(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. yesterday announced that as of Aug. 1 it was raising prices on its medium truck tyre lines by as much as 5 per cent. In addition, Goodyear also hiked prices on its retread products sold in North America by up to 5 per cent as of July 1. The increase, due to raw material, energy and transportation costs, covers the company’s Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly-Springfield brands.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Limited has announced the appointment of Mark Dilks as Brand and Market Planning Manager. Dilks will be responsible for developing the brand and market strategies for the company’s wide range of consumer tyre brands, including Goodyear, Dunlop, Fulda, Falken and Sava.
Apollo Tyres Ltd’s un-audited financial results for the first quarter of the 2006-07 financial year show net sales grew over 33 per cent to 757.2 billion rupees from 568 billion rupees. The company also reported that a 20 per cent growth in unit volume was led by increased radial car and truck tyre sales. Post tax profits remained stable at 1.62 billion rupees. In the past quarter Apollo has raised selling prices by around 9 per cent across its range.
Jaguar Cars has selected two Dunlop SP Sport performance tyres for its new supercharged XKR, a 420-horsepower sporting Grand Tourer. Dunlop tyres, standard on the 2007 Jaguar XK, have also been specified for the XKR, which delivers 120 more horsepower. The XKR will jet to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds; the car arrives in showrooms by year’s end. The convertible model takes 5 seconds.
In Bahrain, Abdulla Yousif Fakhro & Sons (AYF) has invested $1 million in a newly built warehouse and storage centre for Dunlop tyres. The facility, in Ma’ameer, has been operational since the start of the month, and the modern design of the building assists ventilation to help in keeping the tyres cool, which is crucial as high temperatures have a negative impact on the life of tyres.
Bavarian tuning specialist MTM has created the fastest Bentley ever with a 205-mph performance kit of engine upgrades and 21-inch Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tyres. Motoren Technik Mayer GmbH announced that its MTM Bentley Continental GT retains the elegant appearance of the stock vehicle, but packs even more power under the lid. The tuner supplies various performance kits, ranging from 560 horsepower as standard to an impressive 635 horsepower.
A new chapter opened in the life of one of the great icons in UK tyre industry history when the first tenants were named for the re-vamped Fort Dunlop site, near Birmingham. The new tenant is the design consultancy Boxer, who will move into the building in October. The six-storey building has undergone a 40 million Pound refurbishment, having stood empty for a quarter of a century. In its heyday, it was the headquarters for Dunlop Tyres, housing around 10,000 employees.
The United Steelworkers (USW) have announced that BFGoodrich/Michelin has been selected as the “target company” for 2006 master contract negotiations in the US rubber and tyre industry. Representatives from USW bargaining committees engaged in contract talks with Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS), Goodyear and BFGoodrich/Michelin voted in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Hi-Q has invested “heavily” in the re-development of its three national training centres. The training facilities in Slough, Leeds and Dudley provide on-going professional training to employees based throughout the UK. Facilities over the three sites include e-learning zones, ramp areas, functioning tyre changing facilities and a fully equipped mock up reception area.
If ever there was a competition for a company whose name tells you exactly what the company does, then Vintage Tyre Supplies would surely be in with a shout. Even the location of its head office – a few seconds' stroll from the Beaulieu Motor Museum – underlines what the company is about.
Vintage Tyre Supplies is, quite simply, a leader in what could be described as "a global niche", sourcing and selling vintage and classic tyres around the world. "Our business is growing and our overseas markets are developing steadily," says VTS managing director Chris Marchant.
The last shift at Dunlop’s Washington UK plant clocked off ahead of schedule on 14 June. The Early April announcement that Dunlop would close the plant came as a “body blow,” to workers, the Sunderland Echo reported, as it followed a similar announcement at nearby Stag Furniture. Dunlop said it is continuing to work alongside Sunderland Council and One North East to help the workers find new employment through the JobCentre.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK has appointed Robin Sharpe as director, Truck Tyres UK and Nigel Sowerby as manager, TruckForce, UK. Sharpe joins the company on 1 August, and will lead the continued expansion of the UK Goodyear Dunlop truck and bus tyre business, including the rollout of the recently launched TruckForce service network across the country. Announcing the appointment, UK general manager, Mark Brickhill said: “Robin has a proven record of delivering successful results in varied markets. He has particular skills in managing organisational change and building people management capabilities. His background in managing key accounts and building long term business to business relationships will enhance our truck business unit.”
This year’s tyre exhibition saw Bandag release quite a lot of news coming from the new product department. But what was most interesting for the international press as well as for customers, was Bandag’s future in the European fleet business after its biggest customer (GE/TIP) left. Although marketing director Danny van Essche confirmed that Bandag is going to remain active in the European fleet business, the company is said to have learned a lesson by GE/TIP’s retreat. This lesson will be used to adapt Bandag’s business strategy in a positive way: “We will not aggressively pursue international fleet business anymore.”
The latest ‘Next Tread Utility’ tyre will be displayed at the Chartered Institute of Waste Management Show on 13 15 June, demonstrating the Next Tread commitment to developing bespoke tyres to suit specific industry applications. ‘Next Tread’ is the retread brand of Goodyear Dunlop Tyres, and the tyre giant claims that kerbing damage is a major reason for premature tyre wear and unscheduled replacement for municipal vehicle operators.
The reputation of Dunlop as a full road race tyre received a huge endorsement recently as Morecambe based John McGuinness, riding factory prepared HM Plant Honda machinery, moved into the list of TT Hall of Fame with eleven Isle of Man TT victories. First to congratulate McGuinness as he crossed the line was 10 times winner Giacomo Agostini.
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