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.”
For the third year in a row Continental has been voted the best tyre brand in a reader poll held by German based car enthusiast magazine Auto Zeitung. Last autumn more than 20,000 of the magazine’s readers voted upon a number of categories, including tyres, with the results published in the latest (4/2010) issue of the magazine.
During these tough times for the commercial vehicle tyre market, Continental Tire the Americas has turned to charity for help – Chris Charity, that is. The former Continental Tire Automotive Aftermarket national sales manager is taking on the role of national sales manager for the Passenger and Light Truck Tire Division’s Dealer Channel, a role in which he will be responsible for directing, managing, training and supervising the dealer field sales force. Charity will also manage and oversee the development of new business and the growth of existing accounts within the US. Charity replaces Tom Colelli who is retiring after 43 years of service with Continental Tire.
Cambrian Tyres has reported a healthy growth in sales of its sole bicycle tyre brand Continental. With year on year unit increases of 30 per cent since 2007, Cambrian reports it is now selling four times as many Continental tyre units as it was in 2000. “Not only tyres, but our tube business has also seen a dramatic rise as we’ve strived to make the Continental brand more attractive both in terms of margin and depth of range,” commented Cambrian’s bicycle brand manager Shelley Childs.
Previously known as Continental Tire North America, the new name for the passenger, light truck and commercial vehicle tyre divisions in the region is now Continental Tire the Americas LLC. The change was made to better reflect the growth of the tyre maker in both North and South America, the company said this week.
The majority of volume car manufacturers with UK plants are showing strong interest in sourcing more locally-built components. That’s the view of the latest independent research commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which highlights the tactical advantages of UK component sourcing including: benefiting from a favourable exchange rate; minimising the vulnerabilities and logistical costs associated with an extended supply chain; and the UK’s flexible labour force and positive industrial relations as reasons for looking for supply options within the UK.
The report recognised the significant opportunities arising from the transition to a low carbon economy, but also identified some conventional technologies that manufacturers would like to source more of in the UK. This list included what are described as “basic automotive components” such as: alloy wheels, alternators and starter motors, brake components, castings and forgings, fasteners, nuts and bolts, plastic mouldings in general, large stampings, sheet steel and aluminium, transmission components and wring harnesses. So called high technology areas included: electronic control units (ECUs) in general, satellite navigation systems, advanced air conditioning and safety systems especially airbags.
Continental Tire North America is no more. The company, incorporated in Ohio, has changed its name to Continental Tire the Americas LLC. The change was made on 31 January, according to reports, but no formal announcement was made. Headquartered in Ft. Mill, South Carolina, the company was once named Continental-General Tire when it was based in Akron, following Continental AG’s purchased of the former General Tire Co. Under Ohio law, the company can change its status – from “incorporated” to “limited liability corporation” – through a formal name change. The change only affects the company’s tax status, reports said, as the entity can pass all income and losses through to its owners.
Continental Tire North America calls it a “new era in motorsports” – on January 29, the Grand-Am Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge took the first green flag of the year at Daytona International Speedway, setting into motion both the 2010 Grand-Am racing season as well as a new long-term partnership between Conti and Grand-Am Road Racing in the US. Continental Tire recently became title sponsor and official tyre for the popular endurance road-racing series, which attracted nearly 80 entries for January 28’s ‘Fresh From Florida 200’ event. A tremendous variety of race machines, from Mini Cooper S to Ford Mustang, took to the field, yet despite the size difference all share the same type of tyre, the Continental Extreme Contact DR.
CGS Tyres is raising the prices on its Mitas, Cultor and Continental branded products in March. Price increasing will range between four and seven per cent. “As prices of raw material escalate, especially for natural rubber, increasing costs are driving us towards a price alignment”, said Andrew Mabin, CGS marketing and sales director.
Continental Tire the Americas has announced price rises of up to 4.5 per cent on its market industrial tyre products. The new prices will take effect March 1 in the US and March 15 in Canada, and are being blamed upon rising raw materials, energy and transportation costs.
Distributor Cambrian Tyres has announced that it has introduced the ready to ride Continental RoadAttack 2 to its range. The latest bike product from the German tyre manufacturer is its first tyre to offer complete riding safety as soon as it is fitted, according to Conti. The ContiRoadAttack 2 is available now from Cambrian Tyres, coinciding with the start of the 2010 season. Continental will be producing the tyre in six front sizes and seven for the rear (see below). Approvals have already been obtained for over 250 bikes (from manufacturers including BMW, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha).
As of February 15 the role of senior vice president at Continental Corporation’s Corporate Communications department will be handled by Dr. Felix Gress. The 49-year old comes to Conti from Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH, where he served as managing director, and succeeds Dr. Heimo Prokop, who left Continental on December 31, 2009. In his new position, Gress will report directly to Conti Executive Board chairman Dr. Elmar Degenhart.
Infleet recently moved its call centre to RAC House adjacent to the M6 Motorway in Walsall, West Midlands. The centre houses vehicle support technology and the company says the move will enhance the roadside tyre breakdown support that Infleet supplies to its fleet customers. Infleet Commercial Director Chris Comport said: “RAC have managed our call referral facility very successfully over the last five years at another location, but when they offered us a move to RAC House in Walsall we had no hesitation in accepting…Short but efficient call centre desk time is crucial in dispatching one of our 700 service providers to a vehicle in distress within a speedy process.”
The Continental tyre brand will be all over Grand-Am Road Racing in 2010-11, as Continental Tire North America has signed the brand on as the official tyre of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and as the official tyre of Watkins Glen International Raceway. The new commitments complement CTNA’s previously announced title sponsorship of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.
The purchase of a number of assets and sublease of laboratory space from Continental Tire North America has enabled Momentive Performance Materials USA to set up a 2,000 square metre tyre research and development laboratory. The Charlotte, North Carolina site is said to offer state-of-the-art capabilities and will help Momentive provide faster innovation for customers in the tyre and rubber industry while helping the company reduce new product development cycle times. Momentive has also employed five ex-Conti R&D personnel to work at the facility.
Continental AG reports that its capital increase and the 31 million new shares it released have been met with “great interest” by free float shareholders. The company announced on January 26 that free float shareholders purchased 99.4 per cent of the 3,408,130 new shares allotted to them. The remaining new shares for, which subscription rights were not exercised and which were placed already with investors on January 6 and 12 under a reservation of rights being exercised by a bank syndicate headed by Deutsche Bank AG, Goldman Sachs International and J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd., will now be issued. The final delivery and settlement will be executed on January 28, 2010. With the capital increase, Continental AG achieved gross proceeds of some €1.114 billion.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
