Todd Hershberger Named Hankook Sales VP
Hankook Tire has appointed Todd Hershberger as its new vice president of sales and marketing in the USA.
Founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Akron, Ohio. It is one of the oldest, biggest and best-known tyremakers in the world. Goodyear makes tyres for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, racing cars, aeroplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery. Find all the news and analysis you need relating to Goodyear here.
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10mm of Toe Out Could Cost £200 a Farm Tyre
Product NewsIn order to witness the benefits of wheel alignment in action, Goodyear recently invited Tyres & Accessories to see a demonstration of tractor wheel alignment technology at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire. Over the years Goodyear Dunlop has developed a long-term partnership with Harper Adams and is therefore able to use this leading agricultural educational establishment’s specialist facilities (which include an off-road test track and specialised covered and open test ploughing fields) from time to time with which the company.
During the demonstration Jason Hoare, part of the technical support/sales team within Goodyear UK’s agricultural tyre department, stressed that being just 14 millimetres out of alignment (a measurement that is dwarfed by the size of your average tractor – and that has been known to be found on brand new vehicles) can reduce tyre life by 33 per cent and absorb nearly six horse power when travelling at 50 km/h.
Harvie to Retire as Goodyear General Counsel, Successor Named
Product NewsCome October, Goodyear Tire & Rubber will have a new general counsel following the announcement of incumbent C. Thomas Harvie’s imepnding retirement. Mr. Harvie will retire on October 31 following more than 14 years in the position; Goodyear’s Board of Directors have elected David L. Bialosky, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of TRW Automotive Holdings as his successor. Bialosky will join Goodyear in late September.
Goodyear Adds Texas Dealer as Authorized Retreader
Product NewsHeintschel Tire & Service Inc. is converting its commercial truck tyre retreading operation to Goodyear’s pre-cure and patented UniCircle retreading processes at its retreading plant. “We feel Goodyear offers customers products that help provide fleets and truck operators the cradle-to-grave tire solutions they want,” said Garry Heintschel, vice president and co-owner of Heintschel Tire. “That’s why we decided to make the move to Goodyear. We feel Goodyear is moving in the same direction that we need to go and at the speed in which we need to respond to our customers.
Pat Demianenko, national sales manager for Goodyear Retread Systems, said Goodyear is pleased to have Heintschel Tire as an authorized Goodyear retreader. “Heintschel Tire has a strong reputation among its customers and its peers as a leading tire retreader that’s committed to producing quality products and supporting them with great service,” Demianenko said.
Sava Launches Three Upgraded Truck Tyre Lines
Product NewsSava has announced the launch of three upgraded tyre ranges designed to offer enhanced performance and value for long and regional haul trucks, trailers and coaches. The Slovenia based Goodyear Dunlop subsidiary reports that its Avant A3plus steer tyre and Orjak O3plus drive tyre have benefited from new construction and tread compounds, giving the tyres significantly improved mileage, durability and stability compared with their predecessors. The new carcass construction is shared in the Cargo C3plus trailer tyre and features a revised belt package lay-up that delivers reduced heat build up and improved durability.
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max OE on US Ford Fusion S
Product NewsWhen Ford decided they needed a tyre to back up its Fusion S model’s claims of best-in-class fuel efficiency from its six-speed transmission and 2.5-litre engine, it decided the best way to go for that positive reinforcement was Goodyear’s new Assurance Fuel Max, as original equipment for the 2010 iteration. The tyre, which claims fuel-efficient properties through a compound designed to yield less rolling resistance, will be sized P205/60R16. The 2010 Fusion S is in production and has begun arriving at US dealerships.
The Assurance Fuel Max features, alongside its energy-saving compound, wet and dry tread zones to enhance all-season traction. The wet tread zone features dual “aquachannel” grooves to help evacuate water when driving on wet roads. The dry tread zone helps enhance handling and grip in the dry. The tyre is also available on the replacement market.
Goodyear and Haweka Promote Benefits of Tractor Wheel Alignment
Product NewsThe importance of correct wheel alignment is already widely conveyed in the truck and passenger car segments. In these parts of the market customers have been hearing about how correct alignment improves road comfort, fuel consumption and prevents premature wear for years. But what about the off-road and agricultural segments? Is it worth aligning vehicles that are literally designed to face the axle jolting lumps and bumps other drivers try to avoid? Goodyear and Haweka certainly think so.
In June Goodyear and Haweka teamed up to promote an agricultural wheel alignment programme that will see the two-companies promote the benefits of wheel alignment to customers, dealers and vehicle sales offices. Goodyear is communicating the tyre alignment message because, according to the company, tough economic times mean improving fuel consumption and preventing the costs that come with premature tyre wear are more important than ever. A similar partnership between the German branches of the two companies has been in operation for some time.
Goodyear Dunlop’s Hanau Plant to Cut 140 Jobs by 2010
Product NewsGoodyear Dunlop Tires Germany GmbH is to cut 140 of the 1340 tyre production jobs at its Hanau production facility, according to local news reports. This year production is expected to fall from 7.4 to 6.8 million tyres will fall. The company’s management is planning to produce just 5.6 million tyres in 2010. The scrapping has not helped us,” regrets Jörg Pohl, chairman of Goodyear Dunlop’s Hanau tyre production plant. Goodyear Dunlop Tires Germany GmbH employs over 7400 workers at seven sites across the country.
Michelin Extends Current USW Contract
Product NewsFollowing a contract extension between Goodyear and the United Steelworkers union, Michelin North America has also agreed with the USW to an extension of the labour agreement with company employees. The two parties, currently in negations over a new master agreement, have given their consent to a four-week extension, which expires on August 15.
Goodyear Cutting Philippines Tyre Jobs
Product NewsGoodyear has announced that it is to close its Philippines tyre plant, cutting 83 per cent of its staff within the country in the process, reports The Wall Street Journal. The reduced demand and the high costs of running the facility mean that the Las Pinas plants products “are not competitive in the marketplace,” according to Pierre Cohade, Goodyear Asia-Pacific regional president.
The closure will happen at the end of the current quarter, with 500 out of the 600 Philippines workers laid off. According to reports, the company’s sales and marketing departments will remain unaffected. As previously noted on Tyrepress.com, Goodyear plans to cut much of its worldwide capacity over the next two years, and this latest closure will account for 2 million of the 15 million units of annual production due to be shed. The Wall Street Journal report concludes that Goodyear will record approximately $20 million in charges as a consequence of the closure.
Goodyear Reminds Consumers of Kevlar’s Strong Points
Product NewsGoodyear has been using high-strength Kevlar in its products for some years now, and recently the company highlighted the advances made using the fibres developed by the scientists at DuPont. The US based tyre major points out that tyre reinforcement was the initial application for Kevlar more than 40 years ago, and today the product is used across the company’s range. The material property advantages of Kevlar are extensively used in developing products that address the issues of ride and comfort, handling, thermal and flame resistance, reduced tyre weight and road noise.
Goodyear and USW Extend Existing Contract
Product NewsGoodyear and the United Steelworkers have agreed to extend their existing three-year labour contract until August 15 in order to give the two parties time to negotiate the terms of a new deal. The new contract, currently under discussion, will cover seven US facilities.
“We remain confident that we will reach an agreement that is acceptable to both sides,” said Goodyear negotiator Jim Allen in a statement.
Michelin Receives DEKRA Tyre Test Results
Product NewsReaders of Tyrepress.com will be aware that Tyres & Accessories was in Narbonne, France in April 2009 to visit the roads on which the DEKRA Test Centre was putting several premium brands through their paces. Engaged by Michelin with part of the manufacturer’s 600 million euro annual research and development budget, the independent test centre compared the Energy Saver (195/65R15 H), the Primacy Alpin PA3 (205/55R16 H) and the Primacy HP (225/55R16 W) with other premium brand tyres purchased at the same time on the replacement market in two key areas; longevity and fuel consumption. The Test Centre presented T&A with the “circuits” it had drawn up from the varied road-types present between Narbonne and Toulouse, on which a convoy of four Volkswagen Golf 1.9l TDIs (195 and 205) and four Audi A4 Avant 2.0l TDIs (225) would travel during testing. A third set of comparative tests on these tyres was carried out by TÜV SÜD on its asphalt testing track at ATP Papenburg in Germany, this time concerned with wet braking.
Full details of the test results, including all the tested tyres and the methodologies used by both the DEKRA Test Centre and TÜV SÜD, will be published in the August edition of Tyres & Accessories. Click “More” for the headlines in each category.
Bandvulc Enters New Tyre Market
Product NewsThe Bandvulc Group has entered the new tyre market by becoming the leading stockist of the Fulda range of commercial tyres in the UK. Covering sizes from 17.5 to 22.5-inch, Bandvulc will wholesale and distribute the Fulda brand alongside its own products and the recently agreed small order Goodyear/Dunlop arrangements.
Goodyear Dunlop Announces New Scotland Logistics Provider
Product NewsGoodyear Dunlop’s Truck Business Unit this week announced a new strategic partnership with McConechy’s Tyre and Exhaust Centres. Under the partnership agreement, McConechy’s will become the group’s truck tyre logistics provider for independent dealers throughout Scotland. The partnership is, comments Goodyear Dunlop, the final piece of the jigsaw in its tyre delivery system. McConechy’s will join truck tyre specialists Bandvulc, who cover England and Wales, and Goodyear Dunlop’s factory direct delivery system to service the whole of the UK.
