Japan Archives - Page 27 of 58 - Tyrepress

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Bridgestone readies MotoGP compounds for “technical” Jerez circuit

The Jerez circuit is the next to grace the MotoGP calendar, as Bridgestone moves to Spain after the season-opener in Qatar. Located near the southern Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera, the Grand Prix is a classic event on the MotoGP calendar with huge crowds making the most of the Spanish sun to support their national heroes. It is also, in the words of Hirohide Hamashima – director, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development – “a technical circuit with a mix of fast and slow corners. It is a good test circuit because of the diversity of the corner layout and this means that we require a tyre with a very balanced character to provide good handling from low speed to high and from flat corners to changes in elevation.”

29th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo president visits earthquake affected factories

During a visit to Japan’s Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures, Toyo Tire & Rubber’s president and CEO Kenji Nakakura personally presented an aid donation from the company to Yoshihiro Murai, governor of Miyagi Prefecture, and to the Prefectural Government Office in Fukushima. In total, Toyo has donated 150 million yen (£1.1 million) to assist with relief efforts.

29th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Trelleborg raises prices 9%

Trelleborg Wheel Systems has announced a further price hike on agricultural, forestry tyres and wheels effective April 2011. The latest price increase of 9 per cent covers both the European and North American market places. “Booming raw material prices, especially for natural rubber,” were cited as the reasons for the price increase.

28th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Production resumed at all Japanese Bridgestone plants

Tyre production at Bridgestone’s Nasu factory in Tochigi Prefecture got underway on March 25, two weeks after the earthquake in Japan. Output at the plant, which holds the capacity to product 2,600 tons of passenger car, motorcycle tyres and other tyres per month, will increase gradually as electricity restrictions are lifted and “other issues” resolved. The Nasu plant’s return to production means that all Bridgestone factories in Japan affected by the earthquake are now back in production.

28th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Two more Yokohama plants obtain ISO 14001 certification

Certification according to ISO 14001 has been granted to two Yokohama Rubber group companies; Suzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd., a tyre production and sales company in China; and Yokohama Tyre Vietnam Inc., a tyre production and sales company in Vietnam. This certification is in line with Yokohama Rubber’s ‘Grand Design 100’ medium-term management plan: With ISO 14001 at the heart of business operations, domestic and overseas group companies endeavour to maintain uniform-quality, high-level environmental management, and all production sites have been working to acquire ISO 14001 certification,” the company reported in a statement. At present a total of 15 production bases – ten factories and five Yokohama Rubber Group companies – have achieved ISO 14001 status in Japan, while the two abovementioned companies bring the total number of Yokohama production sites to reach this level to 13.

28th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre shipments restart at Toyo’s Sendai plant

A further step towards normality was achieved at Toyo Tire & Rubber’s Sendai factory in Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture yesterday with the resumption of limited shipments of tyres from the plant a day after production was restarted. Toyo reiterates that production and deliveries will continue to be “on a restricted basis” for the time being due to the limited availability of electricity, fuel and raw materials, and the disruptions from the still-recovering transportation system. Production at Sendai will continue to rise, Toyo assures its customers, and will return to the correct level “at the earliest possible date.”

25th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Delticom announces “exceptionally strong” 2010 results

On March 23, Delticom reported another “extremely successful year.” The online tyre retailer says its fiscal revenues increased 34.8 per cent year-on-year in 2010 to 419.6 million euros, while EBIT rose 60.1 per cent to 47.1 million euros. Furthermore, the company’s 11.2 per cent EBIT margin reveals further growth in profitability. Whole year revenues for Delticom’s E-Commerce division increased 36.2 per cent year-on-year to 403.7 million euros, while Wholesale division revenues grew 7.6 per cent to 15.9 million euros. Other operating income increased 33.3 per cent in 2010 in line with revenues to 5.8 million euros.

23rd March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Crisis in Japan: USW Pitches In, Goodyear OK

The United Steelworkers in Canada have donated $20,000 toward earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Nearly 10,000 confirmed deaths occurred in the March 11 disaster. The donation came from the USW Canada’s Humanity Fund. The Steelworkers' contribution will be channeled through International Chemical Energy and Mining Unions Federation affiliates in Japan, and the Canadian Labour Congress.

23rd March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo announces Japan relief donation

Toyo Tire & Rubber has joined its fellow countrymen Bridgestone and Yokohama Rubber in announcing assistance to the regions of Japan affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami. In a press statement expressing the company’s deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones or otherwise suffered in the March 11 disaster, Toyo Tires announced it will donate 150 million yen (£1.1 million) to assist in relief efforts. The company is giving is giving 100 million yen to the Miyagi Prefecture and 50 million yen to the Fukushima Prefecture.

22nd March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s MotoGP season-opener dominated by Stoner

Bridgestone reports that Casey Stoner continued his strong pre-season form to take a clear victory today in Qatar for the Repsol Honda Team, using the harder option front and rear Bridgestone slicks – a choice common to all riders in the tough Qatari conditions – to finish over three seconds ahead of the field and set the fastest lap of the race. His teammate Dani Pedrosa fought Stoner hard for the first half of the 22 lap race, leading for much of it, while Yamaha Factory rider and 2010 World Champion Jorge Lorenzo rode a determined race from third on the grid, leading on the first lap to pass Pedrosa for second as the pair traded positions in the closing laps.

21st March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone extends MotoGP supply through to 2014

Bridgestone Corporation has confirmed its continuation as official tyre supplier to the premier class of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) MotoGP World Championship with the signing of a new three-year deal covering the 2012 to 2014 seasons. The Japanese tyre maker began supplying the premier class in 2009 and the new contract signed with Dorna Sports covers the provision of tyres and technical support to the grid at a time when the championship enters a new era of increased engine capacity, up from 800cc to 1000cc.

21st March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho donates to Japanese disaster relief

Kumho Asiana Group, parent company of Kumho Tires, has announced it will donate 60 million yen (£473,000) for Japan’s recovery from the earthquake and tsunami damages. The 60 million will be divided equally and given to the three areas in which the company’s Asiana Airlines operates its services, namely Miyaki, Ibaraki and Fukushima. The South Korean company reports that executives and employees of Kumho Asiana Group affiliates voluntarily raised funds to help the Japanese “overcome despair and accelerate the country’s recovery,” and these funds were supplemented by the Group itself.

18th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook to bring Korea R&D activities under one roof

Within the next two years Hankook Tire intends to open Korea’s largest tyre research and development centre. The tyre maker has announced plans to shift its main R&D operations to a new 66,000 square metre centre in the city of Daejeon; company vice chairman and CEO Seung Hwa Suh and Daejeon Metropolitan City mayor Hong-Chul Yum have already placed their signatures on a contract covering the relocation. Construction work on the centre should be finished by 2013.

18th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Americas donates to Japanese Red Cross

Bridgestone Americas has added to its parent company’s 300 million yen (approximately US$3.5 million) donation to relief efforts following the Japan earthquake and tsunami with a $250,000 donation of its own to the Japanese Red Cross. Announcing the donation, Bridgestone Americas president and CEO Gary Garfield reflected that “a tragedy of this magnitude is always devastating to see, but it’s especially heartbreaking when it affects our teammates, and their families and loved ones. On behalf of all Bridgestone Americas teammates, I’d like to express our sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, and we hope that the donation will aid the people of Japan in rebuilding and restoring their country.”

17th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess relocates Tokyo office staff

Lanxess has announced the temporary closure of its office in Tokyo. For the time being, management from the Tokyo office will be based in Toyohasi, some 250 kilometres southwest of the Japanese capital. The specialty chemicals firm’s Rhein Chemie operates a production facility for rubber chemicals in Toyohashi.

16th March 2011/by Tyrepress Editors