In preparation for the closure of its Opelika, Alabama factory at the end of October, Michelin North America's BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing has announced the layoffs of approximately 350 production employees, effective October 2. According to Lynn Mann, MNA director of external communications, the layoffs are part of the company’s “rampdown activities”.
The website RusBusinessNews reports that Sibur-Russian Tyres will end the manufacture of non-military products at its Ekaterinburg Urals Tyre Plant Ltd. factory, resulting in the redundancy of two-thirds of its workforce. Demand for the cross-ply tyres produced by the factory is steadily falling, and despite considering investing in modernisation, Sibur-Russia opted not to do so has the equipment and construction work involved would have taken more than a decade to repay. The only product made by the Urals Tyre Plant still in demand is a roller for tanks.
Workers at the Nokian Tyres factory in the company’s Finnish hometown are scheduled to stage a one-day walkout on September 23. According to Petri Sorvali, chief shop steward at the factory, the walkout will be held in protest against the company's restructuring programme.
In South Korea, shares in Hankook Tire gained 1.84 per cent after the tyre manufacturer announced that it would invest 230 million euros ($334.9 million) by 2011 to expand its factory in Hungary.
Infinity is now openly promoting both its light and heavy ranges as retreadable products after Bandag issued the following official certification: “In conjunction with Bandag and its distributors, Infinity truck tyres have received some very good reports for the quality of the casings which have recently been retreaded.” According to retreading systems and material supplier and franchiser, Infinity casings have “reasonable integrity” and “the quality of the casing is good”. As a result the Bandag certification says: “Infinity casings are fully suitable for retreading through Bandag dealers.” All Infinity truck tyres are manufactured to international standards under strong operational quality control systems and all Infinity Truck radial tyres bear “E” and “s” markings,” the statement explained.
Bridgestone Corp. is reportedly going to increase production at its Pithampur, Indore Madhya Pradesh factory by 40 per cent. WheelsUnplugged.com reported that Bridgestone has invested 2.59 billion rupees (£32.32 million; 37 million; US$53.48 million) in the project, which will create an additional 300 jobs. Bridgestone India started its operations in 1996, by March 1998, it had set up its manufacturing facility in Kheda, Madhya Pradesh.
Kumho Europe representatives have quashed rumours that the South Korean tyre manufacturer is negotiating with Bridgestone over the sale of its new Vietnam factory. Wi Yun, Kumho Europe’s marketing manager, told Tyres & Accessories the suggestions published by Jaccar Investment are “a completely wrong statement.” Dismissing the report as “rumours” Wi added: “There have never been any negotiations nor discussion concerning this matter.”
Some 5,000 trees have been planted at the Yokohama Rubber tyre factory in Thailand as part of the company’s tree planting programme. The second phase of the plant’s "Yokohama Forever Forest" project – the first phase two planting conducted at a Yokohama facility outside of Japan – took place on August 12. Around 1,100 employees, family members, local residents and other volunteers planted 26 varieties of tree under the supervision of Sirin Kawlaierd, tree planting expert employed by the Thai Imperial Household Agency and Akira Miyawaki, an expert in physiognomy and Professor Emeritus of Yokohama National University.
Tyre recovery and recycling specialists Murfitts industries has suffered a fire at its Littleport, Cambridgeshire site. Managing director Barry Stocker told Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com that it is too early to say how much damage has been done, but he did confirm that there is both structural and stock loss. Nevertheless, the company is continuing to take in tyres at other sites. According to local firefighers, a diesel fuel tank and gas cylinders exploded during the fire and 50 firefighters tackled flames from 200 tonnes of tyre shred on fire at the site. Local news reports suggest two buildings next to the tyre factory have been destroyed by the fire.
India’s RPG Enterprises is considering generating power from waste rubber at its Ceat Tyres factory. According to the company’s vice president of corporate finance, BL Chandak, electricity so generated at the Ceat plant would be solely used for the facility’s own consumption.
In early August Continental’s tyre operations in Germany, Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH, entered into a strategic alliance with another German manufacturer of super elastic tyres, Gumasol-Werke Dr. Mayer GmbH. As part of the deal, in future Gumasol’s "Softy" range of products will be manufactured in Continental’s factory in Sri Lanka, where Conti already produces super elastic tyres for the Asian and American markets.
An extra US$39 million will go into Cooper Tire & Rubber’s pension plan to cover its obligations when the company’s Albany factory closes later this year. In an agreement made with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., announced on August 12, Cooper will fulfil its $62 million obligation by contributing $39 million to the pension plan and waiving its $23 million credit for past over funding.
A provincial court in Korea has found factory chiefs and senior researchers of Hankook Tire guilty failing to prevent a series of work related deaths. The Korea Times reports that on August 14 the Daejeon District Court sentenced a factory chief, identified as Lee, 52, to eight months imprisonment, which was suspended for two years, and fined him three million won (£1.46 million). Another factory manager, Jung, 47, was given six months in prison, suspended for two years, plus a fine of two million won. The two men worked at Hankook’s Daejeon and Geumsan factories, where 14 workers died within 17 months.
Pan Autos, part of the First Stop network of tyre dealerships, has raised over £1,900 for a local charity at its annual charity golf day.
Yokohama Rubber reports that the Yokohama Tire Corporation factory in Salem, Virginia (USA) has been formally recognised by the non-profit organisation "Clean Valley Council" for the tree planting carried out there as part of the "Yokohama Forever Forest" Project.
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