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Nizhnekamskshina to Increase Size Range

The tyre range produced at Russia’s Nizhnekamskshina tyre factory will increase to 21 sizes this year, the company reports. And according to company representatives, total planned production for 2008 is to be 12.3 million tyres, slightly less than last year. Nizhnekamskshina currently has a capacity of 12.9 million units per annum.

Between 2001 and 2007 some 4.8 billion roubles (£100 million) has been invested into the 37 year old formerly government owned facility, and production at the Nizhnekamskshina plant focuses upon three key segments – passenger car tyres, truck tyres and tyres for agricultural equipment. Factory output is said to cover 30 per cent of Russia’s production output, and of the total volume, 23 per cent are delivered to OEM customers, 59 per cent to the domestic aftermarket, and the remainder exported.

24th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Blackcircles.com Adds a Personal Touch with New Call Centre

Last year online tyre retailer Blackcircles.com conducted a review of internet trends, and determined that customers are interested in comparing tyre prices online but still value the option of obtaining advice from a tyre professional. In response to this, the company is launching a new call centre operation at its Peebles headquarters.

“One of the themes we have picked up from customers is that the Internet does not talk back to you and we aim to change that,” commented company managing director Mike Welch. “Our research has shown that people feel there is a general lack of access to expert advice within the tyre industry. By offering an expert call centre operation we believe we can win more business by making the experience of purchasing tyres far more interactive.

23rd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess India to Begin Tyre Chemical Production in 2010

Specialty chemicals group Lanxess AG intends to invest 50 million euros in relocating production of rubber chemicals from Thane, in the Indian state of Maharastra to Jhagadia, in Gujarat. Production will begin in 2010 and will supply the rapidly growing Indian tyre market. Lanxess is the only western company to establish such operations in India.

Lanxess will employ about 250 people at the Jhagadia site during its first stage of expansion. The head office of Lanxess India Private Limited will, however, remain in Thane. Jhagadia will become the company’s second production site in India after Madurai in Tamil Nadu, southern India, and will be the larger of the two.

18th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Tire to Increase Prices

Titan Tire will increase prices on Titan, Goodyear and General branded OTR, farm and construction tyres as of March 1. The company reports that the increases will offset rising raw material, energy and transportation costs. While Titan reports that most prices will be seven per cent or less, it adds that “certain tyre prices may rise in excess of seven per cent due to realignment and positioning of the product.”

17th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

US Release for PCL Accura Mobile

PCL hopes to make further inroads into the US market with the unveiling of Accura Mobile – a brand new portable Nitrogen (N2) Tyre inflation cart. The company reports that customers at the 2007 SEMA show were eager to view this new product, which is scheduled for release on the American market at what the manufacturer calls a competitive price.

Featuring the same accuracy levels as the rest of PCL’s Accura range, Accura Mobile features an N2 “convert and purge” feature for air inflated tyres and a “top-up” for nitrogen inflated tyres. It can be used with either an N2 bottle or generator. With six hose outlets for multi tyre inflation it can provide high speed on site or off site inflation and is especially designed for US applications.

14th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Delticom Forecasts 21% Increase in Revenues

German based online tyre retailer Delticom AG has published its forecast for the current fiscal year 2007 as a reaction to industry figures published yesterday by the German Tyre and Vulcanisation Industry Association BRV, as well as in response to what the company calls irritations in the financial markets with regards to the course of Delticom’s business during the current fourth quarter. In this forecast, Delticom’s Managing Board forecasts revenues of 210 to 215 million euros, an increase of more than 21 per cent over the previous year (173 million euros).

14th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

European Soil Like Home Turf for BKT

In less than 20 years Balkrishna Tyres (BKT) has developed a strong presence in the agricultural tyre segment and brought to market one of the widest ranges of agricultural (and other off highway) tyres currently available. It is only as recently as 1988 that the company’s first factory, in the West Indian district of Aurangabad, entered production with a modest annual production of 3,000 tonnes; today the company has an output in excess of 30 times that, and much of BKT’s annual production is destined for global markets, including our own.

According to information the company presented at November’s Agritechnika show in Hanover, Germany, exports now account for 95 per cent of BKT production. Of this amount, 70 per cent is exported to Europe (by comparison the next largest export market, North America, generates only 11 per cent of export sales), with 2006/07 sales in this region valued at approximately £58 million. Tyres for agricultural applications make up the bulk of European sales, BKT representatives added. In the UK and Northern Ireland the BKT range is exclusively marketed by RH Claydon Ltd.

13th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sales Up But Hayes Lemmerz Reports Q3 Net Loss

Third quarter results for wheel manufacturer Hayes Lemmerz showed a 20 per cent increase in sales from the same period a year earlier. For the three months ending October 31, 2007 the company took in sales of US$554.9 million, up from $463.3 million in the third quarter of 2006. The company reports that this increase in sales resulted in strong international aluminium and steel wheel sales, material cost recovery and favourable foreign currency fluctuations.

For the third quarter, the Hayes Lemmerz reported adjusted EBITDA of $55.8 million, an improvement of $12.0 million or 27 per cent over the year earlier quarter, and earnings from operations before impairments of $22.2 million, an improvement of $11.3 million –more than double Q3 2006. Free cash flow for the third quarter, excluding the effects of the company’s accounts receivables securitisation program, was $26.5 million, an increase of $26.2 million over the year earlier quarter. Free cash flow for the first nine months of fiscal 2007 was $8.0 million, an increase of $14.2 million for the same period last year.

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Rhodia to Increase Price of Silica and Other Products

Chemical manufacturer Rhodia, whose Rhodia Sileca enterprise produces silica for use in tyre manufacture, announced on November 22 impending worldwide price increases for its products. These increases will be in the range of 7 to 15 per cent, depending on product line.

The company reports in a statement that the price rises are a necessary measure: “Although Rhodia has put into place a number of action plans over the past few years to improve productivity and reduce costs, the price increases announced today are required to help respond to the dramatic and simultaneous rising costs of energy, raw materials and transport, and to defend Rhodia’s margins at a time when the demand for specialty chemicals is strengthening worldwide.”

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts Aim to Encircle Tyre Market

A new market research company is offering custom made insights to the automotive aftermarket and particularly the tyre sector. Birmingham-based Encircle Marketing produces 100 per cent independently researched data that encircles (if you will excuse the pun) the market’s key research areas: mystery shopping, “sell-out” tyre (brand) pricing and selling way (sales augmentation).

The research is produced monthly and captured by both mystery telephone calls (over 5,000 per month) and mystery visits. Local Independent Garages, Regional Garages/ Dealers, Car Dealerships, Autocentres and Fast Fits are all covered. The company reports that it already captures over 3,500 retail “sell-out” tyre prices each month across all the major tyre brands and speed ratings in car, 4×4, and van sizes. This way, they say, 80 per cent of the market is covered.

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Vipal Using Local Partners to Grow in Eastern Europe

Retreader Vipal has placed a focus upon expansion in Eastern Europe this year, and this growth has greatly aided by the company’s decision to work alongside local market partners. The company reports that in Poland it has this year worked with the company PPH TOR SP. ZOO, who it says has been one of its important partners in the retreader’s expansion in this market.

15th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Deldo Announces Further Warehouse Extensions

Belgian wholesaler Deldo, who in September completed an 8,000 square metre extension of its central warehouse in the port city of Antwerp, has announced plans to further extend the facility. In January the company will begin the work of adding a further 10,000 square metres to its warehouse/storage premises, giving the company a total warehouse space of 70,000 square metres.

The company claims its facility to be the largest in Europe and intends in part to use the increased space to further its stock of winter tyres, thereby improving availability. The company reports it is now able to offer neighbouring countries, such as Germany, a 24/48 hour delivery service.

31st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Falken Unveil Low Petroleum Tyre

Sumitomo subsidiary Dunlop Falken Tyres Ltd has lifted the lid on a new, almost entirely non-petroleum tyre at the Tokyo Motor Show. Known as the “Enasave 97”, the new tyre is 97 per cent comprised of non-petroleum natural materials.

The proportion of petroleum materials used in the new tyre was able to be significantly cut through the use of materials other than synthetic rubber for its sidewall and airtight inner liner. Owing to the molecular structure of natural rubber, creating an airtight skin using this product is more difficult than with synthetic rubber, therefore a change in its structural composition was required before being deemed suitable for use.

26th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Federal Tyres’ “Fruitful” 2007

For Federal Tyres this year, the second in which the company has placed an emphasis upon motorsports involvement, has been fruitful. At the very beginning of the year Federal was appointed naming right sponsor and official tyre supplier to the 2007 X Challenge series, an Australian based one-make championship for Lotus cars. This was followed up by a sponsorship deal in Federal Tyre’s native Taiwan with the AIC Drift Team. The manufacturer hand picked the team itself and hopes its decision to sponsor this growing sport will further encourage local companies to place their support behind motorsport in the island.

25th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bekaert Acquisition Talks in Russia Abandoned

International News

Following several months of negotiations Bekaert has opted to withdraw from talks with Russian firm ZAO Uralkord regarding a possible takeover. The Russian manufacturer, located in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, produces steel cord products for domestic tyre manufacturers and was viewed as a suitable vehicle through which the Belgian firm could strengthen its position in Russia. As recently as late July Bekaert CEO Bert De Graeve told media that the group was hopeful of closing a deal by the end of the year, adding that about 50 million euros had been offered for the purchase of Uralkord.

Despite this optimism, the deal fell through within three months of De Graeve’s announcement. The reason for this, Bekaert outlined in a statement, is that during “the course of the difficult and protracted negotiations, it became clear that no agreement could be reached with the current shareholders of ZAO Uralkord that would meet Bekaert’s criteria for pursuing its strategy of sustainable profitable growth in Russia.”

15th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors