Bridgestone’s Rome-based Technical Center Europe (TCE) has won the Italian “E.ON Energia Award” for distinguishing itself in energy efficiency during 2012. The award, first given by the power and gas company last year, was received by Gianni Lampazzi, director of Tyre Development Operations on 29 November 2012 at the “Sette Green Awards” event held at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.
Stertil Koni recently received the American Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) Gold Label certification for heavy duty vehicle lifts, recognising the quality of the company’s manufacturing standards. Stertil Koni is a preferred supplier to many leading companies within the worldwide truck, bus, logistics and transport industries.
Maxxis International has held a grand opening ceremony attended by nearly 400 domestic dignitaries and overseas partners for its new Maxxis Proving Ground in Kunshan City, directly adjacent to the company’s Shanghai manufacturing plant. The 860,000sqm comprehensive testing facility is estimated to have cost more than US$150 million, and is thought to be the first proving ground on such a large and all-encompassing scale in China. Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd., doing business as Maxxis International, calls its new testing facility the country’s “first international standard proving ground”. Backing up this claim, Tyres & Accessories/Tyrepress.com was informed at the opening that at least one European original equipment manufacturer – Mercedes – had given Maxxis input into the facilities required at the proving ground to continue to build its OE supply, while a construction firm from Japan was consulted, though it was built by the Chinese.
Despite the name, there is no way that Vortex Exhaust Technology Ltd is getting sucked down by the negative economic environment. On the contrary, according to the Grays, Essex-based business, things have moved quickly since the company relocated from their old premises at the end of 2011. The company can now be found in a much bigger and brighter unit on the Globe Industrial estate in Grays. Having spent the last year organise things at the new facility managing director Barry Mead reports that he is looking forward to the next chapter in the company’s business development:
Russia’s Tatneft reports the successful completion of an environmental inspection at its Nizhnekamsk truck tyre factory. According to the results of the inspection audit conducted by Republican Certification Methodology Center "TestTatarstan" (OS IMS TatSert, Kazan), the plant’s environmental management system was recognised to be in compliance with the requirements of GOST R ISO 140012007.
Leading international branding consultancy Interbrand has just published its 13th Annual Best Global Brands report, listing the world's 100 most valuable brands. However, it has to be pointed out that despite the size of some of the industry’s leading brands – and despite their ability to communicate their various brands online (see separate article) – there are no tyre brands in the top 100 this year.
Passenger car tyre retreading will have its own exhibition area at October’s Brityrex International show, with the announcement of a dedicated Retreading Pavilion. The Pavilion’s aim is to showcase the latest and best in car retreading, which has declined in terms of both UK manufacturing and market share in recent years.
In August, some 14 years after its first plant obtained ISO 14001 certification, Yokohama achieved company-wide integrated certification under ISO 14001. The Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certification covers Yokohama Rubber’s nine locations within Japan: the company’s head office and eight domestic production sites (Hiratsuka, Mie, Mishima, Shinshiro, Onomichi, Ibaraki, Nagano and Hiratsuka-East).
Treadsetters approached Reifen 2012 with the specific objective of introducing the passenger car range of its established Torque brand in Europe. UK based Treadsetters (part of the TIA Group) said that it had been overwhelmed by the positive response from visitors to the stand, on which the company displayed both its latest PCR and TBR ranges.
Continental has announced the appointment of Steve Howat to the role of general manager in the tyre manufacturer’s Technical Services division, UK and Ireland. Howat joins from Bridgestone, where he held the position of European Training Manager, delivering extensive technical, business and sales training to the company’s customers and staff across Europe. Having joined Continental on 1 June, he will replace respected industry expert Roger Sanders, who is retiring this year after nearly 30 years’ service with the company.
All eight of Cooper Tire & Rubber’s global manufacturing facilities are producing to ISO 9001:2008 standard following the certification of the company’s subsidiary in Kruševac, Serbia. Certification of the former Trayal plant, which officially came into Cooper hands on 17 January, was described by Kruševac plant manager Peter Salmon as marking “another step in making Serbia a globally competitive manufacturing facility.”
Since 2003, Continental has held an increasing share in the Malaysian tyre business it ran together with Sime Darby Allied Products Berhad. Now the German company has acquired the outstanding 30 per cent share in Continental Sime Tyre Sdn. Bhd still owned by its joint venture partner, and the operation has become a fully-owned subsidiary of Continental Corporation. To mark the business’s 100 per cent Conti-owned status, it has been renamed Continental Tyre Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Upon reporting the transaction, Conti comments that the share acquisition underlines the “long term interest and the commitment of Continental to Asean and to the Asia Pacific Region.”
Triangle Tyre Company has become the latest company to join Europe’s Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ITMA). The association offers timelier access to technical, legislative and market information, helping tyre-makers to operate more effectively within the region. The company’s membership means that ITMA’s 16 members include the top five tyre manufacturers in China in terms of turnover. Triangle is the association’s sixth new member in the last year and a half; a fact ITMA says reflects the growing weight of regulations.
A little-known claim to fame for Charles City, Iowa is that the word “tractor” was first coined there, in 1901. It is therefore fitting that Mitas chose to establish its radial agricultural tyre factory in that particular US town. On 26 April the plant officially opened, with Iowa governor Terry Branstad, Charles City mayor James Erb and Mitas representatives Tomas Nemec and Oldrich Slemr cutting the ribbon to start serial production of agricultural tyres. Upon celebrating the factory’s inauguration, Mitas also announced it would accelerate its US$52 million investment to achieve full plant production capacity of 13,500 tonnes of tyres a year by 2013, three years earlier than originally anticipated.
Yokohama Rubber shares that it has obtained ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for four types of tyre testing. ISO/IEC 17025 is the main international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, and accreditation means Yokohama’s test data is internationally recognised as being based on proper testing techniques. Accreditation also enables the company to use the official ISO/IEC 17025 logo on its published test reports. Yokohama Rubber obtained accreditation after being examined by Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. (PJLA).
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