Wolverhampton’s HiQ Chapel Ash has responded to a number of new winter tyre inquiries with the introduction of a tyre hotel, which franchise owner Simon Bennett says will store drivers’ current set of tyres while they swap to winter rubber. The site will be able to store 200 tyres and will be free for motorists to use once the time comes to switch tyres.
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of US-based Columbian Chemicals by Indigold Carbon, which is controlled by the Indian Aditya Birla Group, both worldwide producers of carbon black. Even though the Commission concluded that the merger would create one of the three largest companies in the carbon black sector, approval was granted under the EU Merger Regulation as it is believed European customers will “continue to enjoy healthy competition.”
Federal Tyres and the Consor Tyre Group report benefitting from their first joint attendance as exhibitors at a trade fair. During Autopromotec 2011 in Bologna, Italy, the two companies held their annual Italian distributors’ meeting. The meeting’s key aim was to emphasise and reinforce the common goal of improving the Federal brand’s image in the Italian market through supplying quality tyres.
Remember how Telford-based tyre wholesale operation Treadsetters beat over 1600 other businesses to the finals of HSBC’s business thinking awards at the end of last year? The firm were regional winners securing a prize of £115,000 reaching the last 18 in the finals in Hong Kong. They may not have won the final overall, but making it to the short list of just 17 companies for the bank’s “International Insights” event in Hong Kong on 5 December is said to have opened up a number of other opportunities. Getting more than a page of coverage in the once of the world’s best-known banks’ annual report isn’t a bad thing either.
Treadsetters features in a full-page photo collage on page 14 of HSBC’s annual report with a short text describing the firm as an example of “creating export opportunities” on the following page. “The journey that [Treadsetters’] tyres make exemplifies the connections that criss-cross the global economy.”
A Goodyear blimp crashed in Reichelisheim, near Frankfurt on Sunday evening, killing the Australian pilot who had previously helped his three passengers to safety. The blimp, which was operated by Lightship Europe Ltd and leased by Goodyear, reportedly caught fire during a flight organised for journalists to take pictures of the state of Hessen. Goodyear Dunlop Germany expressed its sadness and sympathy for the family of the pilot. Aviation authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Following its victory in the German PS motorcycle sports magazine tyre tests on 5 May, Bridgestone’s Battlax BT-016 Pro Hypersport is back on the podium again, singled out by Germany’s Motorrad magazine as the “best motorcycle sports tyre in the rain” and joint overall winner of its 2011 sports tyre test. Motorrad tested two 2011 newcomers, including the redesigned Battlax BT-016 Pro, against the best tyres from 2010 in a comparative evaluation of 180/55 tyres on a Honda CBR 600RR on the race circuit, open road and wet track.
Following several years of having what it calls a ‘marginal presence’, Marangoni Retreading Systems has announced its return to the Dutch and Belgian markets. This Benelux comeback comes courtesy of a partnership with tyre reseller and fast-fit chain Profile Tyrecenter. Marangoni states it will now expand its business in co-operation with what is the largest local tyre fitting network in these two markets; under the agreement, Profile Tyrecenter takes on exclusive management of the Ringtread brand in the Benelux. The Ringtread tyres distributed there will be manufactured by Dutch retreader Frapa, a founding Profile Tyrecenter member.
A further round of price increases will be implemented by Bridgestone Europe during the third quarter of 2011. The tyre maker states that, starting July 1, prices for truck and bus radials will rise by an average of 12 per cent, agricultural, off-road tyres and retreads by an average of eight per cent, while an increase averaging five per cent is planned for passenger car, 4×4, light commercial vehicle and motorcycle tyres.
Making a guest appearance at round two of the Maxxis British Drift Championship, drift star Remmo Niezen from the Netherlands piloted his V8 BMW E30 to victory, while title sponsor Maxxis’s Super-Pro championship leader Mark Luney used his MA-Z1 Drift tyres to make it on to the podium.
Transense has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Translogik Limited recently took a further order for “a number” of Truck Tyre Inspection Kits from Goodyear Dunlop for its FOS (Fleet Online Solution) Mobile programme. This relationship began 18 months ago when Goodyear Dunlop began integrating the Translogik tyre inspection probe to work with its FOS system.
Apollo Tyres has opened what it says is “India’s first full-service commercial vehicle tyre outlet.” Located on the outskirts of Delhi, the first Apollo CV Zone was inaugurated by company chairman Onkar S Kanwar on May 30; the tyre maker now plans to establish a network of outlets across India.
Maxxis has described a record attendance at Japfest on Saturday, 14 May, as having “cemented the event’s reputation as Europe’s biggest Japanese car show.” The tyre manufacturer’s heavy involvement in the event as an Official Partner allows it to promote its range to enthusiastic buyers of performance, tuning and styling products and increase brand awareness within the Japanese car scene.
At this year’s eSafety Challenge, which begins in Vienna on May 30, Bridgestone will present and demonstrate two new tyre pressure monitoring systems. The patented commercial system that Bridgestone will demonstrate features a valve containing a built-in radio frequency unit that screws onto the valve stem; a passenger car version integrated to a snap-in valve will also be demonstrated.
Aston Martin refers to its V8 Vantage S as a “driver-focused” vehicle: “The Vantage S epitomises every attribute of the V8 Vantage and pushes the driver experience beyond what we have offered before,” exclaims Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, “It combines dynamic exhilaration with all the charming finesse, beauty and practicality already associated with the Vantage range.” Bridgestone is thus pleased its Potenza RE050A has been selected as original equipment on the freshly released coupé and roadster. The Bridgestone tyre is fitted to the 430hp Aston Martin in size 245/40 on the front wheels and 285/35 on the rear.
Infinity Tyres, part of the Al Dobowi Group recently sponsored the first event of the 2011 horseracing season at York racecourse in a meet which was long awaited by racing professionals and fans. This sponsorship was conducted in conjunction with Bond International, distributor of the brand in the UK and it is reported forms part of two firms’ strategy to “to get closer to the customer”, as Reg Bond, owner and managing director of Bond International, stated. “To promote a brand, you must go to the consumer and a tyre means little to a consumer, what grabs him, is something special, and this is special.”
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