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.”
On 10 April the head of Continental’s Tire division, Nikolai Setzer, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning Continental’s consumer tyre factory in Púchov. The signing of the MoU at Continental’s headquarters in Hannover, Germany paves the way for an expansion project that will see passenger and light truck tyre capacity in Púchov rising by more than 5 million pieces a year.
During the course of 2012, Continental expanded its retail network in China by some two-thirds, and this year it looks to grow by a further 40 per cent. Beijing-based publication China Daily reports Jay Dhillon, general manager of Continental Tires China, as calling 2012 the company’s “most successful year” in terms of its retail operation. He shared that 1,000 new authorised franchised shops were added to Continental’s network, giving it a total of 2,500.
In addition to announcing a 30 per cent rise in sales last year, Blackcircles.com appears set to expand across the Channel in the near future. Company founder and managing director Mike Welch states the online retailer aims to grow market share both in the UK and internationally and claims that Blackcircles.com is now in talks with parties in Central Europe; if all goes to plan, an announcement regarding a partnership or acquisition will be made before the end of this year.
The classic motorcycle market is growing and interest in bikes from the 1980s is strong, and therefore Continental considers now an opportune time to reintroduce two former patterns, the TKV11 front and TKV12 rear sports tyres. The pair are suited for mounting on classic 1970s and 1980s bikes and fit machines as diverse as Yamaha XJ600’s and FJ1100, Kawasaki’s GPZ600R and GPZ1000RX, Suzuki’s GSX1100E and 1100 Katana, BMW’s K75 and K100, Honda’s XBR500 and Ducati’s Pantah range.
Kick off at the opening match of the next World Cup is just over 14 months away, and Germany’s Continental AG is once again a sponsor of the FIFA-organised event. As part of its World Cup involvement, Continental has committed itself to the UERE education project in the Favelas, or the Baixa do Sapateiro slum district of Rio de Janeiro. The UERE project targets children and youths aged between 4 and 18, and over a three-year period Continental will use the media attention the football world’s premier event will give Brazil to raise the profile of UERE and what the project has achieved.
A day after our coverage of European rules relating to the introduction of ABS on two-wheel vehicles. Continental AG has released details of its one channel ABS for motorcycles.
According to ADAC Accident Research, around a fifth of all motorcycle accidents could have been prevented if the bike had been fitted with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). To improve the active safety of motorcycles, Continental is expanding its range of electronic braking systems by introducing an one-channel ABS for smaller motorcycle and scooters. Based on its cars technology it was developed especially for cost-sensitive markets such as Asia, where the wheelers must be equipped only with a hydraulic brake on the front wheel.
Dick Rozeboom has recently changed to a new job with Continental Group BV in Barneveld, Holland. According to an official statement released by the company in order to announce the news, Rozeboom takes on his new role with immediate effect in a move designed to strengthen the company’s sales and distribution in the area.
Bridgestone may remain as the world’s most valuable tyre brand, according to new brand valuation research by Brand Finance, but there are actually four tyre brands in the top 500 list.
The annual Brand Finance Global 500 showed that while Bridgestone suffered some slippage from 2012 and Michelin gained some ground, the Japanese tyremaker’s lead brand retained its top spot. Bridgestone placed 254th overall on the global rankings, down from 2012 placement at 235th. The brand was valued at $4.5 billion, up slightly from 2012’s $4.4 billion valuation, earning a brand rating of AA-.
Noting the present wide ranging diversity of fitments in the current 4×4/SUV market, Stapleton’s notes that the opportunities open to the retailer present a challenge in requiring a wide breadth of stock to meet increasingly specialised demand. While retailers can expect the usual range of premium brand tyres in this segment from the wholesaler, it says there has been a particular focus in this segment on providing a variety of lower-priced private brands.
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, the US-based plant that produces some 250,000 Subaru and Toyota vehicles each year, has named three tyre makers as recipients of its annual Quality & Delivery awards. At an awards ceremony on 13 March, the company presented awards to 33 parts suppliers, including Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and Continental Tire the Americas.
At Continental’s annual press conference on 7 March, CEO Dr. Elmar Degenhart described the company’s 2012 performance as “the best results in Continental’s 124 year history.” He reiterated that last year’s annual profit of almost 1.9 billion euros equals 9.24 euros a share, compared with 6.21 euros in 2011. Therefore, Dr. Degenhart shared, Continental’s management intends to propose to the company’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 15 May that a dividend of 2.25 euros per share be paid out for fiscal 2012. “As in the previous year, out intention here is for our shareholders to participate directly in the company’s success,” he added. “In addition to the dividend, our shareholders also benefit from the extremely positive share price performance – with an increase of 82 per cent in fiscal 2012 alone. As such, our shares displayed the highest price increase of any of the DAX companies. It is fair to say that an investment in Continental shares paid off handsomely in 2012.”
Automotive supplier Continental has already conducted trials with a ‘driverless car’ in the US, and now the firm will further its work in this field through a research partnership with the BMW Group. Under this arrangement, the two German companies will pool their development capacities to define the long-term prerequisites for introducing highly automated driving on European motorways.
Mitas has debuted its Super Flexion Tyre (SFT) at SIMA, the international agricultural exhibition, in Paris. Mitas SFT tyres are made for high-horsepower tractors (>180 hp). Mitas has been selling American-made SFT tyres in North America since summer 2012. The SFT tyre on display at SIMA has been manufactured in Europe.
Michelin’s Energy Saver + in size 185/60 R15 H has topped the latest ADAC and Stiftung Warentest Sommerreifentest ahead of 28 other tyres in two sizes. The top mark in the other size, 225/45 R17 W/Y, was shared by Continental’s SportContact 5 and Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2. In total 16 out of the 29 tyres achieved a score between 1.6 and 2.5, indicating a “good” rating. The tests, designed to examine performance on small and medium family cars, were performed on a Volkswagen Polo in the smaller size and on the Skoda Octavia. The full test results will be published in the March 2013 edition of the ADAC.
Continental’s Specialty Tires business unit has added an eco-friendly product, LifeCycle, to its portfolio. The solid rubber tyre is retreaded upon selected used casings, the utilisation of which is said to lead to considerable savings in energy raw materials used in the production process, and this lowers product price. “With customers’ help this large-scale recycling initiative will help to bring down the number of scrap tyres needing disposal as well as the emission of climate-changing CO2,” shared Continental in a written statement. “Continental LifeCycle protects nature and offers cost savings.”
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