Gebrüder Schaad becomes Starco GS
To mark the completion of Swiss company Gebrüder Schaad into the Starco organisation, the new entity Starco GS held a distributor day earlier this month at the company’s facility in Sübingen, Switzerland.
Whether its raw materials, machinery, research and development or the latest manufacturing trends, this tag provides up-to-the-minute insights into the upstream part of the tyre industry.
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Autoparts adds 50 new references to Padtech range
Autoparts has added 50 new references to its extensive range of Padtech brake pads, bringing the number in the range to close to 1500 references for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
UK car manufacturing up in October but CV slide continues
The SMMT has released figures showing that in October domestic demand supported the biggest monthly increase in 2013 UK car manufacturing
Car output in October rose 17.4 per cent to 160,854 units, the largest monthly increase so far this year. 1,286,287 cars have been produced in the year-to-date; a rise of 5.4 per cent.
Cabot completes Nhumo acquisition
Cabot Corporation has completed its acquisition of the equity stake owned by Grupo Kuo S.A.B. de C.V. in its Mexican carbon black manufacturing joint-venture, Nhumo, S.A.de C.V. The company says Nhumo is Mexico’s leading carbon black producer and the acquisition of Kuo’s interest strengthens Cabot’s global carbon black business and will help meet growing demand throughout North America. The Nhumo business will now be integrated into Cabot’s Reinforcement Materials segment. Under the terms of the agreement, Cabot will pay Kuo US$105 million, of which $80 million was paid upon closing. In addition, at closing, a special dividend payment will be paid to Nhumo shareholders, of which Cabot will receive $14 million.
Cabot investing in emissions reduction technology
Cabot Corporation, the second largest carbon black manufacturer in the United States, has agreed to pay a US$975,000 civil penalty and spend an estimated $84 million on state of the art technology to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOX), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM) from its carbon black plants in Franklin and Ville Platte, Louisiana, and Pampa, Texas. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice, these measures will resolve alleged violations of the New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at these three facilities.
Bosal opens emission systems plant in Chongqing, China
The Belgium-based Bosal Group has opened its first production facility for automotive emission control systems in Chongqing, China. According to the company, the new 2700 m2 facility in Dadukou District will produce innovative emission control systems and components for passenger car manufacturers in the region. The factory is reporteldy equipped with a latest technology production line including laser welding and CNC roll forming. The news comes less than 8 months after the firm closed its UK production operations with the loss of over 100 jobs.
Lehigh appoints ex-Yokohama, Goodyear executives to Board
Sustainable materials company Lehigh Technologies has announced two new Board members. Former executive vice president and chief operating officer at Yokohama North America, Jim MacMaster has joined the company’s Board of Directors, while Adel Halasa, PhD, a polymer scientist formerly with Goodyear, has joined its Advisory Board.
October tyre volumes up 3% – Michelin
October volumes in mature markets have risen by three per cent, according to Michelin. While North American passenger car tyre volumes increased a little more than in Europe to reach an aggregate rise of two per cent, Europe led truck tyre increases at nine per cent versus North America’s six per cent.
Mitas at full production in new Otrokovice plant
During the Agritechnica show, Mitas reported that its new factory in the Czech Republic town of Otrokovice has commenced full capacity tyre production. The company built the 24,000 square metre plant within one year and invested approximately CZK 1 billion (£30.9 million) in the project. The new Otrokovice plant produces Mitas and Continental-branded agricultural radials and has a 42,000 tonne per annum capacity.
‘Largest’ retreader opening in Canada
A Canadian firm is setting up what it says will be North America’s largest tyre retreading plant. The CA$37 million facility in St. Mary’s, Ontario will open in February 2014 and operator Green Arc Tire Manufacturing Inc. stated in a press release that it will remould up to 3 million passenger, SUV and light truck radials a year at the facility.
Maxxis announces Wildcard Champion
Maxxis International has announced Priorslee Motor Services in Telford as its 2013 winner of the Maxxis Extra Mile competition. Priorslee Motor Services were chosen as this year’s ‘Wildcard’ winners after hosting a family open day in conjunction with Maxxis and in aid of Severn Hospice, which UK managing director, Derek McMartin described as “a brilliant way of promoting the Maxxis brand.”
HR manager first Yokohama Mississippi employee
Some six weeks after groundbreaking at the site of Yokohama’s future plant in the United States, Yokohama Tire Corporation subsidiary Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM) has hired its first employee – human resources manager Melissa Orman.
Cooper tyre supplier for fuel-efficient Elio
It may look like a Morgan three-wheeler from the future, but the Elio is one American company’s vision of fuel-efficient, safe motoring. The American-made car (or, as defined by US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, motorcycle) is expected to be market ready late next year and deliver 84 mpg on the highway and 49 mpg in the city (2.8 litres per 100km and 4.8 litres per 100km), plus an anticipated 5-star safety rating. Original equipment tyres will be supplied by Cooper Tire & Rubber, a relationship that has just been sealed by the signing of a letter of intent between the tyre maker and Elio Motors.
Michelin partnering in French bio-butadiene project
Three French companies – Michelin, Axens and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) – have announced the launch of a plant chemistry research partnership that aims to develop and bring to market a process for producing bio-sourced butadiene, or bio-butadiene. The partnership goes under the name ‘BioButterfly’ and in addition to developing an innovative bio-butadiene production process, the three partners are also committed to laying the groundwork for a future bio-sourced synthetic rubber industry in France.
Trelleborg eyes expansion through Italian acquisition
Trelleborg Wheel Systems has signed an agreement to acquire the industrial tyre business belonging to Italian firm Pircher Alfred s.a.s. The business specialises in the distribution and service of industrial tyres, such as those fitted on forklift trucks. Trelleborg says the acquisition further strengthens and enlarges its European industrial tyre distribution network, and offers the opportunity to further grow the Interfit industrial tyre service business that the company took on through its acquisition of Watts Tyre Group in early 2011.
