Aftermarket parts supplier Dayco has appointed Chris Showan as the company’s technical manager. Showan brings with him more than 25 years of aftermarket knowledge and experience from time at businesses such as Supra Automotive/Moprod, Quinton Hazell and latterly, Schaeffler Automotive.
The September report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders makes good reading for the UK car industry, as output has reached a level not seen since 2007-08. In the rolling 12 months since October 2012, the UK has manufactured more than 1.5 million, achieving a five-year high.
In July, Carlisle Companies announced it was seeking “strategic alternatives” for its Carlisle Transportation Products (CTP) business after it recorded a non-cash pre-tax loss of $100 million due to goodwill impairment during the second quarter of 2013. This strategic alternative turned out to be a divestment; this week the company said the tyre and wheel business has been purchased by American Industrial Partners for an enterprise value of US$375 million. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.
The ‘REDI-Sensor’ tyre pressure monitoring system marketed under Continental’s VDO brand has been sold in North America for the last three years, and the automotive supplier claims the product has enjoyed great success there. Now, with EU Regulation 523/2012 coming into effect in little over one year from now, the company is rolling out REDI-Sensor here in Europe. The multi-application TPMS sensor will be introduced into the European market in summer 2014.
Next month’s Agritechnica 2013 fair in Germany gives Mitas the opportunity to show off the latest additions to its range of CHO (cyclic harvesting operation) tyres intended for large combine harvesters. The company will present five new Mitas and Continental-brand CHO sizes.
Early next year, MAM Software will release a new eBay module for its Autopart management software. The eBay module, which is currently undergoing initial testing, is intended to make it easier for Autopart users to add parts listings to the eBay marketplaces in the UK and Ireland.
Following a multi-agency pitch process, Apollo Tyres has appointed The Brooklyn Brothers its global creative agency. The agency’s London office will service the account and help build the Apollo brand via print, electronic and digital mediums.
Continental Tire the Americas’ new PCR to light truck tyre manufacturing plant in Sumter, South Carolina is nearing completion, having broken ground on the site in mid-2012.
The organisers of the Bologna Motor Show have announced that the 38th edition has been cancelled. According to GL events, the central reason was “the total lack of the car manufacturer,” which are of course absolutely key to the presentation of an automotive exhibition.
The Dunlop Sport BluResponse is a finalist in the ‘Green Steering Wheel 2013’, an annual competition held by leading car publication AutoBild in Germany.
The e-bulletin of the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation quotes a story in the Oxford Mail, where Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron has been told of the need for regulation in the independent motoring trade by a businessman from his constituency.
When it comes to B2B selling online, automotive organisations are struggling to provide the online buying experience that their customers have come to expect. That’s the view published in the 2013 E-commerce Report from Intershop, which also reveals that smartphone usage, social media and the so-called “consumerisation of IT” are driving up B2B customer expectations. The report’s advice? Automotive firms have to adapt to changing customer expectations, driven by trends such as smartphone usage and social media. But how can that be done? In addition to assimilating the research data, Tyres & Accessories asked Chris Barling, chairman on e-commerce system developer SellerDeck for his views.
The various local Vredestein Facebook pages were recently merged into a single global account in order to give the company’s products better international exposure, and Vredestein reports gaining more than 10,000 fans within the space of four weeks as a result. The new global page can be found at www.facebook.com/Vredestein.
Bosch Automotive Service Solutions has entered into a US market distribution partnership with Myers Tire Supply. Under the agreement, Myers Tire Supply will carry the Bosch Wheel Service equipment range, including a full line of wheel balancers, tyre changers and brake lathes, through its national distribution network.
Since the start of August Dr. Ralf Cramer has been headquartered in Shanghai as head of Continental China. Replacing him as chairman of the Management Board for the Chassis & Safety division is Frank Jourdan, who has also joined Continental’s Executive Board. Jourdan’s appointment to the board was confirmed at Continental’s Supervisory Board meeting on 25 September, together with the renewal of Dr. Elmar Degenhart’s tenure as Executive Board chairman for a further five years.
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