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UK commercial registrations defy European decline

The UK was the only major European market to buck January’s downward trend in new commercial vehicle registrations. According to the ACEA, total commercial vehicle registrations in the UK rose 5.4 per cent to 19,198; total European Union registrations declined 10.6 per cent to 126,110 during the month. The decline in France almost hit double figures, with new registrations decreasing by 9.8 per cent year-on-year to 33,584 units. Other major markets suffered an even stronger downturn; new commercial vehicle registrations in Germany and Spain sank 15.5 per cent year on year to 19,913 and 5,912 respectively, while Italian registrations, at 9,452, were 23.6 per cent lower than in January 2012.

28th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

From 'so-called workers' to plant shareholders?

Recently the French government was told it can keep its “so-called workers” at Goodyear’s slated-for-closure Amiens Nord factory, but news out of France suggests these workers may be offered an opportunity to keep their jobs, independently of Titan International or anyone else. On 26 February the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) union proposed forming a workers’ holding company, making the approximately 1,250 plant workers shareholders in the Amiens Nord operation.

27th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin shows agri ‘flagship’ prototype at SIMA

According to Emmanuel Ladent, president of Michelin’s Agricultural Tyres global business unit, exhibitions like the Paris-based SIMA show give the tyre maker an opportunity to demonstrate its capacity for innovation. Speaking at SIMA, Ladent commented that “trade shows of this size serve as showcases that enable us to demonstrate the tangible solutions we develop for our customers, whether they are users, dealers or equipment manufacturers.”

26th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Taylor-Montebourg correspondence a ‘private matter’ – US Department of State

The verbal fisticuffs between Titan International’s Maurice Taylor and France’s minister of industrial renewal Arnaud Montebourg, first leaked to the world by financial newspaper Les Échos on 19 February, has been played down by the US Department of State. During the department’s daily press briefing on 21 February, Taylor’s disparaging comments regarding the French work ethic were broached and spokesperson Victoria Nuland asked whether the US administration considers investing in France any more (or less) difficult than investing in other European countries.

22nd February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental introduces “LifeCycle” solid rubber retread

Continental’s Specialty Tires business unit has added an eco-friendly product, LifeCycle, to its portfolio. The solid rubber tyre is retreaded upon selected used casings, the utilisation of which is said to lead to considerable savings in energy raw materials used in the production process, and this lowers product price. “With customers’ help this large-scale recycling initiative will help to bring down the number of scrap tyres needing disposal as well as the emission of climate-changing CO2,” shared Continental in a written statement. “Continental LifeCycle protects nature and offers cost savings.”

21st February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Taylor letter ‘ignorant’, replies French minister

Maurice Taylor’s run for the Republican Party nomination in the US presidential election of 1996 ended in failure, and following recent events it is also unlikely the party will keep him in mind as a future Secretary of State. As expected, French industry minister Arnaud Montebourg has responded to the Titan boss’s strongly-worded letter with a few choice comments of his own.

21st February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

You can keep the so-called workers – Titan’s Taylor replies to French offer

He stopped short of deploying the phrase “lunch eating laziness monkeys” – but perhaps only just. Titan International chairman and CEO Maurice Taylor has penned a letter to France’s industry minister Arnaud Montebourg, mocking the latter’s well meant but ultimately misguided request for Titan and Taylor to reconsider buying the agricultural business at Goodyear’s Amiens Nord plant. Taylor, a man known for his forthrightness, also took the opportunity to express his feelings towards the Amiens plant workforce.

20th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin official tyre for Le Mans LMPC and GTC

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the organisation behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and other Le Mans series, and Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM), have selected Michelin as official tyre supplier for the LMPC and GTC classes in the 2013 European Le Mans Series.

19th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Solvay to build a new silica plant in Poland

Solvay is investing 75 million euros in building an 85,000 ton a year Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) plant in Włocławek, Poland. Combined with further capacity expansion at its site in Qingdao (China), these two investments are designed to increase Solvay’s global highly dispersible silica production capacity by 30 per cent.

14th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin UK appoints new agricultural technical manager

Gordon Brookes, 53, has returned to Michelin’s agricultural division in Stoke-on-Trent, taking over the role of technical manager for the UK and Republic of Ireland from Laurent Mozziconacci. Brookes started his career in the early 1980s running his own company building racing and rally cars. He joined Michelin in 1987 as a multi-product line sales manager and after six years he moved into the agricultural division, where he spent three years, before progressing into the OE and wholesale side of the agricultural department.

12th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Despite shaky Q1, Nokian looks forward to 2013 growth

Upon reporting increased sales and profit in 2012, Finland’s Nokian Tyres shared its projection for replacement market growth this year in its main markets. Nokian anticipates demand for replacement passenger car tyres will grow one to two per cent in Europe, two per cent in Nordic countries and two to five per cent in Russia. Admittedly, the tyre maker concedes the pricing environment for all tyre categories will be “challenging” this year, although margins will be supported by a ten per cent year-on-year easing in raw material costs in the first quarter of 2013 and a four per cent easing over the entire year. Although Nokian expects to see growth in net sales and operating profit in 2013, it believes that first quarter performance will be “clearly weaker” than in 2012.

8th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Tyrepress Editors

Quinton Hazell Cheadle sold, other sites closing

Company News, News, Product News, UK News

Klarius Group Limited put its Quinton Hazell Automotive Limited (QH) into administration on 6 February 2013. Following their appointment, the administrators reached an agreement to sell the Klarius emissions business based at Cheadle, Staffordshire to Klarius Products Limited, preserving 234 jobs. The deal will formally complete during the course of 7 February (today). In addition, the intellectual property rights relating to the QH business were sold separately to Tetrosyl I-Tec Limited, part of Tetrosyl Limited.

7th February 2013/12,345 Comments/by Chris

End of the road for Goodyear’s Amiens-Nord plant?

Career Tracks, Company News, International News, News

The sword of Damocles has hung over Goodyear’s production site in Amiens, France for years now. Most recently, in 2009 the American tyre maker openly discussed plans to end the production of passenger car tyres in Amiens-Nord; the site suffered from “uncompetitive costs,” the company said. Two years ago Goodyear attempted to emulate the deal it made in Latin America and sell the Amiens plant’s agricultural tyre production to Titan International. But all plans for the Titan-Goodyear deal collapsed at the end of 2011. Titan chairman and CEO Maurice Taylor pulled the ripcord and withdrew from Europe, visibly frustrated by the union representatives in Amiens.

25th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

ACEA shows 2012 car registrations 8.2% down

ACEA – the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association – has revealed 2012 new car registrations declined by 8.2 per cent in the EU (excluding Malta), continuing the downward trend commenced fifteen months ago. Worse still was the 16.3 per cent reduction in December registrations versus December 2011 – the steepest decline recorded in December since 2008, though this decline can partially be blamed on having on average two fewer working days in the region than in the same month in 2011. The UK was the only major market to post growth in the month, which was also reflected across the whole year.

16th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors

Autosport International 2013 opens

The 23rd Autosport International has opened its doors at the NEC, Birmingham. The show runs from 10-13 January 2013. Purportedly Europe’s largest motorsport trade show, Autosport International attracts some of the industry’s biggest companies. And from a tyre point of view this means the likes of Pirelli, Dunlop, Yokohama and Maxxis amongst others this year.

10th January 2013/by Tyrepress Editors