China Archives - Page 132 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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Michelin Launches “Fastest Ever Series Produced Tyre”

French tyre giant Michelin has launched the company’s latest tyre for the ultra high-performance segment, the Pilot Super Sport, at an event in Dubai. Attending the launch alongside Michelin representatives were spokespeople from Porsche and TÜV SÜD; Michelin said it had “worked closely” alongside the auto manufacturer – as well as with BMW M and Ferrari – in developing the Pilot Super Sport, meeting its “challenging original equipment specifications”, while the testing organisation has recently produced a comparative study of the tyre and its competitors, determining it as “the fastest tyre on the market”. The Pilot Super Sport will be available from January 2011. The tyre will go on the market priced at the same level as its predecessor, the Pilot Sport 2, an important point of comparison considering the PS2’s more than 200 OE certifications. The Pilot Super Sport achieved a wet braking distance 3m shorter than its predecessor (80-10kmh) in TÜV SÜD tests.

8th December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Reifen China 2010 Had 39% More Visitors

International News, News

For the fourth time in its history, Reifen China welcomed floods of visitors through the doors of the Shanghai New International Expo Center on 25 November where over 100 exhibitors from some of the country's leading suppliers and traders were waiting to share details of the latest products and business developments. The headline news is that by the end of this year’s show on 27 November, Reifen China had attracted a total of 9356 trade visitors from 75 countries – an increase of over 39 per cent compared with the previous year (2009: 6,693).

8th December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Treadsetters Accelerates its Business

Since its establishment in 1999, Treadsetters' turnover has grown from £6 million to over £27.5 million. Having successfully operated a wholesale model based largely on selling exclusive tyre brands for a decade, the company is now developing its own brand of tyres under the name Torque with a view to expanding this success into a truly international scale. Tyres & Accessories met with Treadsetters managing director Tim Davies in mid November at the company's new, larger warehousing site in Telford to find out more about the strategy that is behind both the company's recent HSBC business thinking award nomination and its recent growth.

To say that Treadsetter's recent growth has been strong is something of an understatement. If the company hits its 2010 targets – and so far there is every indication that it will – the business will have experienced 750 per cent turnover growth and 1000 per cent enhancement in our profitability in the last 5 years. Bearing in mind the wider market conditions of recent years and the fact that the company has not only maintained but increased profits amidst rapid growing sales total, this really is something of an achievement.

6th December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Interstate’s Chinese Business Growing Fast

Between 27 and 27 November 2010, Interstate Tire & Rubber Co. hosted its augural Chinese Interstate distributor meeting at Nantong, China. Tyres & Accessories met up with vice president Theo de Vries and learnt that the company’s products, which are well-known in Europe, are gaining increased distribution in the Chinese domestic market.

Interstate’s first dealer meeting saw the company bring together more than 120 local Interstate distributors at the Grand International Hotel, Nantong. Distributors reportedly came from all over China and flew in from all several provinces across China -from the nearby Jiangsu to the remote Yunnan province. With Wholesale operations across all China and retail operations in the provinces of Jiangsu, Shanghai and Shandong, there is every indication that Interstate China is continuing to grow rapidly. For 2011 the company’s ambitious goal is to open 12 more retails outlets and increase sales by more than 40 per cent.

6th December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Shaanxi Yanchang Considering PCR Plant

International News, News

Heard of Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Rubber Co., Ltd? We hadn’t either before last year’s Reifen China in Shanghai. However, after our brief introduction at last year’s show this year the company returned to the exhibition with another substantial stand in a similarly prime position. This time round company representatives brought with them news that despite being founded as recently as December 2008, it is already well on the well to producing 1 million truck tyres a year at its Xianyang truck tyre production plant. With the company's passenger car radial line due to break ground in 2013, this could be a production base to watch.

3rd December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Shandong Province Honours Pirelli Asia Pacific CEO

Every year China’s Shandong Province honours foreigners that add to the region’s social, economic and educational progress with its ‘Qilu Friendship Award’. This year the Shandong Province government has presented the Qilu Friendship Award to 18 foreign professionals and experts in recognition of their contribution. Included within this exclusive group is Pirelli Asia Pacific CEO Giuseppe Cattaneo.

3rd December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Suntrac Brand Makes its Debut, PCR Line to Follow

International News

One brand Tyres & Accessories met for the first time in Shanghai (at the recent Reifen China exhibition) was Suntrac, which is produced by Dubai-based Sun Global Fzco at partner factories in China and a joint venture in Sri Lanka. The company also produces Nison brand truck and bus tyres which, a brand that was established nearly six years ago.

Currently the business focuses on the manufacturing and international distribution of bias and radial light truck, truck and bus, and off-the-road tyres distributed globally under the Suntrac name. However executive director Nitesh Shewakramani told T&A that the company plans to launch a comprehensive range of PCR & SUV as well as solid and implement tyres by mid 2011. Product wise the company currently offers over 20 different truck fitments across 16 different tread patterns.

3rd December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

2010 Up 9 Points, But 2011 a Downer, RMA Says

The RMA is projecting a huge overall increase in tire shipments this year – by more than 9 per cent – thanks to sharp jumps in both the OE and replacement markets, reports Tire Review. But it will be more of the same in 2011, as growth projections fall to just 2 per cent for next year. According to its year-end projection, the RMA is calling for an increase of some 24 million tyres in total or a 9 per cent increase versus 2009 shipment results. Looking forward, the RMA sees a small 2 per cent year-to-year increase for 2011 thanks to continuing economic uncertainty.

2nd December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Developing Low Rubber-Content Tyres

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Bridgestone is working on technology that would radically reduce the amount of natural and synthetic rubber used in each tyre it produces – without having an impact on quality or performance. The tyre-maker hopes to have the technology, which also encompasses other tyre components, in place within ten years, effectively cutting its total rubber consumption by 50 per cent. Reducing input costs is the hot battlefield for manufacturers as they tackle fast rising oil and NR cost increases while seeing white-hot growth opportunities in South America and Asia. Recouping on those higher costs has grown more difficult because lingering poor economic conditions continue to pressure commercial and consumer customers.

2nd December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

China Research and Intelligence Releases Tyre Top 50 Report

Companiesandmarkets.com has announced the publishing of a new research report from China Research and Intelligence on the world’s top 50 tyre enterprises, 2010-2011. The report gives an analysis on the enterprises whose sales ranked among world's top 50 in 2009, including their operations, sales volume, development trend, and investment in China, amongst other things. The report ranks the world’s top 75 tyre enterprises in 2010 according to sales revenue relative to tyre manufacturing in 2009. The top three, somewhat unsurprisingly, remain as Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear, though the sales revenue of these three companies witnessed a double-digit drop on 2008 figures.

2nd December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Allen Tsaur: 80% of Chinese Tyres Not Ready for Labelling

Despite tough external conditions Cooper Chengshan’s top line growth is said to be “progressing well” in 2010 and the firm’s “amazingly strong” domestic truck and bus tyre market growth in the first quarter of this year is a key highlight of this performance. Meanwhile the company’s passenger car tyres sales have reportedly continued on their “relatively consistent” recent trajectory. Looking forward, Cooper Asia general manager and Cooper Chengshan boss Allen Tsaur reports that the company is well prepared for the forthcoming 2012 tyre labelling legislation across all its brands.

From Cooper Chengshan’s perspective the new laws are a good thing that “drives us forward.” However, this is clearly not the case across the board in China, with Tsaur reporting that an estimated 80 per cent of tyre suppliers are not up to scratch when it comes to labelling legisaltion preparedness. Out of roughly 300 tyre manufacturers currently operating in China, only the top 30 are said to be of a “good quality” that is compatible with exports into the mature markets. Of these, only the top 10 (including Cooper Chengshan) are already set for the 2012 rules.

1st December 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Eastman Industries’ AddoIndia Brand Reports ‘Strong’ EU Sales in 1H 2010

Despite already being in existence for the seven years since 2003, Eastman Industries Ltd’s AddoIndia brand was a new one for Tyres & Accessories. Speaking to the magazine during the Reifen China exhibition in late November, Harpeet Singh Walia, the company’s international marketing executive, explained that the company’s cross ply tyres are produced in India, while the firm takes delivery of and distributes passenger car radials manufactured in China. In addition to these lines, the company sell “everything from bike to OTR tyres” and also markets lines in battery and wheel products. Many of the truck tyres the company sells are of bias construction, but company representatives are pragmatic about the fact that these will eventually go away.

30th November 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Hyundai Breaks Ground of Third China Factory

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.

29th November 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Sumitomo Chemical to Build S-SBR Plant in Singapore

In future the 270 square mile state of Singapore will be home to no less than three major synthetic rubber production plants following Sumitomo Chemical’s decision to construct a solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) facility on Jurong Island. The Japanese firm intends to have the 40,000 tonne per annum capacity plant ready for commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2013.

26th November 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Reifen China 2010 Opens it Doors

For the fourth time in its history, Reifen China welcomed floods of visitors through the doors of the Shanghai New International Expo Center where over 100 exhibitors from some of the country's leading suppliers and traders were waiting to share details of the latest products and business developments. Like the 2009 show, this year's Reifen China doesn't have the near complete set of the top 10 Chinese tyremakers that the organisers have been able to attract in the past. However, Messe Essen GmbH's cooperation with the China United Rubber Corporation (CURC) and conceptual sponsor cooperation with Bundesverband Reifenhandel & Vulkaniseur-Handwerk e.V. (BRV – the German tyre distributor and vulcanisation association has managed to attract some of the biggest players in the business and certainly offer the largest scale and most attractive exhibition stands at any tyre show Tyres & Accessories has visited in the country.

25th November 2010/by Tyrepress Editors