Pirelli has announced the first three P Zero slick compound allocations to be taken to the opening Grands Prix of the 2012 Formula One World Championship season. In Australia and China teams will receive the P Zero White medium and the P Zero Yellow soft compounds. The P Zero Silver hard and the P Zero White medium tyre have been nominated for Malaysia.
Indonesia's government plans to invest US$5.6 billion consolidating 15 state-owned businesses into a large single rubber and palm oil company. The Jakarta Globe reports that the 15 businesses, which last year generated combined sales of some $4.5 billion, will be consolidated under parent company PT Perkebunan Nusantara III. The planned Indonesian merger echoes the plantation merger that occurred in Malaysia in 2008, when the government there combined three state-owned planters to form Sime Darby.
Bridgestone travels to Valencia for this MotoGP season’s final round, which the tyre supplier says will be run in tribute to Marco Simoncelli, whose death in Malaysia last week devastated those involved in the series. Hiroshi Yamada, manager at Bridgestone’s Motorsport Department said: “It is with heavy hearts that we travel to Valencia this week for the final round of the season, but that we continue racing is in itself a fitting tribute to Marco. He never gave up, so nor shall we.
Toyo Tires has announced its plans to build a new tyre plant in Perak, Malaysia. The Japanese manufacturer’s board of directors decided to construct a new facility in order to strengthen Toyo’s production-supply capability for passenger car and light truck tyres mainly in the Asia region. Toyo aims to make sales worth 310 billion yen and operating income at 24 billion yen this year from tyres. The company says it has established a “three-point global production supply structure based on Asia, Japan and North America, in order to achieve a world-wide supply of 45 million tyres in 2015, representing an increase of 55 per cent from 2010 levels.
Toyo Tire & Rubber’s acquisition of Chinese tyre maker Shandong Silverstone Luhe Rubber & Tyre, which was first announced on April 12, has now been finalised. The Japanese manufacturer reports the acquisition of 75 per cent equity in Shandong Silverstone has now been completed and the Shandong Province Industrial and Commercial Bureau has issued a business permit. Toyo’s paid in capital stands at RMB 330,138,000 (£31.8 milliion).
The latest market data released by GfK suggests Malaysia's passenger car tyre business recorded sales of over US$78 million during the fourth quarter of 2010. The analysts also reported increased popularity of American and European tyres in the market.
"It is not unusual for quarter four to register stronger demands as major festivities like Hari Raya, Christmas and school holidays all take place during the last few months of the year," commented Jennifer Chan, general manager of GfK Malaysia. "In preparation for heavier usage of their cars for visitations and long drives, car owners tend to send their vehicles for their due servicing which includes replacing their worn out tyres, around this period of time."
Skinny is beautiful, at least according to a minority of motorcyclists in Asia – yet for these riders, beauty can also involve suffering. Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper brings word of a potentially dangerous trend, that of so-called “sotong tyres.” These tyres are thinner than regular motorcycle tyres and are said to be prized for their looks and promise of speed.
Toyo Tire & Rubber has announced its decision to acquire all shares in Malaysia-based tyre manufacturer Silverstone Berhad. The company’s board of directors says it has a stock purchase agreement with Silverstone’s sole shareholder, Silverstone Corporation Berhad. According to the company’s statement, Toyo’s acquisition of Silverstone puts it in position “to make a full-scale entry into the fast-growing Southeast Asia market.” The stock transfer to Toyo from Silverstone Corporation Berhad is scheduled to take place in late January 2010 and will cost Toyo approximately 12,538 million yen (£98 million).
Amongst Michelin’s plans in Asia is a doubling of market share in Malaysia. Yves Pouliquen, managing director of Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd, reports the more than 1,000 outlets selling Michelin tyres throughout the country hold a ten per cent share of the market, and the tyre maker’s goal is to “grow that to 20 per cent.” One means the company has of increasing its presence in Malaysia is via the expansion of its Tyreplus network of independent tyre retailers. A year after its initial Malaysian market debut, the national Tyreplus network contains eight outlets, and Michelin plans to increase this to 50 centres by 2013 through a project Pouliquen says will cost some RM10 million (£2 million).
Continental Sime Tyre has rolled out two tyre models of its Sime Tyres 4×4 range aimed at SUVs, pick-ups and crossover SUVs for Malaysia. The Centipede AT and HT product will be available in 25 55 to 80 series sizes. The tyres are designed for use in local markets and are product at the Continental Sime Tyres manufacturing plant in Alor Star, Kedah.
Bridgestone has announced its Potenza tyre compound allocations for the first three rounds of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. The supplier will provide super soft and medium compounds for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir, with soft and hard compounds set for Melbourne and Sepang at the Australian and Malaysian legs. The first three races see the return of Bridgestone’s challenge to teams in including two non-consecutive compounds, exploiting the FIA’s regulation that teams must use both compounds during races. This season will be the second with slick tyres, which made a return to Formula One last year after an eleven years absence from the sport. All four dry compounds have also been modified from those used last year.
Malaysia’s national news agency reports that as of next year permits will be required for the importation of regrooved tyres. According to Bernama, Deputy Transport minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said this change was occurring to ensure imported regrooved tyres were safe for use in Malaysia. "The ministry has made new legal provisions for motor vehicles which will be gazetted and implemented in 2010 to control the entry of regrooved tyres from other countries," he said.
On 18 October Bintang Ramai Sdn. Bhd., in partnership with Continental Sime Tyre Sdn. Bhd. (CST) opened the first BestDrive passenger car and Light Truck (PLT) centre in East Malaysia. The new branch is the 16th BestDrive in Malaysia, but the first in Eastern Malaysia. According to Benoit Henry, CEO of CST, the BestDrive PLT centre empowers the company’s partners with the opportunity to use its brand to position themselves as uniform, specialised tyre dealers catering for the premium customer segment. CST aims to offer expertise and advice for the setup of a premium BestDrive shop concept, shop layout and customer-friendly tyre-changing and car-service environment.
(Tire Review) Malaysia apparently sees an opportunity from the tyre tariff tiff between the US and China. According to Bernama new service, the country’s Chamber of Commerce is encouraging Chinese tiremakers to set up plants in Malaysia in a move to avoid the new 35 per cent tariff on exports to the US.
Looking to capture 5 per cent of Thailand’s tyre market within three years, Continental AG opened its first official sales office in Bangkok. “Within the next two, three years we hope to have captured 5 per cent of Thailand's tyre market, and within five years we will be among the top five brands here,” stated Benoit Henry, vice president of marketing for Continental’s Asia-Pacific region. Thailand has a local market of about six million tyres per year. Continental currently has two tyre plants in Malaysia that can service Thailand, but Continental may consider building a local plant there. (Tire Review)
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
