At Continental and Schaeffler’s joint ‘Premium Supplier Day’ in November the two companies named 12 new companies as premium suppliers, and renewed the status of their 19 existing premium suppliers. At the ceremony, Günter Fella, Continental Automotive’s senior vice-president of purchasing, described the cooperation with its premium suppliers as the “basis for a successful industrialisation” of new technologies.
Rezulteo has offered the latest chapter in the reception history of European tyre labelling. Following on from research conducted by or on behalf of Goodyear Dunlop, NTDA/Lanxess, Encircle and the French tyre association (Syndicat des professionnels du pneu – SPP) tyre comparison website Rezulteo has weighed in with its own research conducted by the Ipsos Institute.
In October, the EU car market recorded a 4.7 per cent increase, totalling 1,004,935 units. It was the first time since September 2011 that demand for new cars had risen in two consecutive months.
From January to October, new car registrations amounted to 10,006,807 units, or 3.1 per cent less than in the same period last year.
Amongst the news announced at the Agritechnica 2013 show was that Netherlands-based truck and off-road tyre specialist Heuver Tyrewholesale has obtained exclusive rights in a number of European countries to distribute the agricultural range from one of China’s best-known tyre makers. Heuver will initially focus on distributing the LingLong agricultural range in Germany and the Benelux markets.
Magna Tyres Group and tyre wholesaler Profil Plus have announced the establishment of a strategic relationship. The agreement, which begins in November 2013, relates to distribution and servicing of the Magna OTR tyre brand in France.
This year point S returns as official event sponsor of the World Cup Nordic Opening, which will take place in Finland from 29 November to 1 December. Billed as the “world’s biggest world cup event in winter sports”, the World Cup Nordic Opening is a series of ten ski jumping, cross country and Nordic combined competitions; point S will serve as event sponsor for the cross country 15 kilometre men’s pursuit, which will take place on 1 December.
Adventure bike rider and travel writer Sam Manicom has completed his latest trip across Europe to Sarajevo, Bosnia on Avon’s Gripster tyres. The author of four books on motorcycle adventures is a long-term user of the Gripster, which he says has allowed him “to ride in some of the most remote parts of our planet”.
The head of the Syndicat des professionnels du pneu (SPP), the organisation representing the tyre industry in France, has added his voice to those who say the European tyre label has little influence on consumer purchase decisions. SPP president Régis Audugé was quoted by Reuters on 13 November as saying “The effect (of the label) has been weak, not to say non-existent.”
Didn’t know today was World Quality Day? Neither did we. Nevertheless, the United Nations-established event has been held since 1990 and aims to increase worldwide awareness of the important contribution quality makes to national and organisational growth and prosperity. Continental says 16 of its Tire division locations around the world are participating in the day; under the slogan “Continuously Striving for Best in Class in Quality, employees will organise events and activities in order to raise quality awareness.
Enjoying its international trade show debut at this week’s Agritechnica is a concept tyre from Michelin. The manufacturer says it has “reinvented” agricultural tyre tread with the design of the new tyre and while the company says “only the future will tell whether or not this concept tyre will one day be brought to market” it says it may be commercially available by 2020.
Next year, Michelin plans to extend its tyre line-up to fully cover all phases of the crop cycle and adapt to new types of use, and at this week’s Agritechnica show the tyre maker is presenting the new products joining its portfolio – on of these is the BibLoad Hard Surface, a new range for compact and telescopic loaders.
Three French companies – Michelin, Axens and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) – have announced the launch of a plant chemistry research partnership that aims to develop and bring to market a process for producing bio-sourced butadiene, or bio-butadiene. The partnership goes under the name ‘BioButterfly’ and in addition to developing an innovative bio-butadiene production process, the three partners are also committed to laying the groundwork for a future bio-sourced synthetic rubber industry in France.
One hopes Maurice Taylor knows what he may be getting himself involved with. Goodyear’s Amiens Nord plant in France, scheduled to be closed and the subject of a potential acquisition by Titan International, is once again making the news – complete with photos of flaming tyres. Workers protesting the final meeting in the consultation process with employee representatives made their feeling known today when they blocked entry to the plant and set fire to piles of tyres.
Nick Harley, previously sales director at BP Castrol Lubricants, has joined Goodyear Dunlop UK & Ireland as director, Consumer Tyres. Harley, who was responsible for UK, Ireland, France and BeneLux markets at BP Castrol Lubricants, as well as Key International Accounts in Europe and Africa, will lead Goodyear Dunlop’s consumer business across all brands, reporting into UK and Ireland managing director, Erich Fric
During the third quarter of 2013, Titan International recorded net sales of US$497.5 million, a 22.9 per cent year-on-year increase, while net sales for the first nine months of 2013 were $1,669.2 million, 25.8 per cent higher than during the same period of 2012.
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