China Archives - Page 125 of 240 - Tyrepress

Now one of the largest tyre-producing countries in the world, China has an indisputable influence on the direction of global tyre trade. The home of both fast-growing up-and-coming brands as well as a burgeoning domestic market, this tag chronicles China’s involvement with the tyre business.

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Tyre management vital as Vettel, Button and Heidfeld take Malaysia podium

As Championship leader Sebastian Vettel noted after his win at the Malaysian Grand Prix, it is still early in Formula One’s race calendar, but Pirelli’s PZero F1 tyres appear to be having the manufacturer’s desired effects of placing tyres at centre-stage and aiding overtaking. For the second race in succession, Red Bull’s Vettel converted pole position to a win, with tyre strategy proving crucial. The drivers who best looked after their tyres in the punishing conditions of Malaysia were rewarded with the top positions, with McLaren and Lotus Renault, driven respectively by Jenson Button and Nick Heidfeld, who went from Pirelli test driver to podium finisher in less than six months, having held off a strong last-ditch challenge by Mark Webber.

11th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres lands five-year Icelandair Boeing 757 deal

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres has announced that it has signed up to supply tyres to the 28 aircraft that are maintained by Icelandair Technical Services. The five-year agreement covers both the supply of new tyres and retreading for a fleet of 16 aircraft operated by Icelandair on passenger and cargo routes, as well as 12 flown by airlines in the Nordics and Russia. The company says the deal underlines its high-flying position with Boeing 757-200 operators like Icelandair; Dunlop also supports other major European 757-200 operators such as DHL, First Choice Airways and Thomas Cook.

11th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli F1 tyre “faultless” after Malaysian practice day turns up heat

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery says that the Formula One sole supplier’s tyres have “performed faultlessly” in the extreme heat of Malaysia’s Sepang circuit in the opening practice day for the second Grand Prix of the season. Track temperatures climbed to 51 degrees centigrade while the company measured an ambient temperature of 37 degrees. So far the soft tyres have been around 1.2 seconds per lap quicker than the hard compound, though Pirelli predicts they will run at that standard for between eight and 10 laps in the race. The soft tyres provided for Malaysia and China, characterised by yellow logos, have been given additional markings in order to distinguish them more clearly. A gold band has been drawn round the circumference of the tyre. Pirelli intends to revise the markings for greater visibility in time for the Turkish Grand Prix in May, when the Formula One season arrives in Europe.

8th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Legal details of Kwik-Fit deal emerge

Legal firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) advised the management of Kwik-Fit on the well-known tyre retailer’s sale to Japanese conglomerate, Itochu Corporation, it emerged today. Nice to know, you might think, but what does this tell about the deal itself? According to the company, BLP fielded a cross-practice team to provide corporate finance, real estate, private equity, employee share schemes and tax advice – and this implies that that all these aspects have been involved in negotiations and ultimately the deal itself.

8th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin rubber chosen for China’s first airliner

Michelin has been selected to develop and supply tyres for the first commercial airliner to be designed in China, the Comac C919. The tyre maker reports the contract with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China grew out of an alliance created in November 2009. Comac intends to have the first prototype C919 in the air by 2014 and Michelin will supply its Air X radial to the 150 to 200 seat single-aisle segment airliner. The C919 is expected to enter commercial service in 2016, with sales of the airliner initially targeted at China’s domestic market.

7th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Despite declining profitability, Indian tyre makers capitalising on CV radialisation

India based investment information and credit rating agency ICRA Limited has issued a report warning that the profitability of tyre makers there will decline over the coming 12 to 15 months despite a “robust” demand for tyres. The agency notes the Indian tyre industry staged a strong recovery in the 2009-10 financial year with a turnover of around Rs 250,000 million (£3.4 billion); this performance was supported by a sharp upturn in demand and relatively stable rubber prices. “However, benefits accruing from a low-cost structure were short-lived, as natural rubber prices surged since December 2009, thereby making a severe impact on margins, despite industry-wide price revisions by tyre manufacturers.”

6th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Bandag pursuing a “fair share” approach to price increases

Last year Bridgestone Bandag – one of the largest competitors in the European retreading market – only announced minor price increases. In February this year, however, the manufacturer and franchisor needed to raise its prices by an average of six per cent. As Harald Van Ooteghem, Brussels based senior manager for TBR/Retread Business Planning at Bridgestone Europe, explains to Tyres & Accessories, in the event of price increases an attempt is made to implement a “fair share” approach by which both partners – the supplier and customer – share the extra burden.

1st April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper expresses ‘surprise’ at off-take reports

Following the publication of an interview with representatives of China’s Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber tyre manufacturing business, Cooper Tire & Rubber Europe has expressed “surprise” at one particular reported detail. In an email to Tyres & Accessories the company’s marketing and communications manager, Sarah McRoberts contested any suggestion that the company “was claiming to make tyres for Cooper.”

31st March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

'We are here to stay': Hangzhou Zhongce invests in R&D expansion and new HQ

Already purportedly the largest tyre manufacturer based in China (with annual turnover equating to around US$3.38 billion in 2010) and currently number 11 in the world, Hangzhou Zhongce reports that it expects to climb up the rankings following the opening of a new factory during the middle of next year.

In the medium term the ambition (something that Chinese manufacturers are seldom short of) is for the company to maintain a top 10, perhaps ninth, and beyond. Although this could mean leap-frogging other fast-growing Far Eastern competitors (including the increasingly influential Korean set), during a recent meeting in London with executives and research and development heads Hanzhou Zhongce representatives reiterated their intentions of becoming world-class players, inviting partners to “craft a better future” through the Chinese tyre maker's Westlake brand. The CEO of the Westlake brand, who reports directly to the president of Hangzhou Zhongce and who was introduced as Mr. Ge, was in attendance.

30th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

IRSG predicts decade of strong tyre demand

The secretary general of the influential International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) has predicted strong global demand for tyres through to the end of the decade. Speaking at the opening of Tyrexpo Asia 2011 in Singapore on 29 March 2011 Dr Stephen Evans said:

“Our forecasts point to a sustained growth and strong demand for new vehicles and tyres through to the end of the decade. Much of the extra demand will originate from China and to a lesser extend India, but from an overall perspective the years through to 2020 will be a period of opportunity for tyre makers and the replacement and service sectors.”

29th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

The Goodyear blimp is back

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a UFO? No, despite the scores of twitterers that misidentified the well-known motor-driven airship during a night flight over London, it’s the Goodyear blimp, which returned to European airspace during March after a 12-year leave of absence.

Over the last decade, Goodyear Blimps have flown over the USA, Brazil and China, but this news marks the first European tour since 1999. Between March and October, two Goodyear Blimps named Spirit of Safety I and Spirit of Safety II will visit 20 countries, with the tour starting in the UK. Shortly after the aforementioned night-flight over London, Tyres & Accessories went blimping on the Goodyear airship and found out a little more about the craft’s current mission.

28th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Two more Yokohama plants obtain ISO 14001 certification

Certification according to ISO 14001 has been granted to two Yokohama Rubber group companies; Suzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd., a tyre production and sales company in China; and Yokohama Tyre Vietnam Inc., a tyre production and sales company in Vietnam. This certification is in line with Yokohama Rubber’s ‘Grand Design 100’ medium-term management plan: With ISO 14001 at the heart of business operations, domestic and overseas group companies endeavour to maintain uniform-quality, high-level environmental management, and all production sites have been working to acquire ISO 14001 certification,” the company reported in a statement. At present a total of 15 production bases – ten factories and five Yokohama Rubber Group companies – have achieved ISO 14001 status in Japan, while the two abovementioned companies bring the total number of Yokohama production sites to reach this level to 13.

28th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Italmatic: A long-established full portfolio manufacturer

With a history going back 45 years and more than 7,500 machines in operation around the world, the Italmatic Group is today one of the leading retreading equipment and accessory providers. These days the Milan based machinery manufacturer offers a comprehensive portfolio of products, from passenger car tyres up to and including complete production facilities, for use in the retreading of various types of tyres. “We are probably the only or at least one of a handful of companies able to deliver everything from accessories for bicycle tyres through to facilities for the retreading of 63-inch OTR tyres,” Italmatic vice-president Massimo Ghitturi comments to Tyres & Accessories. Italmatic can also offer its customers turnkey retreading facilities, from the preparation of a layout to installation and startup technical support.

25th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Maxxis receives 2010 Ford Gold Award

At the Ford Motor Company’s annual World Excellence Awards, held on March 16, Cheng Shin Rubber was honoured by the vehicle manufacturer with a Gold Award, the highest recognition to Ford’s global suppliers. The Maxxis brand manufacturer was one of only 15 Gold Award recipients out of the 1,500 or so suppliers Ford obtains components from around the world and the only tyre maker amongst the 15. Wheel manufacturer Ronal also received a Gold Award, while Hayes Lemmerz was one of 26 Silver Award recipients.

25th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama outlines 2011 motorsport activities

Motorsport is viewed by Yokohama Rubber as a “key aspect its efforts to develop its global tyre business,” and with this in mind the Japanese tyre maker says it will “strive to increase the degree of recognition of the Yokohama tyre brand through a wide range of motor sports activities in Japan and around the world.” On March 24 the company announced its global motorsport plans for 2011.

24th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors