Cooper will supply the A1 Grand Prix, a new FIA approved motorsport series, which will begin in September 2005. The three-year agreement requires Cooper to produce slicks and treaded rain tyres for the series championship, which the company describes as “the World Cup of motorsport.”
Cooper Avon Tyres Ltd has confirmed that it has developed a 330/30R17 motorcycle tyre. The new product will be available for sale in early 2005.
James P Keller, has been announced as Cooper Tire and Rubber’s new vice president, competition and enthusiast products.
Based in Stow, Ohio, Mr Keller will assume his new role as of 15 August. His responsibilities will now focus on directing, administering and coordinating the company’s motorsport activities, this is to include both the Cooper-Avon racing interest in the UK and Mickey Thompson Performance Tires and Wheels based in Ohio.
“We are beginning to capitalise on the enormous global opportunities for Cooper Tire in the area of motorsports,” said Phillip D Caris, VP sales and marketing. “This newly-created position will help us continue to develop, promote, grow and maximize performance results and brand awareness from the targeted market niche of competition, performance and enthusiast products for Cooper’s North American tyre division as well as for our global motorsports activities.”
Mr Keller has held a variety of roles within his 21-year career at Cooper. Since May 2003 he has served as the plant manager for Cooper’s fluid systems manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Ohio. Prior to this role, he served as the vice president of purchasing for three years.
Cooper Tyre & Rubber has announced that it intends to produce racing tyres at the company’s factory in Athens, Georgia. As a result of the decision the company plans to invest $11 million (£6 million) in the plant so it will be able to produce racing tyres in the factory that currently produces retread products. The conversion to motorsport tyres should begin immediately. Developmental tyre production will start in early 2005.
Cooper-Avon Tyres has updated its road hazard warranty policy by extending the tread depth cover. Originally the warranty covered the first millimetre of depth expended, but now Cooper-Avon has increased this to cover 1.4mm of wear.
Cooper Tire and Rubber Company has announced that Michael Cati will be the company’s new director of sales and marketing for Asian operations. This means that Mr Cati, who was European marketing manager until recently, will now be responsible for sales and marketing in China.
Mr Cati originally joined Avon Tyres shortly before Cooper Tire and Rubber Company acquired it in 1997 after graduating from the school of European Business studies at Swansea University. During this time he was a territory sales manager in Europe and was responsible for achieving operational improvements at Cooper-Avon, France.
Cooper-Avon Tyres Ltd has achieved record sales results in the first quarter of 2004. Four years ago the company implemented a new strategy to help safeguard its future. As part of this, the company has seen substantial investment in new processes and products in recent years and is growing at a rate of some 10 – 12% per annum. It is anticipated that this trend is set to continue in the foreseeable future.
Back in 1982, Avon Tyres Racing signed a three-year contract to supply control tyres to the Formula 3 championship. 22 years later, the company supplied tyres for its 400th F3 race, at Donington Park in early April. The single seat racers are capable of speeds up to 165 mph and F3 is widely regarded as a stepping stone to Formula 1 driving. Among those who have made the transition are Jenson Button, Mauricio Gugelmin, Mika Hakkinen, Johnny Herbert, Rubens Barrichello and the late Ayrton Senna.
In the sport of drag racing Mickey Thompson Drag Tyres are a force to be reckoned with in the United States. Now, through Cooper Tire Motorsports, Mickey Thompson drag tyres will be available from Avon Tyres Racing and three specialist distributors in the UK.
Trackday driving is a growing phenomenon and Cooper-Avon has introduced the ZZR; a road-legal race tyre with a racing compound. Developed by Avon racing, the ZZR is available in sizes from 15″ to 18″.
Avon has been under the ownership of Cooper Tire for several years and under pressure to survive as a stand-alone unit within the company. In today’s climate, where tyre manufacturers are shifting production to low labour cost centres, the continued survival and profitability of Avon is a source of considerable pride in Melksham, home of Avon Tyres, and a puzzle to other manufacturers who struggle to make European plants, in particular UK-based plants, contribute to profits. The task of turning Avon into a net contributor to Cooper Tire was one that required some hard decisions being made. Cooper wanted to add value to the business and took on various issues at Avon. The choices taken meant that people suffered but there was also a lack of resources. The Cooper take-over was not simply a case of cutting costs by laying off staff. There was a tremendous investment in resources and equipment. A great deal of funding was spent on the business, and not just on plant. In all some 60 million pounds has been invested at Melksham. That was six years ago and Cooper Avon is a very different business now, from what it was even two years ago. Ron Shield, managing director at Avon, says, “The first two years were spent putting the business in order. We are now starting to get closer to where we need to be. Last year was our most successful year ever. We are starting to show Cooper that we are a positive contributor to the business.”
Cooper Tire & Rubber has purchased Max Trac Tire Co, which is better known as Mickey Thompson. Max Trac leased locations in Stow (Ohio) and Temecula (California) where it distribues tyres for specialist racing applications and off road use. Cooper acquires two tyre brands with the purchase – Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek. Cooper Tire has supplied Mickey Thompson for a number of years, providing tyres under the Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek names. In addition, Mickey Thompson has distributed and provided trackside assistance for Cooper’s Avon racing tyres, which are produced in Melksham, England. There are no anticipated changes in Mickey Thompson’s current relationship with suppliers of tyres, wheels or other accessories.
UK fleet tyre management company Tyreserve has changed its name to AA Tyre Fit. The change, effective from February 24, reflects the purchase of Tyreserve by the AA in June 2002. The company’s general manager, David Goodyear, said the change would bring the business – and its network of 3,221 independent fast-fit centres and franchise dealers – all the benefits of belonging to the most trusted brand in motoring services. AA Tyre Fit has also appointed Continental as an approved tyre supplier. The German tyre manufacturer joins Cooper-Avon as the only two suppliers whose products are offered to the company’s fleet and retail customers.
Avon Tyres have been chosen as the control tyre for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship SR2 class. The company has developed both wet and slick tyres for the SR2 cars. Avon Tyres Racing has already supplied tyres to some teams for the past four years and is looking forward to extending its involvement with all teams.
Related news: Flagship Brands From Cooper-Avon At Reifen 2000 Cooper Names New SUV/LT Tyre Development Manager Avon Renews Racing School Contract Avon Tyres Name Bows out of British Formula 3
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
