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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Deliveries of the Nissan Leaf – the vehicle recently crowned European Car of the Year 2011 – have begun in Europe, and Bridgestone reports that models of this all-electric car sold here and in Japan will be supplied with its Ecopia tyres as original equipment. The tyre maker will supply its Ecopia EP150 in size 205/55R16 91V. This fitment is part of a larger Ecopia EP150 line-up Bridgestone announced in January; the range is now available to fit a wide range of compact and mid-sized passenger cars with 14 to 16-inch rim sizes in 55 to 65 series.
Bridgestone has given further information on restarting production in its factories located in Japan’s Kanto region or north of that region. Production at the company’s Yokohama and Tokyo factories has already recommenced, although electricity supply and other issues are still restricting a return to full production at the Yokohama site. It is anticipated that Bridgestone’s Tochigi, Nasu and Kurioso factories will recommence production on March 16. Deliveries from the Tokyo plant are expected to restart on March 16 and deliveries from Tochigi and Nasu on March 18 or thereafter.
In response to widely circulated fears about the effect the disaster in Japan and subsequent nuclear reactor issues will have on demand for natural rubber, the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries has opined that these events “will not have significant impact on rubber demand from the country.” Supporting this statement, the ANRPC points out that major tyre manufacturers have already confirmed their plants remain largely unscathed and will resume full production upon the restoration of reliable electricity supplies.
German tyre and automotive component manufacturer Continental AG has donated 250,000 euros in emergency aid for those living in the regions of Japan destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. Referring to recent developments, company CEO Dr. Elmar Degenhart said “our thoughts are currently with the people of Japan who are living through one of the country’s worst crises. Management and employees alike have been devastated by the disaster and its consequences.
Yokohama Rubber has provided information on the status of its factories in Japan following last Friday’s earthquake. Tyre production has been largely unaffected, with its Shinshiro, Mie and Onomichi factories operating as normal. The tyre maker comments that it is “addressing the issue of procurement of raw materials” for these plants. Operations at the company’s Mishima plant, where passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres are produced, was suspended following the earthquake. Yokohama has found no serious damage to buildings or equipment, and operations were partially resumed after it confirmation was given it was safe to do so. Yokohama says it is “now working to determine a schedule for returns to full operation.”
Yokohama Rubber has announced it will donate 50,000,000 yen (almost £380,000) to assist with relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan on March 11, 2011. In a press statement announcing this donation the company also said: “Yokohama Rubber Group would like to express their sympathy to the families who lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunami, and truly hope that the area devastated by the earthquake will be reconstructed as soon as possible.”
Falken has released a statement from its finance and admin director T. Ikeuchi, reporting that its Shirakawa factory has “stopped daily manufacturing operations due to the immediate black out, and because the factory building and equipments installed have been found partly damaged. Ikeuchi also stated that the company is “investigating the extent of the damages”, intending to recommence production as soon as possible. In addition, Ikeuchi said that all “Sumitomo Rubber Industries group employees and their families have been confirmed uninjured”.
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