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Rhineland removes non-clean oil tyres from German market

At the end of 2011 Rhineland became the first German federal state (after Baden-Württemberg in 2010) to carry out investigations into the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in motor vehicle tyres. The results were published on 12 December 2011. Two of the 19 tyres tested exceeded the limit and show that extender oils were used which do not meet the EU requirements. The offending types of tyres were reportedly removed from the market as a result of not meeting the legal requirements.

3rd January 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Tough times for tyre distributors?

Editorial/Comment, News, UK News

As we look forward to 2012 there is no sign to economic pressures that blighted 2011 lifting any time soon. On the contrary, with the financial confusion surrounding the eurozone and with credit ratings agency Standard and Poor’s threatening to downgrade any of the 17 countries associated with it, there are still many challenges ahead. That said it was apparently a good year for some.

7th December 2011/by Chris

ETRMA ‘surprised’ by TWG speech

Company News, International News, News, UK News

Following the publication of Tyres & Accessories’ report on the recent NTDA Tyre Wholesalers Group annual lunch, ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp has written an open letter stating her association’s surprise at the issues raised in TWG chairman Ashley Croft’s keynote speech. During the speech, Croft referred to testing, lobbying and the relative importance of the implementation of current tread depth legislation. As our coverage explains, no-one was available to attend the event on behalf of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers association, so here is the association’s response in full:

6th December 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

European Commission publishes updated labelling regulation

Company News, International News, Legislation, News

Just under a year before its mandatory introduction, the European Commission has published its second regulation (1235/2011) paving the way for the implementation of tyre labelling requirements. Regulation 1222/2009 introduces labelling requirements detailing the display of information on fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise of tyres. According to the ETRMA, which has been involved in consultation on the legislation, the regulation aims to “increase the safety and the environmental and economic efficiency of road transport by promoting fuel-efficient and safe tyres with low noise levels.”

1st December 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

New ETRMA stats show European retread recovery in 2010

In its recently released 2011 ‘European Tyre & Rubber Industry’ statistics, the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association states that retreading managed to stage an almost complete recovery in Europe during 2010. Quoting Europool figures, the ETRMA shares that after experiencing a 21 per cent decrease within the region from 2007 to 2009, with unit sales dropping from 5,800,000 to 4,561,000 during this time, in 2010 retread unit sales rose 22.9 per cent year-on-year to 5,605,000. The number of retreads sold within Europe last year is thus only 3.3 per cent lower than 2007 levels, the ETRMA notes.

28th November 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Wholesalers Group chair outlines concerns with ETRMA

International News, News, UK News

The ears of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association must have been rather warm as Ashley Croft, chairman of the Tyre Wholesalers Group of the NTDA, gave his speech at the group's annual lunch. Around 75 people – customers and suppliers – attended the event on 22 November at the National Motorcycle Museum and, as well as lunch, there was plenty of food for thought, particularly for manufacturers of premium brands.

24th November 2011/by Chris

Updated Bridgestone Europe environmental report now available

The 2011 edition of Bridgestone Europe’s “Environmental Commitment and Performance” report has been released, and in addition to updating consumption and emissions data for European manufacturing operations, the company has introduced this latest report with an overview of its environmental strategies. These, according to the report, centre on three main objectives – being in harmony with nature, valuing natural resources and reducing CO2 emissions. The report also explains that Bridgestone Europe intends to implement its environmental mission through two core strategies, namely a commitment to open environmental communication and the implementation of TEAMS, a Total Environmental Advanced Management System.

23rd November 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre majors form Hungarian trade association

Seven major tyre makers with individual distribution units in Hungary have joined together to form the Hungarian Tire Association. The association, which will be known by this English name (or by its abbreviation, HTA), boasts Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Hankook, Michelin, Pirelli and Vredestein as its founding members and has been set up to represent tyre manufacturers and distributors with a presence within the country. The HTA also states its purpose is to represent “the legitimate interests of the industry.”

14th November 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin’s Lepercq and Continental’s Koetz elected ETRMA president, VP

Career Tracks, International News, News

After two consecutive terms as ETRMA president Pirelli CEO Dr. Francesco Gori is making way for Michelin’s Patrick Lepercq for a three-year presidential mandate set to run from 2012 to 2014. The news follows Lepercq’s election to the role by ETRMA’s board of directors who also appointed Contiental’s Christian Koetz vice–president for the same period.

3rd November 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

ETRMA: Non REACH compliant tyres still entering Europe

On 16 October ETRMA (European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association) announced the results of its second round of tyre testing examining REACH compliance of tyres found within Europe. ETRMA’s results show that roughly 10 per cent of the sample failed to comply with the clean oil legislation, around the same proportion as failed the last set of tests held earlier this year. However while ETRMA raised concerns about both compliance and enforcement of REACH regulations, some of the companies named in the report have already responded to accusations of compliance failure by raising questions of their own about the way in which the sample was selected.

ETRMA’s second testing campaign was carried out between April and September 2011 on a sample of 94 tyres available for sale to EU consumers in several of the largest national tyre markets. These tyres were all produced in late 2010 and 2011 in 50 factories located in 11 countries, and are being sold in the EU under 51 brand names (these include 31 brands not tested in the first round). The first round of tyre compliance tests the ETRMA conducted took place in March 2011 and followed a similar approach.

20th October 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Hangzhou ZhongCe grows and grows – but prudently

Without exception, Chinese tyre manufacturers aim their European market production at the budget segment, where they are most competitive. However the ‘cover charge’ costs for entering the European market – the expensive testing for REACH and the tyre label – plus swelling production costs in China due to raw material and labour expenses are reducing their competitiveness in Europe. Any manufacturer wishing to build up long-term customer relationships and secure a healthy market share without needing to rely upon spot market brokers and purchasers must therefore focus upon their distribution channels and, in particular, deliver a product whose quality is far removed from the old ‘low budget equals low quality’ stereotype. One company already taking considerable steps in this direction is Hangzhou ZhongCe; recently the company allowed its European customers a glimpse behind the scenes at its factory in China and discussed its plans for the future.

5th October 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

“Re Tyre" aimed at securing the future of medium-sized retreaders

Now that its financing appears secure and all pertinent formalities are expected to be sorted out in Brussels any day now, work linked to the “Re Tyre” project is now ready to commence. With the aid of results gained from this study one of its backers, the European retreading association BIPAVER, aims first and foremost to secure the continued existence of medium-sized retreading businesses.

5th October 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Kraiburg playing an active role in Re-Tyre

In line with its ongoing commitment to take up and act upon its customers’ concerns, Kraiburg Austria has decided to actively participate in the BIPAVER "Re-Tyre" project alongside the various associations, other retreaders and testing institutes as the only material-supplier. “This participation is giving Kraiburg and our customers, the independent retreaders, the opportunity to actively observe and shape the process,” says Thorsten Schmidt, CEO of Kraiburg Austria, who goes on to explain a further motivation for taking part in this project: Access to the ETRTO and ETRMA organisations is reserved exclusively for new tyre manufacturers – and Kraiburg is the only one of Europe's leading material suppliers that doesn’t run its own tyre operations. As an active retreading partner, the Austrian company says it naturally wants the results to influence the development of its own products and materials.

19th September 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

China’s clean oil production ‘unlikely to grow’

China’s production of treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) – so-called ‘clean oil’, is “unlikely to grow significantly” according to a report published in online chemical industry journal icis.com. The reason? The “poor demand for the product” which itself is probably due to the fact that it costs 30 per cent more than the regular aromatics-based rubber oil.

5th September 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Westlake to appoint new UK truck tyre agents

Representatives of the Westlake truck tyre brand in the UK have announced plans to appoint between eight and 10 UK-based agents for the brand produced by leading Chinese tyre manufacturer Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber.

According to the company, the new distribution network will be comprised of partners that are independent, established commercial retread processers, retailers, tyre repairers or casing dealers. Once the right partners are identified Westlake is understood to be offering to agree “appropriate and exclusive territory” such as North East, North West with the right companies.

28th July 2011/by Tyrepress Editors