As of December 1, 2009 Nenad Tutunovic has taken over as marketing manager at CGS Tyres. In his new role, in which he reports directly to marketing and sales director Andrew Mabin, Prague based Tutunovic heads up the company’s international marketing team. He is also responsible for the further development of an international marketing strategy and communications plan for CGS Tyres.
For the first time ever, Michelin’s Ladoux Technology Center near Clermont-Ferrand is not off limits to the public. Those wishing to take a peek inside are however encouraged to head for the nearest web browser before booking their flight to France – tours of the 450-hectare site are virtual and can be taken at www.michelin.com/ladoux.
ExxonMobil Chemical will host Tire Symposium 2009 in Chengdu, China, for those interested in learning about new tyre innerliner technologies and opportunities for the Chinese tyre industry. The 18-20 October event is sponsored exclusively by ExxonMobil Chemical, and will feature product marketing and technology specialists discussing tyre innerliner technologies, including the company’s own Exxcore DVA resin-based innerliner.
On 26th January 2009 GiTi Tire Europe BV incorporated a new UK truck tyre subsidiary. Company representatives report that the Chinese tyre manufacturer initiated the move in order to enable the company to focus better on the specialist needs of the truck tyre market.
Planning for the new subsidiary began in mid-2008, and the company now has premises, a third party logistics operation and three sales people on the road. The next appointment scheduled in the company’s lean business plan is the recruitment of an operations manager to oversee the truck tyre subsidiary’s back office operations.
On March 4 Rhodia announced the appointment of Emmanuel Butstraen as president of the company’s SILCEA Enterprise and member of the Extended General Management Committee. Furthermore, Butstraen will take over the representation of the Group in France’s Rhône-Alpes region.
Emmanuel Butstraen is an Agricultural engineer and graduate of the Institute of Business Administration in Lille, France. He joined the BASF Group in 1992, where he held several sales & marketing positions, before being appointed as general manager of BASF Agro in Lyon. Since 2005, he has been group vice president, Global Strategic Marketing, of the company’s Plant Protection Division.
The first Renault Trucks refuse collection vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine will start a field test, fitted with Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels, in the Lyon urban area in October 2008. The aim is to confirm, under real operating conditions, that up to 30 per cent reduction in fuel consumption – and therefore in CO2 emissions – can be achieved by using Renault Premium Distribution Hybrys Tech. The market launch is planned for end 2009.
The idea of an online tyre replacement market might sound like a less-than-significant niche to you, but when you consider that the UK and Germany are not only the most “wired,” but also the two of the continent’s largest tyre markets, it is clear that this means a lot of tyres and potentially a lot of money. The total online shopping market is currently worth £21 billion and is expected to triple in the years to come. As far as tyres are concerned, the leading online players are banking on the increase in broadband availability bringing extra customers organically, but one report Tyres & Accessories has seen suggests the poor communications skills of some conventional businesses are handing e-tailers even more opportunities.
During 2006 Manchester-based MWS Distribution, which supplies the CV market through aftermarket and OEM divisions, launched into Europe with both its established steel range and new Xlite forged alloy products. Reckoning on the current demand for CV wheels trailing behind the rest of the market’s ability to supply, arising from Euro4 demand for new vehicles, managing director John Ellis has is forecasting an increase in sales from Europe up towards 2 million this year. This sales breakthrough came from marketing support with DTI’s Passport to Export, and recruitment since 2005 of French, German and Spanish speakers to the company’s sales staff.
Launching Xlite at last year’s Hanover IAA exhibition, MWS claims it has found OEMs seeking alternative sources for forged alloy wheels. First among these is France’s trailer manufacturer Benalu, which will be trialling Xlite on their new Siderale 78 trailer at Solutrans in Lyon (April 2007).
The Beru spark plug plant in Chazelles-sur-Lyon, France, has received the Ford Q1 Award in the areas of quality, logistics and environmental protection. The coveted quality award is a recognised standard in the international automotive and component supply industry. It acknowledges the excellent achievements by the French Beru site in areas such as customer focus and compliance with all customer specifications, standards and statutory requirements.
Bibendum, the well-known Michelin man character, has uttered his first words more than 100 years after he was created. And what did he have to say? “I’m letting off fireworks” – the title of a 30 second radio advert airing this week on 59 British radio stations and in 10 other countries around the world.
In France, Kwik-Fit subsidiary Speedy has reorganised its fleet mobile tyre service. According to Speedy, the reorganisation is designed to better meet the need of its customers. In the Paris area, for example, it often takes “more than thirty minutes to get out to the customer from the nearest service centre,” explains Rodolphe Noulin, director of fleets and mobile services. Now the company has reinforced its coverage in the eight main districts of the “l’Ile-de-france” to eight mobiles vehicles instead of the six it had before.
ProLogis, a leading global provider of distribution facilities and services, today announced that it has signed a build-to-suit lease agreement with Bridgestone, one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. Bridgestone will lease 245,611 square feet (22,818 m2) of distribution space at ProLogis Park Evry located on the outskirts of Paris.
Darfeuille, the French industrial division of logistics specialist Christian Salvesen, has won a multi-Euro contract to distribute tyres from Michelin’s St-Priest site near Lyon, destined for retail outlets and distributors in the Rhone-Alpes and Central region of France. Darfeuille has been operating Michelin’s Salon de Provence site since the beginning of 1998 and the company’s experience and performance was instrumental in the award of the new contract.
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