Continental Archives - Page 143 of 229 - Tyrepress

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.”

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Point S – From Private Brand to Leading Brand

International News, News, Product News

In 2005 Point S operated in nine different European countries. Four years later it is almost double that. Currently the group consists of 1700 tyre outlets, run by 1000 different owners, commanding a 6 per cent retail market share in both the passenger car and truck tyre segments across Europe. Since the first Point S was opened in 1971, the network has used the same business model in every country its has grown into – allowing independent tyre entrepreneurs to control their business while allowing everyone to benefit from the strong brand and economies of scale that come with a large group.

However, the group’s private brand strategy is also a key part of the company’s business and by the time Point S development announced that the France-based international tyre retail group had expanded into Bulgaria (its 17th country) in January 2009, this part of the business had become an exemplary model in the tyre market. Tyres & Accessories recently interviewed Point S Development’s international operations director, Fabien Bouquet, and found out why private brands are so important.

25th March 2009/by Chris

Reports: Schaeffler Has Restructuring Plan

In an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel, Schaeffler Group co-owner, Georg Schaeffler, indicated that the company has already submitted a restructuring plan to creditor banks. Pressure has been mounting for Schaeffler to release it plans to both the government and its creditors after the automotive supplier borrowed 16 billion euros to finance last year’s takeover of Continental AG. It is now struggling to make the high debt service payments it committed to, as a result of the credit crunch’s effect on vehicle manufacturers, and so has reportedly been considering a wide variety of refinancing and restructuring, including a debt-for-equity swap that could see the family owned business barter a significant stake with the banks.

However, despite suggestions that the plan had been circulated to the appropriate parties, and hopes that the government “will respond quickly…to avoid being drawn into the election campaigns,” some banking sources told Financial Times Deutschland that the plans are as yet incomplete: “There are several short papers with fragmentary statements, but as a basis for decision making these papers are not suitable.”

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

10% of UK Motorists Driving on Illegal Tyres – Conti Survey

According to a survey conducted by Continental, more than 3.5 million UK motorists are driving on illegal tyres. The survey of 4,000 drivers showed one in ten to have tyres below the legal 1.6mm minimum tread depth – and 70 per cent of drivers are unaware that 1.6mm is indeed the minimum depth permitted.

Two thirds of women, the Conti survey noted, rely upon their partner to check the safety of their vehicle’s tyres. This probably isn’t a sterling idea, given that four out of ten motorists never actually check their tyre pressure and a third can’t actually change a wheel.

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Launches Commercial ‘Revolution’

Continental Tire North America plans to “improve the product, service and training offerings to commercial vehicle tyre customers” though its new Continental Revolution program. The new project was launched this week at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Part of the program was the launch of five new medium truck radials (see separate story), and “new programs designed to reduce overall driving cost and a new state-of-the-art mobile classroom,” CTNA officials said.

Named the “Untamed Innovation Tour,” CTNA’s new 83-foot mobile tyre information centre featuring product samples, rolling resistance demonstrations, a movie theatre, driving games and touch-screen explanations of Continental tyre technologies, according to the company.(Tire Review/Akron)

20th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Mayfield Back at Del-Nat…as President

Well-traveled tyre executive Jim Mayfield has been named president of Del-Nat Tire Corp., returning to the company he once served as marketing vice president. Mayfield took over for Ed Fabrizio, who left the private brander last December without explanation. Mayfield was marketing vice president for Del-Nat from 2004 to 2006, and subsequently held posts with Stamford Tyres and most recently with Yokohama Tire Corp.

Prior to joining Del-Nat in 2004, Mayfield held marketing and sales management posts with Continental Tire North America and Michelin North America. Dick Erickson, Del-Nat chairman, said, “Jim’s level of knowledge in our industry combined with an intimate understanding of our company makes him the right choice to lead Del-Nat to future growth and success.” (Tire Review/Akron)

19th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Manfred Wennemer Nominated to Bekaert Board

Following Julien De Wilde’s decision not to seek re-election to the board of Bekaert, the steel wire manufacturer has nominated ex-Continental AG CEO, Manfred Wennemer as director. The appointment is subject to approval by the general meeting of shareholders, which will take place on 13 May 2009.

Manfred Wennemer was chief executive officer of Continental AG from 2001 until August 2008, when he stepped down at the point that Schaeffler Group’s hostile takeover offer appeared to have reached the point of no return. Wennemer, had previously fought hard for Continental to retain its independence. He holds a Masters degree in Mathematics from the University of Münster, Germany and an MBA from INSEAD Fontainebleau, France.

18th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pall-Ex Chooses CSEasy Tyres

Pall-Ex has switched its forklift truck fleet to Continental CSEasy tyres. Pall-Ex’s headquarters in Ellistown in Leicestershire operates 36 fork lift trucks running on a 24 hour shift operation. Barloworld in partnership with Continental Tyres introduced the new, award winning CSEasy to the site and the results have reportedly shown a number of key benefits for Pall-Ex.

Tony Mellor, commercial director, said: ”Both tyre punctures and truck downtime were a real concern for us at Pall-Ex. The CSEasy tyre can be mounted and demounted without the use of a press, safely in the on-site Barloworld workshop. This saves us costly downtime and the need for expensive equipment. It also means that we are able to change tyres 24/7 keeping our operation moving round the clock.

17th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Fast Car Hails ContiSportContact 3 Best Tyre For Safety

Fast Car magazine has awarded Continental’s ContiSportContact 3 a top prize in its Best for Safety category. The Fast Car Awards purport to celebrate “the best of the best in the tuning industry”. The magazine commented: “Safe is the name of the game with Continental Tyres and their wet weather performance is the absolute best. The ContiSportContact 3 tyre is focused on serving up awesome handling for powerful performance cars. We like Continental tyres a lot.”

Scott Benbow, product manager at Continental, added: “The ContiSportContact 3 is no stranger to winning awards and we are really pleased to add to this collection with the sought after Fast Car honour. Safety is always our main focus when designing a tyre so to be recognised specifically for this is great.”

The ContiSportContact 3 uses a supple third generation silica compound which the company says allows for supreme wet braking performance. A high proportion of rubber on the outer shoulder and a stiff asymmetrical tread pattern is designed to ensure optimum performance handling.

16th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Clairoix Tyre Workers ‘Egg’ Bosses

A small number of workers at Continental AG’s Clairoix passenger tyre factory reportedly egged their bosses in a meeting taking place in nearby Reims. According to the AFP news agency, hundreds of angry workers gathered outside the hotel in which the meeting was being held to protest at the recently announced closure of the Clairoix plant.

On 12 March French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he wished to make sure Continental was keeping its promises and respecting French legal procedures. However, the Journal du Dimanche quoted Continental vice president responsible for passenger car/light truck tyres, Bernhard Trilken, as saying Continental AG “scrupulously” followed French law with relation to the announced plant closure.

16th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

PPI Releases New ‘Ultra-Light’ Forged Wheel

Audi tuner, PPI Automotive Design GmbH, has presented a new wheel which the company says is specially adjusted for “the design vocabulary and the technical requirements of the current Audi fleet.” The forged aluminium wheel features 11 long-drawn spokes and weighs next to nothing – the 9.0 x 19 size only weighs 9.85 kg. Approved for speeds up to 400 km/h, the wheel is compatible with the tyre pressure control/TPMS designed by Continental. The rim PPI MAG11 is available in 19 and 20-inch diameters and black, matt black and carbon silver finishes for all current Audi models. Prices start at 995 euros.

13th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental to Close Hanover and Clairoix Tyre Plants

Continental AG has opted to end production at its Hanover, Germany (truck tyre) and Clairoix (passenger car) production plants. Some 1900 employees at the two plants will be affected (780 in Hanover and 1120 in Clairoix). Truck tyre production at the company’s Puchov, Slovakia, (Continental Matador Rubber) will also be cut by 20 per cent.

Describing the current OE and replacement market trends as “steadfastly dire” a Continental statement explained that the company is basing the production cuts on the prediction that the market will not recover enough in the short or medium-term future to utilise existing production levels. Officials explained that the lack of demand has resulted in overcapacities of 15 million passenger and 1.7 million commercial vehicle tyres. The planned cuts focus on the Hanover and Clairoix plants, the statement added.

11th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Launches Next Tyre in Extreme Series

First introduced at the 2008 SEMA show, Continental Tire North America is now launching its ExtremeContact DW at a ride-and-drive event in sunny California. The UHP tyre, designed to deliver serious performance on both dry and wet roads, is part of a new line of performance tyres from Continental that also includes the ExtremeContact DWS and the ExtremeWinterContact.

The ExtremeContact DW offers chamfered edges and a solid outer shoulder to enhance dry performance; dynamic temperature distribution to reduce distortion for enhanced energy delivery, lower rolling resistance and improved tread-life; and a high void to tread ratio with enhanced groove curvature to improve water evacuation for outstanding wet handling, the tyre maker said. (Tire Review/Akron)

11th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Has Schaeffler Puts the Brakes on Merger With Conti Automotive?

Schaeffler has reportedly brought its plans to merge with Continental’s automotive wing to halt, according to Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper. “If synergies can be had without a major merger, then it would not put a strain on the organisation,” an unnamed source told the paper. However, the ball bearing maker’s spokesman confirmed, in an email to Bloomberg, that Schaeffler will: “Continue to work on the merger of both automotive operations…But it is certainly not a process that can be completed in the coming months.”

Earlier, Hubertus von Gruenberg, a former Continental AG chief executive, resigned following what the Financial Times (FT) called a “tumultuous meeting of the car-parts supplier’s board.”

10th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Infleet Adds 500th Tyre Store to Network

Tyreforce (North West) Ltd recently took ownership of three new tyre service locations in the North West, with the company’s Southport store becoming the 500th Tyre Store to be enrolled in the Infleet network.
Tyreforce managing director Martin Burrows commented: “We are already a close working partner of Infleet carrying out specialised tyre service work for the RAC Patrol Vans and providing RAC’s fleet customers with Roadside Breakdown and Tyre Maintenance programmes. We are delighted to be able to register Southport and our other two new HiQ Stores in Preston & Manchester with Infleet.”

The Infleet call centre is managed by the RAC and it’s commercial division (RAC Commercial Vehicle Assistance) to provide assistance for its members and its corporate customers. RAC has an unrivalled reputation as one of the UK’s most progressive motoring organisations and Infleet MD Bill Hall says “[RAC] is the ideal partner to help us handle the additional complications of breakdowns and accidents.”

10th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Supervisory Board Presents Board Nominees List

At its meeting on March 6, the Continental AG Supervisory Board adopted its proposals for shareholder representation to be submitted to a vote at the company’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on April 23, 2009. The nominees are:

Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Mr. Gunter Dunkel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Nord/LB

9th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors