In response to Cheng Shin Rubber (CSR) reporting March consolidated revenue of NT$11.2 billion, up 23 per cent year-on-year and 57 per cent month-on-month, financial analysts have described the figures as “well ahead of the previous high of NT$9.5 billion (Aug 2010).” The company is also said to be gained share in the Chinese domestic market.
A recently signed sponsorship agreement is expected to boost the profile of Bridgestone’s winter tyre line-up. Bridgestone Europe has entered into an agreement to sponsor the majority of events in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, and under the terms of the agreement the tyre maker will be a main partner at the 34 World Cup Alpine Ski events in eight European countries – Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland – during the 2011-2012 season.
Global automotive parts manufacturer Delphi has become the official Automotive Technology Partner of the World Rally Championship, the company has announced in a press release. The company believes that the sponsorship deal will reaffirm its commitment to motorsport, while presenting a “strong 360° communication platform” to promote its products and services to the aftermarket. It says the series will help showcase its products and service solutions and promote the capabilities of its expanding Delphi Service Centre network.
As was reported at the beginning of March on tyrepress.com (see related news link below), Bridgestone celebrated its 80th year with a new corporate identity – altering its logo and tagline, and “refining” its corporate philosophy. Communications manager at Bridgestone UK, Andy Dingley says the evolution undergone in Bridgestone’s corporate lifespan created the need “to reflect those social changes” in its branding.
Alongside the launch of the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 at Goodyear's brand event in Seville was the introduction of the eighth generation of Goodyear's UlraGrip cold weather tyre range. “The confusion surrounding winter tyres must be resolved,” says Gerrit Huysmans of Belgium’s Association of Tyre Manufacturers, FederAuto, a statement that Jean-Pierre Jeusette, Goodyear’s director of tyre technology for consumer tyres in EMEA, agrees: “What the consumer often doesn’t know is that winter tyres are developed using very specific rubber compounds that perform much better at lower temperatures… Add to that the fact that the tread pattern of winter tyres is also optimised for maximum grip as well as water and slush evacuation, and you begin to understand why there is a very real difference in performance.” A search for “winter tyres” on tyrepress.com would suggest that the fierce European winters of the last two years have increased knowledge of speciality cold weather considerably; the latest figures suggest the market volume has risen 20 per cent in that time, with a marked increase in the UK – often considered to have more growth room than any comparable country.
Following the news that the Japanese conglomerate that own Stapleton’s Tyre Services has bought Kwik-Fit, Itochu has clarified that while the group is interested in “know-how” synergies between the businesses, they will continue to be run as completely separate entities.
With four locations spanning northern to southern England, Tyre Maintenance Ltd says it has long been “committed to best practice in used tyre recycling”, a fact it intends to publicise in 2011 with TIF Responsible Recycler Scheme branding. Throughout 2011 Tyre Maintenance outlets, vehicles, documentation and letter heading will be progressively branded with the RRS logo and staff will be tutored to understand just what this implies for the customer and for the environment.
Goodyear has launched its follow-up to the popular Eagle F1 Asymmetric tyre at a brand event in Seville, Spain. The UHP tyre was three years in the making; a response to development requirements set by the company to improve braking in dry and wet conditions, reflecting the company’s safety-conscious branding. Goodyear has introduced its “ActiveBraking Tecnology” in this tyre, a tapered edge tread block design that “develops more surface area” under braking load, helping the “high surface silica tread compound” to work over a larger contact area – around 30 per cent more than before – to bring vehicles to a standstill in less time.
Congratulations are in order for Serbian player Novak Djokovic, yet Maxxis International comments that a win for Britain’s Andy Murray would have been the icing on the cake for the tyre maker following a successful Australian Open. The tyre maker is an Official Sponsor of what has been dubbed ‘Australia’s greatest global sporting event’, and as part of a two-year deal will continue in this role during the 2012 tournament. The deal, signed last November, entitles Maxxis to courtside branding in the Rod Laver Arena and to use the Australian Open logo in its marketing materials and promotional activities.
HiQ has announced the relaunch of its Stafford centre after a radical £100,000 transformation. HiQ Stafford on Foregate Street has undergone an extensive refurbishment, with new branding, a new customer friendly environment and a fully automated MOT test lane. The centre will officially relaunch with a trio of open days on 10-12 February. HiQ’s retail director Peter Tye said: “HiQ Stafford really is a model of excellence for many other centres to follow, in terms of its new appearance and standards both inside the store and on the forecourt. It has been brought in line with our award winning corporate identity, which all of our centres will boast by the end of 2011.”
Maxis has announced that it will continue its title sponsorship of the British Drift Championship in the 2011 series. The brand’s purpose-designed MA-Z1 Drift tyres will once again be used in the championship, having scored numerous wins and podium places. Maxxis International says it aims to build on these achievements this year, which gets underway with the meeting at Donington Park on 22-23 April. “Since we began our association with the British Drift Championship in 2009 it has really moved on, enhancing its standing within the drift world as it successfully established itself as a vehicle for the best in multi-class drifting throughout Britain,” says Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin.
Annette Forster has recently taken on the role of group marketing Ddrector at the Klarius Group. Formerly of £104 million turnover polymer specialist Victrex Plc, Annette has global experience of marketing to the automotive industry. Her previous employer reportedly had double digit growth year on year since she joined as global marketing communications manager in 2003.
Glenrothes based Alba Diagnostics Ltd, purportedly the manufacturer of the world’s “number one brake fluid tester” has appointed Gavin Wheeler as its new UK sales manager. With experience in the motor trade, Wheeler has both a mechanical background, linked with what his new employer called “a first-class track record” in sales.
Kumho has been the official tyre supplier to the Formula Three Euro Series since 2003. The newly-crowned 2010 Euro F3 champion on Kumho’s slicks is Edoardo Mortara. He contested the series previously in 2008, then had a year in GP2 before returning to F3 this year. He holds duel Italian and French nationality but races under the Italian flag and is responsible for two firsts for the series: the first victory for the French Signature team and the first for a VW-engined car. As official supplier, Kumho makes some 10,000 tyres available to the series per annum.
Bridgestone Korea welcomed McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton to South Korea on Wednesday (20 October) at an autographing and talk show event held in the Seoul Arts Centre. The 2008 FIA Formula One World Champion signed replica Bridgestone podium caps for Bridgestone’s tyre dealers, customers and other invited VIPs. Against the backdrop of a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes show car, which is currently on display as part of the ‘Formula One: The Great Design Race’ exhibition held at the Seoul Arts Centre, Hamilton was also joined by managing director of Bridgestone Korea Tomoya Sano, and director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development, Hirohide Hamashima.
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