On Friday, Michelin will officially inaugurate its new research and development centre in Ladoux, France. The tyre maker laid the foundation stone for the facility in December 2013 and is investing approximately €280 million in erecting a state-of-the-art, 67,000 square metre building and, from 2018, employing 1,700 new engineers and technicians.
Bridgestone has taken a minority shareholding in French tyre retailer Pneus à bas prix. Details of the exact stake the tyre maker has acquired or how much it paid have not been released, however Bridgestone states that the new arrangement reinforces its presence in France and complements the company’s First Stop and Speedy retail operations.
Following the acquisition of all necessary approvals on 28 July, Bridgestone EMEA has completed the 100 per cent acquisition of fast fit network Speedy France. Bridgestone EMEA announced its plan to acquire the French retail chain on 30 May 2016.
In addition to partnering with Tottenham Hotspur FC for the coming two years, Kumho Tire has entered into a sponsorship agreement with French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais. The deal covers the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons and will give Kumho an advertising presence in the club’s home ground, Parc Olympique Lyonnais, as well as hospitality options at games and mascot visibility during Ligue 1 matches.
Mark Thys, the managing director of Goodyear Dunlop Tires France since October 2014 and member of Alliapur’s board of directors, has been named as the recycling body’s new president. He officially started his two-year presidency of Aliapur at the body’s board meeting held on 11 May 2016 taking over from Serge Bonnel, the managing director of Continental France.
Bridgestone has announced its plan to acquire 100 per cent of the car service and tyre retail network Speedy France. The manufacturer intends to use the new acquisition to increase its direct access to end-users in France, one of its core European markets, as well as in other markets where Speedy has a presence. The finalisation of the acquisition is subject to approval by the regulatory authorities; once approved, and the transaction is completed, Bridgestone’s French presence will be expanded to more than 800 retail outlets, contributing strongly to its accelerated growth strategy.
Michelin aims to increase the flexibility and competitiveness of its tyre factories in France, and French media outlets report that two of the unions representing the company’s La Roche-sur-Yon plant have signed the tyre maker’s ‘Skipper 360’ agreement, which aims to safeguard the facility’s future through the introduction of greater flexibility into how workers’ shifts are arranged.
Maragoni exhibited at SITL Europe 2016, one of the major transport and logistics exhibitions, which was held in Paris at the end of March. By doing so Marangoni once again confirmed its interest in the French market. Marangoni reports that it has “a leading position in sales and service in the sector of tyres for industrial handling equipment” through its subsidiary MIM, Marangoni Industrie Manutention.
CAM International is making e-jobsheet.com available in three major European languages, as the company seeks greater penetration on the continent. The digital tablet-based work exchange for truck, bus, and van tyres is going live in French, German and Spanish.
The rubber industry associations of Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain with the support of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) have launched a campaign providing information on the general rubber goods (GRG) industry and the challenges it is facing.
In what it calls a “series of decisions that adapt its industrial and service activities in Clermont-Ferrand,” French tyre maker Michelin has announced the closure of a retreading facility at its headquarters site and a further 164 job cuts in its Engineering operation. At the same time, the company has outlined plans to invest €90 million into projects at three Clermont-Ferrand locations.
Alongside the launch of Point S City, another new development within the French Point S operation is the return of Michelin. Four years ago the network removed the brand – which accounted for 40 per cent of Point S turnover in France – from its portfolio after the two companies failed to reach a consensus regarding terms and conditions for the coming year.
The Point S network has enjoyed growth in its country of origin over the past few years. The French Point S operation, which this year celebrates 45 years in the business, is now present in 470 locations. Last year, 53 new sites joined the network, and Point S managing director Christophe Rollet anticipates that by the end of 2016 the French Point S network will boast more than 500 points of sale.
Pirelli has concluded a two-day wet tyre test at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull were present at the test, having accepted Pirelli’s invitation to all the teams to take part. Paul Ricard’s sophisticated variable sprinkler system allowed Pirelli to test with different amounts of water on the track in order to simulate a wide range of wet conditions.
Eight former workers at Goodyear’s Amiens Nord tyre factory in France have been sentenced to nine months in prison and given suspended sentences of 15 months for their roles in the January 2014 ‘bossnapping’ of two Goodyear managers. The workers faced charges of kidnapping and violence in a meeting.
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