Young Redditch motocross rider Rob Yates’ hopes for national stardom were given a boost today when tyre manufacturer Bridgestone agreed to become his official sponsor. Aged 15, Yates has gradually moved up in stages from 50cc to 125cc bikes and is currently preparing for the British schoolboy Finals later in the year. Bridgestone will supply him with his tyres for the year, as well as essential racing gear.
Singapore-based YHI International’s Advanti Racing propriety brand has been named ‘official supplier’ to the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Through YHI International’s subsidiary, YHI Manufacturing (Singapore) Pte Ltd, the group has inked an agreement to supply Advanti Racing Alloy Wheels for all Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 race cars through to the end of the 2015 championship.
Michiel Kramer (34) was appointed manager of marketing communications and product management at Apollo Vredestein BV on 1 May 2013. He replaces Bandi Vaczi, who has been promoted to head of global marketing communications at Apollo Tyres Ltd. Kramer will lead the teams responsible for Apollo and Vredestein products and brands in Europe and North America.
Motor Wheel Service Distribution managing director John Ellis has sustained a lengthy campaign for increased safety checks on commercial vehicle wheels over the past few years – a campaign that has seen him address the British and more recently European parliaments. The results of his most recent explanation to the European Parliament of the insufficiency or non-existence of regulations and guidelines governing inspection procedures within the commercial vehicle wheel supply chain and vehicle servicing sector remain to be seen; his MWS report will continue to be discussed at EU level as its Roadworthiness Package is drafted. (See Tyrepress.com/issues of Tyres & Accessories for regular updates regarding Ellis's proposals.)
Add Harrods to your list of Pirelli retailers – the famed department store will display the Italian brand’s P Zero spring/summer clothing range at a pop up shop there throughout March.
Pirelli Tire North America has launched a new associate dealer programme. It is known as FasTrack, and Tire Review reports that dealers and their sales teams can earn rewards on all eligible Pirelli tyres sold at retail. Those enrolled also will be provided access to Pirelli’s exclusive online training network.
A return to Australia’s V8 Supercars Championship awaits Bridgestone in 2013, with the tyre maker teaming up with Nissan Motorsport in a sponsorship deal that will see Bridgestone branding on the Jack Daniel's Racing Nissan Altimas of Todd and Rick Kelly. The arrangement begins in round one of this year’s series, which gets underway in Adelaide on 28 February. The Clipsal 500 event in Adelaide marks the return of Nissan to Australia's premier motorsport category after a 20-year hiatus, with Mercedes-Benz also joining the expanded series.
With Apollo Vredestein’s Enschede factory continuing to expand, and with the Indian parent company having invested around 100 million euros in the European company since the 2009 acquisition, Tyres & Accessories took advantage of its recent visit to Enschede for the opening of Apollo’s new global R&D centre and also have a look at the latest developments at the Dutch tyre factory.
Italian tyre company Marangoni has signed a three-year joint title sponsorship agreement with the hugely popular BMW Compact Cup Championship. Now in its third year it has become one of the UK’s fastest growing championships, with over 50 cars expected in 2013. The race cars, all based on BMW E36 318Ti Compact, will feature significant Marangoni branding and will race on 195/50 R15 82V Marangoni Zeta Linea Sport tyres as well as the Zeta Linea road spec tyre. The new agreement brings with it a new name for the championship which from now on will be known as The Marangoni Tyres/GAZ Shocks BMW Compact Cup.
From 1 January 2013 the QH Brake Discs range of 2,000 standard, high carbon and black discs will be packaged as single parts, adding convenience and flexibility to this very popular product. Category manager Jon Haywood explains why the change of packing policy has been implemented:
Kumho Tire U.S.A. reports that the Ecsta 4X has received a 2012 Good Design Award. The award, organised annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, recognises design and innovation, sustainability, creativity, branding, ecological responsibility and technology in a number of areas. Kumho Tire was awarded this honour in the category of transportation, alongside companies such as BMW, Boeing and Hyundai.
On 7 December Goodyear Tire & Rubber announced it will transfer its stock exchange listing to the NASDAQ Global Select Market from the New York Stock Exchange. Goodyear’s common stock shares will begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on or about 18 December 2012 under the current Goodyear ticker symbol “GT.” Additionally, Goodyear’s 5.875 per cent mandatory convertible preferred stock will trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “GTPPP.”
Finding a job at Continental just became easier for people on the go – the tyre and automotive supplier has released an Apple-compatible career app, and it shares that an Android version is currently in development. Conti says the app can help potential employees “conveniently find a dream job with the international automotive supplier.”
In our October edition Tyres & Accessories looked at Tyre Wholesaling and the latest developments in Online Branding and E-Commerce in particular detail. This is now available to view online in our e-paper format. Subscribers can simply click more to browse this edition, which also includes all our regular news and analysis.
Wheel supplier, Wheelwright said that its expectations had been exceeded at Brityrex, having chosen to demonstrate the features of its new website and the benefits of premium quality wheels. The company also took the show as an opportunity to communicate its current corporate logo and branding, having removed the “Alcar” portion of its name in 2011. Speaking with Tyres & Accessories, Wheelwright managing director, Kevin Greer said it was important to get out in the market to do this because of the residual “old-style marketing” still present in the UK, but mainly to emphasise Wheelwright’s “differentiation from other brands” with what he described as a “modern, clinical” CI strategy.
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