Canada’s transportation regulatory body, Transport Canada, has outlined a number of changes in regulations pertaining to tyres. The new regulations, announced by Transport Minister Lisa Raitt on 20 November, are intended to enhance the safety of tyres manufactured for the Canadian market; they also bring Canadian regulations more closely in line with those enforced in the United States. Manufacturers have until 1 September 2014 to comply with the regulations.
Cooper Tire will be the official tyre of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) for the 2013-2014 season. The newly-announced partnership will see the tyre maker gain a “strong presence” at several CHL national series; Cooper says the partnership supports the company’s brand expansion into the Canadian market and is a “logical extension” of its Canadian market focus.
Titan International’s Titan Mining Services business has launched an operation to reclaim raw materials from mining tyres. Titan Tire Reclamation Corp. (TTRC) will work together with joint-venture company Green Carbon, using the latter’s pyrolysis process.
The 2014 Chevy Spark EV, now on sale in the US states of California and Oregon and scheduled for release into some European markets, Canada and South Korea, is being supplied with Bridgestone’s Ecopia EP150 tyres as original equipment. Bridgestone says the 140hp 119 combined miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) compact car is fitted with Ecopia EP150 tyres manufactured at its Hikone plant in Japan; size 185/55R15 82T tyres will be mounted on the front wheels and size 195/55R15 85T on the rear.
On 6 September Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. president and CEO Akira Nobuki confirmed that company has made a couple of overseas appointments to its North American operations.
Trelleborg and OK Tire Store participated in the World Plowing Contest held 19 – 20 July 2013 in Alberta, Canada. During the two day championship, 60 competitors from over 30 countries took part in conventional and reversible ploughing classes on both stubble and grass plots.
Additional greenfield land has been made available adjacent to Michelin’s Waterville plant in Canada, reports a local media source. The Kings County Advertiser & Register writes that the Municipality of the County of the Kings in Nova Scotia has formally committed to divesting its municipal airport property in Waterville to make a factory expansion possible.
Barbara Klaus, an Austrian driving a New Holland tractor mounted with Mitas tyres, recently won the conventional ploughing world championship held in Olds, Alberta (Canada). Her teammate Margareta Heigl won the silver in reversible ploughing driving a Steyr tractor. John Whelan of Ireland won the reversible ploughing category.
Transport Canada has issued a recall for several models of Michelin tyres, Tire Review reports. “A loss of inflation pressure could cause increased tyre temperature, which could lead to tyre failure. This could result in a vehicle crash causing property damage and/or personal injury,” Transport Canada said. The SUV or light truck tyre models affected are the LTX M/S2, the X Radial LT2 and the Latitude Tour sold primarily in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Michelin North America is seeking 2,500 potentially defective tyres, but in order to retrieve these, the company is recalling around 100,000 tyres. The target 2,500 tyres could experience partial or full sidewall perforations that may cause them to experience loss of air pressure. The recall involves certain sizes of the Michelin LTX M/S2, Michelin X Radial LT2 and Michelin Latitude Tour sold primarily in the US, Canada and Mexico. The tyres are typically found on light trucks and SUVs.
Continental has released details of its upcoming Eurobond offer. It says it will issue a bond with a volume of at least €500 million and a term to maturity of five years, and intends to use the issue proceeds thereof for the partial refinancing of its bond issued in September 2010. The offer is open to investors residing outside the US, Canada, Australia and Japan. The issue volume and bond conditions are expected to be determined in the next few days.
Mercedes and Pirelli are waiting for the FIA’s decision on whether any rules were broken during the controversial tyre test that took place in Barcelona in the week after the Spanish grand prix. Pirelli counsel Dominique Dumas contends that it cannot be subject to the FIA’s jurisdiction as it is a supplier, though the FIA has responded that Pirelli’s contract binds the tyre supplier by Formula One regulations.
Quebec-based company Groupe Robert Bernard has inaugurated its new retreading plant. The facility, which is the largest of its kind in Canada, was built at a cost of $3 million and is the eighth retreading plant in the country to use Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT). It is the 80th MRT plant to open in North America.
Dr. Ron Commander, head of Lanxess’ Butyl Rubber business unit, will retire at the end of this year. Before this takes effect, the 62-year old will spend his final six months or so with the specialty chemicals company in a new, Canada-based role. Commander’s new position will take effect on 1 July, and on that date he will be succeeded as head of the Butyl Rubber business unit by Dr. Guenther Weymans, who is currently head of Lanxess’ Keltan Elastomers business unit.
Nexen Tire Canada has appointed Jeff Bullock national sales director, Tire Review reports. The tyre-maker said Bullock joins the company after more than 20 years of experience in the industry, including positions at "several top manufacturers and distributors." Nexen continued, "His experience and vision of the future will be a great addition to our sales team."
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