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PK Commercial Tyres Enters Earthmover Market

Ashford, Kent-based PK Commercial Tyres recently entered the heavy industrial/earthmover tyre market with the purchase of a 26 ton (6×4) Renault truck complete with a sleeper cab, 38 ton crane, tyre handler and London emissions. The latest addition to commercial tyres’ fleet has over £10,000 worth of the heavy tools, and the latest tyre fitting equipment. For example, the new UHL tyre handler, alone cost in excess of £18,000. The vehicle is capable of handling 85 per cent of all the Earthmover tyres in the UK market.

Upon further investigation, the reasons behind Kuske’s decision to move into the EM tyre business are clear. After a series of bad experiences contacting out the work, necessity proved to be the mother of invention and Kuske appears to have decided that his company could do a better job.

1st July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tax at Ruia Group Tyre Companies under Investigation

An article published by the Indian business daily Mint indicates that three tyre companies owned by Ruia Group chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia are being investigated for tax incongruities. The probe is focusing upon the presence of “hawala” activities, a name given to the transfer of money in order to avoid taxes without a corresponding physical or electronic transfer of funds. The companies under investigation are Dunlop India Ltd, Falcon Tyres Ltd and Monotona Tyres Ltd.

2nd June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Chinese Manufacturers Prepare to Fight USW Trade Case

Chinese tyre manufacturers and exporters are said to be preparing a response to the USW trade case against their products. The China Daily reports that they are receiving assistance from China’s Ministry of Commerce and from local industry associations in their quest to combat was is viewed as a discriminative case and a trade protectionism tool.

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has agreed to look into the case, making it the seventh and to-date largest (in terms of volume) subsidy related investigation the US has conducted against China.

5th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Camera Found in Toilet at Melksham, UK Tyre Plant

The management of Cooper Tire Europe has offered “its sincere apologies to anyone who was affected”, after a camera was found in the men’s toilet by employees. The Wiltshire Times reports that the camera “was installed by a maintenance contractor at the request of a Cooper Tires manager,” who suspected employees of substance abuse. The Unite Union representative John McGookin told the paper that he has discussed the incident with company management, saying, “This was somebody’s misguided approach to a concern. It’s something we have asked that the company ensures does not happen again.”

A Cooper statement said that, “Following an extensive, independent investigation into the discovery of a camera in a toilet, it has been established that:-

1. Although there was suspicion of substance abuse on site, the decision to position a camera in a toilet was unacceptable
2. The company has a policy to deal with suspected substance abuse and this was not followed
3. The camera equipment was not made operational
4. Although the motives were genuine, as the company treats substance abuse seriously, this was a major error of judgement and therefore disciplinary action has been taken against those responsible
5. Procedures are being changed to ensure that such an incident cannot be repeated in future”

1st May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Reports: Man Killed in Alliance Factory Accident

An employee was reportedly killed in an industrial accident at Alliance Tire Company’s Hadera factory, according to the Jerusalem Post. Police are said to have launched an investigation into how the accident occurred. The Jerusalem Post reported that factory employees managed to remove the worker – in his fifties – from the machinery he was trapped in however medics were unable to revive him.

17th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Prison for Tyre Dumping Ex-Policeman

A former Police inspector faces a year in prison for his role in the dumping of 175,000 tyres. Geraint Evans, who retired from the Police in 2005, was one of three people sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on April 8 for illegally disposing of tyres at sites in England and Wales. Also sentenced were Norman Cassidy, who received an eight-month prison sentence, and Evans’ partner Marilyn Hanks, who has been ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.

“You are thoroughly unscrupulous men with no regard whatsoever for the financial consequences of those you exploit,” commented Judge Stephen Hopkins QC, referring to Evans and Cassidy. “You were deliberately dealing in waste without a licence for purely financial reason and it’s had a substantial impact on the community.”

9th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Targeted in French Tax Investigation

Michelin, along with oil company Total and sports firm Adidas, is said to be under suspicion of evading taxes in France through the use of bank accounts based in the principality of Liechtenstein. According to the AFP news service, the Paris prosecutor’s office has confirmed reports that the French finance ministry had in late 2008 provided it with case files concerning foundations linked to the three companies, as well as some 30 French individuals. It said it will open a preliminary investigation into the three companies, the first step towards a possible indictment on tax evasion charges.

31st March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Rosava and Belshina at Odds About Tyre ‘Dumping’ Allegations

OJSC Rosava has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into Belarusian tyre imports. According to online news sources, the company addressed the Ministers Cabinet and the Economics Ministry of Ukraine with the request to protect national tyre makers from so-called dumping imports.

According to the information provided by the Ukrainian state organisation “Ukrzovnishexpertyza”, OJSC Belshina is the only Belarusian company currently importing tyres into the Ukraine. 811,439 units were imported in 2008. The company’s tyre imports into Ukraine amounted to 263,121 units (valued at US$4,892,765) in 2005. In 2006 this figure grew 49.24 per cent (US$8,267,427). And by 2007 Belshina was importing 632,772 tyres a year into Ukraine, 2.4 times more than in 2005. The press-service of the organization notes that, in these instances, import prices were lower than local market prices – By 5.3 per cent in 2005; 14.3 per cent in 2006 and 22.7 per cent in 2007.

10th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Former Bridgestone Executive Sentenced for Role in Price Fixing

A former Bridgestone Corporation executive has received a two-year prison sentence for his role in the marine hose bribery and price fixing affair uncovered in 2007. On December 9 the US Justice Department announced that Misao Hioki, who entered a guilty plea in a US district court in Houston, Texas, received the prison sentence plus a US$80,000 fine. Hioki is the ninth person to plead guilty during the Justice Department’s investigation.

11th December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Faulty Tyre Stem Valve Warning Issued in US

International News, Product News

A US importer warned consumers on December 9 that they should check the stem valves on their vehicle’s tyres, after it became apparent that 1.8 million Chinese made tyre stem valves sold in the country may prematurely weather and crack, resulting in a loss of tyre pressure. According to North Carolina based Dill Air Controls Products, the problem is with two batches of valves totalling about 198,000 units, but because the valve stems are not traceable by lot number after installation, the recall involves all valves sold between November 2006 and July 2007.

10th December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Blink-182 Drummer Sues Goodyear

News sources including the New Musical Express are reporting that Travis Barker and his deceased friend/bodyguard’s mother have sued Goodyear, who owned the Learjet plane that crashed back in September, along with jet charter companies Clay Lacy Aviation, Global Exec Aviation and Inter Travel Services, and aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Inc. Goodyear spokesman Ed Markey describes the decision to sue, which comes before the conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, as “unfortunate.”

The lawsuit claims that the crash – which killed four including Charles “Che” Monroe Still Jr. and injured Barker and fellow performer DJ AM – was caused by negligence on the part of the pilots and product defect in the case of Bombardier and Goodyear. According to news sources, Barker is suing variously for pain, psychological distress, suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement and “pre-impact fear of death and burning.”

24th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Prison an Option for Tyre Dumping Threesome

Tyre dumping doesn’t pay, especially the dumping of 175,883 tyres and 290 tonnes of tyre wire. This is the total quantity illegally disposed of by a Welsh trio, who are now each facing up to five years in prison and a substantial fine for their illicit deeds. The South Wales Echo reports that Geraint Evans, 52, his partner Marilyn Hanks, 36, and accomplice Norman Cassidy face jail and an ‘unlimited’ fine after admitting to various charges at Cardiff Crown Court on November 6.

A six-month, cross-border environment agencies investigation revealed the three dumpers had dispatched waste tyre product to four sites in Wales and England. The dumped tyres had been collected from garages and then stored in rented warehouses before being ‘released into the wild’, and Environment Agency Wales believes the illegal scheme way have netted the trio about £115,000.

10th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Truck Tyre Dumping Probe Begins in India

India’s Commerce Department has, according to national media, commenced an investigation into alleged dumping of Chinese and Thai made truck and bus radials in the Indian market. The decision to launch this investigation follows a complaint lodged by national tyre industry representative body, the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA).

30th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Thai Manufacturers Face Quarantine Difficulties

Manufacturers in Thailand are seeking a clarification from the country’s Industry Ministry over the status of a substance used to produce tyres. At present some 500 million baht (£9.3 million) worth of 100 per cent pure sulphur has been quarantined by the Customs Department, say the manufacturers, as the product has been ruled illegal. To gain access to the sulphur, the manufacturers claim they must pay penalties of two billion baht.

27th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

NHTSA to Investigate Valve Stem in 2007 US Ford Models

In the US, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has disclosed it is investigating the Ford Motor Company’s use of potentially defective valve stems on more than one million vehicles built during the 2007 model year. The component, if defective, can crack, causing air pressure in a tyre to suddenly decrease. Investigators suspect a cracked valve stem was a causal factor in an accident that killed a 31-year old man last year.

22nd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors