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Conferences to Help Business with an Eye on Eastern Europe

It is no secret that Russia and Eastern Europe hold much potential for global automakers, and also for those in the tyre and related industries. However it is essential that overseas operators enter these markets with their eyes open, and sometimes businesses need all the help they can get to fully grasp the intricacies of doing business in an environment so different from their home market. Conferences and forums provide a valuable venue in which to obtain this much needed information.

The third annual AutoRussia conference, an international forum for companies participating in the automotive business in Russia or globally, is scheduled to take place on December 4 and 5 at the Astoria Hotel in St Petersburg. More than 300 senior representatives; leading figures in Russia’s automotive manufacturing sector, including leading OEM projects in the St Petersburg area, as well as senior representatives from auto OEMs and T1s around the world, will meet at the conference to discuss their current projects and future plans.

17th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

UK Fleet Success Keeps Bridgestone Growth Consistent

Product News, UK News

In contrast with some other premium manufacturers Bridgestone’s 2006 and first half 2007 sales both grew 1 – 2 per cent. According to Bridgestone UK’s commercial sales director, Greg Ward, the key to the company’s continued growth in the mature market is consistency and continuity. From his perspective, the recent news that the company has retained the Ryder contract for another three years is case in point. (In this instance Bridgestone beat off early competition from another competitor to retain the 10-year long working relationship it has with the Ryder fleet). “If the second half is as good as the first half, I will be delighted,” added Ward.

Most sources agree that the influence and volume of Chinese products grew during 2006, but at the same time premium manufacturers like Bridgestone appear unfazed by their rapid growth. In response to the question of increased competition from the Far East Greg Ward commented: “Chinese & Budget brands may be trialling their products on fleets, but the biggest, most professional fleets need professional service providers in addition to tyres. The Truck Point Network is a real winner in this respect.” In addition, the recent US recall situation should be take as a warning, Ward added.

27th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Announces Q2 2007 Earnings Release, Conference Call

Goodyear Tire & Rubber plan to report their second quarter 2007 financial results before markets open on Thursday, July 26, and follow this up with an investor conference call at 10:30 am local time. Participating in the conference call will be chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan, president, North American Tire and chief financial officer Richard J. Kramer and senior vice president, finance and strategy Darren R. Wells.

Prior to the commencement of the call, the company will post the financial and other statistical information that will be presented on its investor relations Website: investor.goodyear.com. Those interested may access the conference call on the Web site or via telephone by calling (706) 634-5954 before 10:25 a.m. July 26. A taped replay of the conference call will be available at 3 p.m. that day by calling (706) 634-4556. The call replay will also remain available on the Website.

24th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Record Exhibitor Numbers at Tyrexpo Asia’07

Russia’s Alimark Ltd has become the 140th exhibitor to sign up for September’s TyrexpoAsia exhibition in Singapore, breaking all records for the show as it approaches its 10th anniversary. One of Tyrexpo Asia’s strengths has always been the diversity of its exhibitor base.

2007 will be the biggest and most international to date with over 140 exhibitors representing 24 different countries covering an area of approximately 6000 square metres. Amongst these are the major players in the tyre industry offering the widest range of products and services available in the industry.

There are many exhibitors making repeat appearances at Tyrexpo Asia’07, but equally there are many first-time attendees. Of particular interest this year is the participation of over 35 Chinese exhibitors to the show to date, confirming the importance and value the exhibition has to a wider international market.

18th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Signs Manchester United Sponsorship Deal

Kumho Tire announced on July 12 that it has signed a sponsorship deal with Manchester United. The four-year deal, settled for an undisclosed sum, will see Kumho obtain the rights to include the football team’s logo and images of the players in its advertisements. Company CEO Oh Se-chul said the tyremaker expects the sponsorship agreement will help promote their international image.

The tyremaker is already involved with the well-known football club, and announced in April that Manchester United would participate in a Kumho sponsored friendly match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on July 20. Kumho said it plans to hold a joint press conference with Manchester United in Seoul on July 19.

12th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

IPO for Online Tyre Retailer Oponeo.pl

Polish online tyre and automotive products retailer Oponeo.pl plans to issue up to 4 million new shares in an upcoming IPO and spend the proceeds on boosting working capital and the development of its IT systems, the company’s chief executive Dariusz Topolewski informed a press conference on July 5.

“We want to raise around a dozen million zloty (£2.15 million) in the IPO, maybe more,” Topolewski said. “We will offer up to 4 million new shares to investors.” The company’s equity is currently divided into around 8.676 million shares, and therefore founding shareholders will thus continue to control the business. They have also not ruled out buying more shares in the IPO. Current shareholders have a 12-month lock-up for their shares.

Oponeo.pl achieved net profits of PLN 1 million (£179,000) in 2006, up from PLN 135,000 (£24,000) a year earlier. Total revenue was PLN 29.8 million (£5.3 million), an increase of 70.29 per cent in 2005. The company estimates that it holds at least 60 per cent of Poland’s online tyre sale market and between 1 and 1.5 per cent of the country’s total tyre market.

6th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

TIA Commits to Second CTRRC

(Akron/Tire Review) As expected, TIA will hold a second Commercial Tire, Retread & Recycling Conference (CTRRC). The 2008 event, again held in conjunction with the larger and well-attended Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, will take place in Orlando on Feb. 5-7.

22nd June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Top Technician 2007 Announced

Clive Atthowe has been crowned the UK’s best mechanic after winning the Top Technician 2007 competition. Clive took first prize in the nationwide contest during an awards ceremony at the GEA/Aftermarket Technical Workshop conference on 11 June at the Motor Heritage Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Atthowe, who runs the Clive Atthowe Tuning garage in Norwich, was joined on the winner’s podium by joint runners-up Elliot Waters and David Wagstaff.

Atthowe scooped £2,000 tax free and a range of prizes from sponsors Bosch and Vauxhall Trade Club along with the prestigious title as part of his prize. He hopes the publicity from his win will give his garage a major business boost and help raise awareness among the public of the skills, knowledge and expertise within the motor trade. He achieved the highest score in the competition’s live finals, held as part of the Automotive Trade Show at the NEC in Birmingham, where he competed against 12 of the country’s best technicians in a series of practical tests.

20th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Chinese Exhibition Well Positioned for Growth

International News, Product News

The fourth China International Rubber & Tyre Industry Exhibition 2007 (RTF), held between May 11 and 13 in the city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, was the largest in the show’s history. Sponsored by the Shandong Provincial Rubber Industry Association and organised by Qingdao Jinnuo Exhibition Co. Ltd., RTF has become China’s third largest tyre and rubber exhibition, attracting 120 exhibitors and 4,200 attendees from around the world. Some of the exhibition’s major participants included Lanxess, Sartomer, Daikin, Schill+Seilacher, NDC, U-Can, Instron, Berstorff, Mesnac, Triangle, Linglong, Doublestar and Sailun.

The key events at RTF 2007 included a number of high-profile conferences held in conjunction with the exhibition – the Chinese Rubber Industry Information Release Conference, organised by the Shandong Provincial Rubber Industry Association, and the Qingdao International Rubber-Plastics Conference, organised by Qingdao University of Science and Technology. These events attracted nearly 600 industrial industry professionals.

12th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Woman Takes Alleged Goodyear Pay Bias to US Congress

A woman at the centre of a controversial pay discrimination case against Goodyear in the US said she plans to testify before the nation’s Congress in a bid to change a law that the Supreme Court used to deny her claim. Lilly Ledbetter, a former Goodyear supervisor from Jacksonville, Alabama, will travel to Washington in mid-June to testify before the House Education & Labor Committee.

As previously reported by T&A, the Supreme Court ruled Ledbetter lacked the grounds to sue the tyremaker for pay discrimination because she did not file her case within 180 days of the initial infraction taking place. In spite of this, since the court’s ruling House of Representatives member Artur Davis, a Democrat from Alabama, has championed Ledbetter’s cause, even appearing alongside her at a news conference in early June. Davis has also announced his intention to introduce a bill changing federal laws that govern discriminatory pay practices.

8th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Acquisition of Bandag is Final

(Akron/Tire Review) A celebration and press conference will be held on June 1 at the Bandag Learning Center in Muscatine, Iowa, to commemorate the completion of Bridgestone’s acquisition of Bandag.

Mark A. Emkes, chairman and CEO of Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. (BAH), Saul Solomon, new chairman, CEO and president of Bandag and Martin G. Carver, former Bandag chairman and CEO will all be present at the event entitled “Bringing the Best Together: Bandag & Bridgestone.”

A barbecue luncheon for Bandag employees will be followed by a press conference and a tour of the Bandag retread plant. In the afternoon, Carver will hand off the Bandag Bandit racetrack to Solomon.

1st June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Invests to Ace the Tennis World

During a press conference on May 23 Apollo Tyres Ltd unveiled its long-term plans for increasing the profile of tennis as a sport and developing young Indian champions for the global arena. The Indian tyre major made a commitment to invest £12.45 million towards the development of Indian tennis over a ten-year period, one of the largest sports initiatives made by any Indian company. One of the stated aims of the project is to see an Indian player taking out the Grand Slam championship by 2018.

The Apollo Tennis Initiative will operate on two levels. Firstly, it has the aim of popularising the sport to attract youngsters to the game and, second, to identify young talent and sponsor their training, skill development and global exposure. Apollo will be guided in its efforts by the expertise of top Indian player Mahesh Bhupathi.

24th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Invests to Ace the Tennis World

During a press conference on May 23 Apollo Tyres Ltd unveiled its long-term plans for increasing the profile of tennis as a sport and developing young Indian champions for the global arena. The Haryana based tyre major made a commitment to invest Rs 100 crore (US$24.64 million/£12.45 million) towards the development of Indian tennis over a ten-year period, one of the largest sports initiatives made by any Indian company. One of the stated aims of the project is to see an Indian player taking out the Grand Slam championship by 2018.

“Over the decades, tennis has always thrown up some great Indian talent, who on individual merit and hard work, have made India proud. However to succeed today, we need a lot more than talent. I believe, with world-class training, facilities and mentoring of young players, we could see an Indian winning a Grand Slam title in the near future. We will work towards making the sport more popular with today’s youngsters and realising this goal by the year 2018,” said Neeraj R S Kanwar, Apollo Tyres’ joint managing director & COO.

24th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

RMA Co-Hosts Ground Rubber Conference

(Akron/Tire Review) RMA, in conjunction with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the Asphalt Rubber Technical Center (ARTS) of Clemson University, conducted what it calls the “first conference dedicated to the use of ground rubber in molded, extruded and bound rubber products.”

“The “From Scrap to Profit” conference broke new ground for its focus on the science and technology of creating molded and extruded rubber products” stated Michael Blumenthal, Senior Technical Director at the RMA and a speaker at the conference.

“Our goal for this first of its kind conference was to start with the basics of rubber and compounding and the products that are currently made from recycled rubber, and then focus on how to market these products,” said Michael Blumenthal, RMA’s senior technical director.

The Apr. 16-17 conference had more than 100 participants, and discussed many of the ways used tyres could be recycled. RMA said organizers have already begun planning a second conference for 2008.

22nd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hayes Lemmerz Reports Estimated Q1 Results

On May 15 Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc., global supplier of wheels, brakes and powertrain components, announced their estimated results for the first quarter of 2007 and issued updated guidance for the 2007 full fiscal year. The estimated results are unaudited, have not been reviewed by the company’s independent auditors, and are subject to adjustment during the course of preparation and review of the Hayes Lemmerz quarterly financial statements.

For the fiscal year first quarter 2007 Hayes Lemmerz expects to achieve sales of approximately US$560 to $565 million, Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $54 to $58 million, slightly negative free cash flow and capital expenditures of approximately $16 million.

16th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors