Kirkby Tyres, based near Liverpool Airport in Speke, has been distributing tyres and wheels for over 60 years and now lay claim to being a top UK agricultural tyre wholesaler, with what it says is “the largest and most comprehensive range available.” The company has UK distribution deals with the Alliance Tyre Group and Balkrishna Tyre, and has recently extended its agricultural range with the introduction of new tyres from both companies.
Media reports published on January 6 indicate that Continental AG intends to invest up to 220 million euros in Romania to build up capacity in its Timisoara plant over the next two years. Enquiries made by Tyres & Accessories to the German manufacturer’s head office, however, reveal that an inaccurate news report was released through a newspaper in Romania. The company has regularly invested its Timisoara plant since 2004, however Continental media contact Klaus Engelhardt states an investment of this size is not planned.
Production capacity at Cheng Shin Rubber is anticipated to grow a hefty 70 per cent through the construction of three new facilities. According to the China Economic News Service, the Taiwanese manufacturer of the Maxxis tyre brand has set aside NT$30 billion (₤640 million) to establish plants in China’s Sichuan and Fujian provinces and in Yunlin County, Taiwan. When the three plants are in production alongside the company’s existing Taiwan, Thailand and China factories, daily capacity is expected to rise from 100,000 to 170,000 pieces.
A US$353 million manufacturing facility in Bekasi, Indonesia will become the seventh factory operated by Hankook Tire and its fifth facility outside of South Korea. The tyre maker’s decision to invest in a factory in Indonesia was announced a month after Hankook stated its intention to build a plant in China’s Chongqing province. Adding a seventh plant to Hankook’s global production network will, the company says, enable annual global output to reach 100 million units by 2014 – a stated goal of Hankook Tire’s mid-term business target.
It’s customary at this time of year to take a quick look back over our shoulders at what has gone before and perhaps more importantly to make some sort of predictions as to the year ahead. In the latest in our series of perspectives from the shipping industry, Rob Shelley, CEO of Maritime Cargo Services, tells Tyres & Accessories where he sees shipping volumes and extra-slow-steaming going in 2011 and what this means for anyone importing tyres into the UK.
Belarusian tyre maker Belshina is currently redeveloping its on and off-road businesses. A 32.6 million euro upgrade of passenger car tyre production facilities is close to completion, the company reports. The project will be funded in part by loans, with the remainder coming from Belshina and parent company Belneftekhim. Equipment for the upgrade has been supplied by Dutch firm VMI. The upgraded plant will enter operation at the end of 2011 and will reach its planned capacity in 2013. Belshina anticipates the replacement of obsolete equipment and the upgrading of other units will not only increase output volume and enable a larger assortment of products to be manufactured; the tyre maker says production quality and labour conditions will also improve.
Daily output of truck and bus tyres at Bridgestone’s factory in Chonburi, Thailand is set to increase over the next three or so years. The Japanese tyre maker states it will invest approximately 16.6 billion yen (₤125.6 million) to increase daily TBR production capacity from 8,000 to around 10,500 units by the first half of 2014.
Proposed changes to Formula One and GT1 World Championship were confirmed at this year’s final meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WSMC), which took place in Monaco on December 10. The WSMC has approved the re-introduction of intermediate tyres into Formula One for 2011, along with the imposition of penalties upon any driver who fails to use both specification of dry weather tyre during a race. Changes for GT1 include an increase in the number of dry weather tyres to six sets (of which only four are permitted for qualifying and the races). The intention of this change is to allow teams to use tyres to their maximum capacity during practice, reducing the necessity to incur additional costs in private testing.
According to Jay Kunkel, president of Continental’s Asia region, the German tyre and automotive component supplier intends to have sales within Asia account for 25 per cent of the company’s global total by 2013. Growth in the key market of China and throughout the region is already occurring and in response the company has established a new facility for the production of electronic brake and powertrain systems and interior electronics products.
The first tyre technicians to graduate from a Kumho Tyres supported NVQ training programme were honoured at a special ceremony held at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium in October.
For the last 18 months Kumho has been promoting a range of government-backed apprenticeships in vehicle fitting operations to selected members of its ECSTA Performance Centre (EPC) network of retailers. In recognition of their achievement, the first seven to complete their courses were invited to receive commemorative glass trophies, which were presented during Kumho’s recent 50th Anniversary celebrations at Old Trafford.
14th December 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen reaching the South Pole, just ahead of Captain Robert Falcon Scott. To mark the occasion, Extreme World Races is staging the EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole, in what it describes as "the ultimate off-road test", with winds up to 80 mph and temperatures as low as -56ºC in the coldest, driest and highest desert on earth.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems’ TM900 High Power super single tyre is designed to fit the most advanced high power tractors, and now an extra large size (900/60R42) is on the market for the New Holland T9 from 350 to 500hp and the Case Steiger from 350 up to 450hp both in Europe and North America. At higher horsepower, tractors require dual tyres, which are typically recommended for field application only; Trelleborg says its super single 900/60R42 TM900 High Power has been engineered to combine outstanding performances both in the field and on the road.
India’s Ceat Ltd. now holds global ownership of the ‘Ceat’ brand name after purchasing the rights from Pirelli & C. SpA for nine million euros. The company is said to have made an upfront payment of 4.5 million euros to Pirelli with a bank guarantee for the balance. The purchase allows Ceat to export tyres under the eponymous brand anywhere in the world, and Ceat shares jumped 7.4 per cent to 138.85 rupees as details of the deal became known.
Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, began building its third plant in China 28 November with the goal of reaching a million unit a year total capacity by 2012. Beijing Hyundai Motor Company (BHMC), a 50-50 joint venture between Hyundai Motor and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co., held a ground-breaking ceremony for a 400,000 unit/year plant on 28 November in Shunyi District, Beijing. The new plant is scheduled to be completed by July 2012. The two existing plants which roll out up to 300,000 units each.
Pirelli has agreed to take over the assets of Sibur Russian Tyres after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Russian Technologies and oil major Sibur Holding in Moscow on Friday 26 November. The deal, which is likely to position Pirelli as major player in the Russian market, comes after domestic market leader Niznekamskshina, (owned by another oil major, Tatneft) confirmed it had been in merger talks with Sibur in August. However, the latest MOU even goes as far as leaving the door open for a partnership that may offer Pirelli “a further opportunity for development and consolidation through the possible acquisition of or merger with Nizhnekamskshina.”
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