Dr. Rainer Landwehr, group managing director of Goodyear Dunlop’s ‘DACH’ (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) market region, has announced his resignation. The tyre maker reported on 10 July that Dr. Landwehr will work with his successor in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth changeover period before leaving to engage in new challenges outside the company.
On 1 July, Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires will mark 15 years in the business. The tyre maker purchased the Slovenian firm in 1998 and says that since that time it has grown into one of the largest and most successful US-invested firms in the country. Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires, or GDST, now employs some 1,400 people and has received over 200 million euros in investment from its parent company, including 15.5 million euros in 2012. The company says it has produced 100 million tyres since 1998.
TruckForce, Goodyear Dunlop’s dedicated mobile service and breakdown network, is taking delivery of 60 additional Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDIs at a rate of one per day from Birmingham dealer Midlands Truck & Van. The new fleet was the focus of its activities at the CV Show. Based across TruckForce’s 15 operating centres, “hubs” for its satellite locations across England and Wales, they are being used by technicians who repair, replace and service customers’ tyres at their premises or at the roadside. The Sprinters are fitted with engine-driven PTOs which power on-board compressors, as well as Hope Safe-T-bar rear safety bumpers and roof-mounted flashing beacons.
Despite an illustrious history dating back to 1917, 30 May could mark the end of an era for Dunlop as officials confirmed that its motorsports tyre manufacturing operation will have to find a new home away from the historic Fort Dunlop site from 2014 if their new landlord doesn't lease it back to them again. According to the landlord, Canmoor, the site has been sold to neighbouring Jaguar Land Rover. Therefore it looks likely that Dunlop Aircraft Tyres (a completely separate company from Goodyear Dunlop) will be the only tyre manufacturing operation remaining in Birmingham after the end of the current lease. Dunlop's annual motorsport tyre output is currently believed to be around 200,000 units. 180 manufacturing staff are employed there along with roughly 120 tyre testing, sales and marketing personnel.
The latest in a succession of leaders at Tyre Fort in Birmingham, Erich Fric brings with him an easy-going, but teutonic clarity into his (relatively) new role of Goodyear Dunlop UK managing director. Almost a year after news of the appointment was released, Tyres & Accessories visited the company headquarters in mid-April for the MD’s first published interview in his current role where he shared his views on the British tyre market and recent corporate criticism of the companies EMEA region.
Goodyear Dunlop’s dedicated truck tyre service provider, TruckForce has expanded its vehicle tracking system with the UK and Ireland’s largest telematics provider Ctrack, covering its entire fleet. The company says the deal will improve its operating efficiency, enhancing customer service.
As we saw in March, the new Goodyear EfficientGrip comes in at BA 65dB on the European tyre label. With further additions said to be on their way, this puts the manufacturer in a leading position both within its own stable (Dunlop offers dry and high performance biased characteristics that don’t look as good as this on a label) and in the wider market. Following the introduction of the latest EfficientGrip Goodyear Dunlop reports that it covers three out of four sizes of Europe’s high performance summer tyre market tyres labelled CC or above.
Goodyear has revealed details of its latest efforts to take a lead in the post-labelling era of tyre development, refreshing its passenger car range with the launch of the Efficient Grip Performance. While the tyre is inched out of the highest possible European Tyre labelling score (AA), with the 205/55 R16 tyre scoring AB 68dB it is not far away at all.
At the start of this year, Kumho Tire Europe GmbH appointed a new executive sales director and car dealer key account manager for the German market. Thomas Schlich has taken on the position of executive sales director and in this role he is responsible for the replacement car and truck tyre market business relating to tyre and car dealers throughout Germany. The 47-year old has been employed in the automotive industry for more than 16 years, including nine years in various positions with Bridgestone.
Today the ‘coldest extreme sport event in the world’ got underway in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Seven German, Austrian, Swiss and French teams and a total of 14 athletes are taking part in this year’s Fulda Challenge, the 13th edition of the tyre maker-sponsored Arctic decathlon. Over the course of the coming five days the athletes will participate in ten sporting events in temperatures up to minus 40º Celsius, and will cover almost 1,000 miles in doing so.
The vehicles ordered include – coaches for touring, buses for operation across Luxembourg and buses for local operations. Having been delivered at the end of December 2012, they have now entered service. Both Goodyear Marathon Coach and Ultra Grip Coach tyres will be fitted on the new vehicles, with the Ultra Grip Coach winter drive tyres mounted on the drive axles. During the winter months the front axles will be fitted with Goodyear Ultra Grip WTS winter steer tyres and during the summer season Marathon Coach tyres will be used. The vehicles will have 295/80R22.5 or 315/80R22.5 sized tyres.
Late last year Goodyear Dunlop introduced PrecurePro, a further development of its commercial vehicle tyre retreading programme. The tyre maker describes PrecurePro as a “comprehensive range of pre-cure retreading solutions that reduce vehicle operating costs and support retreading partners and fleets.” The ultimate goal of PrecurePro, it adds, is to give partners the required edge in a competitive market.
Goodyear Dunlop has announced organisational changes in its ‘German-speaking’ markets. As of 1 February 2013 changes will occur in the leadership structure of the so-called “D-A-CH cluster” (Germany, Austria and Switzerland cluster), the business formed at the start of 2012 from the three respective national operations. The tyre maker says a key element of this will involve the creation of an integrated consumer replacement segment sales and marketing organisation under the leadership of Frank Titz, who is currently director of the D-A-CH consumer replacement business. In his new role, Titz will coordinate the tyre maker’s entire sales and marketing activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As before, Titz will report to Dr. Rainer Landwehr, group managing director for the three countries.
Christian Halbertschlager has been appointed marketing manager at Goodyear Dunlop Tires Austria. In his new role, Halbertschlager takes on responsibility for all consumer marketing activities in the Austrian market. Commenting on the appointment, Goodyear Dunlop Tires Austria managing director Tassilo Rodlauer said: “We are pleased to be able to welcome a marketing communications expert to our ranks, and we wish him every success in his new position.”
Changes to Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America’s motorcycle division are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2013. The company has announced that certain of its administrative functions will relocate from Buffalo, New York to Goodyear’s headquarters in Akron, Ohio. These include non-field sales positions, marketing, customer service, supply chain and non-factory related human resources. Goodyear Dunlop says the move will allow the business to enhance its customer service while also adding resources to the motorcycle division. Dunlop’s Research and Development department will remain in Buffalo.
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