China Archives - Page 97 of 245 - 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.

Tag Archive for: China

Pirelli reveals F1 P Zero tyres at first 4 GPs

Pirelli has announced the P Zero slick tyre compounds it will provide to Formula One for the first four grands prix of the 2013 World Championship season. The races will take place in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain, over the course of which all four compounds will be used. In addition, no two grands prix will receive the same allocation variation, meaning that there will be a wide variety of tactical possibilities on show in the opening stages of the season. Such a move could help to retain the intrigue of the opening stages of the 2012 season, during which seven different drivers claimed victory in each of the first seven grands prix. Pirelli’s tyres have been overhauled this year too, and while the compounds are designed to offer fast warm-up performance through being generally softer, teams will be getting used to the way their cars handle the new rubber in the different conditions offered by these races.

13th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Stable 2012 sales for Trelleborg Wheel Systems

Full year results for Swedish firm Trelleborg AB show its Trelleborg Wheel Systems business unit generated net sales of SEK 3,865 million (£386.8 million) in 2012, a very slight increase on a year earlier. In the final quarter of 2012 sales came to SEK 833 million (£83.4 million), 13 per cent less than a year earlier. Reporting this fourth quarter result, the company says Q4 sales were lower year-on-year in all market segments, however they were in line with general market trends. Operating profit amounted to SEK 449 million (£44.9 million) last year, a 12 per cent increase the Swedish company attributes to enhanced efficiency and favourable capacity utilisation. Final quarter operating profit dropped 27.3 per cent per cent to SEK 72 million (£7.2 million), primarily due to lower sales.

13th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin grows sales, profits despite declining volumes

Michelin’s 2012 financial results are now public, and in a pithy sentence the tyre maker describes its performance last year as “strong 2012 earnings in lacklustre markets.” During the year the company earned net sales of 21.474 billion euros, up three per cent on 2011, although Michelin says weak demand, particularly in Europe, dragged sales volumes down 6.4 per cent year-on-year. Western Europe and North America each accounted for 34 per cent of total net sales, with North America gaining three percentage points at Western Europe’s expense, while the rest of the world’s share of net sales remained unchanged from 2011 at 32 per cent.

12th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho to supply Chinese touring car series

Under a three-year agreement, Kumho Tire will act as sponsor and official tyre supplier to the China Touring Car Championship (CTCC). The championship, which gets underway for the 2013 season at the Zhuhai International Circuit on 12 May, is supported by the FIA and the FASC (Federation of Automobile Sports of the People's Republic of China) and features premium level touring car racers. Races attract more than 10,000 spectators and the state-run broadcaster Chinese Central Television holds exclusive rights to the series.

11th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Green tyres a focus for Michelin’s new China factory

Michelin expects its business to gain momentum in China in the coming years, propelled by a fast increase in vehicle sales. This was the word from Philippe Verneuil, president of Michelin China, upon the opening of the company’s $1.5 billion factory in Shenyang. The facility’s opening has been reported by the China Daily, which writes that the Shenyang plant, Michelin’s largest factory in the world, has an annual capacity of more than 12 million car, truck and bus tyres.

29th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone inaugurates Mid-East, Africa training centre

Bridgestone Corporation subsidiary Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE has opened a new multipurpose facility in Dubai. The centre, known as ‘Bridgestone Park’, is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone and will be used for training company employees and distributors throughout the Middle East and Africa in the areas of sales and technical support for passenger, truck and bus tyres, along with training in the technical skills required in the manufacture of Bandag brand retreads. The 21,678 square metre facility also contains a passenger tyre retail shop that is intended to serve as a model for shops in the Middle East and Africa that handle passenger tyres and car maintenance, plus a truck and bus tyre service centre. At present 20 people are employed at Bridgestone Park.

22nd January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Infinity, Westlake to exhibit at Motortec Automechanika Ibérica

Infinity Tyres and Westlake Tyres will exhibit at Madrid’s aftermarket automotive parts, equipment and services trade show Motortec Automechanika Ibérica. Infinity’s range will be displayed in conjunction with its authorised distributors in the region, Euro Tyre, while Eskay Tyres – Westlake distributor in the UK and certain other European markets – will take a stand to show the Hangzhou Zhongce brand’s passenger and truck and bus ranges.

21st January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

New consumer tyre VP for Double Coin’s US business

Double Coin Holdings’ US-based subsidiary, the China Manufacturers Alliance (CMA), has appointed Ken Coltrane vice-president of its consumer tyre business. Coltrane brings almost two decades of tyre industry experience to his new role; most of his tyre industry career was spent at Del-Nat Tire Corporation, where he held positions in export, purchasing, and also served as the company’s vice-president of marketing.

21st January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Randstad to hold first ever TerraClean dealer conference

The manufacturer of TerraClean – a product designed to clean internal engine components by removing harmful carbon deposits without the need to dismantle the engine – is to hold its first conference for its growing network of service centres. Randstad says its new television advertising campaign, to be aired across a number of digital and satellite TV channels, will be previewed at the conference. TerraClean claims to increase the miles per gallon of vehicles by between four and 15 per cent, reduce emissions, extend component life and improve petrol and diesel vehicle performance. The product has won an endorsement from TV motoring specialist and star of The Discovery Channel’s ‘Wheeler Dealers’, Edd China.

18th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

New location for Bridgestone’s Shenyang plant confirmed

Bridgestone Corporation says it has acquired the land where its Shenyang, China truck and bus tyre plant will be relocated to. In accordance with Shenyang City development policies, which were revised following the urbanisation of the area surrounding the Bridgestone (Shenyang) Tire Co., Ltd plant, production will be moved to the Shenyang Chemical Industry Park. The new site will encompass approximately 395,000 square metres and relocation will involve a total investment of US$99.9 million.

18th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Autopromotec details Aftermarket Meeting 2013

Aftermarket show Autopromotec has announced details of 2013’s International Automotive Aftermarket Meeting (IAAM13) on 23 May 2013. Previously known as the EAAS (European Automotive Aftermarket Symposium), the conference aims to provide companies and professionals involved in the after-sales sector with an insider's perspective on the trends and developments within the aftermarket industry in Europe, as well as further afield. It will focus on new international channels for sales and marketing activities, both within Europe and selected strategic countries, such as those of the BRIC group (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

17th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper confident about 2013

Financial analysts has spoken of Cooper’s confidence in its continuing business outlook following presentations to investors at a Detroit roadshow.

Explaining their renewed confidence, the analysts put this down to “notably improved” product mix, cost competitiveness and recent pricing activity. As far as the import question of how Cooper will fair post import tariff, the Deutsche Bank analysts highlighted that since the tariff was implemented, “the cost of producing tyres in China has increased faster than other regions (the cost gap was 30 per cent at the time of tariff implementation but has declined to a 10-15 per cent).

16th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

VW to introduce budget brand?

There are reports from the North American International Auto Show, (Detroit, Jan 14 – 27) that Volkswagen will decide this year whether to introduce a new budget brand aimed at developing markets.

If the company decides to go ahead, it would almost certainly start in China, where VW recorded a near-25 per cent increase in sales to a total of 2.15 million in 2012. But India and other new markets such as Mexico could also be targets for a low-cost VW brand.

15th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

SDS Systemtechnik: “Better, safer and faster”

Retreaders – whether small or large, industrial scale operations – can use the best processes, machinery and materials, but if the used casing isn’t good, then the finished retread won’t be any good either. The failure of a retreaded tyre when fitted to a customer’s vehicle is a worst case scenario for retreaders. Therefore, experts such as Stefan Dengler recommend that efforts be made to ensure high-end and comprehensive casing entry control. Visually inspecting casings is of course beneficial, however the SDS Systemtechnik managing director notes that even the most experienced casing inspector cannot see within a tyre. The most important technical aid in this area is shearography, something that every retreader can and should invest in.

9th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook to build new global R&D centre

Tyre manufacturer Hankook has unveiled plans for the construction of the company’s new central R&D facility in Korea. The centre, covering the total area of around 100,000 m², will be located at Daedeok Innopolis, South Korea’s premier research complex located in Daejeon, about 150 km south of Seoul. The construction of the new facility is projected to be completed by the end of 2015.

8th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors