ArvinMeritor has announced it’s consolidating its three North American ride control facilities into one, including the closure of its Toronto, Ontario original equipment shock absorber operation, and its Chickasha, Oklahoma packaging and distribution centre. The 700-person closure is part of a previously announced restructuring plan affecting 2,800 employees from 13 North American and European plants.
Former managing director, Ashley Croft, has returned to Stapleton’s to act as a consultant with special responsibility for working with the management to further develop Stapleton’s as one of the country’s leading tyre wholesalers and retailers. In February Croft resigned as Warehousing, Logistics and Wholesale Sales Director of Micheldever Tyre Services, having been involved in the company’s management buy out in February 2006.
At the time he told Tyres & Accessories that the decision to leave was entirely amicable, saying that his original brief was to expand Micheldever’s wholesale and distribution base to a national level and that that project has now been completed.
That’s Eric Bush – Pneumatic Components Ltd’s new North America Regional Manager, Tire Gauge (USA and Canada). Recently recruited by PCL, the leading international manufacturer and supplier of tyre inflation equipment, to build brand awareness within the US and Canadian markets, Eric will be based in Virginia and is now in the process of developing a sales & distribution service for PCL throughout North America.
Eric graduated from Virginia Tech in 1998 with a degree in Marketing Management. He began his career as a Regional Sales Manager for Ingersoll-Rand’s Tool & Hoist Division, before working in Alabama for a tool distributor, Tool-Smith Company. More recently Eric was in Atlas Copco’s Tool Division – Motor Vehicle Industry, before joining PCL.
TM Logistics Ltd is conducting an “extensive” tyre trial across its newly delivered fleet of 10 tractor units. The test will be carried out using 10 identical Euro 4 MAN TGA tractors operating at 44 tonnes; five specified with Michelin ‘E’ segment regional tyres (XZE2+ / XDE2+) and five with low rolling resistance Michelin Energy ‘A’ segment tyres (XZA2 / XDA2), as part of an ongoing equipment utilisation programme for the company’s mixed MAN and Scania fleet.
The company operates approximately 170 commercial vehicles, ranging from 7.5 tonne rigids to 44 tonne tractor units, as well as a fleet of 300 trailers. “As a company, we are constantly looking at ways of reducing our carbon footprint and with vehicles averaging 100,000 miles a year, the biggest challenge is to increase the fuel saving potential of each vehicle,” explains Adam Purshall, Head of Engineering and Compliance at TML.
Amtel-Vredestein N.V., has postponed plans to issue a previously announced 150 million euro Eurobond due to “adverse market conditions.” Instead, it plans to investigate a range of other funding options with Nomura International plc and other financial institutions.
“While a Eurobond may be an effective financial instrument, current market conditions are not optimal and an issue at this time could potentially restrict our pursuit of a more comprehensive financing programme,” said new CEO Peter Zolotarev. “Over the past several years, Amtel-Vredestein has expanded its production and distribution platform, and nearly completed its modernisation programme. We are currently re-visiting the Company’s development strategy and our first priority must be to strengthen the balance sheet to ensure long-term sustainability, profitability and stakeholder value.”
Carlsson wheels have always had a good reputation in the Mercedes tuning sector and the company’s latest product – the 1/11 Evo Brilliant Edition (BE) looks set to enhance this even further. Based on the successful 1/11 BE wheel, the new 22″ wheel has been developed for use on Mercedes ML, R and G class vehicles.
As well as visual impact, the 1/11 Evo BE offers greater ride comfort and considerable weight saving, says Carlsson. The distribution of the 11 spokes means that the forces acting on the wheel are transferred to the centre of the wheel, thus making thick walls unnecessary and saving weight. Grooves in the spokes save even more weight, with the result that the 1/11 Evo BE weighs 20.3 kg – over 3 kg lighter than comparable, one-piece cast aluminium wheels, with no reduction in strength.
In 2006 Summit celebrated 20 years in business at Coventry. And after two decades the company is continuing to expand, with 2007 marking the opening of another depot in East Anglia. This new facility is expected to further improve the level of service Summit provides customers in the region.
Summit was founded in 1986 by Peter Summers, a man who had already spent the majority of his career in the tyre industry. Seeking a location at the heart of the country, Summers selected Coventry as the site for his new firm. The business specialised in industrial tyres and wheels to the fork truck and skid steer replacement and original equipment markets. Operating in a niche market, Summit quickly established itself as a leader in its field for product and advice in this specialist area. Furthermore, Summit ensured that it held stock of products that other wholesalers and distributors didn’t, thus building a reputation that is still enjoyed today – if the tyre or application is unusual, the likelihood is that Summit has got it.
Since November 2004, when Tyres & Accessories introduced China as “a market emerging from the haze”, the country and its tyre business has continued to develop at a dramatic speed. This is not only because Chinese tyre manufacturers have turned their attention towards European markets but also because Western manufacturers are pushing forward into China. This is where they want to produce tyres that are then sold either domestically or on export markets in Europe or North America. Today, China and the Chinese tyre market is no longer hiding in the haze but basking in bright sunlight. In China alone about 330 million tyres are produced annually, 235 million of which are radial tyres, and of this 180 million are passenger and light truck radials. And it goes without saying that the Chinese tyre market is bound to grow.
The growth of the Chinese tyre market is first of all a growth of the international tyre majors. It is some time since these companies began to carve out their territories in China. In doing so they have benefited from their superior brands, technologies and distribution structures. And often they have deeper pockets than most of their Chinese competitors, who cannot all keep up. The Chinese tyre market stands at the threshold of full integration into global economic structures.
With this new edition of our bilingual supplement on the Chinese tyre market the two sister publications Tyres & Accessories and Neue Reifenzeitung are again taking a close look at what’s taking place behind the Chinese wall.
The bilingual supplement “China – Tyre market without equal“ can be downloaded as a PDF file by clicking here.
Since its inception in 1972 Interstate Tires has expanded rapidly and now represents a group of five companies, selling tyres under its own ‘Interstate’ brand name. Headquartered in Delft, the Netherlands, Interstate offers worldwide distribution and operates warehouses both in Europe and China, simplifying the delivery process for their customers as much as possible. Tyres can be shipped to every major port, with from the port truck or train transport also arranged by Interstate if required. A sign of the company’s popularity as a tyre supplier can be witnessed by the company’s positive sales figures, growth Interstate claims consistently outpaces that of the tyre market.
Interstate’s range of exclusive brand winter tyres for the 2007 season is called the Interstate Winter IWT-2. Produced in China to a European design and intended for European conditions, each tyre in the Winter IWT-2 line-up is E-marked, ISO certified, ETRTO, TüV and DOT approved. To maximise the range’s Europe-wide appeal Interstate will release the Winter IWT-2 in two silica compound variations, a softer compound for Nordic regions and a firmer ‘West European’ compound more suited to UK driving.
For the past thirty years Van den Ban Autobanden B.V. (VDB) has distributed its private brand Flamingo tyres, building up from initial local distribution in Holland into the current UK and European distribution network. The tyres are manufactured by a premium brand European manufacturer and are said to stand for ‘Comfort and Durability’ which is illustrated in the name of the CD patterns. The assortment consists of three distinctive patterns: CD1000, CD2000 and CD 3000 which serves the high performance sector of the market up to size 235/40/R18. Also a Flamingo Alaska winter tyre assortment has been available for a number of years now and has proven to be successful.
Blackstone Alaska winter tyres will be introduced first, as of the Autumn of 2007. Then in the first quarter of 2008 the PCR (CD range) will also be changed to Blackstone.
The Sumo Firenza is reportedly steadily increasing its sales performance in both the UK and European tyre markets and is now considered to be increasingly favoured as a highly competitive choice in the truck tyre sector of the market.
During the past eighteen months Sumo Firenza have exhibited at many international tyre shows throughout Europe introducing its truck tyre range and the UK has proved to be a particularly successful market for the brand which is exclusively distributed throughout the UK by West Midlands based tyre company International Tyres and Trading.
The appointment of International Tyres was made following an extensive survey of the UK truck tyre market with Pat Berriman, Sumo Firenza’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing stating: “We believe International Tyres are able to provide a good trading balance of a professional business profile with impressive national distribution facilities and we are very confident that between the two companies Sumo Firenza will continue to gain momentum in the UK truck tyre sector.”
Solideal Canada is pleased to announce the opening of a distribution centre in Montreal, Canada in July 2007. The facility allows Solideal Canada to meet the growing demand for industrial and construction products in this region. The new 13,000 sq/ft building is large enough to accommodate a full inventory of material handling tyres, an industrial tyre Shop Press, construction tyres, rubber tracks and all other products Solideal offers.
The facility is fully staffed and operational. “We are confident that our staff in Montreal will support our dealer network and will be working with them to grow the business together” adds Grant Hiller, Sales Manager for Solideal Canada.
ATS Euromaster has teamed up with gas distribution specialist BOC to tackle the major industry-wide issue of wheel loss on commercial vehicles, which is the cause of between 150 and 400 incidents per year, according to Brake. The project has seen the creation of a training DVD which demonstrates best practice in wheel security, illustrating the correct procedures for preparing, removing, inspecting and fitting the most common types of commercial vehicle wheels.
The DVD is being utilised as a valuable interactive learning tool within specific ATS Euromaster technician training courses, which help to ensure consistency in knowledge and skills nationwide. It is also being shown to BOC engineers, technicians, transport team leaders and over 1,000 drivers. Copies are also being supplied to the 40 independent dealers and workshops which carry out maintenance for BOC, in areas of the country where there is not an in-house workshop.
Ryder has awarded Bridgestone UK and its Truck Point network partners a new three-year contract. Under the arrangement, Bridgestone UK will supply new replacement and original equipment tyres, Qualitread retread truck tyres and tyre services though its national Truck Point service network.
Greg Ward, Bridgestone UK Commercial Director, said: “We are delighted that Ryder have awarded Bridgestone and Truck Point a new three year contract. We have been in partnership for over ten years and the new contract extends this even further. We share the same beliefs and hold the same values, the new contract is a great vote of confidence in our products and services.”
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America has taken its North American media planning and buying business and consolidated at a single agency. The estimated $112 million account was placed with MediaCom, a unit of WPP Group. The move, which includes MNA’s Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal tyre brands, as well as Michelin’s maps and travel guides and MNA’s TCI tire distribution unit. The media planning and buying efforts, once spread around multiple advertising agencies, includes all trade and consumer advertising.
Advertising and promotion creative work reportedly will remain with those agencies currently in place.
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