India
(India/Rubber Asia) Simplex is a new and exciting franchise programme for overseas investors to get a head start in the profitable and challenging tyre retreading business. It comes from the stable of Goodway Rubber Industries Sdn Bhd (“Goodway”) which claims to be a market leader and one of the fastest growing rubber technology and rubber compound providers in the world.
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(India/Rubber Asia) With annual consumption by the Indian tyre industry of over 400,000 tonnes of natural rubber (NR), “a price increase of just 1 a kilogram, imposes an annual financial burden of over 400 million rupees on us,” says Paras K Chowdhary, CMD of Ceat Tyres and chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) of India.
The average price of NR has gone up from 39.17 rupees/kilo in 2002-03 to 63 rupees in 2005-06 (October) — an increase of 23 a kilo in about three years. This translates into about 8,800 million rupees annual financial burden on the Indian tyre makers, he said. (1$ = about 44 rupees).
At the opening of a new development and manufacturing facility in Wuxi, China, Franz Fehrenbach, the Chairman of the Bosch Group Board of Management, announced intentions to significantly expand activities into the region.
The number of Bosch manufacturing facilities in the People’s Republic of China has doubled to 20 in the past five years. At the end of 2004, Bosch had invested some 550 million euros in the establishment and expansion of activities. The company now plans to invest a further 650 million euros during the next two years across the country. “Bosch has a strong focus on China. We see it as a core country for our business in the entire Asia-Pacific region” explained Fehrenbach.
Canada’s Tire News and Pneu Mag, published by Publications Rousseau & Associes, have joined the global tyre publication consortium formed by Europe’s Tyres & Accessories and Neue Reifenzeitung with America’s Tire Review nearly a year ago.
With the addition of the Canadian magazines, which cover all aspects of Canada’s tyre industry from coast to coast, the consortium now encompasses eight highly respected tyre publications. Besides Tire Review, Tyres & Accessories and Neue Reifenzeitung, the group includes Southern Africa Treads (South Africa), Rubber Asia (India) and Australian Tyre Dealer (Australia).
Sameer Africa’s first Kenyan branded and produced tyres have rolled of the production line. The firm’s marketing manager, Jeremiah Siage, said Sameer Africa has the capacity to produce its own brands. The tyres open a new chapter for a firm that had previously been associated with the Firestone brand.
The Indian Ministry of Consumer affairs, Food & Public Distribution is considering branding automotive tyres with the “ISI” mark. The move is expected to be implemented from 1 April next year. While tyre manufacturers are reported to have welcomed this move, the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers Association (SIAM) has raised objections.
Hayes Lemmerz International has appointed John Stephenson as vice president of the Steel Wheel Operations for the company’s International Wheel Group, effective immediately. Mr. Stephenson will report directly to International Wheel Group President Fred Bentley. Mr Stephenson will have responsibility for the company’s International Steel Wheel businesses with operations in Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, and India.
(India/Rubber Asia) JK Tyre chief RP Singhania recently announced that his company plans to increase annual production of truck and bus radials to 1.5 million units by 2010. At the same time Mr Singhania spoke of his confidence that India’s road infrastructure “is getting better now.”
JK Tyre told local media that the company plans to invest 600 million rupees in alternate years in its Mysore (South India) plant to increase the capacity from its current annual capacity of 370,000. JK currently holds an 85 per cent market share in the radial tyre segment.
(Akron/Tire Review) Since its formation in the aftermath of communism in Russia, Amtel has had its eye on greater things. Once a collection of low-tech, Soviet-era tyre factories, bought up by founder and India native Sudhir Gupta, Amtel has invested heavily in modernising its plants and improving its tyre technology.
Steady growth gave the company the capital to make a bold move, which it completed in April with the acquisition of Dutch tyremaker Vredestein Banden. Now, it has unleased that top-shelf tyre brand on the Russian market.
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US importer and distributor, Orteck International, is suing Shanghai-based Giti Tire (GT) for fraud. In a lawsuit filed in the federal district court in Greenbelt, Orteck claims the GT undertook a scheme to eliminate the company as the exclusive distributor of its tyres in the US.
Kalyani Brakes Ltd, Bosch’s Indian subsidiary has set up a joint venture with Italian brake company Brembo. The two businesses are set to establish a 50:50 joint-venture company for the application engineering, production and sales of motorcycle brakes following an agreement signed on 17 October 2005.
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co said it will invest $18 million in the company’s Indian operations next year. The investment, according to Goodyear, will be used to upgrade technology and increase production capacity for passenger tyres.
BKT is set to embark on ambitious expansion plans designed to increase the company’s tyre production capacity by 66 per cent. The Indian company currently runs three tyre factories located at Waluj (Western India), Bhiwadi (Northern India) and Chopanki (Northern India). In terms of tyre numbers this means BKT will more than double radial tractor tyre capacity to 250,000 tyres a year. Total capacity for heavy earthmover tyres will be raised from 10,000 to 50,000 tyres per annum.
Michelin has bought Apollo Tyres’ stake in the two companies’ joint venture. In addition to the 49 per cent stake Michelin now owns as a result of the acquisition, the French manufacturer will hold onto the 14.9 per cent stake it acquired in Apollo Tyres two years ago. Explaining the reason behind the buy-out, Michelin said: “While the use of radial tyres has gone up in the past two years, it is at a pace that was slower than projected by the partners.”
Vredestein has launched a new agricultural tyre, which it describes as “the new standard for modern medium-class tractors.” The Traxion85 represents the latest stage of development of the company’s Traxion+ series, which has been on the market since 1997. The new tyre is available in 14 sizes.
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