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Hankook Ranked 5th in J.D. Power Survey

Hankook Tire recently announced that it has ranked fifth in the mass market/non-luxury segment of J.D. Power’s ‘2007 OE Tire Customer Satisfaction Study’. The manufacturer attributes this respectable placing to the company’s increasing focus on quality service and production, and its consistent investment of approximately five per cent of annual revenue into R&D.

Hankook Tire scored 810 out of 1,000 points, outperforming Bridgestone, Dunlop, Yokohama and Continental. The study measures overall customer satisfaction with their original equipment tyres, examining five key factors: wearability, appearance, traction/grip, ride and handling. Rankings are based on owner experiences with their tyres during the first year of ownership. Hankook Tire jumped its rank for third consecutive year; escalating from tenth in 2004 to eighth in 2005, sixth in 2006 and fifth in this year.

12th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Conti Distribution Centre Opens in China

The distribution facility in China jointly set up by Continental and the logistics cooperation Penske/Honold has entered operation. On October 1 the Shanghai Regional Distribution Center (RDC) took over from the temporary RDC, opened in March, as the official site for operations. The interim facility will now be closed down.

“For Continental, this [the RDC] represents a logical next step in the development of Asian distribution, Following the large-scale restructuring of logistics in Malaysia, China is the next challenge to be tackled,” stated Carsten Sziegoleit, head of warehousing and tyre distribution worldwide at Continental.

The launching of logistics operations in China is based essentially on the introduction of Continental’s established logistic processes and systems. Lean processes with a minimum of interfaces have already been successfully tested in China, ensuring that the new RDC will get off to a good start. With Penske as partner in China, Continental is relying on a well-established service provider, backed up by the experience of Honold Reifenlogistik, a company specialising in tyres. Honold already serves Continental with over 100,000 square metres of warehousing.

12th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Premier Tyres to Relocate Kalamassery plant

Premier Tyres has decided to relocate its tyre manufacturing unit at Kalamassery to another location in Kerala, according to local news sources. The move is expected to allow the company to increase its production capacity, through additional staff and new machinery. The company will reportedly also consider various options for development of the present site at Kalamassery. Premier Tyres, Ltd. manufactures products including bus and industrial tyres, tubes and conveyor belting. The company, formerly known as PTL Enterprises, Ltd., was founded in 1959 and is based in Kochi, India.

9th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Acquisition of Oliver Rubber Completed

Michelin North America announced on October 5 the completion of its acquisition of the Oliver Rubber Company from Cooper Tire & Rubber. Oliver, which produces tread rubber and retreading equipment, will now operate as a subsidiary of Michelin North America, Inc.

The US Federal Trade Commission granted an early termination of the standard waiting period for the transaction allowing the acquisition, which included a cash purchase price of US$69 million, to proceed.

This latest acquisition complements Michelin’s tread manufacturing capacity and extends, via the Oliver dealer network, the commercial reach of Michelin’s services throughout North America’s growing retreading market. In 2005 Michelin announced a major expansion of its tread manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia and, earlier this year, the opening of a new tread manufacturing facility in Querétaro, Mexico.

8th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Philippines Plans Factory Upgrade, Seeks Retail Investors

Manufacturing facilities at Goodyear’s operations in the Philippines are likely candidates for an upgrade, according to the president of Goodyear Philippines David Morin. At a press conference on October 4 Morin said that additional equipment would be purchased for the Las Pinas Goodyear factory in Manila, and he outlined plans to introduce a number of new products for export to Asean markets.

Goodyear’s Las Pinas plant exports 50 per cent of its production to Southeast Asian countries, including China and India, however as the facility is already operating at full capacity no new staff will be added to its complement of 700 workers as part of these improvements.

In addition to this planned upgrade, Goodyear Philippines is urging potential Filipino distributors and retailers to invest in the tyre industry. According to Morin the company has plans to expand its retail outlets in 15 to 20 untapped markets throughout the chain of islands.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Micheldever: Focused on Independent Tyre Retailers

Despite broadsheet gossip that Micheldever was bidding to buy National Tyres at the end of the second quarter, Micheldever executives remain clear that their focus is on selling to independent dealers and that any such speculation was completely unfounded. Instead they would much rather that attention fell on pioneering developments such as the release of the first all-terrain 4×4 tyre in the world capable of H-rated performance with an 18-inch diameter – 255/60hr18 General Grabber AT2.

Micheldever Tyre Services’ core strategy remains the same as ever, according to wholesaler director, Alan Baldwin. And the company continues in it clear mandate to provide “the widest possible range of products at the most competitive prices to the independent tyre retailer.” Further significant investment has been made by the company in additional warehouse capacity and delivery vehicles, says Baldwin, explaining that the company runs eight strategically positioned warehouses that hold the largest multi-brand tyre stocks in the UK.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

County Council to Consider Tax Break for Michelin Expansion

(Akron/Tire Review – Independent Mail) Michelin North America is seeking tax incentives from Anderson County (South Carolina) for a $25 million investment in its Starr and Sandy Springs facilities. The Anderson County Council is expected to consider a 10-year extension of a fee-in-lieu-of tax agreement that was originally approved in 1988. The investment will include equipment upgrades, but the agreement does not specify how many new jobs would be created. A company spokesperson could not be reached for comment on October 1.

In August, the tyremaker announced it planned to invest $350 million to improve and expand all of its major manufacturing facilities in South Carolina during the next four years. The company said it would add about 100 manufacturing jobs to its facilities in Anderson, Greenville, Lexington and Spartanburg counties. Michelin officials have not said how those jobs, which will be phased in as plants add capacity, will be divided among its South Carolina plants. Michelin’s Anderson County facilities employ about 880 people.

Michelin officials have said the expansion is being fuelled by several factors, including a new military contract and increased demand for X One tyres and Earthmover tyres.

2nd October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Raising the Bar

In the heart of Warwickshire, a hop, skip and a jump from the tourist magnet that is Stratford-upon-Avon, lies the UK headquarters of a company whose name is every bit as famous as that of the Bard. From these pleasant surroundings the world’s largest tyre manufacturer directs its entire British operations, with managerial, sales, support and technical staff all situated under the one roof. In addition to this, the offices serve one further, important purpose – as the nerve centre for Bridgestone’s UK training programmes.

Established in June 2005 by Paul Turner, a man who started out in the business as a tyre fitter more than 20 years ago and has got his hands dirty in a number of roles, the Bridgestone Training Department has seen Paul and colleague Phil Thirsk, who joined the fledgling operation three months after its creation, fully engaged in the development and delivery of training for Bridgestone’s UK partners and customers.

1st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Falcon Tyres Contemplates Industrial, OTR Tyre Market

Indian two and three wheeler tyre manufacturer Falcon Tyres has plans to diversify, a move the company says will lead to a doubling of production capacity. This news comes from no less a figure than company chairman Pawan K. Ruia, who said that Falcon is considering entering the industrial and OTR tyre market.

“We are working on the plan and it should be finalised in two months,” he announced to media after the company’s AGM in the city of Bangalore. To achieve this goal Falcon will either expand its existing facility in the city of Mysore, in southwest India or establish a new one in a state that offers tax concessions. The states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal have been named as contenders for this investment.

In addition, Falcon is expanding its tyre capacity from 550,000 to 750,000 tonnes and that of tube production from 250,000 tonnes to 375,000 tonnes. Overall, 110 tonnes of rubber products a day will be produced. The new lines will employ an additional 300 persons and most likely enter production before the end of the year.

1st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s ‘Steady Growth’ in Europe

At the recent IAA motor show in Frankfurt Bridgestone discussed details of its ongoing major investment programme for 2007, supporting its long-term plan for steady growth in Europe. Following on from expansion in production capacity at existing plants during 2006, this year will see trial production at Europe’s first fully-automated tyre plant, completion of a new European supply chain system and inauguration of the final phase of the Bridgestone European Proving Ground.

With Bridgestone’s focus on added-value products, such as run-flat and high-performance tyres, and the shift in demand towards larger rim-sized tyres in the European passenger car tyre market, heavy pressure has been placed upon current production resources. Capacity at the Poznan, Poland plant has already been boosted plant by 50 per cent to 23,000 units a day and Bridgestone Europe is currently constructing a new fully-automated plant at Tatabanya, Hungary, which will be ready by early 2009.

20th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

ArvinMeritor Announce 13-Plant Restructuring Plan

ArvinMeritor has announced it’s consolidating its three North American ride control facilities into one, including the closure of its Toronto, Ontario original equipment shock absorber operation, and its Chickasha, Oklahoma packaging and distribution centre. The 700-person closure is part of a previously announced restructuring plan affecting 2,800 employees from 13 North American and European plants.

14th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Deldo Completes Warehouse Expansion

This summer Belgian wholesaler Deldo completed an 8000 square expansion of its Antwerp central warehouse. As a result of the building work the companies warehouse now covers approximately 60,000 square metres and has a stock capacity of more than 2 million tyres. According to the company the move further underlines the company’s vision of having “everything under one roof.” Deldo offers a complete range in premium brands as well as a mix of exclusive brands, with 50,000 tyres being “handled” at the warehouse each day. Deldo representatives told Tyres & Accessories that the recent enlargement will result in improved internal logistics and greater efficiency. The company also expects the move to further its position as a winter tyre specialist, explaining that “winter tyre require a comprehensive stock.”

7th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kirkby Tyres Adds to Storage Capacity in Eire

Kirkby Tyres has set up a new storage facility in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, as part of the company’s ongoing expansion plans, online news sources have reported. Over the past few months the company has been building up stock at the new facility, with a view to increasing its over-all stock holding and reducing delivery times to the trade. Kirkby Tyres now offers a wide range of Agri, Industrial, MPT, Earthmover ad Forklift tyres from the Tipperary facility. The expansion is believed to have been prompted by the growth of the company’s wheel and tyre business.

7th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Fickle Power Supply, Importers Blamed for Dunlop Nigeria’s Woes

The Chairman of Dunlop Nigeria Jabez Lawuyi chose the company’s September 4 Annual General Meeting as the occasion to announce that the country’s chronically unreliable energy supply has reduced the tyremaker’s production and sales capacity by 20 per cent during the first half of 2007.

Nigeria’s unreliable electricity supply prompted Dunlop Nigeria to set up the means to operate using natural gas power several years ago. However, Mr. Lawuyi reported that this alternate source of power has proven to be no more reliable. “The supply of electricity has remained epileptic while that of gas has deteriorated significantly that together has led to a 20 per cent loss in the volume of production and sales of tyres in the first half of the year,” Lawuyi said.

Mr. Lawuyi also used the AGM as a platform to hit out at tyre importers, whom he accused of manipulating import tariffs in order to flood the local market with “substandard and under-priced tyres,” a practice he believes contributed to the closure of Michelin’s Nigerian operations in January. It was also his duty to inform shareholders than the company has achieved an annual turnover of N5 billion (£20 million) and a pre-tax loss of N370 million (£1.5 million).

6th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Keeps it Local in China

The recently reported capacity expansion plans for Goodyear’s Dalian plant in China – to 17,000 tyres a day or 10 per cent of global production – will mostly be supplied from local sources. Over a number of years Goodyear has shared its technology with a number of Chinese companies, and these firms are now playing an ever-larger role in keeping the materials required for making tyres coming into the plant.

Local suppliers include Jiangsu Xingda Steel Tyre Cord Co. Ltd., who provide steel cord; Jiangsu Junma Group for nylon 6 yarn; China Shenma Group for nylon 6,6; and carbon black supplier Jiangxi Black Cat Carbon Black Co. Goodyear plans to source between £300 million and £500 million worth of materials from China by 2010.

And just as much of what enters the factory is from local sources, much of what comes out is also staying close to home. A large chunk of the Dalian factory’s output is being taken up by Chinese based vehicle manufacturers for OE fitment. Goodyear is the exclusive tyre supplier for BMW in China, and the tyremaker also supplies to Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Great Wall Motor Co., Brilliance Jinbei Automobile Co., as well as local Toyota, Nissan and Honda operations.

6th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors