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Ryder Re-ups With BFNAT, Bandag

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire and Ryder Systems Inc. have renewed their tyre supply contract – with a slight twist. Under the new deal, Bandag Inc. will provide Ryder with retreading services, while BFNAT will provide new tyres and related services such as just-in-time delivery, tyre and wheel maintenance and emergency road services.

BFNAT and Bandag will service Ryder through their respective dealer networks. BFNAT has had a tyre supply contract with Ryder since 1990.

17th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Adds Three Sales Managers

Career Tracks, International News, News

(Akron/Tire Review) Kumho Tire USA Inc. has added three sales managers to its ranks.

Aaron Duty joins Kumho as a regional sales manager for southern California and Arizona. He had been a district sales manager for Toyo Tire (USA) Corp. Before that, he served as a service technician with Sears Automotive and previously as a fabricator and engineering laboratory technician. Duty earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from California Polytechnic State University.

John Krajewski has been appointed a regional sales manager for Wisconsin, Illinois and northern Michigan. He spent 15 years with U.S. Tire & Exhaust and five years with Chem-Trend, a company that sells mould release chemicals to the tyre industry. Krajewski earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northern Illinois University.

5th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Reaches Tentative Agreements With Union

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) and its Bridgestone/Firestone Diversified Products division announced that tentative agreements have been reached with the United Steelworkers (USW).

The tyremaker said that a tentative agreement has been signed for the master contract with the USW, which covers employees at tyre plants in Akron, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; LaVergne, Tenn., as well as the Firestone tube plant in Russellville, Ark., and the Firestone air spring plant in Noblesville, Ind.

“Tentative agreements have also been reached for the maintenance group located in the LaVergne, Tenn., tyre plant and for the tyre plant in Bloomington, Ill.,” stated BFNAT.

5th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

ACCC Plans Support of NTSW

(Akron/Tire Review) American Car Care Centers said it will again “actively support” the Rubber Manufacturers Association’s annual National Tire Safety Week. The sixth National Tire Safety Week is slated for Apr. 22-28.

The annual event is part of RMA’s “Be Tire Smart – Play Your PART” program, launched in the aftermath of the Ford-Firestone tire recalls in 2000. NTSW gives tyre retailers an opportunity to communicate with customers about the importance tyre maintenance plays in vehicle and highway safety.

2nd April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNT Raises Prices – Raw Material Costs to Blame

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT) has announced price increases on the company’s Bridgestone, Firestone, Fuzion and associate brand tyre ranges. The announced increases are generally up to 5 per cent on passenger and light truck, truck and bus, and agricultural and OTR tyres, although the company has not ruled out increased above 5 per cent for specific lines. The increases will affect replacement, OE and export tyres and will become effective as of May 1, 2007.

BFNT believe circumstances leave them with no option other than to implement these increases. “The continuing upward spiral of raw material costs makes this action necessary,” said Asahiko “Duke” Nishiyama, Vice Chairman and President of BFNT. “This unprecedented situation is simply not one that can be managed through the enhanced efficiencies and increased productivity that we are continually implementing at all levels of our company. As a result, we have no choice but to implement this price increase.”

2nd April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Company Takes Legal Action to Release TREAD Act Data

Quality Control Systems Corp. has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in federal District Court to obtain secret data about deaths and injuries held by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). R.A. Whitfield, the company’s director, said that the public needs access to the Early Warning Reports collected under the Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act to better understand why so many deaths and injuries related to tire failures in the Ford Explorer have continued long after the well-known tyre recalls that affected the vehicle.

The TREAD Act was passed in October 2000 in response to Ford Explorer- Firestone tyre-related rollover deaths in the U.S. and Ford’s overseas recalls. TREAD amended federal transportation law to require vehicle and equipment manufacturers to report safety recalls or campaigns on vehicles and components in a foreign country if they also sold substantially similar products in the U.S. It also mandated NHTSA to create regulations governing quarterly Early Warning Reports — information on property damage and warranty claims, consumer, dealer and field reports, production numbers and deaths and injuries collected by manufacturers — with the intent of using the data to spot defect trends.

28th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Firestone Liberia Accused of Polluting

Accusations of pollution originating in facilities owned by Firestone have been raised by people living along the banks of a river in Liberia. It is alleged that Firestone is releasing pollutants from its facilities in the town of Harbel into the Farmington River. Residents in the riverside town of Owensgrove blame a milky-white discharge from the Firestone plant for the high levels of sickness in the area, and these current accusations are by no means the first time the issue has been raised.

26th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Firestone Launches Maxi-Traction Agri-Tyre Range

Firestone has launched a new range of tractor tyres designed for high horsepower tractors above 175 hp. The main advantage of the Maxi-Traction range is that they have been specifically designed to run at a higher inflation pressure than many other brands. The tyres can be inflated to 2.4 bar, thanks to the design and manufacture of the casing. This enables a higher load to be carried. For example, the 710/70 R38 SS can carry a load of 6150kg at speeds up to 50 km/h.

23rd March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Americas Realigns Finance Department

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Americas Holding made several changes in its finance department. Tim Walsh, formerly on assignment with Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, has been named controller of Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire.

Ken Weaver, presently BFNAT’s vice president of finance and controller, was promoted to corporate controller of BSAH. Weaver will also continue in his BFNAT post. John Vispo, who was corporate controller for BSAH, will continue as BSAH’s vice president of finance.

19th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

GAAS Panel Looks at Impact of Aftermarket Changes

(Akron/Tire Review) Automotive aftermarket industry leaders will discuss how the changing automotive aftermarket impacts global sourcing, collaboration and customer relationships at the upcoming Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, set for May 8 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago. “There are many challenges inherent in today’s automotive aftermarket,” said Steve Handschuh, president and COO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and panel moderator. “We have truly become a global industry and changes and transitions are happening with almost blinding speed.”

14th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New All-Position Radial from BFNAT

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire has launched the Bridgestone M860, and all-position on/off-highway medium truck radial, targeting refuse and severe-service trucks. BFNAT said the new tyre was designed to “deliver outstanding tread life, durable beads and sidewalls” and is highly retreadable.

9th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFS Renegotiating Plantation Agreement in Liberia

The Liberian government is currently in discussions with Bridgestone Firestone to renegotiate the concession contract for the tyremaker’s operation of the world’s largest natural rubber plantation.

7th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Avenger Gets Bridgestone and Firestone Tyres

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone and Firestone brand tyres will grace the 2008 Dodge Avenger, Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire announced. The 2008 Dodge Avenger SE will come standard with Firestone FR690 tyres in size P215/65R16 96T. The Dodge Avenger SXT will feature Bridgestone Turanza EL40002 tyres in size P215/60R17 95T, while the Dodge Avenger R/T will come OE with Bridgestone Potenza RE92A radials in size P215/55R18 94H.

6th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Back to School with Firestone

American tyre plant employees at factories struggling to remain globally competitive are finding themselves back in the classroom. The Bridgestone Firestone tyre facility in Wilson, North Carolina is requiring potential and some existing employees to participate in “Introduction to Tire Manufacturing” classes at a nearby technical college.

27th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT, USW Talks Progressing

(Akron/Tire Review) Reports from the United Steelworkers indicate that master contract negotiations with Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire are progressing. Earlier this week, the two sides held meetings at USW’s headquarters in Pittsburgh that were termed “generally positive” by the union.

26th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors