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.
On 22 September 2016 Doublestar Europe Ltd was registered as a UK company based in London. Tyres & Accessories understands that the company is a joint venture between Zenises and growing Chinese tyremaker Qingdao Doublestar designed to bring Chinese products into European markets.
Now in its 14th year, the China International Tire Expo, or CITExpo, returned to Shanghai in September – but not to the venue where it was held over the past decade, as 2016 was the tyre trade show’s first year in a larger, more modern and attractive location – a site that offers CITExpo the room to grow in future. Tyres & Accessories attended the exhibition between 26 and 28 September, and on the final day caught up with the organiser to find out how the first CITExpo at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center (SWEECC) went.
ChemChina is said to have expressed interest in Kumho Tire Co., according to Korean news source. Citing “industry sources” Pulse News said ChemChina “signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with creditors of Kumho Tire last month and began preparing for an official bid. The Chinese company selected Boston Consulting Group to advice on the deal.”
Sentury and Huagao launched their first electrostatic conducting graphene tyre at the 2016 China International Graphene Innovation Conference (GrapChina) on 22 September. The launch comes less than a month after Sentury and Huagao officially announced their cooperation on the product.
Shangdong Hengyu Technology has become the latest tyre manufacturer to announce that it is making tyres based on the Nobel Prize-winning material graphene. Other firms using graphene in tyres include bicycle tyremaker Vitorria and fast-growing Chinese manufacturer Sentury Tire.
According to the company supplying Hengyu with Graphene (The Sixth Element Materials Technology), Shangdong Hengyu has developed “tyre formulations” that the companies say demonstrates the positive impact of graphene on the performance of tyres.
Between 28 and 30 September Linglong Tire held its 2016 Middle East and Africa dealer conference in Ethiopia. Company president Wang Feng and “almost hundreds” of dealers from Middle East and Africa gathered to learn about the development Linglong achieved in 2016 as well as the firm’s 2017 plan especially for marketing strategy and branded shops.
On 10 and 11 October, a team from Volkswagen Group evaluated Shandong Linglong Tire co. Ltd.’s suitability as an original equipment supplier. The Chinese tyre maker reports that it has passed this audit, and in doing so comes one step closer to having its tyres fitted on Volkswagen vehicles manufactured in China. At present, no tyres produced by domestic Chinese tyre makers come with Volkswagen cars as original equipment.
ZC Rubber has hosted its 2016 dealer meeting in Brazil. The Hangzhou based manufacturer outlined its new strategic plan focusing on business development. According to Ge Guorong, vice president of ZC Rubber, the company has continued steady development with output reaching more than 7 million truck and bus tyres and more than 14 million car and light truck tyres in the first half of 2016, accounting for 17.57 per cent and 13.21 per cent respectively within the Chinese tyre industry.
Birmingham-based Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd (DATL) has confirmed that the company is looking for new investors. And this means that “initial discussions” with “a number of interested parties” are already underway.
According to the company’s executive chairman Ian Edmondson, the goal is to find a suitable partner to help the company continue to move forward at its current rate of positive growth: “Our shareholders are now seeking to find a new investor who is in a position to help the business maintain the outstanding growth record that it has delivered in recent years.”
While the vast majority of the UK’s tyre production and retreading capacity refers to trucks and a relatively small amount of car tyre retreading still takes place as well as some specialist earthmover retreading, one of the nation’s largest retreaders makes aircraft tyres. Dunlop Aircraft Tyre Ltd or DATL as it is known has demonstrated strong growth in recent years and is majority-owned by private equity. Put the two together and it begs the question – is Dunlop Aircraft Tyre Ltd (DATL) up for sale?
A new Michelin subsidiary has been set up to facilitate the expansion of the company’s activities within China’s aviation segment. Frank Moreau, president of Michelin Aircraft Tyre, describes the establishment of Michelin (Shanghai) Aircraft Tire Trading Co. Ltd (MSAT) as “an important step” for the Michelin’s aviation tyre business in China.
Triangle Tire’s initial public offering (IPO) got underway as planned on 9 September with the company becoming a public traded entity on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The listing became active 10 September 2016 following approval by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) on 19 August 2016.
Linglong Tire reports that a team from the tyre maker was amongst the more than 40 experts that met last month to discuss the utilisation of dandelions as a source of rubber. The Council of Dandelion Rubber Industrial Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance was held in Harbin, China between 15 and 17 August, and was attended by representatives from Linglong, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association, Linglong Tire and Beijing University of Chemical Technology, along with attendees from Russia and the US.
Mesnac reports that its subsidiary Beijing Jingyie Mechanical Equipment Co. Ltd. has introduced a new generation of fully-automated, two-stage passenger car tyre building machines. The new line was introduced during a celebration of Beijing Jingyie’s 20th anniversary on 27 August, and a delegation of senior officials from China’s rubber industry later witnessed the machines in action at Beijing Jingyie’s factory in Tianjin.
ZC Rubber’s new bike tyre factory in Anji, Zhejiang province, has commenced production. The Anji factory is associated with an investment of up to US$620 million and covers 860,000 square metres, focusing on the motorcycle tyres, e-bike tyres and inner tubes etc. Shen Jinrong, president of ZC Rubber, says that the factory‘s output value amounts to more than $1 billion.
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