Bridgestone Archives - Page 179 of 275 - Tyrepress

Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.

Posts

Smuggled Tyres Putting the Squeeze on Indonesian Manufacturers

Domestic tyre sales in the Indonesian market dropped four per cent during August, allegedly the result of a market saturated with cheaper tyres smuggled from China and India. According to Indonesian Tire Producers Association chairman Aziz Pane, illegal tyres have been entering the Indonesian market since July and are making life difficult for the producers of their local counterparts.

“Illegally imported tyres, in the hundreds of thousands, have partly taken over the domestic market,” Pane told the Jakarta Post. “Local tyre producers sold 3.7 million tires in August, down from 3.89 million in July.” According to the association, tyres produced in China and India are sold in Indonesia for between 10 to 30 per cent less than locally made tyres.

23rd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

PAI Planning to Sell Kwik-Fit

PAI, the private equity firm that currently owns Kwik-Fit, is reportedly selling the Europe-wide tyre and fast fit chain including the German Pit Stop network. A Continental AG spokesperson told Tyres & Accessories that the company, which has recently been taken over by Schaeffler Group, may consider bidding for the chain but so far has received no such sales offer from PAI. Company representatives said Kwik-Fit does not comment on rumour and speculation.

22nd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Emergency Team Helps in Ike Clear-up

The Bridgestone Emergency Response Team – made up of volunteers who work for the tyre manufacturer – has pitched in to help clear the wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The team travelled to Orange, Texas from its Nashville, Tennessee base to assist at the Firestone Polymers plant, which sustained heavy damage in the floods and high winds.

“While the focus of our BERT initiatives has always been to support emergency first responders, this effort is a bit unique,” Chuck Tarver, one of the BERT leaders, told American news sources. “We are actually relieving some of the burden to area first responders by helping our own teammates at our facility. In supporting our own family and business operations we are hopeful that we can get the Firestone Polymers Plan back in operation shortly.”

22nd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Marks F1 with Reflective Paint

Bridgestone has announced that at Formula One’s upcoming Singapore Grand Prix it will mark its super-soft and extremely wet tyres with reflective paint for the first time. The race will be held at night, and the measure is intended to inform spectators of what tyre each driver is using.

19th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone, Goodyear Receive NC Incentives

Bridgestone and Goodyear are to receive up to 30 million US dollars, following the approval by the North Carolina Department of Commerce of state incentive plans. The grants from the Job Maintenance and Capital Development Fund are designed to give companies the incentive to upgrade existing manufacturing facilities, therefore preventing jobs from being lost through firms’ wandering eyes.

Since both companies employ over 2,000 (at Goodyear, Fayetteville and Bridgestone, Wilson) the necessity to secure the jobs in their current location is clear. However, the cash incentives have not been without their critics, who call attention to the fact that the companies are not required to create new jobs, but merely maintain those already in existence. Goodyear must retain 2,398 workers and invest 200 million US dollars by 2012 to receive the whole 30 million, while Bridgestone must invest the same by 2010, while retaining 2,083 staff members.

18th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Plans to Introduce New Fuel-Efficient Tyres Abroad

(Bloomberg) Bridgestone Corp. plans to sell a new fuel-efficient tyre outside Japan to lure drivers trying to cut gasoline costs. Bridgestone will sell its Ecopia line of tyres, which improve a car’s fuel economy by as much as 5%, in markets including North America and Europe following a domestic launch in April this year, Takashi Tomioka, director of Bridgestone’s tyre products strategy division, said in an interview.

Gasoline prices have jumped 27 per cent in the U.S. this year, cutting demand for new cars. Tokyo-based Bridgestone forecasts demand for replacement tyres will be unchanged and consumers will be willing to pay higher prices for fuel-efficiency. “The sales volume on these tyres is very small,” said Kunihiro Matsumoto, senior analyst at UBS AG in Tokyo. “But it’s positioned as a high-performance tyre and priced to contribute to earnings.” (Tire Review/Akron)

18th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Exec Gets Marketer Honor

Phil Pacsi, vice president of consumer tyre marketing for Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, was named as one of Brandweek magazine’s “Marketers of the Year.” The award was unveiled in the magazine’s September issue.

“I really view this honor as recognition for the incredible work done this past year by our entire BFNAT marketing team and our agency partners,” said Pacsi. “It’s been a total team effort as we’ve looked for new and creative ways to leverage our new sports marketing partnerships and raise awareness for our Bridgestone brand, drive customers to our dealers and ultimately sell more tyres.”

Pasci was honored for his efforts in aligning the company and its brands with major sports events, such as the NFL and Super Bowl, the NHL, IndyCar racing, PGA golf, team sponsorships and more. (Tire Review/Akron)

18th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Recalling Truck Tires

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire is recalling 184 Firestone brand FS400 medium truck tyres in size 315/80R22.5 Load Range L.

The recalled tyres were produced between June 15 and June 28, 2008, and are being recalled because the tyres were not branded with the maximum speed limit rating required by FMVSS 119 standards. BFNAT is to notify owners of the safety campaign, and will replace the tyres free of charge. (Tire Review/Akron)

18th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Go Global With Ecopia

In April Bridgestone launched its ‘Ecopia’ range of fuel efficient tyres, said to reduce rolling resistance by some 30 per cent. Despite a slight price premium in its home market of about 20 per cent over a standard tyre, the Japanese manufacturer holds sufficient confidence in the product to proceed with its global release. Targeted markets include Europe and North America.

17th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

2008 Bridgestone eReporter Named

The GP2 end of season ceremony in Monza, Italy was the location Bridgestone decided upon to reveal the 2008 winner of its annual e-reporter competition. On the evening of Sunday September 14, it was revealed this year’s honour goes to French student Guillaume Navarro, whose journalistic talents put him ahead of eight other finalists and a record number of entries from across Europe.

Guillaume’s victory was announced on stage by Franco Annunziato, managing director, Bridgestone Technical Centre Europe – in front of all GP2 teams, drivers, GP2 Series personnel, official suppliers and partners attending the evening celebrations. This year marked the fifth anniversary of the Bridgestone e-reporter competition, and the company celebrated by inviting all previous Bridgestone e-reporter finalists to Monza. A total of 31 graduates joined the celebratory reunion at the Italian Grand Prix – the GP2 series finale – and watched as Guillaume received his prize at the GP2 awards.

17th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Sentaida International to Build New Factory in China

Just under a year after Chinese company Sentaida International bought US UHP tyre wholesale specialist Zisser Tire Wholesale, company representatives have told Tyres & Accessories that Sentaida is two-thirds of the way through constructing a new “state of the art” tyre manufacturing facility. The first phase of tyre production is scheduled to start in 2009 when the company will make between 2 and 3 million passenger car ultra high performance tyres. When construction is completed and production is fully ramped up (sometime around 2013) the factory is expected to output approximately 10 million units annually.

17th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Bandag Releases Fuel Economy Guide

With fuel moving into the lead as a fleet’s top expense, Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) is releasing its fourth comprehensive fuel economy guide for large trucks. “Tires & Truck Fuel Economy – a New Perspective” looks at what BBTS has learned after 25 years of studying the relationship of tires to large truck fuel economy, the company said.

The guide provides fleet customers with practical recommendations that take into consideration the real-world factors affecting fuel economy, according to Singh Ahluwalia, president of sales and marketing for BBTS. “There’s no one single thing you can do to be a financial success in the trucking business, and there’s no one single thing you can do to maximize your fuel economy,” he said. “The good news is, practically everyone can do a better job of getting the most out of a gallon of fuel.”

The guide also addresses how speed affects fuel economy, how to select the best tyre for a fleet operation, and how to balance the cost of tyres over their lifetime with their affect on fuel economy, BBTS said. Fleets who wish to receive a copy can ask their Bridgestone Bandag sales representative, call 1-888-694-0469 or visit bridgestonetrucktires.com. (Tire Review/Akron)

17th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Poznan Plant Wins Ford Q1 Award

The Bridgestone factory in Poznan, Poland has received a Ford Q1 Award for the consistent high quality of its tyres. The Ford Q1 plaque and flag were received by Masayuki Sorioka, (managing director and president of Bridgestone Poznan) from Sven Wunstorf, STA Commodity senior engineer Ford Motor Company Europe, at a ceremony attended by staff in the Poznan plant on 27th August 2008.

Ford’s European Quality and Procurement Division awards Q1 ‘preferred quality status’ certification only to suppliers achieving a sustained level of excellence in customer satisfaction over a period of time, while also meeting agreed requirements in quality, productivity and service.

15th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Equip 2009 Infiniti FX

Bridgestone has won the OE-contract to supply the 2009 Infiniti FX. The luxury sporty hatchback range will ride exclusively on Bridgestone-brand Dueler tyres.

The Dueler H/P 92A in size P265/60R18 109V is standard equipment on the V6-powered FX35 and FX35 AWD while the 390-horsepower, V8-powered FX50 is shod with Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400 tyres in size P265/45R21 104V. This Dueler H/L 400 is the first-ever application of a 21-inch tire on Infiniti’s sporty crossover.

12th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bangladesh to Double Rubber Output by 2020

Industry professionals in Bangladesh say that the country has targeted a doubling of rubber production over the next decade, in order to meet potential export figures. The current capacity stands at 30,000 tonnes, though at present the estimate for 2008 stands at 16,000 tonnes from the 1,300 nationwide rubber gardens.

Local news sources report that the country’s commerce adviser, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said on Monday that Bangladesh had started to trade rubber with Turkey, which is trying to get certificate for Bangladesh’s rubber from Bridgestone. “Bridgestone’s certification may take the Bangladeshi rubber industry to a new height,” claimed Hossain Zillur.

12th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors