Continental Archives - Page 221 of 228 - 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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Semperit Sport Grip With New Sipe-Technology

Continental’s subsidiary Semperit introduced its new winter-tyre “Sport Grip” for stronger motorised passenger cars to the press at the end of September in Austria. With its new sipe-technology called “Add Traction” and a corresponding profile structure, the new tyre has been designed to meet the most difficult driving conditions of the winter season. In addition, modern silica tread technology will guarantee a balanced handling up to speeds of 210 kilometres per hour. The “Add Traction” sipe consists of three parallel ordered straight sipe pieces which are angled in a “z” shape. In the immobile middle of the block they double the effective length of the grip edges, thus significantly increasing traction. The directional profile of the Sport Grip is also characterised by diagonal profile blocks and enlarged grip edges that optimise traction and side stability. Initially, the Sport Grip is available in 21 sizes from 185/65 R15 Q up to 225/50 R16 H, which represents a market coverage of about 83 percent.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

RubberNetwork.com Joined By Yokohama

Within days of RubberNetwork.com receiving the all clear from the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), Yokohama Rubber Co has joined Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Sumitomo and Cooper in the global electronic purchasing and procurement market. The RubberNetwork marketplace will be open to all tyre and rubber industry manufacturers and suppliers. The European launch of the market is scheduled for early July.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Cracks In CT22 “No Danger” – Conti

Continental has played down UK press reports that cracks have appeared in their CT22 pattern tyre, fitted as OE to the Skoda Felicia. Technical Services Manager Steve Howat described the cracks as “cosmetic”, caused by the Otrokovice factory using a different cement to ensure adhesion at the splice of the tread strip. The tyre is of dual-compound construction and Conti says there is “no danger” that the superficial cracks (which are only in the top tread compound)could pose a safety or longevity problem – the tyres will continue to perform well throughout a normal lifespan. Conti says that it has CT22 tyres which have been removed due to normal wear and tear and they show no signs of structural damage. Nevertheless, Conti is offering to replace tyres for customers who are worried about the cosmetic appearance.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Sharp Decline In Continental’s North American Business

Continental Tire and Continental Teves North America are expecting a massive decline in original equipment business in the fourth quarter. The shortfall will probably be as much as 500,000 car and light truck tyres, or 15 percent of Continental’s oe volume. In November it is planned to cut production. The oe business of Continental Teves will be reduced by 20 percent.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

2000 Was The Most Successful Business Year Ever For ContiTech

The ContiTech Group of the Hanover-based Continental AG closed 2000 as the most successful business year in its history and, for the first time, each of its business units posted a positive operating result. Compared to 1999, the company increased sales by 4.2 per cent to 1.79 billion Euro. In 2000 ContiTech generated 68 percent of sales with automotive manufacturers and 32 percent with industrial customers in the non-automotive sector. The operating result (EBIT) experienced a disproportionate increase of 6.8 per -cent to 139 million Euro.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Defect Investigation For Ameri*550

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it is to open a defect investigation into the General Ameri*550 AS P235/70R16. The tyre is manufactured by Continental Tire North America and has been used as a replacement tyre for Firestone Wilderness ATs on Ford Explorers. The investigation follows initial research results show tread separation claims running at 124 per million. This exceeds the rates for any of the other tyres on the NHTSA list of tyres to be examined. The claims against the General Ameri*550 include seven crashes in which the tyre separation allegedly led to injuries. The NHTSA states that the defect investigation does not mean that it has determined these tyres to be unsafe, or to have a safety related defect. Simply that it warrants further investigation.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Multi-Brand Sales Organisation Of The Continental Group In Germany

From the beginning of the year, only one sales rep in each region will be selling all Continental group brands. The company believes that the benefit will be greater synergies for itself and for dealers; so said Jescow von Puttkamer, head of sales for passenger car replacement tyres in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in an interview with Neue Reifenzeitung. In Germany, the group has 60 sales reps on the road, selling passenger car tyres. Whether “one rep for all brands” is the correct decision or not, only time will tell. We remain pessimistic.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Co-operation Between Bandag and Continental

European Bandag licensees will retread Continental truck tyres using the latter’s tread patterns, using Bandag’s Cold Retreading Process. The tyres will be distributed through the Continental dealer network as well as by Bandag licensees. The initial volume will be around 60,000, rising to 180,000 pieces per year. The agreement does not include any financial links, nor does it include the hot retreading process which Continental operates with other producers in Europe under the “Contire” brand.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

No Negotiations With Continental

Trelleborg has an annual growth target of 15-20 percent. Part of this is attained through an ongoing acquisition policy. This has given rise to speculation on a possible Continental take-over. Trelleborg has felt obliged to confirm that there are currently no negotiations between the companies.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Agricultural Tyre Market: 2001 has been a difficult year

The world-wide market for agricultural machines and tyres is has been characterised by a rationalisation processes over several years. The leading competitors in the tyre sector (Michelin-Group, Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS), Continental and Goodyear) have more or less completed repositioning themselves in the market. The widest multi-brand variation has been attained by the Michelin-Group, which covers with its four brands (Michelin, Kleber, Taurus and Stomil) all price-segments and applications. However, the development of this tyre segment cannot be viewed in isolation. It is influenced and defined by a number of fundamental and mutually connected parameters. These are:· the general economical development of the agricultural sector,· the changing structure of the German agricultural sector since reunification,· seasonal influences/aspects (e.g. weather conditions) and· sales, numbers and specifications of agricultural machines (especially tractors).In Germany fewer and fewer farming companies have concerns about a permanently increasing average area of land – a trend that can be observed throughout the rest of Europe. At the same time agricultural machinery is becoming more powerful, larger and faster, and the tyre manufacturer has to produce a product that can cope with these demands and yet remain gentle on crops to ensure maximum yield.In the first half of the year 2001 the already decreasing number of machinery sales found an additional seasonal reason in the sinking investments of the farmers, due to the BSE and the FMD-crisis. The increased cost-consciousness of the farmers became obvious in an trend towards cheaper brands. In the second half of the year the tyre market recovered a little bit from its bad results in the first six months but the overall negative figures could not be overcome completely so that ultimately a five percent loss was expected, compared to the previous year. This meant a total number of 220,000 tractor tyres sold in Germany (radial: 143,000 pieces).

13th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Phoenix Long-Term Ambitious

Phoenix, supplier to the vehicle industry, itself a tyre manufacturer many years ago and still specialising, though not exclusively, in rubber parts for the automobile industry, is not reaching its turnover and profit targets as quickly as planned. Air springs, an area in which Continental is also involved, however, promises to develop into a jewel for the group from 2001 and gives ground for hope of steep rises in turnover and earnings in the long term.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

Online-Tyreshop From Continental

During the annual shareholders meeting of Continental, the tyre manufacturer announced that it is going to build up an online tyre shop which will go live at the beginning of next year. At first he offer will contains passenger car tyres and service, and later complete wheels and car accessories will be included.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

New Plan Aims To Make National Tyre Service Profitable Within Five Years

When Continental bought the UK retail chain National Tyre Service a decade ago, the company regarded its equity as a way of gaining a foothold in the market and increasing its market share. To put it simply, National was merely a vehicle for moving tyres. In the last few years, the German parent has realised the strategic importance and benefits of having its own chain and has re-thought its attitude. National turns over £150 m annually and it is no secret that the company has been making a loss over recent years but this, says Chief Executive Adrian Dunleavy, is due to change within the next five years, with the aim being profit and a sustainable market share. In an exclusive interview with TYRES & ACCESSORIES, Dunleavy discusses the details of the plan and the investment promised by Continental. He also gives frank answers to the critics of National’s “two tyres for the price of one” offer, who regard this as being responsible for today’s price cutting. And how does he respond to the widespread condemnation of the National Motor Dealer offer, which was designed to encourage motor dealers into the tyre business? The five-year plan requires time and investment and Continental have granted both. Dunleavy accepts that the pressure is on him to deliver results within the designated time frame.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

New Radial Industrial Tyre

News, Product News

Continental has introduced a new radial industrial tyre, the “ConRAD HT” in size 8.25 R15. It will also be available in a “clean” version for applications such as the food industry.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

Significant Decreases For General Tire USA

A spokesman for Continental, in answer to a question from NEUE REIFENZEITUNG, agreed that the figures from General Tire for the first half of this year are significantly less than figures for the same period last year. Continental will officially release the half year figures on August 9th.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors