Awards
The Contidrom test facility operated by Continental near its Hannover headquarters in Germany has been named ‘Proving Ground of the Year 2013’ by Automotive Testing Technology International magazine. The 12-person judging panel presiding over the 2013 awards are said to have been particularly impressed by the Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA) facility, which opened at the Contidrom site in autumn 2012.
Hungary’s Ministry of National Economy has designated Bridgestone’s passenger car tyre factory in Tatabanya its “investor of the month” as part of its “Award for Successful Companies” programme. The accolade, one of three given under the programme, is given to corporations whose activities contribute significantly to the Hungarian economy and export growth, increase local employment and who have invested at least €5 million within the region in recent months. Bridgestone was acknowledged for the expansion it is now implementing at its Tatabanya plant.
Trelleborg has received the ‘Silver Ears 2013’ innovation award for its ProgressiveTraction technology at leading agricultural exhibition, Agribex 2013, in Brussels, Belgium.
The Highways Agency took top honours at the recent TyreSafe awards for its efforts in raising public awareness of tyre safety issues. The ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award was presented as part of the first ever TyreSafe Awards, which celebrated the activities and achievements of a wide range of businesses and organisations in encouraging better tyre care and maintenance. It seems the introduction of the “Safe Tyres Save Lives” message on motorway matrix signs across the UK made a real impact.
Three tyres have been given a Good Design Award by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) this year. These are the Bridgestone Blizzak VRX, the Toyo M929 TBR tyre and the Nexen N9000 semi street racing tyre.
At Continental and Schaeffler’s joint ‘Premium Supplier Day’ in November the two companies named 12 new companies as premium suppliers, and renewed the status of their 19 existing premium suppliers. At the ceremony, Günter Fella, Continental Automotive’s senior vice-president of purchasing, described the cooperation with its premium suppliers as the “basis for a successful industrialisation” of new technologies.
Efforts made by the Highways Agency to improve public awareness of tyre safety issues has been acknowledged during the first-ever TyreSafe Awards. The Agency was recipient of the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award during last week’s awards ceremony, an event set up to celebrate the activities and achievements of a wide range of businesses and organisations in encouraging better tyre care and maintenance.
Giti Tire has been recognised for its contribution to this October’s Tyre Safety Month, having been presented with the TyreSafe Manufacturer Award. The manufacturer undertook several initiatives through its network of 220 GT Radial Performance Centres (GTPCs) during 2013, culminating in October’s Tyre Safety Month. Each GTPC received joint-branded customer information packs with posters, leaflets and Mr McIntyre animations.
Ibstock’s Jeff Fowkes Wheels has been rewarded for “an amazing level of effort to raise awareness about tyre safety issues” with the inaugural TyreSafe Independent Garage Award. TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson presented Grace Fowkes from the family run Leicestershire business with the award at a prestigious luncheon.
Brembo has been recognised as the first Fiat-Chrysler sustainable supplier of the year. In 2009 the car company from Turin launched specific certification procedures for its supply chain in EMEA area.
Micheldever Tyre Services, along with its retail operation Protyre, has won the inaugural TyreSafe Tyre Retailer Award award for its “consistent, innovative and dedicated work in raising the awareness of the importance of tyre safety”.
TyreSafe is the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation and its newly introduced awards scheme was instigated to recognise and reward achievements and excellence within the tyre industry.
Continental has been named an ‘Excellent Development Partner’ by Tesla Motors, the US-based electric vehicle manufacturer. The acknowledgement from Tesla was given as a result of Continental’s collaboration and development of specialty tyres for Tesla’s Model S electric saloon. The tyre maker announced in August that it was supplying its ExtremeContact in size 245/35 R21 for the 21-inch rim Model S option sold in North America; now Conti reports that for global markets it has developed an XL version of its ContiSportContact 5 summer tyre in size 245/35 R 21 XL 96 W.
Women in the United States are being encouraged to buy local; Goodyear Tire & Rubber has featured twice in the ‘America’s Best in Automotive’ category of this year’s Women’s Choice Award. The company was selected as best Premium Tire Brand, Tire Retailer and Auto Service Retailer.
During last week’s Agritechnica exhibition, German agricultural publishing group Deutscher Landwirtschaftverlag, or DLV, held its ‘Machine of the Year 2014’ awards. The publisher acknowledged machinery manufacturers in 16 classes of award and, additionally, presented a ‘special prize’ category – which was awarded to Trelleborg for its ProgressiveTraction technology.
To showcase the launch of its new X Multi D tyre, Michelin has introduced an Instagram-based contest aimed at the trucking community. Called ‘Deliver Everywhere’, the contest invites truck drivers and others to showcase their brands in “some of the unusual, out-of the-way places in which they operate.” Truckers based in the UK and 13 other European countries are eligible to participate.
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