Dunlop Archives - Page 80 of 112 - Tyrepress

Posts

Ruia Offers Dunlop Land to State

Pawan Ruia, chairman of Dunlop India, has offered to set up an IT special economic zone (SEZ) on 50 acres of Dunlop land belonging to the Sahaganj factory labour colony. A similar offer has been made on 50 acres of Jessop land at Durgapur too. Ruia, chairman of both India’s first tyre maker Dunlop and oldest engineering company Jessop, said: “Sahaganj, located just 40 km from Kolkata, with an improved road connection can serve to disperse the IT concentration in Salt Lake-Rajarhat area.”

The proposal comes at a time when the state government is hard pressed to arrange land for IT majors like Infosys Technologies, Wipro, ITC Infotech. Dunlop’s land at Sahaganj covers 239 acres, of which only 51 acres accommodate the factory. According to local news sources Dunlop India is currently going through a “funds crunch” that has resulted in the state electricity board severing electricity in December with no word of when it would be resumed.

3rd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Ploughs its Way to the Championships

The Goodyear Farm team reports that it had “yet another successful year” in 2007. In addition to launching several new tyres in their Optitrac range, they helped some of the UK’s best ploughmen to perform and gain the opportunity to compete in the 2008 World Ploughing Championships in Austria. To win a position in the World Ploughing Championships the competitors first had to plough through the British championships which took place at Crockey Hill near York in October. The event was so well attended that the car park had to be extended on the second day. 16 of the 22 plough-off entrants used Goodyear tyres. These included the winners of the top three competitions who ploughed their way to success on Goodyear tyres.

2nd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo to Buy ‘Overseas Tyre Maker’

Apollo Tyres Ltd is close to acquiring a south east Asian tyre maker, according to CNBC reports. Reuters reported that the acquisition is expected to be completed early next year. No details have been given about which firm will be bought or the value of the deal. “We cannot comment on speculation that is not attributed to anyone. We have said we will continously keep looking at opportunities and there is no change in our stance,” Sunam Sarkar, chief of corporate strategy and marketing at Apollo Tyres, told Reuters. In early 2006 Apollo bought Dunlop South Africa for about 2.9 billion rupees.

21st December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Chosen as British Superbikes Tyre Supplier

Pirelli has been selected by the Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board of Great Britain (MCRCB) as control tyre supplier for the British Superbike and Supersport Championships between 2008 and 2010, beating off a rival bid from Dunlop, who supplied the majority of Suberbike teams in 2007.

“This is a landmark moment for the British Championships,” commented BSB series director Stuart Higgs. “For the selected bidder it represents a great opportunity and responsibility, which I am confident that Pirelli can fulfil. This will be a great leveller for the championships and I relish the start of the on-track competition.”

14th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

UK Members of Marine Hose Cartel Plead Guilty

The two Dunlop Oil and Marine executives and the Lincolnshire based consultant charged in the US for their participation in a price fixing cartel have entered a guilty plea. The one-count felony charges were laid in a Houston court on December 5, and the three men subsequently filed court documents detailing their plea arrangements. The pleas will be entered on December 12.

12th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

More Charges Laid Against Marine Hose Cartel Participants

According to the US Department of Justice, charges were laid against an independent consultant and two executives from Grimsby based Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd. on December 5. A one-count felony charge, resulting from the international marine hose price fixing cartel that operated until May 2007, was filed against: Peter Whittle, sole proprietor of PW Consulting (Oil & Marine) Ltd., Bryan Allison, managing director of Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd., and David Brammar, Dunlop’s Oil & Marine’s sales and marketing director.

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Mythos Wins Australian Tyre Test

The Marangoni Mythos UHP has come top in a tyre test conducted by Australia’s Motor Magazine. The success in the magazine comparison test comes just a year after the Marangoni new tyre brand was launched in the Australian market. Competing tyres tested included: Bridgestone Potenza RE050; Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3; Falken FK 452; Dunlop SP Sport Maxx and Maxxis MA-Z1. Motor’s test driver commented: “These [Mythos tyres] had a tonne of grip. They were sharp, balanced; really nice. In fact, they were so confidence-inspiring that you really didn’t mind having a hot go with them, because you knew they’d hang in there. They were also great on change of direction and super stable under brakes. I like them a lot.”

7th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Japan’s Trade Commission Issues Order Against Rubber Hose Cartel

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission is taking steps against Bridgestone and four international companies that have since May been under the spotlight for rubber marine hose price fixing. The competition watchdog intends to issue an administrative order to the companies to ensure the cessation of any remaining cartel activities, the first time such an order has been issued to foreign companies. The four international companies are the UK’s Dunlop Oil and Marine, a unit of Sweden’s Trelleborg AB, and Italy’s Parker ITR and Manuli Rubber Industries.

7th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Set to Sponsor BTCC

HiQ has announced that it will replace the Dunlop brand as title sponsor of the MSA British Touring Car Championship. According an Auto Express report, Goodyear Dunlop’s recently overhauled retail equity and franchise network has signed up for the next three years, beginning in 2008. Executives see the BTCC sponsorship chance as a good opportunity to raise awareness of the HiQ brand amongst consumers. Dunlop will reportedly remain in its position as official BTCC tyre supplier.

7th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Appoints New Finance Director

UK based manufacturer and retreader Dunlop Aircraft Tyres has appointed a new finance director and company secretary to assist with the company’s expansion plans. The former finance director at Honeywell subsidiary First Technology, Oliver Burns, will head a team of eight finance and information technology staff at the tyremaker’s Birmingham headquarters.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kanwar Reiterates Apollo Plans

Comments made by Apollo Tyres joint managing director and COO during his attendance at the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit on December 3 reiterate the tyremaker’s goals for the coming years. “As stated, we are looking to touch the two billion dollar sales by 2010 and we are looking to enter strategic markets in Asia Pacific and Europe in the passengers tyre segment,” commented Kanwar to media covering the New Delhi summit. When asked whether the company, who in 2006 paid £35.4 million in cash for South Africa’s Dunlop International, intended to support its expansion through further acquisitions, Kanwar replied that “both organic and inorganic growth will play important part as we aim to achieve our 2010 target.”

5th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Who Wears the Trousers?

Editorial/Comment, News, UK News

The subject of grey marketing raises the hackles of wholesalers and manufacturers alike, with each blaming the other for its existence. So imagine my surprise when Kumho UK managing director, Steve Tidmarsh tackled the subject head-on, telling delegates at November’s Tyre Wholesaler’s Group (TWG) lunch that it is “the manufacturers who drive the grey market.”

4th December 2007/by Chris

Dunlop Website Takes Silver PR Pride Award

Goodyear Dunlop had great success during November’s Midlands PR Pride awards. The Dunlop driversknow.co.uk website picked up a Silver Award for Best Website, an achievement for the brand that Dunlop says emphasises its drive to be “first with premium brands.” The Dunlop brand experience site driversknow.co.uk was revamped and relaunched in April 2007, with the focus of the new site being to connect with the ‘passionate driver’ who is at the heart of the Dunlop Brand target segment. In designing the new site Dunlop set out to continue in its quest to build a community of passionate brand advocates for Dunlop within this very competitive segment.

The DriversKnow site showcases Dunlop’s involvement at the heart of British Motorsport, including the company’s 2007 highlights in this arena – the Race Academy competition, said to be the best ever, with over 9,000 entrants; the launch of Fantasy BTCC; Dunlop’s successful season with the Dunlop Great and British Festivals and the ongoing success in the British Superbike series.

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

“Smuggled” Tyres Trouble Pakistan Retail Market

International News

Tyre retailers in Lahore, Pakistan have noticed a sharp increase in the number of “smuggled” tyres from India, China, and Dubai, causing putting locally produced brands at a disadvantage, according to The Post. One report suggested that the illegal business continues unchecked in the city, “perhaps in connivance with the law-enforcing agencies”. When asked, Bismillah Tyres at Ravioli Cinema told The Post that in earlier days, the profit margin was not as good but now, “we are doing a roaring business. It is because every other family has their own car,” he said.

26th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Nigeria to Borrow Funds for Modernisation

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) Bank for Investment and Development has granted Dunlop Nigeria PLC a loan of US$8 million. The company was scheduled to sign a loan agreement at the ECOWAS Commission in the Nigerian capital city Abuja on November 23.

“The loan will enable Dunlop to partially finance the modernisation of some existing installations in its factory and procure new moulds for the manufacture of a greater range of products to meet the needs of the local market,” read a statement released by ECOWAS, a regional grouping comprised of 15 African member nations. Dunlop Nigeria will repay the loan over a five-year period.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors