Yokohama’s Salem facility in the US has reached the highest tier in its home state’s environmental programme. In December the plant was recognised as an Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise (E4) in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP). Among the 450 participants in VEEP, only about thirty have qualified as E4 members – the highest attainable level.
The Bombay Stock Exchange reports that on December 16 the Madras High Court of Judicature passed an order approving a scheme of amalgamation and arrangement between Elgi Rubber Company Limited and Treadsdirect Limited and Elgi Rubber International Limited and Titan Tyrecare Products Limited and Treadsdirect (India) Limited. This order was received by the company on December 29, 2010, and January 12 has been fixed as the record date to determine equity shareholders of the Company entitled to receive one Elgi Rubber International Limited equity share for every five equity shares held in the company.
Bandvulc Tyre Contracts (BTC) recently invested in new software and telephone systems in order to take the operation “to the next level of expertise,” the company said in a statement.
The team at Tyres & Accessories wishes all its readers a Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year. We hope 2011 will be a successful year for you and your business, and we look forward to delivering you the latest news and industry information through our magazine, tyrepress.com website and e-Newsletter. Please note that the Tyres & Accessories office will be closed from the evening of 17 December, 2010 until 4 January, 2011.
Bridgestone has officially opened the new building housing its 2008-established Bridgestone Institute of Global Training (known as the BIG-T for short). A ceremony was held at the Tokyo address on December 14 to mark the occasion, at which Bridgestone commented that the establishing of this permanent base for developing the group’s human resources represents the completion of the facilities needed for Bridgestone to develop its global human resources and more effectively communicate its management policies around the world.
On December 13 German online tyre retailer Delticom AG announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Singapore-based Tyrepac Pte Ltd, for an undisclosed amount in cash. The transaction, Delticom reports, is structured as a capital increase at Tyrepac.
Proposed changes to Formula One and GT1 World Championship were confirmed at this year’s final meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WSMC), which took place in Monaco on December 10. The WSMC has approved the re-introduction of intermediate tyres into Formula One for 2011, along with the imposition of penalties upon any driver who fails to use both specification of dry weather tyre during a race. Changes for GT1 include an increase in the number of dry weather tyres to six sets (of which only four are permitted for qualifying and the races). The intention of this change is to allow teams to use tyres to their maximum capacity during practice, reducing the necessity to incur additional costs in private testing.
Michelin says it is “maintaining its firm pricing policy” in response to rising raw material prices. What this means to consumers is that prices for replacement market new and retreaded truck tyres will increase by an average of around five per cent. The tyre maker says these increases are being gradually implemented between December 1, 2010 and January 1, 2011.
Groupe Michelin has formally committed to building its first tyre plant in India, to be located in Chennai. An agreement on the deal was signed December 6 during the visit of French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Ahead of a company conference call scheduled for December 9, Titan International chairman and CEO Maurice M. Taylor Jr. declared “2010 has been a great building year for Titan and I believe that 2011 will be our best year ever from what I see today.”
14th December 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen reaching the South Pole, just ahead of Captain Robert Falcon Scott. To mark the occasion, Extreme World Races is staging the EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole, in what it describes as "the ultimate off-road test", with winds up to 80 mph and temperatures as low as -56ºC in the coldest, driest and highest desert on earth.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is highlighting the European Chemical Agency’s (ECHA) campaign to remind companies that new rules on classification, labelling, packaging and notification of chemical substances came into force on 1 December 2010. From December, within one-month of placing a chemical substance on the market, all companies involved in their manufacturer or import will need to notify the ECHA for their inclusion in the new Classification and Labelling Inventory.
The seat on Continental AG’s Supervisory Board left vacant by Rolf Koerfer’s resignation on November 29 is to be filled by Professor Siegfried Wolf. The 53-year old Austrian, who is also chairman of the Board of Directors at Russian Machines OJSC, was nominated to the Conti board on December 4; Wolf’s nomination received the Board’s unanimous support and his appointment will be applied for at the local court in Continental’s home town of Hannover, Germany early this week.
Nissan’s ‘Leaf’ electric car goes on sale in December 2010 and will hit the streets fitted with tyre’s from Bridgestone’s Ecopia range as original equipment. In Europe and Japan the Ecopia EP150 is being supplied to Nissan in size 205/55R16 91V while North American customers will receive their Leaf fitted with a size P205/55R16 89H version of the Ecopia EP422, a product designed for all-season use in this particular market. Beyond this fitment, Bridgestone states it will “continue working to bolster its line-up of Ecopia tyres, roll them out globally, and increase their use as original equipment.”
Today the Goodyear blimp is being pressed into service with the US armed forces for a planned strategic operation, yet there is no need to panic, arm yourself to the teeth or flee to the relative safety of your basement. The blimp is pairing up with the United States Marine Corps Reserve for what Goodyear is calling a ‘joint manoeuvre’ to help the ‘Marine Toys for Tots Foundation’ collect toys for needy children.
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.
