Hannover-based Continental AG is a leading automotive supplier and – according to the company – is “the choice of leading car manufacturers, offering award-winning tyres that deliver responsive braking in all weather conditions.”
A new addition to the Continental Tyre Group, Ian Forster, has taken over responsibility for the company’s Eastern region. In his new position, Forster will be in charge of an area that includes North London and East Anglia; his overall responsibilities include driving sales of Continental’s commercial tyre products for truck, bus and coach as well as being a principal point of contact between Conti360° network partners and regional fleet customers.
The popular ContiRoadAttack 2 range has been broadened by the addition of a new GT version, which has been developed for heavier sport-touring machines as well as big naked bikes. With an additional belt in the front and rear tyres, Continental’s RoadAttack 2 GT is said to deliver better durability, increased braking stability and improved consistency of performance throughout the tyre’s life when fitted on bikes such as the BMW R1200RT and Suzuki Bandit 1250.
The passenger car tyre plant inaugurated in May is not Continental’s only tyre factory planned for the Chinese city of Hefei; on 9 December the company broke ground on a two-wheel tyre facility there. The factory, which will mainly manufacture mountain and racing bicycle tyres for China and Asia, is expected to enter service in December 2012. According to Constantin Batsch, head of Continental's Two Wheel Tyre business group, initial production capacity should be 1.7 million units per annum.
Continental Tyre Group has promoted Rebecca Shedden’s from 360 network office manager to general sales manager – industrial. Shedden has worked at Continental for over 14 years and has gained a vast amount of experience in the commercial vehicle industry. In her new role, Rebecca will be responsible for leading Continental’s experienced industrial sales team to grow profitable business and also strengthen strategic relationships in the market.
US-based company Koppers Holdings Inc. has announced the end of manufacturing at its Continental Carbon Australia plant in Kurnell, just south of Sydney. The carbon black facility is scheduled to end operations during the week of 5 December 2011 and preparations for closing the plant will be made over the coming four months. Koppers says the decision, which will affect approximately 65 employees, was taken as a result of an analysis of its manufacturing facilities; this highlighted a number of negative factors working against the Continental Carbon Australia plant, including the strong Australian dollar and raw material availability and cost.
Following the European authorities’ announcement of the latest tyre labelling regulations, Continental has also given more freshly released details of the labelling legislation, breaking them down into a more digestible form. As far as the wet braking category is concerned, vehicles with tyres in Class A stop are set to stop in the shortest distance from 50mph, whilst vehicles with tyres from Class B will take 3-6 metres longer. This trend continues for the subsequent values and results in a braking difference of over 18 metres from a vehicle in Class A to Class F.
Due to continued high raw material and energy costs, Continental is increasing the price of its summer passenger car tyres in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The price rise takes effect on 1 January, 2012; from this date Continental brand tyres will cost between three and four per cent more while prices for the Uniroyal, Semperit and Barum brands will increase by three to six per cent.
The latest forecast for the UK’s replacement tyre market for 2011 suggests volumes total 1 million units, which will be marginally down on the comparable 2010 figure of just over 1,050,000 units. Speaking at the recent Continental UK market trends briefing in London, new commercial vehicle marketing manager Tracey Hyem explained that the recent UK trend was at odds with the European experience, which has seen most other countries experience positive growth in replacement tyre sales with an average increase of 3 per cent overall.
Continental estimates that the 2011 UK car, 4×4 and van tyre market will equate to 33 million units despite estimates from other leading tyre manufacturers earlier in the year suggesting demand could have been in for a double digit drop. Speaking at the tyremaker's annual market trends briefing in London, executives from Conti's UK operation (Continental Tyre Group Ltd) explained that the market has “remained static, with a number of evident developments, such as an increase in the part worn market due to the scrappage scheme.” Continental now estimates that part worn sales equate to 2 – 3 million units a year, with sales of these used products estimated to have increased by up to 50 per cent of the traditional and widely accepted 2 million units annually figure.
As of today, the Spanish subsidiary of Mitas will be known by a new corporate name – Mitas Tyres, S.L.U. Commenting on the renaming, subsidiary managing director Gabriel Markovič said the renaming would “allow us to focus sales and marketing resources on promoting our core brand, Mitas.”
Work on Continental’s Kaluga passenger tyre factory in Russia is underway. On 29 November the tyre maker held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site and signed an investment contract with the Kaluga regional government. Continental says first stage work at the Kaluga plant will cost approximately 240 million euros and provide for a four million tyres a year capacity, with the first passenger car tyres scheduled to roll of the production line towards the end of 2013. Further expansion of the facility in the short-term is also planned, the company adds.
Continental Tire has joined Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to provide a $50,000 solar installation to a school in the community of MLS Cup 2011 winner, the LA Galaxy, as part of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation Solar 4R Schools program, reports Tire Review. “We are thrilled to be working with MLS W.O.R.K.S and BEF to put a solar installation in a school in the hometown of the LA Galaxy, MLS Cup champions,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, Continental Tire.
A new online tyre retailer in the UK has reported that sales and enquiries about winter tyres have exceeded its expectations, with “sales that are comparable to Denmark”. Goodgrip.co.uk launched in the UK market in October and is a trading name of Bythjul Norden AB, which has a presence in the Nordic markets dating back to 2001 selling over half a million tyres, and recently launching in Germany.
Russia’s Government Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investment has given the green light for Sibur-Russian Tyres to acquire a 100 per cent interest in the Matador-Omskshina joint-venture, which it previously operated 50/50 with Continental AG. Following the acquisition, the joint venture operation has been renamed Cordiant-Vostok. Sibur-Russian Tyres says the 100 per cent acquisition will enable it to increase manufacturing capacity in order to meet growing demand for passenger car tyres.
Indian manufacturer Metro Tyres has introduced the latest product to result from its technical collaboration with Germany’s Continental AG. In a statement, the company reported the release of its first tubeless motorcycle tyres. The new product will initially be manufactured at the company’s factory in Ludhiana plant; production will later be extended to a second plant.
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