Both Goodyear and Dunlop have been producing tyres for over 100 years and van tyres have been a major part of both brand portfolios for many years. The current Goodyear range focuses around two key products for vans; these are the Cargo G26 and Cargo Marathon.
Goodyear has today released the following statement about changes to its European credit facility: “The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today announced that it has amended and restated its European revolving credit facility and closed an offering of €250 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due in 2019 by its European subsidiary, Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe B.V. (GDTE). Changes to the European credit facility include the extension of the maturity to 2016 and the reduction of available commitments from €505 million to €400 million. Loans under the amended facility will bear interest at EURIBOR plus 250 basis points.
Goodyear Dunlop UK has announced that it will change its logistics service provider following the expiration of its current contract for warehousing and distribution activities in quarter three of 2011. The manufacturer has selected DHL as its new provider. It is currently contracted with Norbert Dentressangle, and the companies are now jointly developing a transition plan “to ensure continued outstanding service to customers”, says a Goodyear Dunlop statement. Full details of the transition plan will follow before the end of April.
Analysts at JP Morgan have increased their estimates for Goodyear Tire & Rubber's 2012 earning per share (EPS) and reduced 2011’s figure – mainly due to the impact of raw material prices. To reflect the impact of higher natural rubber prices, JP Morgan lowered its 2011 earnings per share projection to $0.50. However, 2012 has been revised up to $2.25. The estimates assume global volume growth of 4 per cent in 2011 and 2012 and a $374 million negative price/mix against raw material costs spread out in 2011.
It may not be the sunny season in Europe right now yet solar energy still has a role to play in our region. Goodyear Dunlop has shown its confidence in the technology through investing in an 87,000 square metre solar facility at its Philippsburg plant in southern Germany. The set-up installed on the roof of the tyre warehouse at Philippsburg by regenerative energy specialists PV julist and juwi is said to be the third largest rooftop solar power plant in the world and is expected to provide an output of 7.4 MW and 7.3 million kWh per annum, equivalent to the annual requirements of approximately 1,800 households.
In the weeks since the September launch of its first winter tyre programme, Kwik-Fit Fleet has reported considerable demand. At present the fast-fitter is fitting more than 2,200 winter tyres a week and soon demand may outstrip supply in Britain’s previously sluggish winter tyre market. And with demand for tyres increasing globally, supplying our market with sufficient fresh stocks may prove no mean feat.
While most German and Polish drivers make preparations for the bleak midwinter, Goodyear Dunlop says the only response from the west and south of Europe is often to “hope and pray the snow will stay away.” Snow has already fallen in parts of the country and the European Centre for Medium Range Forecasting predicts temperatures colder than average for this winter, yet despite warnings of another big freeze coming our way, a recent survey held for the tyre maker reveals a “Europe divided” between those countries who are switching to winter tyres and those that think they can weather the storm. More than half of French and Belgian drivers, two thirds of Spanish and three quarters of British drivers admitted they would not use winter tyres.
Dunlop has announced the impending discontinuation of its exclusive tyre supply of the touring car masters’ series, the DTM. This decision to part ways with what is called Europe’s most popular touring car race series was jointly reached with series promoter ITR e.V following several months of negotiations; the official end of supply on December 31 will close the book on a relationship in place since the championship’s revival in 2000. The ITR says details of a replacement tyre and series partner will be announced ‘right after’ an agreement is officially signed. It is widely known that Hankook is to be this partner; the Korean manufacturer is said to have outbid Dunlop for the position and is expected to sign a contract up to 2013 as soon as the current race season is over.
Following the HSE announcement, Goodyear Dunlop issued its own response to the case. According to the statement, Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Limited is fully committed to “conducting operations in an incident-free workplace to safeguard the health and welfare of colleagues, contractors, neighbours and visitors across the country.”
The company accepted the decision of the court and pointed out that it has already put “recommendations and learnings” in place following the HSE inquiry into the incident: “As part of our Global ‘No One Gets Hurt’ policy, we are driving behaviours through all areas of our business to ensure that our excellent safety record is not compromised again. We have learnt from this incident.” stated Martin Smith, Human Resources Director, UK and Ireland.
Goodyear Dunlop representatives were in court on 1 November after a teenage employee fractured his skull whilst maintaining machinery at the firm’s Wolverhampton compounding and retread manufacturing factility. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that it prosecuted Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd after one of its maintenance team, Karl Illidge, struck his head at the firm's Stafford Road, Bushbury, Wolverhampton site. In July Goodyear Dunlop announced that it been awarded Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 certification, following an external audited by BSI.
The Goodyear Dunlop Technical Support team, otherwise know as the ‘Tyre Doctors’, has recently moved from Wolverhampton to Birmingham to be part of the TyreFort operation. And this means a change in phone number for those dealers that want to ‘talk technical’. With immediate effect the number has changed to 0121 306 6890.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Limited has announced that Norbert Hecking, currently Market Supply Chain director Middle East and Africa, has been appointed as Market Supply Chain director UK & Ireland. Hecking joins the UK and Ireland organisation reporting to MD George Rietbergen and functionally to Rob Scholte, vice president Supply Chain Europe, Middle East and Africa. Hecking replaces Steve Carless, who will be leaving the company at the end of the year to pursue a new opportunity outside of the tyre industry.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd has announced the appointment of Peter Tye as retail director, including heading the company’s HiQ tyre and vehicle servicing network. Tye, who was previously franchise development manager, replaces Juergen Titz, who was appointed director of Goodyear Dunlop’s consumer tyre business unit last month.
Peter Tye joined Goodyear Dunlop in 2006 when the company relaunched and revitalised the HiQ brand, its service standards and franchise model. Before joining Goodyear Dunlop, he had 14 years franchising experience, most notably on the Volkswagen Group brands including Audi and Seat.
Goodyear Dunlop’s new consumer director, Juergen Titz, has made his first public appearance in the role, launching the recently revamped Kettering branch of HiQ alongside UK and Ireland managing director George Rietbergen. Titz suggested that he would open his tenure as consumer director with new strategies to improve the success of the company’s brand range, notably utilising its connection to HiQ. Following his spell as retail director for the fast fit network, a period described by the franchise as extremely successful, Titz was present at the launch to support HiQ’s biggest franchisee Chris Kisby, MD of Easy Tyre & Autocentres.
While it finished tenth out of twelve overall in Auto Express’s tyre tests, Slovenia’s Sava – part of the Goodyear Dunlop group – scored particularly well in the noise test, beating all the other contenders, and was ranked in second place in the rolling resistance tests, in which it scored closest to the runaway winner of that test, Hankook.
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