(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) is considering moving its US headquarters from Charlotte, North Carolina, to another part of the city, possibly even to nearby South Carolina, according to reports this weekend.
Employees at Kwik-Fit Fleet’s St Albans headquarters raised more than £2,000 for BEN, the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund.
Kwik-Fit Group is currently in the process of refurbishing and modernising its 669 UK centres and the redeveloping its Fleet Service Call Centre. As a result, all of Kwik-Fit Fleet’s sales managers have new laptop computers, while office-based staff have new desktop computers. The computers had seen out their useful life in the business and rather than scrap them, staff agreed to make a donation to BEN.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has named Rodney A Kreinbrink as plant manager for its Albany, Georgia, manufacturing facility. Kreinbrink will oversee the daily operations of Cooper’s 3rd largest plant, which produces about 11.5 million tyres per year and employs almost 1,600 people. Kreinbrink succeeds William Bonner who retired at the end of 2005.
(Akron/Tire Review) Both Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Yokohama Tire Corp. have hired new PR firms.
After a lengthy search, Goodyear’s North American Tire unit settled on Coyne Public Relations of Parsippany, New Jersey, as its new US agency. “We were very pleased with the work of all three ‘finalist’ agencies,” said Ed Markey, vice president of PR and communications for Goodyear North American Tire. “Coyne impressed us with a combination of solid strategic thinking, creative tactical ideas and great collaborative chemistry. We believe Coyne’s capabilities and approach to public relations are the best fit for Goodyear.”
Hankook is set to unveil a raft of motorsport plans at Autosport International in January, building on its successful rallying programme this year. Motorsport manager Mike Patterson said the company, which has its UK headquarters in Daventry, is currently finalising plans to support both race and rally programmes for 2006.
(Akron/Tire Review) Kumho Tire USA Inc will be relocating its US headquarters and its California warehouse from Fontana to Rancho Cucamonga, California, during the weekend of 10-11 December, and plans to be up and fully operational on Monday 12 December. Kumho said the new 830,300-square-foot building, named the Haven Distribution Center, is more than three times the space of its previous home. The facility features 136 truck docks and 144 trailer stalls.
(Akron/Tire Review) Struggling General Motors Corp announced this morning that it would close nine North American production and assembly plants and cut 30,000 manufacturing jobs by 2008 as part of an effort to get production in line with demand. Rick Wagoner, chairman and CEO of the world’s largest automaker, announced the closures during a speech to employees from GM’s Detroit headquarters. Wagoner has repeatedly denied that GM would file for bankruptcy.
Goodyear’s North American Consumer Tire Business has named Brett Ponton to the position of vice president, Goodyear North American Consumer Retail. In this position, he will be responsible for all company-owned Goodyear retail stores in North America. Overall, Goodyear’s retail operations group is responsible for 763 company-owned tyre stores, 139 of them operated under the Just Tires retail format.
Maxxis is planning to complete construction of three new technical centres in Asia and the US in the next eight months. Construction is complete on the first new centre, near Shanghai, China.
Here workers are reportedly putting the finishing touches on the six-story, 143,182-square-foot facility, which will employ 200 engineers. Plans are also underway for construction of a proving ground, expected to open in 2008.
(Akron/Tire Review) Treadways Corp. has hired Ed Nini as market development manager for its private brands unit. In his new role, Nini will be responsible for competitive price analysis, market share analysis and coordination, and Treadways’ supplemental pricing programs. Nini is new to the tyre industry and was previously employed with Dow Jones as its senior marketing manager. He will be based at Treadways’ headquarters in East Norriton, Pennsylvania.
Formula 1 has gained an 11th team, although it is not certain they will compete in 2006. Former Grand Prix driver, Aguri Suzuki, made an application to compete next year in a car powered by Honda engines and running on Bridgestone tyres. However the fact that the team have to build their own chassis means the Super Aguri Formula One is facing an uphill battle to be ready in time for the beginning of next season.
The team will be based in Tokyo with race operations situated at the former TWR headquarters in Leafield, Oxfordshire, the Telegraph reported. Takuma Sato, BAR test drivers Anthony Davidson and Adam Carroll, and Super Aguri IRL driver Kosuke Matsuura are all said to be under consideration for the drivers’ jobs.
Supply Direct is holding an open night on the 19 October in celebration of its first birthday. The event is being held in celebration of a successful first year for the garage equipment wholesalers. “The open night will offer massive discounts on brand new equipment for that night only with demonstrations on all equipment in their fully functional showroom. The new ATL (Automated Test Lane) will also be included in the showroom demonstrations,” the company said in a statement.
Bridgestone has called in some of its celebrity connections to help motivate workers in advance of next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barichello, and Ferrari F1 team managing director Jean Todt recently visited Bridgestone’s worldwide headquarters in Tokyo at the invitation of Bridgestone Corporation president, CEO and chairman, Shigeo Watanabe.
Hofmann has received full GEA Automated Test Lane approval. Richard Dixon from VOSA and Dave Garratt, chief executive of the GEA, over saw the testing which was completed at UK Equipment’s headquarters in Reading.
Vellco has been short listed as one of three finalists by the York Evening Press as Environmental Business of the Year and will shortly be visited by an independent judging assessor at their headquarters in Weaverthorpe, North Yorkshire. The winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony at the Voltigeur Suite at York racecourse on 17 November.
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