Dunlop Tyres International (formerly Dunlop Africa) has sold off its international products division to Specialised Belting. The price was not revealed. The international products division includes conveyor belt and hose manufacturing and the sale, according to Dunlop CEO Mike Hankinson, follows Dunlop’s decision to concentrate on the core business of tyre manufacturing
Slovenian tyre manufacturer Sava, since 1998 owned 60 per cent by Goodyear, presented their new high performance tyre “Intensa” for middle and upper class vehicles to the press and an international group of 360 retailers, from 21 nations, in Planica at the end of March. The directional tyre, which will replace its predecessor “Rapidex”, has been developed in co-operation with the Luxembourg R&D-department of Goodyear and will appear in 27 different sizes from 185/65 R 14 86H up to low profile dimension 235/40 ZR 17 90 W. The new tyre is made at a production plant that is regarded as one of the best and most powerful within the Goodyear organisation. In the past year the 1,400 employees manufactured seven million tyres – however just 57 per cent of these had the brand name Sava on their sidewall. The other 43 per cent were other group brands – Goodyear, Dunlop, Fulda, Debica and, until the end of 2001, some sizes of Kelly. All these brands are produced in parallel at the plant located in Kranj. The turnover of Sava could be increased 13 per cent up to 210.7 million US-Dollar under the leadership of Richard A. Johnson, former European finance boss of Goodyear. This year Sava aims to reach a result of 7.3 million units and a turnover of more than 233 million US-Dollar. Today, it is almost exclusively passenger car and light truck tyres that are manufactured in the production facility. The production of truck tyres has been shifted towards other plants in Poland and Turkey in recent years. Further foreign markets for the brand, which is well known in Central and Eastern Europe, include Western Europe, but especially South America, Middle East and Asia. Further highlights in the event programme were the guided tour through the factory in Kranj as well as a visit to the World-Cup final in ski-flying which is traditionally held in Planica.
Shareholders of Pacific Dunlop in Australia have voted to change the company name to Ansell Ltd. The name change is to reflect the organisation’s future focus on its protective products divisions.
South Pacific Tyres, the jv between Australia’s Pacific Dunlop and Goodyear of the USA, is set to increase production at its plant in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Production at the plant is due to rise by 65 per cent over the next year, creating 140 new jobs. In unit terms, output will rise by one million tyres, to 2.4 million tyres a year. Production will go from 24 hours a day, five days a week, to 24 hours, seven days. 60 new sizes of tyre will be introduced into the factory, many coming from South Pacific factories in Australia.
Based in Rio Saliceto, about 20 miles west of Modena, Italy, Butler Engineering & Marketing originated in 1998. It started as an entrepreneurial venture by a few people with a common vision to change the way tyres were fitted, bringing into line the technical developments of the tyre, wheel and automotive industries. The first four years were dedicated to product development and contacts with the main customers were established. Then, in 1993 and 1994 the network of agents was brought up to a satisfactory level, according to the company’s potential in terms of manufacturing capability. It was in late 1994 that the growth boom started. The company now employs 70 professionals. Turnover in 1995 doubled, while in 1996 another increase of approximately 50% was achieved. Since then a steady increase in turnover and output has occurred. Butler specialises in manufacturing tyre changers, which are very original and innovative in terms of design, construction and operation. All Butler tyre changers can easily be identified because of their special features; in fact, they have a unique ergonomical design and are almost all powered by compressed air. Power and comfortable controls allow an effortless and effective operation, even with the toughest and most delicate tyre-rim combinations. All parts of the machine touching the wheel or tyre are made of plastic or rubber, to avoid any kind of damage. For instance, an exclusive and patented mount/demount head, made from synthetic material, is always in touch with the rim edge, thus reducing considerably the stress generated during a mounting or demounting operation. The Butler range of equipment also includes a complete series of electronic wheel balancers, made according to the latest technology, eg the ADI (Automatic Data Input). Butler has established a mutual cooperation with the R&D departments of important car, tyre and wheel manufacturers, which are using Butler tyre changers to test the mountability of the most advanced tyre/rim combinations. Approvals or agreements have been signed with Mercedes, Porsche, Bridgestone/Firestone, Dunlop, Continental and others. BBS and Lorinser are promoting the Butler Airdraulic to all their wheel dealers. At the assembly plants of Ferrari, Porsche, M5, Audi 8, Fiat and others, the first equipment tyres are mounted with Butler Airdraulic tyre changers. Technical improvements are not focused just on machines, but also on tools like the so-called ‘HM’ (Half Moon) tyre bead lever, which dramatically improves the operator’s comfort and efficiency. A consumer’s video has been produced to increase the knowledge and skill of operators on handling the toughest and most delicate low profile tyres and aluminium rims with the Butler Airdraulic tyre changer. “The Butler Passport to Higher Performance” is an important contribution to spreading knowledge on how to handle rims and tyres. It is a manual containing general and specific information about rims, tyres and the proper way to handle them. Also it includes a section related to the use of Butler tyre changers. This manual is available on the Butler home page www.butler.it where other interesting information can be found.
For the fourth year running, Michelin ranks highest in the UK OE tyre satisfaction study, receiving the highest ratings for durability; the factor rated as most important by UK consumers. In second place were Pirelli and Kumho, with the latter scoring well because owners experience few problems with the brand. The survey questions over 3,000 UK motorists in their first year of car ownership, regarding tyre quality, performance and brand image. Following the top three brands, three further brands (Bridgestone, Dunlop and Goodyear) al scored the same. Bridgestone received highest marks in the study for traction/safety, while Goodyear and Pirelli tied for top spot in tyre design.
Almost 14,000 applied for the Dunlop Drivers Cup, but only 30 have been the lucky ones to realise their life’s greatest driving adventure. Ten days travelling through Australia guided only by a roadbook – on sand (with a Toyota off-road vehicle) and asphalt (with a TT roadster), through the outback, along the majestic coastline of the Great Ocean Road, crossing/passing the Snowy Mountains up to the spectacular finish in front of the famous Sydney Opera House. Between start and finish the “Dunlop Drivers” had to travel a distance of almost 4,000 kilometres and to pass difficult test sections containing elements of motor-sports. With this event the tyre producer wanted to create interest in the topic of driving safety within the main target group of the sporty drivers, interested in motorsports. The second motive is to demonstrate the influence of tyres on safe driving. The next Dunlop Drivers Cup (DDC) will be held in Malaysia in 2003, but there will be a major change in the concept: the DDC will take place with international teams. It is already clear that teams from Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Australia and the United States will join the event in February 2003. There is also a question-mark over the contribution of France, Poland and Hungary. “In the end the number of teams could grow from 15 up to 20 or 25”, said Dieter Seibert, Director Advertising Europe at Dunlop. General Motors is preferred as the official partner from the automotive side. Seibert’s midterm ideas for the future of the DDC go far beyond this point: he aims to reach a closer co-operation with the original equipment customers. Furthermore there could be scope for virtual race experiences supported by the computer. “Another idea is to connect the DDC more strongly with the topic of tyre and car development, for instance by visiting production facilities, technical centres or by using company owned proving grounds. The regional qualifications for Malaysia will be held from June to August, the national qualifications will take place in September – as usual.
A bizarre tyre story from Canada: four Canadians have legally changed their names from Dunlop to Dunlop-Tire in order to win a share of a $25,000 prize. The money was offered by Dunlop Tires and more than 100 people applied. Dunlop Tires carried out a survey, in which 42 per cent said that they thought that name-changing to brands will be a new marketing strategy. 37 per cent said they would change their name if paid sufficiently.
Dunlop Africa, the only tyre company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is moving closer to delisting. Its competitors being subsidiaries of global players Goodyear, Bridgestone/Firestone and Continental. The proposal is due before the Competition Commission this week and if accepted, Dunlop will delist from the JSE Securities Exchange on February 25. The group announced its plans in December, citing Dunlop’s status and the lack of liquidity in its shares as the reasons for delisting. The company believes that the transparency required by the listing specifically the need to release results every six months disadvantaged Dunlop with its competitors.
Effective February 1, 2002 Goodyear Great Britain Limited and Dunlop Tyres Limited will implement an organisational structure reflecting its intentions to manage the two brands separately in the marketplace supported by various shared service functions. Among the key appointments are the following, who report to Marco Molinari, Chairman and Group Managing Director UK Operations: Bill Yates, Managing Director Dunlop Tyres Limited, Bill Hall is appointed Managing Director Goodyear Great Britain Limited and Paul Harrell, GM Retail Operations.
Henry Johnson, who was VP Goodyear Eastern Europe and then VP Goodyear Dunlop/Europe, has now been appointed Managing Director of the SBU (Sales Business Unit) Truck Tyres Europe. His successor is Arthur de Bok, who was previously with Procter and Gamble.
The Grand American Road Racing Association has chosen Goodyear and Dunlop as exclusive tyre suppliers from next year to 2004. Goodyear radials will be used exclusively in Grand Am’s SportsRacing Prototype I and GTS classes, and Goodyear bias-ply tyres will be used in the American GT class. Dunlop will be the exclusive tyres for the SportsRacing Prototype II and GT classes.
This is a business on the move, this business is exciting. Tyres may sometimes be regarded as commodities in the eyes of marketing strategists, tyres seem to be boring, but insiders know that this is not correct. Tyres are high-tech products, the only problem is that most consumers do not realise this. Because of this we are looking for communicators who can whip up enthusiasm. The most important task of the tyre business must be to raise the image of the “round black things”. In reality this industry has for a long time collaborated with companies from the high tech electronics sector and there are many points of contact with the so highly-regarded IT companies. Applications in seemingly remote areas of science are checked for a possible transfer to tyres. In building tyres a revolution has happened, historical inventions since the first pneumatic tyre from John Boyd Dunlop as well as radialisation or the tubeless tyre, silica compounds or lamella technology in respect of materials or tread design, are all in the past and are only little steps in the history of the tyre. The dynamic of the tyre business in terms of technology is fantastic: a “brave new world” of tyres has begun. Unfortunately this feeling of progress and the many technical innovations which have had such an impact on the tyre industry and the tyre trade have not filtered through to everyday business. We – who deal with tyres day in and day out – ought also to be infected by this contagious enthusiasm which is rife in research and development departments, whose technicians are sometimes regarded by outsiders as somewhat staid. Let’s have a review of the year 2001: whoever reads the headlines of this business and comes from a totally different sector will envy us for being in such a dynamic industry.
At the beginning of October Dunlop GmbH (Hanau) invited trade journalists and vehicle manufacturers’ OE managers to a demonstration, “Dunlop ’99: Innovations in the Interest of Safety and Mobility” at Trier, or rather at the company’s own test track at Wittlich. The main aim of the event was to convince that it was high time to get rid of the spare wheel. People’s attitudes cannot be changed overnight; a lot of thinking is required about how to live in future without this “fifth wheel on the car” and yet remain mobile in a vehicle that has just had a puncture. Dunlop claims to have developed a “forward-looking safety and mobility concept”, consisting of several different components grouped together: a self-supporting tyre (“DSST” = Dunlop Self Supporting Technology), an integrated tyre pressure monitor called “Warnair”, and an equivalent system for the replacement market developed in cooperation with the Italian Alltech Car Security Systems company plus a tyre sealant “Fill & Go” on the basis of IMS (“Instant Mobility System”). In the next few years the company will introduce the practical application of each of these components on different vehicle models – Dunlop can already claim partial successes. For example, the increasing numbers of “IMS” applications have prompted the tyre manufacturer to speak of a “breakthrough”, but the company is realistic enough to know that in the case of the “DSST” tyre series a similar success can only be had through original equipment.
The world’s most important exhibition for equipment in the building, construction, mining and quarrying industries is “Bauma”, which was held in the beginning of April in Munich. On 2000 stands many vehicles from this segment were exhibited – equipped with very specialised tyres. Not all the tyre manufacturers are involved in this segment, for which the abbreviation EM is common, standing for earthmover tyres. The most important producers of EM tyres are Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear and Dunlop who showed sections of their current programs on their own stands. Some other tyre brands were fitted on the machines featured on the stands of vehicle manufacturers, but the four above-mentioned brands dominate the market. One trend in earthmover tyres is radialisation, but cross ply tyres are still in use. Low profile tyres and low-pressure technology are the most modern developments. The specialised tyre manufacturers want to be able to equip virtually every construction and mining machine, from skid-steer and compact loaders to the biggest trucks, to provide the customers with economic solutions and optimum efficiency.
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