China Archives - Page 146 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 Plays its Travel ‘Trump Card’

The Michelin Group is first and foremost a tyre maker – 99 per cent of its business is directly tyre related. Yet the residual proportion of Group activities not centred upon the black, rubbery rings – the company’s maps and guides, ViaMichelin and Michelin Lifestyle – should by no means be viewed as just a sideshow, a therapeutic diversion from the serious business of producing tyres. In the words of Michelin managing partner Jean-Dominique Senard, “the one per cent is crucial to the 99 per cent of sales. It gives us half a billion contacts through our website clicks, and tens of millions of maps and guides are sold.

17th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrepac Aiming for £1.2 million in 2010

It may be barely two years old (having been founded in April 2008), but Tyrepac is vying for position as Asia’s first tyre e-tail portal. Currently operating in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and South Korea, the Singapore Hitwise report for the week ended March 6 ranked Tyrepac fifth on the Shopping and Classified listing, losing out only to the likes of eBay and Amazon. In terms of sales, the target for this year is 6 million Malaysian ringgits (£1.2 million, 1 million euros). This may sound small, but the company is already showing the rapid signs of growth seen in e-tailers from other continents. In its first year Tyrepac generated less than half of this, reporting a turnover of 2.5 million ringgits (£500,000; 400,000 euros).

16th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Sues over Trademark Infringement

Bridgestone Americas has reportedly filed trademark infringement suit against Commerce Max Inc., a Texas company selling “Amberstone” brand medium truck and OTR tyres, reports Tire Review. Based in Pflugerville, Texas, Commerce Max, according to its website, sells a wide range of tyre brands, including Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Yokohama, General and Firestone. The Amberstone brand tyres it offers are produced in China by an unnamed manufacturer.

16th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin: “The Crisis has not Called our Strategic Goals into Question”

It is now about a year and a half since the wider economic downturn began to have an effect on the automotive and tyre industries, and companies have had ample time to consider their responses. Upon the release of Michelin’s 2009 financial report in March, managing partner Michel Rollier spoke on the measures taken by the French manufacturer to counter the global crisis.

15th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

China Market Growth Three Times Global Average

An estimate given by Sumitomo Rubber Industries suggests that sales of tyres in China will increase at three times the global rate. Bloomberg reports company president Tetsuji Mino as saying sales will increase about ten per cent per annum from just under 150 million tyres in 2009, compared with a global growth of three per cent. “We are sure that China is the most promising market,” Mino said. “Car ownership is spreading from wealthy people to ordinary consumers.”

15th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

New Exhibition to Help Find Homes for Post-ITC Tyres

Latin Expo Group Ltd., a Panamanian trade group, is organizing a tyre exhibition and conference for Latin American and Caribbean tyre distributors in Panama City, Panama, 8-11 July 2010. Latin American & Caribbean Tyre Expo 2010, will be held at Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City, according to the organizer. Latin Expo reports that it is in the process of organizing a programme of international tyre industry speakers to accompany the exposition, according to a spokesman for the group, who said the group’s vision “is to bring the global manufacturers and suppliers directly to the Latin markets and to get the Latin dealers to those manufacturers in a familiar and inexpensive venue.” 280 exhibitors are said to have signed up so far for a show expected to cover around 85,000 square feet of exhibition space.

12th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

After Strong 2009, Hankook Looks to Take it to Another Level

During Hankook Tire America’s recent dealer meeting in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Tire Review had the opportunity to sit down and discuss a wide range of issues with its new president Soo Il Lee, Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications, and Todd Hershberger, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

12th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli – 20% More Capacity by end of 2011

During the company’s 2009 full financial year conference call on March 10, Pirelli Tyre CEO Dr. Francesco Gori discussed a number of plans for this and the coming year. “Our strategic guidelines for 2010 confirm our strategic positioning in line with our business plan,” he stated. “And the distinctive strategic features are focused on the strong and truly global brand that made us improve once more our position in the top consumer segments. It selected exposure in emerging markets with a focus on Latin America, where we are clearly number one, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Our expectation for 2010 is to further improve our revenues in the industrial business by fully exploiting the potentials in those geographies.”

12th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Brityrex Increases Aftermarket Appeal

More exhibitors from across the aftermarket have signed up for October’s Brityrex International exhibition, with familiar names and new brands seeking to capitalise on the potential offered by a post-recession tyre and equipment marketplace. Among the latest names to be confirmed by show organiser ECI International are battery specialist Manbat, Chinese tyre maker Guizhou Tyre Co and a strong hand of garage equipment suppliers in Snap-On Equipment, DQN and JHM Butt & Co.

11th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti’s Tyre Plant the Key to Brazilian Market

The Brazilian tyre market is one of the world’s largest and due to its growth has been counted amongst the most important emerging markets, the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), for a number of years now. For the last five years German manufacturer Continental has produced tyres in Brazil and during this time – despite long-established and powerful competition – has built up a solid business there. While Continental sees itself as well positioned in Brazil’s replacement tyre market and already holds a four to eight per cent market share, when Tyres & Accessories visited Continental’s tyre factory in Camaçari, Brazil, we learned that the company now intends to further establish its deliveries to OEM customers.

11th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Tariff Issue Still on TIA Front-Burner

In the USA, the TIA says it is still working to either reduce or eliminate the added tariff placed on China-made consumer tyres by the Obama Administration last September, reports Tire Review. The three-year tariff adds 35 per cent to the price of consumer tyres exported to the US from China, dropping to 30 per cent in its second year and 25 per cent in the third.

10th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess Examining Options for Brazil Retreading Chemical Production

Some 18 million truck and bus tyres are said to be retreaded in North America each year and a further nine million in South America, and to meet growing demand for the raw materials used in retreading both within the region and worldwide, Lanxess’s Performance Butadiene Rubbers (PBR) business unit is “considering the possibility” of manufacturing ESBR-BMB (emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber black masterbatch) in Brazil in the future. Options for doing so at its Triunfo or Caxias production sites are currently being examined.

10th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Linglong: Tyre Labelling an Opportunity to Demonstrate Quality

Shandong Linglong Co., Ltd., president Wang Feng described tyre labelling as an opportunity in an interview with Tyres & Accessories. “Any new regulations should be fair for everyone, but they are a good thing for us [and therefore Infinity] because it means we won't have low quality product coming out of China. It also means that we can demonstrate that our products are good…We are confident it will result in better quality tyres for European customers.” Surrender Khandari echoed these sentiments, putting it like this: the result will be “more safe, more healthy, more green tyres for the customer [tyres] that narrow the gap with the best players.”

9th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Rubber Outlines 2010 Motorsport Activities

Motorsport participation is a stated component of Yokohama Rubber’s strategy for the global development of its flagship ‘Advan’ tyre brand. On March 5 the company announced its Motor Sports Activity Plan for 2010, in which it outlines its continued active support of motor racing in Japan and many other countries. Below are the highlights of the activity plan:

8th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Shandong Linglong to Invest $200 million in China Proving Ground

Shandong Linglong Tyre Co., Ltd., the third largest tyre manufacturer in China and approximately number 16 in the world, has announced plans to invest $200 million in the construction of a “world class” proving ground in China. Company president Mr Wang Feng told Tyres & Accessories the investment will be spread over four years and will take the form of a three phase plan, beginning with passenger car tyre testing facilities when the proposed proving ground opens in 2012, and expanding to include truck and OTR testing facilities by the time it is completed in 2016. Currently the company is in the process of getting the necessary government approvals for its proposed plot of land, but Mr Wang said the company plans to be in a position to announce the further details at the end of the first half of this year. And the new facility will be a “First class proving ground in terms of size and quality,”he explained. Considering the relatively low cost of land in China, company representatives highlighted the fact that money it plans to invest in the new site will go a long way. Linglong's proposed investment equates to roughly 10 per cent of a year's turnover ($1.79 billion in 2009; over $2 billion expected in 2010) spread over four years.

8th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors