BFGoodrich is said to be laying off several hundred employees at its Tuscaloosa, Alabama factory, effective November 1, and significantly reducing tyre production over the next eight weeks. Local newspaper the Montgomery Advertiser reports BFGoodrich-Michelin spokeswoman Lynn Slovak as saying the layoffs would be temporary.
Abdul-Galil Shaif al-Shaibi, vice chairman of the Yemen General Free Zones Authority and Aden Free Zone (AFZ) met with a delegation from the UAE on on 25 October. During the meeting the delegation, chaired by director of Bin Sooda Investment Companies Kareem Far’a reportedly “expressed a desire to establish a factory for producing cars tyres in Aden Free Zone.”
According to Yemeni news reports, the factory is initially expected to serve markets in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Abdul-Galil Shaif al-Shaibi reportedly indicated that AFZ may offer investment opportunities and facilities due to the Port of Aden’s strategic importance in the region.
German based specialist sports car manufacturer Ruf Automobile GmbH has demonstrated that battery powered vehicles need not be merely clean, green and sensible. The latest electric concept vehicle to come from company managing director Alois Ruf delivers a level of performance that puts many petrol engine sports cars to shame.
The eRUF Model A concept vehicle was unveiled on October 10, 2008. Based upon the Porsche 911, the Ruf creation to all appearances looks just like every other 911 built at the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen, near Stuttgart. Lurking within the engine compartment, however, is not the familiar six-cylinder, 3.6-litre boxer engine. In its place sits a 150 kW/204 hp three-phase AC motor capable of producing a maximum 650 Nm of torque.
News of further shutdowns at Goodyear truck tyre division factories is circulating in the US media. The latest, reported by the Topeka Capital Journal and local television stations, concerns the company’s Topeka, Kansas factory, most recently closed for the week starting October 13. Goodyear says that two further week-long closures await the plant this year.
According to Goodyear spokeswoman Amy Brei, the shutdowns are to take place the weeks of November 3 and December 1. Goodyear officials blame the shutdown on Hurricane Ike and reduced demand for truck tyres. Raw material and fuel costs, along with a flaccid economy were also factors, said Brei.
First Stop dealership, Addison Tyres, recently raised a fantastic £1000 for Leukaemia CARE. Addison Tyres hosted an event at its depot, in Tipton in the Midlands, where they showcased Bridgestone’s Formula One car and simulator to help raise money for the charity.
In the US, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has disclosed it is investigating the Ford Motor Company’s use of potentially defective valve stems on more than one million vehicles built during the 2007 model year. The component, if defective, can crack, causing air pressure in a tyre to suddenly decrease. Investigators suspect a cracked valve stem was a causal factor in an accident that killed a 31-year old man last year.
The global economy and a downturn in the US automotive industry are said to be principal factors behind construction delays at Kumho’s tyre factory in Bibb County in the US state of Georgia. Macon, Georgia newspaper The Telegraph reports this news was given by local Chamber of Commerce president Chip Cherry on October 20.
Goodyear representatives are reported to have given news of another temporary production shutdown at the company’s Gadsden, Alabama factory. This latest shutdown, announced October 15, will be the third to take place since August.
According to local newspaper the Gadsden Times, plant communications manager Jackie Brehm Edmondson said the factory will cease production at 1pm on October 25 and resume production at 1am on November 2. Employees were notified of the shutdown on October 13.
Traditionally a time of embracing the ghoulish and extorting sweets from neighbours, Halloween has in itself become a horrific ordeal for some businesses – tyre thefts are on the rise as preparations for the evening get underway. Northern Ireland newspaper the Strabane Chronicle reports that thousands of pounds worth of products, including tyres, pallets and other materials are being stolen from local businesses and included in October 31 bonfire preparations.
Nigeria’s Customs and Excise Tariff Book for the period 2008–2012 has been presented. Amongst the many new measures being implemented in an effort to help the Africa nation’s economy is a ban on the importation of used tyres. However, in the opinion of many this measure may have come to late for the country’s domestic tyre industry.
Nankang Tire Corp., Ltd. has announced a recall campaign of the following sizes, produced in the company’s Zhangjiagang factory (China) between week 30 and week 34 2008 with the following DOT codes:
225/70R15C 112/110R N810A – DOT 106R 657 3008 to 3408
185R15C 103/102P N810 – DOT 10R8 571 3008 to 3408
195/70R15C 104/102S N810 – DOT 108V 572 2708 to 3408
In an official statement detailing the recall of the above sizes, Nankang explained that the tyres in question do not have any immediate safety issues and have passed the ISO10454/ECE R.54 high speed test standard and FMVSS 139 endurance test standard.
Worsening economic conditions in the US are continuing to affect tyre manufacturers. Goodyear has announced yet another one-week partial shutdown of its Topeka, Kansas factory. Truck radial production will be halted for the week beginning October 13, leaving around 500 workers idled without pay. A spokesperson for the employees’ union, the United Steelworkers, said the shutdown is taking place due to an overabundance of unsold truck tyres in Goodyear’s inventory.
Renault Retail Group, the sales arm of the French car manufacturer, has partnered with Wolfrace Tuning to offer customers styling products in all of its 22 UK showrooms. Although many models are covered by the new scheme, which will see customers offered the products when they buy new Renaults, the new Clio is particularly well catered for with both the standard and ‘Dynamique’ versions able to be “specced” with items like exhausts and wheels.
In addition to all the parts being made to Renault’s exacting standards, customers can choose to really personalise their car over and above the options list, without infringing their factory warranty.
Cooper Tire’s Albany factory is back in production and its 1,000 employees working again, the supply of raw materials having resumed several weeks after Hurricane Ike created havoc amongst the region’s industry. “This is a situation that a lot of companies are going through,” commented Cooper Tire vice president of Branding and Communications Pat Brown. “We are trying to make the impact as minimal as possible.”
Despite previous reports of factory closures due to raw material supply problems, Goodyear announced on October 3 that it has “no concerns” in this area as its synthetic rubber facilities have returned to operation. The company adds that a return to production was achieved quickly due to the effectiveness of the its Business Continuity efforts. The Goodyear synthetic rubber plants in Beaumont, and Houston, Texas had been closed in advance of Hurricane Ike making landfall on September 13.
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