Continental Sumter plant ready for 2014 switch-on
Continental Tire the Americas’ new PCR to light truck tyre manufacturing plant in Sumter, South Carolina is nearing completion, having broken ground on the site in mid-2012.
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Continental Tire the Americas’ new PCR to light truck tyre manufacturing plant in Sumter, South Carolina is nearing completion, having broken ground on the site in mid-2012.
Kings Road Tyres has adapted its brand strategy to meet customer needs in 2013, saying the key to success in demanding market conditions is to meet the changing needs of trade customers. With this in mind, the wholesaler has recently launched new distribution deals with Chinese OTR manufacturer Tianli, and with Luxembourg-based construction and industrial pneumatic tyre supplier, Maxam.
UK and international tyre wholesaler, Treadsetters has recently been appointed as a UK distributor for the Falken tyre range – a move that it says enhances “significantly” its commercial tyre operation. The company says the Sumitomo-manufactured Falken brand joins Goodride and a number of specially selected mid-range and premium brands. The Shropshire-based wholesaler states that it has enjoyed a “very progressive trading period” in the last couple of years. As well as steadily increasing its product portfolio the company has also received a number of business accolades and were recently placed 59th in the Sunday Times International Track 200 list.
News from the USA; Titan International Inc., in partnership with One Equity Partners (OEP) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has closed the acquisition of a majority interest in Voltyre-Prom, a leading producer of agricultural and industrial tyres in Volgograd, Russia, from the principal owner, Cordiant, for approximately $94 million. This sum includes the assumption of debt, subject to various post closing adjustments over a period of three years.
Continental will pursue the principle of making commercial vehicle tyres go further for customers with its synergetic TBR retreading facility named the ContiLifeCycle Plant. Announced in 2012 and due to open in Hannover-Stöcken later in 2013, the 10 million euro-plus plant is set to become the world’s first plant to integrate rubber recycling with hot and cold retreading, and will create more than 100 new jobs at Conti’s headquarters. Tyrepress got in touch with Christian Saas, Conti’s director Retread Business Commercial Vehicle Tires, to get the latest information on the plant prior to it coming on line.
Compared with producing a new tyre, retreading saves up to 30 per cent in energy and 70 per cent in raw materials. Retreading also lowers overall cost per kilometre, but despite these benefits the European retreading market has been hampered by a scarcity of the industry’s main raw material – good quality, retreadable casings – and by the availability of new imported tyres whose casing quality is not sufficient for retreading.
When Vipal opened up European sales offices in 2005, the Brazilian retreading materials supplier was just starting out in the collection of disparate markets that make up the continent. Now European sales make up nearly 15 per cent of the company’s global turnover. With this in mind and with growth still top of the agenda, Tyres & Accessories asked Vipal Europe general manager Alessandro Bottesini Campos how this happened and what is happening next.
Just over a month after the ratification of a new three-year contract covering workers at BFGoodrich’s Tuscaloosa tyre factory in the US, a statement issued by parent company Michelin North America has outlined a number of layoffs that will take place at the plant.
Six Michelin suppliers have been awarded for their “exceptional contribution” in 2011 and 2012. At an awards ceremony held on 25 September, the French firm saluted these companies’ contribution towards its growth and development, a contribution they said to be with a respect for Michelin’s values.
The English-language version of the Bridgestone Group’s CSR Report 2013 have been released and is now available for download from the company’s website. The 63-page document covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2012 and, in addition to covering initiatives related to Bridgestone’s 22 CSR Focus Points, it broaches the Japanese firm’s CSR activities from three perspectives, which it presents as ‘special features’.
Luxembourg-based Maxam Tire has appointed Kings Road Tyres as the exclusive dealer for the UK and Ireland of the company’s range of construction and industrial pneumatic tyres.
When Pirelli’s Board of Directors approved a number of changes to the company’s management structure yesterday, it confirmed that position of chief commercial officer will no longer be required. The position will disappear from Pirelli’s management structure at the end of this year and the incumbent chief commercial officer, Andrea Pirondini, will leave Pirelli.
A £1.5 million government grant is winging its way to Dunlop Aircraft tyres. The grant was awarded by the Government’s Technology Strategy Board and the funds will aid the Birmingham-based company in its development and testing of tougher, lighter aircraft tyres.
While Lanxess says it is “pursuing strategic options for specific non-core businesses” and aims to reduce its global workforce by around 1,000 people by the end of 2015, the specialty chemicals firm’s reduced 2013 capex is being invested in areas serving the tyre and automotive industries. The company says work on its three key projects, including the new neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) plant in Singapore is progressing according to plan.
Prior to breaking ground on its new US factory, over the weekend Yokohama Tire Corporation formally introduced Tadaharu Yamamoto as president of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi.
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