Pirelli has described last weekend’s racing at Hockenheim as ‘action-packed’. The two races held during the fifth round of the inaugural GP3 series were characterised by incidents, accidents, and changeable weather – which meant the company’s rain tyre saw its first use on Friday and Saturday during free practice and qualifying.
In North America Michelin is gearing up to launch a new Uniroyal winter tyre, the Tiger Paw Ice & Snow II. Scheduled for release on August 1, the new passenger car range will be available in 29 sizes, nine of which are Tiger Paw Ice & Snow I designs previously only available in Canada. Michelin describes the Tiger Paw Ice & Snow II as a tyre “provides both durability and reliability for driving in severe winter conditions at an affordable price.”
A flaw that could potentially lead to tyre deflation has prompted Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations to recall 4,097 bus tyres. The recall applies to Bridgestone R192 275/70R22.5 Load Range J (18 ply) tyres used primarily on intra-city transit buses in the US and Canada.
MAM Software Ltd has held pride of place as the Aftersoft Group’s largest subsidiary of, and the significance of the automotive industry computer systems and data solutions supplier can be seen in the decision to rename the parent company; the Aftersoft Group has been rebranded as MAM Software Group, Inc.
Hankook Tire has expanded its North American original equipment portfolio with new additions from Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia. The tyre maker now supplies its Optimo H426 for the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta model and for the 2010 model Kia Soul and Forte 2010. In addition, Hankook is expanding its fitment of the Optimo H725 to the 2010 Ford Taurus, the first time a Hankook tyre has been fitted OE to a Ford family car segment saloon in this region. The Optimo H725A will be fitted to the Volkswagen Golf as original equipment in North American markets, continuing a partnership that began last year with fitments on the new Beetle, Jetta and Jetta SportWagen.
Titan International has proposed offering some $150 million in unsecured notes to buy back its 8 per cent senior unsecured notes due 2012 and for “general corporate purposes.” The tender offer was effective 13 May and will remain open until 10 June Titan said in a statement issued 13 May 2010.
Hankook Tire Canada Corp. opened its second Canadian distribution centre in Richmond, British Columbia this month, bringing Hankook’s total number of distribution centres serving North America to eight, reports Tire Review. The new distribution centre will support retailers and multiple distribution points in western Canada, according to the company.
A run-down of Michelin’s North American operations has been made available through the release of the subsidiary’s ‘Fact Sheet 2010’. According to Michelin North America’s figures, its sales to North American customers amounted to US$7.0 billion in 2009, a hefty chunk of Michelin’s 14.8 billion euro global sales during the year. The operation employed 16,640 staff in North America, 3,550 in Canada and 710 in Mexico. During 2009 Michelin operated 18 major plants in 16 locations. Total unit tyre production or year-on-year change is not stated in the fact sheet.
Tirecraft Canada said its new associate store program has been a huge success, resulting in the addition of nearly 120 locations since it was relaunched in 2008, reported Tire Review. “This is the best possible endorsement of our programme’s strong value proposition and our new fully engaged, highly energized management team,” Tirecraft president Don Gauthier said. “We are all squarely focused on delivering added value to our customers at all levels and across all segments.”
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operation’s Agricultural Tire, U.S. & Canada Commercial Tire Sales division will increases prices on all Firestone branded agricultural, construction and forestry tires, as well as all Bridgestone branded garden tyres sold in the US and Canada replacement markets, reports Tire Review. The increase, effective 1 April, will be 5 per cent, with possible adjustments added in-line. “In order to remain a viable supplier in the agricultural, forestry and industrial markets, we will continue to review our pricing structure and make quarterly adjustments as needed,” said Tom Rodgers, director of marketing for the division.
Continental Tire the Americas has announced price rises of up to 4.5 per cent on its market industrial tyre products. The new prices will take effect March 1 in the US and March 15 in Canada, and are being blamed upon rising raw materials, energy and transportation costs.
Martins Industries has launched a new web site for its Tire and Wheel racking, handling and display division (www.martinsindustries.com). “Our new web site will help our customer to better understand our products and company, as well as finding local distributors and distribution centres around the world” sales manager Julien Depelteau said.
Amerityre Corporation announced on December 8 it will supply components to a “major OEM manufacturer of track systems” through its licensed Canadian distributor, Flat Free Tires Inc. The name of the track systems manufacturer or details of the deal’s worth have as yet not been disclosed.
When Toyota begins shipping its North American market 2011 Sienna minivan, certain models in the range will be fitted with Bridgestone’s latest run-flat technology as standard. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has announced the selection of its Turanza EL400 run-flat tyres as an OE fitment on AWD variants of upcoming Toyota line-up. The Toyota Sienna AWD thus becomes the first vehicle in the world to be fitted with this third generation of run-flat technologies.
Lanxess has begun moving its Canada based butyl research and development centre into a new premises attached to the University of Western Ontario. The relocation to the city of London, which will see more than 100 staff from Lanxess’s operations in nearby Sarnia transfer to the new site, was announced in mid-2008 and gives the chemical company the opportunity to gain easier access to scientists at the university.
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