Current low prices for butadiene rubber have been singled out as a key reason why sales within Lanxess’ Performance Polymers business declined eight per cent year-on-year to €1.1 billion in the third quarter of 2013 despite a 14 per cent rise in volumes. Lanxess says lower raw material prices, especially butadiene, led to selling prices dropping 19 per cent. Sales were also hampered by negative currency effects.
The joint venture agreement Pirelli subsidiary Pirelli & C. Ambiente SpA signed with Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (CDTi) in February has been dissolved. Eco Emission Enterprise Srl (E-Cube) was established to market and sell emissions control products for both petrol and diesel applications in Europe and the CIS countries, however the operation hasn’t performed according to expectations.
Singapore’s Stamford Tyres has appointed UAE automobile distributor Al Habtoor Motors as the official dealer and distributor of its Firenza car tyre brand. The Firenza brand is already established throughout Europe and the UK and this latest association is designed to build a sales profile in the Middle East for the future.
As reported yesterday, Apollo Tyres’ global turnover only rose 1.7 per cent to Rs 34.3 billion in the prior quarter (£338.2 million). Yet the company’s turnover in Europe between 1 June and 30 September – the second quarter of the Apollo’s current financial year – grew substantially. Quarter turnover for Europe increased 46.1 per cent year-on-year to Rs 10.6 billion (£104.4 million); Apollo Vredestein’s quarter-on-quarter growth was 33 per cent.
As reported yesterday, Bridgestone intends to introduce Bridgestone-branded agricultural tyres in Europe. The first products will be launched at next year’s ‘Reifen’ show in Germany and enter the market in the second half of 2014.
The 1.2 million tyre recall Bridgestone announced in Japan also affects some markets in the Americas, albeit on a much smaller scale. On 8 November Bridgestone Americas announced a voluntary recall of approximately 2,600 Tochigi-produced truck and bus tyres that were sold in Guam, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. The tyre maker says it has received no “field complaints of adjustments” regarding the defect in the Americas, nor has there been any report of property damage, accidents, injuries, or deaths.
Hankook has continued to increase its reputation as a motorsport tyre supplier in DTM this year. Looking back on the season following the final action at the Hockenheimring, Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsports director Europe, explained that the increased emphasis on tyres has been a pleasing element of 2013.
On the eve of EU-South Korea summit (7 November) the European automotive industry released a statement calling for more to be done to dismantle barriers to trade in South Korea.
A low rolling resistance tyre has been added to Bridgestone’s BattlaxSC maxi scooter range. The Battlax SC Ecopia is said to reduce rolling resistance by 15 per cent while maintaining the wet and dry handling, stability, wear life and comfort found in the standard Battlax SC. Bridgestone says it was able to reduce rolling resistance – which primarily results from tyre deformation and the loss of energy via heat generation during rotation – by working on three factors that directly affect tyre rolling resistance.
A new house brand has been added to Tire Group International’s portfolio. Called Duramas, the passenger car radial range is intended to offer economy while providing optimum tread life for a tyre in its class, and is initially available in six sizes.
Developed in co-operation with Europe’s leading car manufacturers, the ContiEcoContact 5 “sets new standards in terms of the environment and safety”, according to Continental. As we all know, the continued challenge in tyre design is to reduce rolling resistance and wear whilst, at the same time, ensure that the tyre is still good at wet braking.
Those of you sporting a lustrous ‘Burt Reynolds’, a horseshoe or full imperial, or even just run of the mill upper lip hair, will definitely want to keep the razor at arm’s length this month. Today marks the start of ‘Movember’, and Bridgestone is getting in on the action. The facially hirsute-friendly company has launched its Bridgestone Bros campaign, which follows a moustache-festooned classic VW campervan as it cruises across Europe searching for the “biggest, bushiest and most brilliant moustaches” and encouraging people to get involved to raise money and awareness for men’s health.
The manufacturer, Westlake and one of its global distributors, the Al Dobowi Group have launched the new Westlake Wishes foundation. Ge Guorong, the CEO of Westlake, was joined by Al Dobowi’s Harjeev Kandhari and 30 European Westlake distributor partners as the foundation’s first initiative was announced.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber chairman and chief executive officer Richard J. Kramer says the company’s third quarter results “demonstrate continued sustainable earnings growth and the type of disciplined execution needed to deliver on our targets in 2013 and beyond.”
During the third quarter of 2013, revenues at Hankook Tire edged up 0.8 per cent to KRW 1.80 trillion billion (£1.06 billion, €1.22 billion), while operating profit of KRW 244.2 billion (£143.3 million, €165.9 million) was 5.9 per cent higher than the same time last year yet 10.4 per cent lower than in the second quarter of 2013. Operating profit to sales ratio was 13.6 per cent, up 9.9 per cent year-on-year but down 10.0 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
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