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Dunlop India Factory Deadlock Set to Continue

The situation at Dunlop India’s closed Sahagunj factory, reported this week on Tyrepress.com, looks to be at a standstill. India’s Financial Express is reporting that the two major trade unions at the factory – Citu and Intuc – have decided not to sign a bipartite agreement with the plant’s management. Both unions, it is reported, want the Indian government to be included in a three-party meeting.

The paper quotes Dipanker Roy, Dunlop Workers’ Union (Citu) general secretary, who said that he would be communicating with the country’s labour minister, adding that, “We have been to the [Dunlop factory] office to discuss the management’s proposal, but no one from the decision-making body was present.” Workers remain at home with the offer of a 2,000-rupee monthly grant from the company’s management, which followed the suspension of production.

21st November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Freedom from the ‘Black Gold’

By 2013 Sumitomo Rubber plans to be selling tyres containing absolutely no petrochemical materials. This news was printed in the company’s 2008 – 2011 environmental statement, which was published in Japanese only on November 17. It appears likely the oil free tyres will initially be sold on the Japanese market only.

19th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop the Tyre of Choice for Lancer Evo X

Dunlop has announced that its SP Sport 600 tyres have been chosen as original equipment on Mitsubishi Motors’ new Lancer Evolution X. The high-performance vehicle comes with a new powerful all-aluminium 2.0 litre turbo engine, with power ranging from 295PS and 407Nm of torque to 359PS and 492Nm, depending on the model. Dunlop will meet the task of transmitting that power to the road with its SP Sport 600 in the size 245/40R18 93Y.

18th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop Employees Dig In for Community

A handful of employees from Goodyear Dunlop togged up in their warmest and braved the winter chill to help brighten their local landscape. Eight employees planted over 130 hedges and trees in partnership with British Waterways, creating a tranquil orchard in the midlands. The tyre maker reports the area in Wombourne, Staffordshire, has been transformed from muddy disused land to an oasis of calm for local residents and visitors to enjoy.

“Last year members of the HR team helped to improve the environment for wildlife at our local canal system as part of our commitment to helping our local community,” said Darren Green, Heath, Safety and Environment manager at Goodyear Dunlop. “It proved to be such a good team building exercise that we are back again, and this time planting trees. The hard work was well worth the effort when we think of all the people who will benefit from this new woodland which we are sure will be enjoyed for years to come.”

18th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop India Halts Sahaganj Production

Dunlop India has felt the worldwide pinch, reacting by closing its Sahagunj factory indefinitely from Tuesday 18 November. Its 1,200-strong workforce has been asked to stay at home. Website IBNLive reports that company sources have reported that the company is running short of working capital and that it is in negotiations with the banks. It is believed that workers will be given 2,000 rupees a month until the factory reopens, though the website says that its sources believe that it could be some time before the factory resumes processing.

Meanwhile Sindh Today reports that a company spokesman told the paper: “The [economic] crisis has had a heavy impact on the tyre sector. We have a huge shortage of capital. So we called the union leaders Saturday for a bi-partite and told them since there is almost no demand, the company would be incurring heavy losses if production continued. And they agreed.” The spokesman added that he didn’t know how long the situation would remain the same: “We may get the funds in 15 days, or it may be three months even. We don’t know. But we are hopeful that we will be able to solve the problem fast.”

17th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli National Rally Changes Name

The Pirelli National Rally, based in Carlisle alongside the manufacturer’s major British plant, will be run under a new name in 2009 after it was announced that it will be integrated into the ANCRO Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship. Founding members of ANCRO, the Cumberland Sporting Car Club have decided to rename the event the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria. This was how the rally was known when it was originally part of the ANCRO series.

In addition to the Gravel Rally Championship, the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship and the Dunlop/Gambia British Historic Rally Championship will be represented with stages at the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria.

13th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Fit Tyres to New Subaru

Subaru has chosen Dunlop for OE supplier to its 2008 Impreza WRX STi. The car will use the tyre maker’s SP Sport 01 in the size 235/45R17 94W.

Frédéric Schilling, brand director of Dunlop Europe, Middle East and Africa was pleased with Subaru’s decision: “Dunlop, with its long motorsport heritage and experience, is the ideal fitment for the Subaru Impreza WRX STI which is built upon a successful rally car heritage. The STI is more than a car, it’s a culture. From the very beginning the Dunlop SP Sport 01 has been developed with leading partners in the automotive industry to comply with the very latest vehicle design and construction. And, last but not least, its development draws on many Dunlop motorsport successes,” he continued.

10th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Audi R8 to Drive on Dunlop tyres

Dunlop has been selected as an OE supplier for Audi’s R8. The German sports coupe (dubbed by Audi the “slowest car we’ve ever built” due to its labour intensive, non-production line manufacture) will receive two top of the range Dunlop products, the UHP Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT and for the upcoming winter season the Dunlop Winter Sport 3D.

7th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Releases 2009 Sport Maxx Production Cup Dates

Dunlop has released the dates for its 2009 Great & British festival, at which the company’s Sport Maxx Production Cup series for saloon and sports cars will take place, alongside the Mini and Radical Championships. The festival will take place: at Rockingham on 18-19 April; at Brands Hatch on 6-7 June; at Donnington Park on 4-5 July; at Castle Combe on 18-19 July; at Croft on 22-23 August; and finally at Snitterton on 12-13 September.

6th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

New Products Pad Out Alliance Range

Alliance Tire has added new products to its agricultural and agro-industrial line-ups. The Agro-Forest “Seventy” series in size 480/70-28 has been developed to meet the requirements of modern agricultural tractors working in forests and fields. The F-370 tyre enables this combined work without any changes in inflation pressure. The tyre’s structure, says Alliance, enables flotation on the field, high traction and low soil compaction. At the same time, the tread compound, combined with strong steel breakers, provides effective puncture resistance, enabling safe and efficient work in the forest.

5th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

UPDATE: Goodyear Sees Q3 Profits Fall

Despite making a significant operating loss of $19 million in the North American market – as reported on Tyrepress.com on 3 November – Goodyear has carded record sales in 2008’s third quarter, up 2 per cent to $5.2 billion. In addition, the company states that its revenue per tyre is up 8 per cent over Q3 2007 excluding the impact of foreign currency translation, a gain that reflects worldwide gains in pricing and product mix generated by the company’s strategy to focus on high-value-added tyres.

Chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan said that the company’s “solid third quarter concludes a strong nine months of performance, reflecting the successful execution of our business strategies and continued strength in our international businesses.”

4th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Union Reports Layoffs Coming at US Goodyear-Dunlop Factory

The Goodyear-Dunlop tyre manufacturing plant in Tonawanda, New York is soon to experience its first round of layoffs in nearly 30 years, say union officials. According to the Buffalo News, they indicate that around 100 people at the 1,100-worker facility may lose their jobs.

31st October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Celebrates Winning Run Milestone

Dunlop commissioned a specially designed helmet for Marco Simoncelli to celebrate the company’s 200th consecutive victory in MotoGP 250cc. It was Simoncelli whose victory marked the milestone, to add to his 2008 series victory. The presentation was made by Raoul Smits, European sales and marketing manager, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, at a press party hosted by Dunlop at the final MotoGP of the season in Valencia on 26 October. While Dunlop is currently the sole tyre supplier to the 250cc series, company representatives say they would welcome competition, though breaking the manufacturer’s winning streak would take some doing.

“We celebrate not only 200 consecutive victories, but also our 16th consecutive World Championship title in 250cc GP,” he said, in congratulating Marco and the Metis Gilera team. “Racing is very important to us, and the technology transfer between race and road helps us to develop road tires with outstanding characteristics with regards both to safety and performance.”

30th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bike Tyrestore Surveys Customer Service

Motorcycle tyre wholesaler Bike Tyrestore (BTS) is once again asking customers for their opinions about its service. BTS conducts the survey every year, asking buyers to rate all aspects of the service it provides on a scale of 1 (abysmal) to 10 (brilliant). All survey forms returned by freepost to the Birmingham based wholesaler, are entered into a draw with the first picked out of the hat winning form’s a Fortnum and Mason Christmas Hamper worth in excess of £150. BTS MD Peter Smith told Tyres & Accessories that performance score rates are generally 9 or 10 and that every year useful ideas and suggestions are picked up from the survey.

29th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear, Dunlop Perform Well in Winter Testing

The Goodyear and Dunlop brands have achieved excellent notices in the latest round of independent tyre tests for winter tyres. Both labels are hoping to capitalise on these successes on the testing track with commercial success throughout Europe. Winter tyres account for about 30 percent of total European consumer replacement tyres, so it is understandable why the companies are keen to grab a greater piece of the market. The results of these tests are generally seen as important factors in European motorists’ winter tyre buying decisions, and with the use of winter tyres a lawful requirement in several European countries, including Austria, Sweden, Finland, and the Baltics, they could prove particularly interesting to the companies.

Independent tests by the ADAC, Germany’s leading automobile club, and the auto magazines AutoBild, Stitung Warentest and Auto Motor und Sport, singled out for praise the Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip 7+, the Dunlop SP Winter Response and Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D. Meanwhile Test World, the leading testing organization based in Finland, and Swedish motoring magazine Motorforaren had words of praise for Goodyear’s Ultra Grip Extreme and the Ice Navi ZEA respectively.

28th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors