ltd has become the first vehicle manufacturer to join TyreSafe. The five brands which make up the Group – Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – have become full members and will participate in a series of national campaigns highlighting the importance of tyres in road safety.

“The addition of a vehicle manufacturer to our organisation is an important step forward for TyreSafe,” comments Rob Beddis, chairman, TyreSafe. “As we continually expand and engage with the wider automotive industry, the Volkswagen Group’s extensive experience of dealing with motorists and fleets will be invaluable to future TyreSafe campaigns. We look forward to receiving a fresh perspective and input, helping to reduce the number of accidents caused by defective tyres.”

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Bridgestone Launches Safety Scholars 2009

Bridgestone Americas has revealed the details for its third annual Safety Scholars Video Contest. Targeted to young drivers ages 16-21, Safety Scholars asks entrants to create short auto safety-themed videos. This year the topic of automotive environmentalism will be an option for entrants, extending the Bridgestone Group’s “One Team, One Planet” global environmental initiative.

“Car crashes claim the lives of more 16- to 21-year-olds than any other cause, so safety education is a priority for us,” said Christine Karbowiak, vice president of community and corporate relations. “Environmental responsibility is equally important to the company, which led us to include that topic in this year’s contest. Safety Scholars is an innovative and engaging platform that allows us to communicate our commitment to both issues.”

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Unipart’s Latest Megawisebuys

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Parts supplier Unipart Automotive has teamed up with market leading garage equipment manufacturers to launch the latest edition of Megawisebuys offering vehicle workshops, body shops and commercial vehicle operators added-value deals on quality capital and mobile equipment.

Some of the deals in the March/April edition include: A free remote control handset with any set of Stertil Koni mobile column lifts ordered in March or April along with a free two-year warranty on the FORCE30 two post three tonne hydraulic lift from Maywood; a free set of high lift pads with the Bradbury 2903CD 2 post 3 tonne mechanical lift; a free Karcher domestic pressure washer (inc accessories) with selected Karcher hot & steam pressure washers along with a free hose storage trolley with selected Karcher cold washers for a limited period only.

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Triple P showcases Gulf Lubricants

In addition to the presence of tyre makers, the Aftermarket Show at Autosport International proved to be the ideal stage for Triple P, a division of Universal Automotive, to demonstrate its ability to attract performance brands, with the announcement of a distribution agreement with Gulf Lubricants UK. The road-going version of the Gulf-sponsored Le Mans winning Aston Martin DBR9 was the centre-piece of the company’s stand.

Keith Jewers, Gulf UK retail sales director joined the rest of the Triple P team and was present for the duration of the show to answer any questions about the brand. “Being at the heart of the Aftermarket Show and featuring in the TalkShop forums provided the perfect platform to really get the message across to both trade and consumer that Gulf Lubricants are back in a big way,” he explained. “The Gulf brand is synonymous with quality and innovation, and the high performance range of products we are offering through Triple P will be extremely comprehensive and competitive.”

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Michelin MBA Network Strength Outlined at Dealer Meeting

Business owners and senior managers from nearly 70 Michelin accredited independent truck tyre distributors across the UK and Republic of Ireland gathered in Paris on 30 January for the third annual Michelin Business Advantage (MBA) dealer conference. What the representatives from the MBA network heard during their time in France was music to the ears in these difficult times for the automotive sector.

“The latest figures from Europool highlight that whilst the replacement market for new truck tyres dropped by 10 per cent in the UK in 2008, Michelin continued to gain market share and is still the number one selling brand,” said Phil Baldock, MBA manager at Michelin. “We also bucked the trend in the market for retread tyres, with our penetration increasing in a marketplace which also fell by 10 per cent.

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Kenda Offers a Unique Driving Experience

In a world where performance, safety and superiority rule, Kenda says it is marking itself out from the crowd. The Taiwanese manufacturer reports that it has for some time focused on reducing tyre noise, and its low noise tyres are now successfully marketed in many global markets – clear favourites amongst millions of commuters, adds Kenda. The automotive industry allows little or no room for mistakes and substandard quality levels, the company comments, and says it should therefore come as no surprise that Kenda puts safety, innovation and reliability at the core of its operation.

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Conti Urges European Adoption of 10% Deviation TPMS

The European Commission has ruled that tyre pressure monitoring systems are to be a mandatory on all new vehicles as of 2012. With this deadline only three years away, Continental is urging the adoption of systems that give precise measurements and alert drivers as soon as even slight levels of underinflation are detected.

“About 90 per cent of all tyre defects are attributable to a slow leak in tyre pressure,” comments Conti spokesman Alexander Lührs. He adds that one third of cars on the road in Continental’s home market of Germany have at least one underinflated tyre, and this problem is mirrored throughout Europe. If the tyres on each of these vehicles were correctly inflated, vehicle running costs in Europe alone could be reduced by £3.1 billion a year. Vehicle braking distances would also decrease.

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Rema Tip Top Gets New Official Name

On 1 January 2009, Rema Tip Top UK Limited (the company’s automotive and industry service/distribution based operations) officially began trading as a newly reorganised group of companies. The traditional Rema Tip Top Automotive division responsible for the sale of all automotive goods and services officially became ‘Rema Tip Top Automotive UK Limited’. While the Rema Tip Top Industry division responsible for the sale of all industrial goods and services became ‘Rema Tip Top Industry UK Limited.’

Rema Tip Top Automotive UK Limited continues to operate from its headquarters in Leeds, West Yorkshire, whilst Rema Tip Top Industry UK Limited has moved its headquarters to Harworth in Doncaster.

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ArvinMeritor Commemorates a Century of Automotive Supply

Happy birthday ArvinMeritor. The vehicle systems and components supplier marked its centenary at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Michigan, US on January 30. The company says it will continue to commemorate this historic milestone throughout 2009 at events and product exhibitions, which will be punctuated with the launch of several “next generation” products from axles to brakes to hybrid drivetrain applications featuring advanced design and state-of-the-art manufacturing technology.

“ArvinMeritor’s longevity is based on a rich heritage of product performance, customer service and engineering expertise,” said Chip McClure, chairman, CEO and president of ArvinMeritor. “These characteristics, combined with our commitment to develop industry-leading products and provide customised services to meet the needs of our customers around the world, describe our long history of ‘forward thinking.’”

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Pack a Sub-Zero Survival Kit, Warns Kwik-Fit

The Met Office reports that the snow experienced across parts of the UK yesterday was the heaviest to have fallen in 18 years. With perhaps a whole generation of motorists therefore unaccustomed to conditions of this type, Kwik-Fit has issued timely advice to motorists, telling those who must continue using the roads in times of heavy snow to pack a ‘sub-zero survival kit’, in case they are stranded or face lengthy delays.

This warning comes in light of research from the automotive retailer, which found that motorists fail to carry the most basic of survival items, even in the most treacherous conditions. Indeed, even though a survey has indicated that more than a quarter of British motorists have been stranded by the roadside in wintry conditions, the majority lacked basic sub-zero survival items in their car.

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Kwik-Fit Training Awarded Beacon Status

Kwik-Fit has announced that it has been awarded the highly acclaimed Beacon status from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) for its further education training programmes.

The award was given following a successful Ofsted inspection in which the automotive repair company’s effectiveness, quality, leadership and management for its Train to Gain and Work-Based Learning programmes were graded ‘outstanding’.

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Norway’s Fundo Wheels Declared Bankrupt

Norwegian manufacturer Fundo Wheels, original equipment tyre rim supplier to European vehicle producers, has been declared bankrupt. It is thought that the company’s 350 employees will lose their jobs.

The company’s poor performance is said to be strongly linked to the global automotive industry slump. The company’s owners are still seeking fresh capital, and a bank has secured operations for a further month to enable the company to complete orders for Volvo and Audi.

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Hankook – “Kontrol Technology”

“Kontrol Technology” is Hankook’s technology philosophy, which reflects how the tyre should perfectly control the interaction between the driver, the car and the road while in motion (the ‘K’ stands for kinetic). It is implemented to ensure that Hankook provides the greatest benefits and driving experiences to customers in terms of safety, driving comfort, handling, performance and environmental friendliness.

As well as a Kontrol Technology information booth at Sema, Hankook showcased its new, environmental tyre – enfren – which has completed the Kontrol Technology cycle and was launched in Korea. Hankook is exploring the possibility of a North American version within three years.

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Schaeffler Walks Away Without State Aid After Initial Talks

Schaeffler Group and Continental AG walked away empty handed from financial support talks with federal ministers. They also received this advice: a “viable and forward-looking” plan, agreed on with creditors, is “a prerequisite for further negotiations.” According to an earlier Reuters report, Schaeffler Group had “sounded out” the German government about the possibility of 4 billion euros ($5.23 billion) in capital. The Federal talks came after talks with German states, including Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Baden-Wuerttemberg were unsuccessful. For its part Bavaria’s government said only loan guarantees would be considered.

The delegation will have to rethink its approach after German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said taxpayers wouldn’t be funding Schaeffler: “It’s not the job of the state to intervene in cases in which business decisions were possibly not thought through enough,” Steinbrueck Berliner Zeitung.

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