Legislation Archives - Page 48 of 48

Waste Tyres A Global Problem

Sarawak’s Natural Resources and Environment Board claims that there is no market for the recycled products from the scrap tyres and that retreading was not economically viable. Crumb rubber which can be used for many purposes has a market value of only 75 per cent of its production cost. Sarawak, has no system developed or legislation formulated to promote and regulate scrap tyre disposal and recycling issues. Malaysia produces about 14 million pieces of used tyres per year and the number is increasing at a rate of 10 to 15 percent.

14th January 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Insurance – A Change Of Policy?

Product News

Insurance for all in the tyre industry is fast becoming a major problem. Legislation and an increasingly litigious society make it advisable to have the best cover you can, but it’s not always that easy. Premiums have shot through the roof as insurance companies are affected by the downturn in the stock market – it seems that the tyre industry is one sector whose business the insurance companies don’t want. Insurance was one of the topics debated at last year’s NTDA conference, but if retailers think it’s difficult to get cover, spare a thought for the poor retreader.

9th January 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

180 Jobs To Go At Goodyear Wolverhampton

Product News

Goodyear has announced that 180 jobs will be lost at its Wolverhampton, UK, plant. The company has had to make the announcement to comply with employment legislation and the jobs could be lost as early as the beginning of next year. Uncompetitive production performance and low European demand for tyres were cited as the main reason. The job cuts will halve tyre production at Wolverhampton to 3,000 tyres a day.

23rd October 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

South African Waste Tyre Legislation Delay

Legislation

South Africa produces 90,000 tonnes of waste tyres per year and currently only recycles 10 per cent. The country has one large tyre recycling company and some 10 smaller operations, with another 16 waiting to develop business when waste tyre legislation is developed. However, a white paper on waste expected in July has not yet been issued and the SA Tyre Recycling Process Company (a not-for-profit organisation hoping to establish itself as the governing body for the industry) reports that some landfill sites are already refusing to take tyres and others are charging up to 15 Rand (1,40 €) per tyre. The company suggests a collection fee, payable by the consumer, of 6 Rand (0,60 €), which will fund the recycling process collection and management. The subsidy is needed, say the company, because recycling operations need to receive the tyres at virtually no cost to be profitable.

3rd September 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Good First Half Results For Michelin – “Challenging” Next Six Months Forecast

Product News

Michelin has released its first half figures. Compared with 1H 2001, turnover is up 1.4 per cent to 7.8 billion Euros and operating profits up 16 per cent to 569.6 million Euros. Net profits were down 31.2 per cent to 254.1 million Euros, but the figures for 1H 2001 included a sale of Peugeot shares; when these are factored out of the equation, net profits for 1H 2002 rose 279 per cent. Much of the credit for the results goes to Michelin’s restructuring programme and debt has been reduced by one billion Euros, with operating margins improving one point to 7.3 per cent of net sales. Raw material costs declined by 6 per cent over the period. Looking ahead, Finance Director Michel Rollier described the second half of the year as “challenging and uncertain”, particularly the economic crises in South America. Michelin’s shares rose nearly 4 per cent on publication of the results.

31st July 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

Employee Shareholding Plan From Michelin

Product News

Michelin is offering 100,000 employees worldwide the chance to become preferential shareholders in the group. Employees will be able to purchase shares until the end of April with a discount and they will have usual shareholder rights, including access to financial information sent by Michelin to its employees. The object is to strengthen the relationship between the company and its employees and to give them a stake in the group’s development.

10th April 2002/by Tyrepress Editors

“Technical Manual” From Fulda

Product News

A new edition of Fulda’s “Technical Manual” has been introduced. Experts and end users will find a lot of information about all different types of tyres, about tyre technology and, last but not least, about legislation. The completely revised manual is available in English and German versions.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

Run-flats Primed To Satisfy J.D. Power Consumers

Product News

More Goodyear run-flat tyres are on the road than any other. A study by J.D. Power and Associates says that nearly seven out of eight consumers place run-flat tyres at the top of their list of desired features. The report shows that consumers want safety-related features more than sophisticated entertainment systems or other convenience features in their new vehicles.

30th November 2001/by Tyrepress Editors

BMW Chief Milberg Does Not Convince The Press

Product News

It seems that BMW’s CEO Joachim Milberg may be close to being dismissed. The German magazine stern reports that the major shareholder – the Quandt family – has lost confidence in Milberg due to his mis-handling of the problems associated with daugther company Rover. The BMW boss also left many questions unanswered at a press conference on 17th March. For example, he and his colleagues neglected to mention the planned sale of Land Rover to Ford. Milberg also responded with ‘no comment’ to the question why had three colleagues been forced to leave the company over the Rover fiasco when Milberg himself and the boss of the Supervisory Board Doppelfeld had been the ones responsible? The Quandt family owns over 40% of BMW’s shares and they have said that they would never entertain a take-over bid for the company. In the light of recent events, many people are sceptical of such statements.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli With Great Ambitions in Africa

Product News

Pirelli’s truck tyre division generated a 1999 turnover of 466 million Euro and an EBIT of approximately 38 million Euro (eight per cent of turnover). For the current year the division has set itself the firm target of breaking the 500-million-euro barrier. The commercial vehicle tyre business accounts for almost 20 p.c. of Pirelli’s tyre turnover, in which the truck tyre factory in Alexandria/Egypt plays a key role. (The group also has commercial vehicle tyre production in Settimo Torinese/Italy, Izmit/Turkey and Santo André/Brazil). The enterprise started in 1990 with a mere 11 p.c. Pirelli participation in the 150 million dollar investment. And even that was not in hard cash but in know-how about building a new truck tyre factory and research and development data for the product. Other investors were local, both private and public finance consortiums. As Egyptian legislation was liberalised, it became possible for the Italians to increase their share to 60 p.c. by capital raising measures and to take the industrial leadership. Only two years after the start of building the first truck tyre was produced at the Alexandria factory. In 1995 the annual capacity was 100,000 truck tyres, today 330,000. In two investment stages capacity is to be increased to 550,000 tyres in the short term and to 800,000 tyres per year by 2003. But the plans do not only involve volume growth; new products are also part of the project, for instance the tubed tyres FG85 and TG85 for on/off application in Africa and the Middle East, introduced on the Truck Tyre Day 2000. The total investment plan is for 140 million Euro. Currently only a third of the truck tyres produced in Alexandria go to export, but in future exports will account for about half the output. Read more in NEUE REIFENZEITUNG 5/2000.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

Lead Balance Weights To Be Banned?

Product News

A European committee has agreed on the final text of the End Of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV). One paragraph bans the use of lead in wheel balance weights, including coated weights, on new vehicles after 1st July 2003. It is unclear whether any ban would apply to the aftermarket. The ELV text has to be submitted to the European Parliament and then to the Council for final vote and adoption.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

NTDA Conference 2000

Product News

The National Tyre Distributors Association held its millennium conference in Portugal. Before the conference got under way, delegates were given the news that RapidFit had applied to join the association. The 300-strong chain of Ford dealers is the first of the vehicle dealerships to enter into membership. The keynote speaker at the conference was Sir Tom Farmer, one of whose points was that the association should consider becoming more commercial and explore the possibility of setting up a buying group for members. Other speakers explored the themes of the impact of e-commerce and the internet on tyre retailing and what tyre dealers can do to take advantage of the opportunities which are liable to arise in the future. The impact of legislation – existing and forthcoming – was another topic, including the implications of the proposed End of Life Vehicle Directive. There was a different format for the second day, when delegates broke into groups to discuss the three subjects of scrap tyre disposal, e-commerce and the changing face of tyre retailing, reflecting the previous day’s subjects. The group chairmen then reported back to the meeting and the conclusions were presented to the NTDA in order to guide the association as to its future strategic direction in these areas. Debate was lively and everyone agreed that the new format had been a resounding success.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

Senate Approves New Powers to NHTSA

Product News

The US Senate, last night approved legislation prompted by the Bridgestone Firestone tyre recall. The new measures strengthen reporting requirements for automotive related manufacturers. The enforcement powers given to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration allow them to impose civil and criminal penalties for misleading the government about auto defects which result in death and injury. The maximum civil penalty for violations has been raised from $925,000 to $15M, and prison terms of up to 15 years have been prescribed, alongside fines of up to $100,000 for withholding information in cases where death occurs. The legislation instruct NHTSA to conduct tests into SUV safety and issue rules requiring the fitting of safety devices to warn drivers of underinflated tyres.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

Ultra-Low Aspect Drive Axle Tyres From Bridgestone/Firestone

Product News

Bridgestone/Firestone Europe (BFE) has revealed details of a new, ultra-low aspect tyre for trucks and city buses. Called GMD (Greatec Mega Drive) the tyre replaces a pair of dual-mounted drive axle tyres with a single unit. Advantages claimed by BFE include lighter weight, lower rolling resistance and increased carrying capacity. Sizes are 435/45 R22.5 (for city buses) and 495/45 R22.5 (for trucks). Bus tyres will be commercially available early next year and the larger GMD truck tyres in 2002.

7th December 2000/by Tyrepress Editors

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