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.
At an official ceremony on 4 June, attended by around 400 guests, German specialty chemicals firm Lanxess inaugurated its new butyl rubber plant on Singapore’s Jurong Island. Built at a cost of 400 million euros, the facility is the company’s largest ever single investment and is described as being the “most modern of its kind in Asia.” The 100,000 tonne per annum plant will produce premium halobutyl rubber and regular butyl rubber.
In February, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and Mexican firm Industrias Negromex S.A. de C.V. (INSA) jointly earned a US patent (8,357,733) for a process to produce silane, hydrophobated silica, silica masterbatch and rubber products. Building on this announcement, on 7 June the two companies reported achieving a further significant milestone. They have successfully evaluated silica masterbatch technology in full-scale production facilities and demonstrated that tyres produced with silica masterbatch technology offer a range of benefits compared with tyres produced using conventional dry silica mixing technology.
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has announced the realignment of three business areas, Technology, Manufacturing and Procurement. It says this realignment will create a “more integrated team equipped to deliver on the company’s brand promise more fully.”
The awaited announcement regarding the closure Michelin’s Joué-lès-Tours truck tyre plant in France arrived on 10 June and was accompanied by news of the company’s intention to invest €800 million in its French facilities over the coming six years. The tyre maker has also announced the end of truck tyre production in Algeria and the sale of this operation.
Maxam Tire International, the Luxembourg-based supplier of all-steel radial OTR and speciality tyres, has totally maxamtire.com. The new-look site’s different sections give details of the company's history and provide an insight into its commitment to quality throughout the manufacturing process.
While it sounds too dramatic to talk about seismic activity in the tyre market, the ongoing long-term effects of the various financial crises are continuing to be felt. At a continental level this has meant continued queries about how the largest tyre makers can better balance supply and demand in Europe. However it is also difficult to say how much of this conjecture is actually manifesting into any kind of practical reality. Indeed, at times like these people can get over-creative in their analyses, along with any legitimate market observations. That said, and without wanting to sound like a seventies pop song, it is as if we can feel the slow undulations of the terra firma under our feet.
At its meeting on 27 May, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd’s Board of Directors confirmed the promotion of Raghupati Singhania from vice-chairman to chairman. Singhania is now chairman and managing director of the company.
Hankook Tire Co. is scouting potential sites in South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama for its planned US tyre plant, according to US news sources.
Brazilian retread materials manufacturer, Vipal used Autopromotec as the platform to announce that it is re-purposing one of its Brazilian production plants. At the same time the firm launched a couple of new treads. The 25th edition of the show coincides with the fact that Vipal itself turns 40 this year, making it something of a multi-celebration for the company.
Perhaps the most important news for European and other export markets is the Brazilian company’s decision to repurpose one of its three manufacturing sites to focus exclusively on products destined for international exports. “This is an important decision that Vipal is taking regarding the foreign market. Thus, we will be able to provide all the required structure to serve with excellence over 90 countries around the world," said Plinio de Luca, Vipal's sales and marketing director say before the show.
During Autopromotec week Tech Europe honoured the contribution of a number of loyal distributors who had reached milestones in terms of service and distribution. Plaques were presented by Gary Armstrong (senior vice-president global sales and marketing at Tech International), Martin Blakey (vice-president sales and marketing, Europe) and Walter van Loon (vice-president sales and training, Benelux) to the following distributors:
Despite an illustrious history dating back to 1917, 30 May could mark the end of an era for Dunlop as officials confirmed that its motorsports tyre manufacturing operation will have to find a new home away from the historic Fort Dunlop site from 2014 if their new landlord doesn't lease it back to them again. According to the landlord, Canmoor, the site has been sold to neighbouring Jaguar Land Rover. Therefore it looks likely that Dunlop Aircraft Tyres (a completely separate company from Goodyear Dunlop) will be the only tyre manufacturing operation remaining in Birmingham after the end of the current lease. Dunlop's annual motorsport tyre output is currently believed to be around 200,000 units. 180 manufacturing staff are employed there along with roughly 120 tyre testing, sales and marketing personnel.
Yokohama Tire Corporation’s (YTC) new Yokohama Tire Mexico (YTMX) subsidiary officially began importing consumer, commercial and off-the-road (OTR) tyres in Mexico on 1 May. Incorporated in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico, according to the company, YTMX is squarely positioned to give YTC long-term strategic advantages. With this in mind YTMX’s president, Gary Nash, answered questions about what those advantages are, the long-term vision for the company and the positive impact dealers can expect.
Local new reports suggest Apollo Tyres has sold Apollo Tyres South Africa (ATSA), including the Ladysmith passenger car tyre plant, to Japan-based Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) for $60 million. The company will reportedly retain the Durban plant, which manufactures truck and bus radial tyres and off-highway tyres used in the mining and construction industries. All employees of the company, other than those in the Durban plant, will continue with ATSA, the company said in a statement.
With no buyers seeking to purchase it, the closure of Goodyear’s Amiens Nord tyre manufacturing facility now looks inevitable. And according to various French news reports, France's government has now faced up to the fact that this means the loss of up to 1,200 jobs.
Indeed closure is now the only option on the table after the French Agency for International Investment (AFII) contacted 57 potentially suitable of which just eight said they would be interested. Of these five signed confidentiality agreements and two non-binding offers were presented, but France's Economic Redevelopment Ministry said "after careful examination of the plans put forward," no candidates were in a position to present a binding offer.
At the start of 2013, Jeff Schumaker took over as managing director of Cooper Tire Europe moving to the company’s Melksham headquarters in order to take up the role. But Schumaker’s appointment wasn’t a UK debut, but rather a return to the country and to familiar faces. Schumaker’s first stint in the UK took place roughly a decade ago in 2002/2003 when he was mentored by then MD Ron Shield and worked alongside his immediate predecessor in Melksham, Julian Baldwin, who was then marketing and motorsports director. Roughly four months after Schumaker took up the reigns at Cooper Tire Europe, Tyres & Accessories visited the company’s Melksham headquarters to see what direction the company is taking following the most recent change of leadership.
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