Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd. has appointed Jeff Schumaker as sales and marketing director. Schumaker will be based in Melksham, UK, and will report to Cooper Tire Europe vice president and general manager Julian Baldwin.
Fast fit network HiQ has achieved a first in June’s round of satisfaction surveys: a 100 per cent rate of satisfaction. During the month more than 750 drivers who took their vehicles into HiQ centres completed “mirror hanger” satisfaction surveys. Since being launched in November 2009, the HiQ Mirror Hanger campaign has targeted thousands of customers and has been replicated at around 4,000 retail outlets across Europe. The latest results follow on from 99, 98 and 99 per cent satisfaction scores in March, April and May 2012 respectively. All these results are independently audited, HiQ says.
Infinity Tyres has announced the introduction of a new UK car tyre warranty backed with a 30-day exchange guarantee. The warranty is being introduced in co-operation with its authorised partner, Bond International, and will be honoured at any authorised Infinity dealership in the UK. The brand says it expects to increase further the public’s confidence in the Infinity product, since it also covers the tyres for accidental damage occurrences.
MG Motor UK is doubling the size of the design centre. According to the company, the latest stage of the rebirth of Longbridge will see substantial investments in the design studio, the engine test centre and the factory. Meanwhile, the firm is recruiting new engineers and designers to work on the next generation of MG cars as the firm prepares to hit the export trail to mainland Europe within two years.
With Bridgestone having announced that first half operating profits grew 43 per cent year-on-year to 133.8 billion yen, the tyre manufacturer has upped its full-year operating profit guidance. Bridgestone had predicted that it would achieve 118 billion yen by this measure, with Deutsche Bank estimating nearer 136 billion yen. As a result the financial analysts now report that the company has lifted its full-year operating profit projections and is now looking at 50 per cent year-on-year growth to 287 billion yen (previous predictions were 269 billion yen, with Deutsche Bank expecting 316 billion yen).
News of Titan International’s moves to acquire Titan Europe PLC has been public for about a month now, but to fulfil Rule 2.7 of the Takeover Code, the company announced on 10 August its formal acquisition offer. In a statement, Titan International reports that agreement has been reached between the board of Titan International and the independent directors of Titan Europe on the terms of a recommended share offer for Titan Europe’s entire issued and to be issued share capital.
Infinity Tyres has announced the launch of a new retail programme to reward top sellers of the brand on the UK market. The scheme has been introduced in conjunction with the brand’s authorised UK distributor Bond International. The company explains that the new reward programme is based on a simple structure: the more tyres purchased, the more points gathered. Infinity says its reward packages are “simply outstanding”.
GiTi Tire has appointed Gillian MacRae as finance controller – Europe. The company says that the McRae’s appointment will strengthen its management team. She will be responsible for the planning, monitoring and management of company business plans, with an initial focus on UK and German markets, across all four main brands: GT Radial, Primewell, Runway and Dextero.
Singapore’s Stamford Tyres announced the entry onto the winter tyre market of its Firenza brand, introducing the company's initial sizes of its Nu Ice Firenza winter tyre range. Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW), a subsidiary partner of the Stamford Tyres Group, used its portion of the Stamford stand to display a new alloy wheel collection. SSW launched its latest range of Soleil alloy wheels in Europe for cars, 4×4/SUV's and light trucks.
SD International used the platform of Reifen 2012 to launch its new winter patterns in both its Pace and Zeta brands, along with the European introduction of the company's PCR range in the Briland brand. The company also communicated with customers about tyre labelling.
Commenting on Bridgestone’s second quarter financials, particularly the operating profit of 133.8 billion yen outstripping guidance of 118 billion yen and expectations of 50 per cent year-on-year growth, Deutsche Bank analyst Takashi Moriwaki says the bank sees “risk for a guidance overshoot as profitability is on an uptrend thanks to stable selling prices and declining raw material costs.”
Supported by German logistics provider Fiege, Toyo Tires Europe is now distributing tyres to its business clientele via an internet-based B2B platform. The platform has already been rolled out in Germany, Italy, the Benelux countries and, most recently, the UK.
US off-road tyre and wheel specialist Titan International has closed on the purchase of Perth, Australia-based Planet Corporation Group. Titan acquired 56 per cent of Planet for US$22.9 million and paid-off the Australian firm’s outstanding credit facilities of $10.5 million at closing.
The ETRMA has reported its latest Used Tyre (UT) statistics that show Europe maintained a recovery rate of 95 per cent in 2011, despite an increase of 3 per cent in used tyres arisings compared to 2010. However it is worth pointing out that these figures do not include details for the UK market.
Cooper Tires has added its new A/T3 tyre to its Discoverer range of 4×4 tyres. The tyre’s modern six-rib all-terrain design is engineered to provide performance both for on-road and off road driving. The A/T3 tread pattern includes a broken centre and dual draft angles on the tread to aid soft surface traction. Strategically-placed lateral groove protectors on the tread help motorists avoid stone retention and ‘drilling’. It provides solid all-terrain handling, superior all-weather traction, stability and reliable tread wear.
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