Michelin North America (MNA) says it will indefinitely layoff some 390 to 520 union workers at its 43-year-old Opelika, Alabama, tyre plant. The layoffs, said the company, are the result of a 30 per cent to 40 per cent production cutback at the plant which came about in response to the tough environment faced in the North American mass market segment.
A group of BFGoodrich dealers recently experienced rallying at its best, enjoying a once in a lifetime trip to an FIA World Rally Championships (WRC) event as part of a dealership incentive programme from the leading performance and 4×4 tyre brand.
The United Steelworkers (USW) have announced that BFGoodrich/Michelin has been selected as the “target company” for 2006 master contract negotiations in the US rubber and tyre industry. Representatives from USW bargaining committees engaged in contract talks with Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS), Goodyear and BFGoodrich/Michelin voted in Cincinnati, Ohio.
North Hants Tyres has been at the forefront of the Antique and Classic tyre scene for over 50 years, and with its many supply sources, is one of the leading suppliers in this small, but thriving, niche market.
When North Hants Tyres was first starting out just after the Second World war, there was a shortage of new tyres, so many used or ex-War Department tyres were sold to fill the market. As time progressed, the New Old Stock tyres became older and perished, and with the advent of motorways, became unserviceable. Also, by this time, radials were becoming more popular, and the old crossply 16″, 17″ 18″ and 19″ tyres fell out of favour. So it was left to restorers, or tyre retailers who had an interest in the vintage scene, to find and produce the tyres for these vehicles.
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America has added 12 new 17- to 22-inch sizes to its popular BFGoodrich T/A/ KO light truck/SUV tyre line. The line extension was launched last week to dealers and media at a special programme in San Diego. The new larger sizes, said BFGoodrich officials, mirror size increases seen at OE. While 16-inch light truck tyres remain popular on the replacement side, OEMs have moved to 17- and 18-inch and larger.
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) has signed a three-year deal with Petro:Lube to sell BFGoodrich brand medium truck tyres and Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT) retreads. Petro:Lube already offers Michelin brand truck tires at 60 locations.
Since BFGoodrich took over supplying some WRC teams, the brand has been showing its high-performance colours. Now managers are offering independent dealers some great opportunities to taste the hi-octane lifestyle.
Like other influential companies Michelin group brand BFGoodrich has felt the effect of a downturn in general passenger car replacement market. However, though sales volumes dropped in the first half of 2005, associate brand manager Dominic Clark reports that this was compensated for in the second half -against the market trend. While some sources put the total market downturn between 11 and 13 per cent, BFGoodrich only experienced an 8 per cent drop in the first half of 2005. In the second half sales compensated for the first half results and the company ended the year only 1.2 per cent down on 2004.
Following Michelin’s decision to close its BFGoodrich plant in Kitchener, Ontario, the United Steelworkers has closed its offices in Nova Scotia, says the Halifax Chronicle Herald. The union has been trying to form a union at Michelin’s three Nova Scotia plants for some time; indeed, during Michelin’s 36-year history in Nova Scotia, a dozen or more attempts at unionisation have failed. The USW says that efforts will continue but will now be centralised from the offices at Moncton, New Brunswick.
BFGoodrich, seven times winner of the Dakar Rally since 1999, is poised to introduce a number of new 4×4 tyres to its range in 2006. These are the All-Terrain T/A Comp, aimed at off-road rallying competitors, the Krawler T/A® KX, scheduled for launch in Europe in May, plus four new dimensions for the Macadam T/A.
Michelin North America (Canada) Inc today announced details of an initiative aimed at contributing to the economic regeneration and long-term prosperity of the Waterloo Region.
Michelin Development will be headed by John Tully, a long-time Michelin North America, Inc. executive. According to the company, Tully brings experience in community relations and customer service to the programme. He will relocate to Kitchener from Greenville, South Carolina to establish the company’s office.
After a rigorous selection process, 16 tyre retailers from throughout Europe were picked to experience the recent Euromilhões Dakar 2006 Rally at the wheel of a fleet of 4×4 vehicles. The successful retailers were divided into two groups of eight, with the first party tracking the event as far as the 8th January mid-event rest day in Nouakchott in Mauritania, with the second group taking over through to the finish in Dakar, Senegal.
(Akron/Tire Review) Coker Tire Co. announced that it is offering BFGoodrich wide profile Redline radial tyres. With the tyre’s BFGoodrich v-block tread pattern and the distinctive appearance of a Redline sidewall, the supplier of classic and collector tyres said the tyre can turn a vehicle into “the ultimate muscle car tyre.”
Finland’s Marcus Gronholm dominated the 2006 Swedish rally by winning the first five of the day’s seven special stages. His nearest rival, four-times World champion Sebastien Loeb, won the remaining two to reduce Gronholm’s lead to 25.1sec. Gronholm, who drives for Ford, said after Loeb won stage six: “That was about as fast as I could go – the tyres were finished at the end – but I am enjoying this fight.”
BFGoodrich marked its WRC debut at the 74th Monte Carlo Rally by monopolising the podium with three different partners – Ford, Citroen and Peugeot – and even clinching fourth place too. Two-time World Champion Marcus Grönholm and co-driver Timo Rautiainen collected their first Monte Carlo win in a Ford Focus RS WRC06, finishing clear of triple Monte winner Sébastien Loeb driving a Citroën, with fellow-Finn Toni Gardemeister and Austrian Manfred Stohl coming in third and fourth respectively in their Peugeots.
Tyre choice is even more important in the Monte Carlo Rally, the longest-established rally of them all, as it is the only event where drivers have to compete on two surfaces, asphalt and ice/snow sections.
At the end of November a group of 12 tyre dealers from throughout the country flew to Dubai to take part in the BFGoodrich Grip Challenge, a five-day event driving Mitsubishi Pajero T1s across the desert and up into the mountains of the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring Oman.
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