Varta is set to strengthen its already dominant position of OE car battery supplier in Europe through the acquisition of the European battery business of Delphi Corporation. The acquisition came into effect 1 July, following approval by the European Commission under antitrust laws.
In 2000, Guy Carter, co-owner of Haweka UK with Dave Smith, obtained full distribution rights outside the USA for Pro-Cut machines and started Pro-Cut Europe. Now the company is aiming to improve its already widespread coverage in the UK and across Europe.
The latest addition to Autoclimate’s fast-growing portfolio of air conditioning components is the range of Denso compressors; the brand fitted as OE by many of Europe’s leading car makers.
Kwik-Fit Fleet has announced a major redevelopment and expansion of its Fleet Service Centre. The latest developments include taking on 10 new service centre operators, on top of the 30 recruited 12 months ago, and relocating the service centre to a newly-refurbished dedicated area within Kwik-Fit Financial Services’ call centre at Tannochside.
Hankook Tire Co, Korea’s largest tyre manufacturer said it is still considering Slovakia as the site for a 500 million euro ($603 million) plant, contradicting a Korean newspaper report that the plan had been scrapped. Now the Slovak government is saying that it has up until 31 August to come with a new offer for Hankook, local media sources have reported.
The cabinet rejected the original investment proposal due to investment incentives of 21 per cent of the total investment. Now the government insists that six per cent will remain the maximum level of the investment stimuli for the company.
Cairo-based Internile for Tyres Ltd and HL & H Prod Com SRL have joined Bandag’s retreader network, along with Internile Tyres, Egypt
Bucharest-based HL & H Prod Com SRL recently went into business operating as a joint venture between two experienced specialists from the Israeli tyre sector. Since then, the Bucharest public bus company Filaret has reportedly been full of praise for Bandag retreaded tyres. Filaret actually bought its retreads from Hatzav, the Israeli parent company of Bandag Dealer TGL (Aviation) Rubber Company, in Acre, Israel.
The future of MG Rover is likely to be decided in the next few days after Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation re-entered the bidding in partnership with a former Ford executive.
SAIC’s confirmation of a strategic collaboration with Magma, which is run by Martin Leach, a former Ford Europe boss, and Ed Sabisky, a former General Motors executive, came after the administrator (PricewaterhouseCoopers) had threatened to sign a deal with its Chinese rival, Nangjing Automobile Corporation.
TVS Tyres is set to increase its tyre exports. The Indian company, which has just launched seven new tyres into the market, expects exports to account for 40 per cent of its total turnover. It is also planning to increase its two wheeler tyre production by 15 per cent.
“At present our exports, of solid tyres only, contribute 15 percent to the total turnover. We have already established our presence in Europe, West Asia and Africa and are proceeding to the US and neighbouring countries,” said S Balasubramanian, VP, marketing of the company.
SmarTire Systems has reorganised its senior management team. President and CEO Robert Rudman has resigned and will serve SmarTire as both the non-executive chairman of the board and as a consultant to the company. Chief operating officer Al Kozak will take his place. The general manager of the company’s European operations, Nigel Hammond, has also been promoted to the new position of managing director, SmarTire (Europe).
Rudman said, “As SmarTire enters its next major stage of development, it is necessary that all members of our senior management team have the responsibility and authority to focus their unique skill sets on the opportunities and challenges ahead. In my particular case, I can best serve SmarTire as the chairman of the board and consultant to the company. With the completion of the major financing that we announced yesterday, SmarTire now has the capital resources to execute on its strategic plan, an area in which I will play an active role. In addition, I will continue to be the company’s primary representative to the investment community.”
Nankang Rubber Tyre Co Ltd has launched a new pattern for its Sonar brand. According to the company the Sonar SX1 is aimed at the high performance market, and the company is planning to introduce new sales channels in across Europe countries in 2005. Sizes will also be enlarged to between 15 and 19 inches in order to cater for demand form tuning shops.
Monbat may not be a well known brand in the UK at the moment but according to the company all that is about to change. The brand has been driving sales across Europe and having signed a contract with Squadron Batteries earlier this year the UK is Monbat’s next target.
Partly owned by Texaco Chevron, Monbat has been manufacturing batteries for over 45 years. The company specialises in heavy duty, high specification batteries for rail and military applications, as well as manufacturing UPS batteries for the telecom industry. Its car and commercial vehicle batteries are produced in the same manufacturing facility and to the same quality standards says the battery manufacturer.
Kwik-Fit will remain in its Edinburgh headquarters despite the fact that it has been bought by European equity firm, PAI partners. Paris-based PAI Partners confirmed to The Times that Kwik-Fit’s management team and the headquarters in Broxburn, West Lothian, would remain in place. London-based PAI partner Hamish Mackenzie, who negotiated the deal, said: “The business remains as it is. You wouldn’t think, with my name and my accent, it would be moving out of Scotland, now would you?” the newspaper reported.
A combination of warmer weather and imported used tyres has led scientists to issue a warning about a possible threat from the Asian Tiger mosquito.
The mosquito, which as its name suggests is native to Asia, usually lays its eggs in small pools of water, such as banana leaves or coconut shells. However, any small pool will do and eggs have been found in the water in tyres being imported into France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. In fact, in France, all imported tyres are sprayed with insecticide as a matter of course. As little as a quarter of an inch of water is sufficient for the Tiger to lay its eggs.
The winner and the two runners up of this year’s European Custom Bike Building Championships all used Avon tyres.
A total of 64 top class builders from Europe and beyond entered 71 bikes in the AMD ProShow, held at the Phoenixhalle in Mainz, Germany.
The winner was Thomas Hebermann of Habermann-Performance in Germany with his S&S shovelhead-engined chopper named ‘Caligo’. The machine was fitted with an Avon Venom AM42 300/35R18 88V rear and 100/90-19 57V Supervenom front.
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Toyo Tire & Rubber Co Ltd is to reorganise its European sales structure by establishing two companies – Toyo Tyre (UK) Ltd in the UK and Toyo Tire Benelux BV in the Netherlands. The new companies will be subsidiaries of Toyo Tire Europe GmbH (TTE) which itself has only been in operation since January 2005.
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