On 12 September VMI’s new extrusion technology centre and manufacturing facility was officially opened by Karin Bucher, mayor of Cham and Edward Holweg, COO of VMI, in the presence of employees and invitees.
Driverless cars? Continental had those 50 years ago…It is exactly half a century today since the tyre maker demonstrated its first electronically controlled driverless car at its Contidrom facility in Germany. In those days a car cruising the Contidrom circuit without someone behind the wheel was a novel sight, to say the least, and Continental recalls that more than 400 newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television channels reported on the events of 11 September 1968.
Today the Reifen show opens its door for the 30th time, and for first time ever the tyre trade fair is taking place outside of Essen (Germany). Reifen has relocated to Frankfurt and Automechanika, and this year’s new-format show has attracted around 160 exhibitors.
Nexen Tire Europe moved its head office and European technical centre to a new purpose-built 11,000 square metre location in Kelkheim, Germany on 5 September 2018.
According to the company, the Lise-Meitner-Straße site was constructed in less than 13 months, with the focus on making an ecologically friendly building and using materials sourced from local companies.
TecAlliance might be primarily known by many in the trade for its TecDoc electronic parts catalogue and identification system, but the company recently adapted its systems to provide bespoke solutions for German online used tyre retailer Orbix.
Earlier this year, MWheels established an operation in Germany to spearhead the company’s push into mainland Europe. MWheels GmbH opened for business on 1 February, with the plan being to build up a team over the following 12 to 18 months. This team has now been strengthened with the appointment of Stefan Kantz as European office coordinator.
From 25 August to 2 September, Hella, the lighting and electronics expert, will present its broad product portfolio at the 2018 Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, the world’s largest trade fair for motorhomes and caravans (Hall 13 / A03).
Bridgestone is limbering up to launch a new generation of Ecopia truck and bus tyres at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles show. The tyre maker will also share the message that its truck and bus tyres will begin to be supplied with RFID electronic tagging systems as of next year.
The first sods of earth in the construction of the new Continental headquarters in Hannover, Germany were turned yesterday at an official groundbreaking ceremony. The facility, which carries the snappy title Continental Campus, is expected to be finished by the end of 2020 and provide space for 1,250 employees. The entire headquarters workforce should be housed in the new buildings by 2021, the company’s 150th anniversary.
A fire broke out within the Continental factory in Hannover-Stöcken, Germany yesterday. In a news alert, the city of Hannover shares that the fire began in a rubber powder grinding plant. The incident was attended by 52 firefighters and 19 fire engines, and together with the factory’s own firefighting team they were able to extinguish the fire quickly. No injuries were reported, and according to the news alert, Continental’s safety concept “functioned smoothly” during the incident.
Close customer proximity can provide measurable and also intangible benefits. Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei aims to achieve both with its newly-established research and development presence in Europe. Tyres & Accessories recently visited the facility to find out more.
With a new 30,000 square metre facility, Sumitomo Rubber Europe GmbH and Dunlop Tech GmbH now have the capability to develop and test tyres, produce liquid latex and design tyre pressure monitoring systems. Following the start of operations in May, their ‘European Development Centre’ in Hanau-Steinheim, Germany officially opened yesterday.
Many retreaders face an uphill battle just to maintain their position in European retreading markets. For those that do, a key factor in their success is – as we’ve previously commented in these pages – possession of a stable customer base. Yet loyalty is only earned through unflagging effort; maintaining close relations with customers is important, as is product quality and price in comparison with new tyres and the competition’s retreads. A fine example of how this works on a small, regional scale can be seen at W.H.H. Reifenerneuerung, a Hamburg, Germany-based retreader that’s been in the business for almost 40 years.
Klarius Products Ltd has appointed Trevor Hudson as business development manager for Germany. Offering over two decades of experience in sales and marketing, Hudson will be supporting existing aftermarket partners, while also offering a management link for OE customers and developing new distribution channels.
At the end of May, anti-Chinese truck tyre tariffs were implemented. They included nominal (as opposed to percentage) tariffs at levels that surprised many. As a result, supply shortages and challenges at distributors were predicted. Shuttering of some of the lowest cost Chinese tyremakers is also expected. However, speaking to affected firms during the recent Tire Cologne reveals that many are already prepared to source tyres elsewhere. Indeed, the largest manufacturers have been off-shoring for some time. As a result, virtually all the leading Chinese tyre manufacturers already have non-Chinese tyre production in place. Let’s take a look at who’s got what.
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