(Akron/Tire Review – Reuters) It looks like a guidebook, with its glossy pages, fold-out maps, and tips on where to eat and sleep in Rome. The only difference is that its readers are homeless. The new edition of what its authors have dubbed a “Michelin Guide for the Poor” was presented on Jan. 10 as promoters warned that the ranks of the have-nots in Italy’s capital were growing.
Marangoni Meccanica, the division of the Marangoni Group responsible for designing and developing new tyre technology, has recently inaugurated a new facility in Roverto, Italy. The new 11,000 m² facility will house approximately 80 employees involved in large research projects related to developing new hardware and ideas.
Based near Modena, Italy, Butler Engineering & Marketing originated in 1988. It started as an entrepreneurial venture by a few people with a common vision to change the way tyres were fitted, bringing into line the technical developments of the tyre, wheel and automotive industries. Now almost nineteen years later, Butler is doubling the size of its facilities. By the end of 2007 Butler plans to have expanded from its current 9000 square metres to a site covering approximately 20,000 square metres.
Italy’s Marangoni has launched a campaign to enlighten UK drivers on the benefits of thinking Marangoni when selecting new tyres. Following on from its successful “Intelligent Professionals” series, the new campaign links Marangoni’s position as a premium brand with the company’s Lifetime Tyre Warranty, a strong selling point.
Derek Carruthers, Global Sales & Marketing Director for Marangoni’s car tyre division, said “Communicating the Marangoni message to potential customers before they have made a decision on replacement tyres is fundamental.” He added that the company was attempting not only to build brand awareness but to also demonstrate that buying Marangoni tyres is a win/win situation for the customer in that they will receive both European quality and the peace of mind afforded by their Lifetime Tyre Warranty.
Italy’s Gigi Galli has once again driven to victory in this years’ WRC rally at the Memorial Bettega, held in conjunction with the Bologna Motor Show. The 2005 winner’s Pirelli-liveried Peugeot 307 won three of the race’s five heats. The Peugeot, riding on Pirelli’s P Zero tyres, also broke the stage record. Chris Atkinson took third place in his Pirelli fitted Subaru.
Also riding on Pirelli tyres was Toscana driver Tobia Cavallini, who also won the Trofeo WRC Italia in his Subaru Impreza WRC and another two successes came Pirelli’s way thanks to Anton Alen in the Subaru Impreza Cup and Tonino Tognana in the Historic Rally Show, driving a Lancia Rally 037.
Cheap imports of scrap zinc-based balancing weights are poor quality and contain dangerous levels of heavy metals, such as cadmium. Premium weight manufacturers told Tyres & Accessories that preliminary research shows such imports may contain 50 times the level of cadmium currently allowed in the products.
The Marangoni Group is one of the sponsors of Mittomacchina, a major exhibition dedicated to the history of car design, which is being held at Mart, the modern and contemporary art museum of Trento and Rovereto, until May 1st 2007.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition on 2 December, Mario Marangoni, president – Marangoni Group, said: “For over 50 years our Group has believed in tyres and has educated its people and developed new technologies to be able to handle every aspect and every phase of a tyre’s life cycle.”
Combine a handful of the world’s best sports cars, a dozen leading tuners and a stretch of test circuit, and you have a recipe for breaking records, as was discovered recently at the Nardo test circuit in Southern Italy.
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Five international synthetic rubber producers received fines totalling 519 million euros (£350 million, $682 million) from the European Commission after the group said they had fixed prices. The penalty is said to be the second largest fine of its kind in history. Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Eni SpA, Dow Chemical Co., Unipetrol AS and Trade-Stomil were fined by the EC. Bayer AG was found guilty but was not fined because it blew the whistle on the others, according to the EC. The EC said the group fixed pricing and shared customer information on buyers of butadiene rubber and emulsion styrene butadiene rubber – used widely in tyre production – between 1996 and 2002. Italy’s Eni got the largest fine at £185 million ($357.6 million), and Shell was hit for £108 million ($211 million).
Financial analysts questioned whether the news would lead to a significant drop in synthetic rubber prices following the recent collapse of natural rubber. If so this could add to a “significant raw materials bonanza coming up in 2007 for tyre manufacturers,” according to Deustche Bank analysts.
Bridgestone was honoured with the Qualitas Award at the Fiat Suppliers’ Convention 2006. In a ceremony at the Lingotto location in Turin, Bridgestone was cited for its constant pro-activity and support in the development of tyres for Fiat Group car models. The convention is an annual event at which Fiat informs suppliers of current status and future programmes, as well as acknowledging partners who have distinguished themselves through high-quality performance during the previous year.
Teco Srl is a leading manufacturer of hand truck tyre changers, electronic wheel balancers and pneumatic platform lifts. Based in Correggio, Italy, Teco is a relatively young company, but is already well-known in its field. The company began life in 1985, albeit under a different name, and at that time specialised in the production of components for automotive equipment. However the company’s management had other ambitions. They wanted to introduce a new line of machinery to trade, a line that was completely designed and manufactured in-house.
Founded 70 years ago, the Pneuservice Group is one of the largest tyre import/export distributors in Italy. Pneuservice deals with everything from scooter to earthmover tyres, trading over 2 million tyres each year. The company currently has 150 employees, eight depots and over 260 franchisees spread out across Italy.
Up till now Reedijk Banden Import B. V. (RBI) has generally been known as a Netherlands-based tyre wholesaler that is particularly active within its home market and some trade in Germany, Belgium and France. However since the beginning of 2006 the company has embarked on a controlled expansion programme which has seen RBI evolve into more of an international company with new sales projects being introduced around Europe and most recently in the UK.
Elyo Italia recently purchased an LM6000-PD aeroderivative gas turbine generator and 12-year contractual service agreement (CSA) from GE Energy’s aeroderivative business for a combined heat and power (CHP) plant located within the Michelin tyre manufacturing facility in Cuneo, Italy.
Continental will hire a further 1500 people in Romania in the next three years. Thomas Sattelberger, Continental board member for human resources told local newspapers that the company plans to double production at its ContiTech unit in Timisoara and increase staff at its research centre in Sibiu to 300 employees, from almost 200 at present. Continental also announced plans to expand the Timisoara-based Continental Automotive Products plant, with its production capacity set to rise to 16 million tyres per year by 2008, from current levels of 12 million. Following the recruitment drive Continental, said to be the largest German investor in the local car parts industry, will have a total of 5,000 employees in Romania by 2010, compared with 3,500 at the moment.
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