Hankook OE on BMW 4-Series
The recently-launched 4-Series Coupé has become the sixth BMW Group model to be fitted with Hankook tyres. The 4-Series will be factory equipped with Hankook’s high-end Ventus S1 evo² in size 225/50 R 17 W.
The recently-launched 4-Series Coupé has become the sixth BMW Group model to be fitted with Hankook tyres. The 4-Series will be factory equipped with Hankook’s high-end Ventus S1 evo² in size 225/50 R 17 W.
Swedish distributor Däck Partner has named Starco Sweden as one of its top three “Suppliers of the Year.” The company says this recognition from Däck Partner is “a welcome acknowledgement of the achievement of Starco Sweden, proving that the presence of a special wheel and tyre company in the Swedish market is worthwhile.”
Thailand-based Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW) launched a new ‘euro technik’ alloy wheel line in 2013, which is exclusively manufactured for use in Europe. According to the company, SSW will be taking “a very active role at next month’s Reifen 2014” in Essen, Germany where the company will be displaying its euro technik range prominently on the Stamford Tyres stand.
Alfred Wolff has been appointed a managing director of the point S operation in Germany. Effective immediately, the former head of purchasing is responsible for purchasing, sales and marketing and serves as managing director alongside Rolf Körbler, who had been sole managing director at point S Deutschland GmbH since December 2011. Körbler is responsible for controlling, IT, finance and investments.
Mitas is celebrating a decade of manufacturing Continental agricultural tyres under licence. Following the signing of the the licence agreement in 2004, Mitas has produced more than 300,000 tonnes of Continental tyres. Currently, Mitas offers more than 200 variations of agricultural Continental tyres. Mitas recently extended its Trademark License Agreement with Continental Tyres through to 2019.
Assuming the market develops according to expectations, Continental intends to increase its global employee count by around 7,000 in 2014. This would bring the number on its payroll to approximately 185,000 by the end of the year. This is about 50,000 jobs more than in 2009, during the midst of the financial crisis. At the end of 2013, the employee count had reached around 178,000, with 50,000 of these positions based in the company’s home country, Germany.
Goodyear Dunlop has appointed Alexander Bleider to the management of its German operation. Bleider has taken on this new role at Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany GmbH in addition to his current position of director of manufacturing within Goodyear Dunlop’s European consumer products business, which he has held since 2008.
It’s been a double victory for the home team as Continental receives first place in two German magazine polls. The tyre maker says, as you may expect, that it is very pleased with the results of the AutoBild and Auto Zeitung reader surveys.
Reifen show organiser Messe Essen reports that this year a fourth category is being added to the so-called ‘tyre industry oscars’, the Innovation Awards jointly bestowed by Messe Essen and main sponsor the BRV (Germany’s tyre trade and vulcanisers’ association) alongside the biennial trade exhibition. This new category is Motor Vehicle Service, which joins the existing Technology & Products, Service Concepts & Process Optimisation and Environmental & Resource Conservation awards in 2014. Messe Essen is accepting award recipient nominations until 31 March.
The 2006 launch of Starco’s Flex Pro –known simply as the ‘Flex’ back then – heralded a step forward in puncture-free tyre technology for manual applications such as wheelbarrows, and this was followed up by the Flex Lite combined tyre-wheel unit in 2011. Now the Danish company has introduced its third-generation Flex product, the Flex iCore.
Exide has launched the 12/7 Battery Charger, a unit it says is specifically designed to always achieve 100 per cent charge, even in extreme weather. The 12/7 works for all types and sizes of 12v batteries, including those for cars, motorcycles, boats and caravans. The unit is aimed at both consumers and professionals.
According to the latest new car sales analysis from automotive intelligence provider JATO Dynamics, there was a much healthier start to 2014 for the European new car market compared to one year ago, with January sales up 4.9 per cent on last year at 965,406 vehicles. Building on a strong finish to 2013, 44,823 more […]
The survey results weren’t quite as close as those for the referendum in Essen, Germany, where a “majority” of 50.4 per cent voted against renovations to the Messe Essen site. Yet there was also no clear majority in the survey held in Germany by our sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung, and only slightly more respondents voted in favour of a tyre exhibition in Cologne as opposed to Essen, where the Reifen show is currently held.
Next month, Apollo Vredestein’s German operation will likely gain a new marketing manager following the departure of Michael Lopez at the end of February. Lopez is leaving the tyre maker to take on a new role within Germany’s tyre trade. A company representative told our sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung that Lopez’s decision to leave Apollo Vredestein was unexpected. Lopez has worked for Vredestein and later Apollo Vredestein for 14 years.
Demand for new commercial vehicles within the European Union increased in January for the fifth consecutive month. Total commercial vehicle registrations grew by 4.7 per cent and totalled 132,503 units. Growth was sustained across the van, truck and heavy truck segments, while the market for new buses and coaches contracted. Out of the most significant markets, Spain recorded the highest upturn, with registrations rising 44.9 per cent year-on-year. Italy posted 12.2 per cent growth while demand in the UK rose 5.3 per cent despite a sharp year-on-year decline in truck and heavy truck registrations. Registrations in Germany rose 3.0 per cent. France was the only major market recording a decline, with registrations down 5.1 per cent year-on-year.
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