Goodyear Marketing & Sales Sdn Bhd says that its tyres are the most preferred passenger tyres in Malaysia, commanding 33 to 35 per cent of the total domestic tyre market. Marketing communications manager Caroline Ang said the company’s tyres, sold under the Goodyear brand, were the leader in the local tyre segment. “We are confident our market share will grow as the number of cars in the country is also growing,” Ang said.
Credential Environmental has sold its hazardous waste division for £8.13 million giving the company’s tyre and waste business – Credential Automotive – a multi-million pound platform for growth through acquisition and new projects.
Need a tyre that can perform on any surface, while remaining quiet and looking good? Pirelli says the new Scorpion ATR does exactly that. Attending the tyre’s launch in Tozeur, Tunisia Tyres & Accessories asked if a tyre capable of performing strongly on sand and in wintry conditions really can be quieter and more comfortable than any other 4×4 tyre Pirelli has produced?
At the Scorpion ATR’s launch, Pirelli representatives spoke of the Italian manufacturer’s latest 4×4 offering with no small measure of hyperbole. Describing the Scorpion ATR as “Another Tyre Revolution”, the company was basically saying that its latest offering is aimed squarely at the “would like to go off-road, but won’t make a habit of it” market. But that is not to say that it doesn’t perform. According to Pirelli, the new tyre outperforms its predecessor, the Scorpion A/T, in almost every respect. The product is situated right in the centre of the company’s 4×4 portfolio and represents a serious attempt to please as many SUV drivers as possible.
Not all of the Soviet Union’s tyre manufacturers exhibited at Tires & Rubber Moscow in March. While Amtel and Sibur decided not to come, Niznekamshina, Belshina, Moscow Tyre Plant and Rosava (from the Ukraine) all booked floorpsace.
Rosava, a closed joint-stock company which is listed but not traded on the stock exchange, belonged to Amtel until a year ago, then a Ukrainian investment bank called “Finance and Credit” took over. Before and after that change of ownership, the annual production was and is about 6.7 million tyres, explains Rosava’s deputy commercial director Roman Y. Rybachuk. This output includes some 6 million (radial only) passenger car tyres and 700,000 truck tyres. The manufacturer supplies about 50 per cent of the Ukrainian PC market, Mr Rybachuk continues. And about 20 per cent of the annual output (1.4 million units) is exported to Russia, and another 10 per cent to the other CIS states.
Based at Vilnius, in Lithuania, Bandag Dealer Guminta UAB held an open house on 31st March to inaugurate its new sales outlet in the port city of Klaipeda, some 300 km to the west of the capital. The new premises enables the company to gain better penetration into the western regions of Lithuania, bringing tyre products and services much closer to a large proportion of the fleet customer base, while reducing delivery costs at the same time.
The main event at the open house event was the signing of Guminta’s franchise agreement with Bandag for the next five years. Guests of honour at the signing were Mike Tirona, Vice President and General Manager, Bandag EMEA and the main shareholder of Guminta, Mr Valdemaras Zakarauskas.
Goodyear Dunlop UK is investing in and reorganising its TruckForce network in a move designed to enhance customer service, company executives told Tyres & Accessories today. In England and Wales Goodyear’s truck business will now be served by 16 hub outlets and 45 so-called “spokes.” These company-owned and franchised dealerships will be supported by a wider network of 250-280 TruckForce partners.
KYB has added another original equipment contract to its already-lengthy list – the company is the world’s largest supplier of original equipment shock absorbers – by supplying shocks for the new Nissan Note. The Note is a mini people carrier, manufactured at Nissan’s factory in Sunderland, and is fitted with KYB gas struts in the front and gas twin tube shock absorbers in the rear.
BMW achieved strong vehicle sales in the UK during the month of March. With 21,605 vehicles registered during the month, BMW has recorded an increase of 24 per cent on this time last year and an overall rise in volume of 16 per cent year to date. One of the key influencing factors in BMW’s success has been the introduction of the new 3 Series Saloon and Touring models. Overall 3 Series has shown an increase of 63 per cent when compared to this time last year. Other strong performers in the BMW range are the 7 Series, 5 Series and 1 Series models, all of which have shown a sharp increase in registrations when compared year on year.
Marangoni, has announced the appointment of Greg Graham as Brand Manager. The role will be predominantly UK based, with responsibilities across additional English speaking countries. The appointment follows Marangoni’s new distribution partnership with leading UK wholesaler, Group Tyre (UK) Ltd, and further signals the manufacturer’s intent to aggressively increase its market share of the UK car tyre market.
For the first time in almost 10 years, Fiat’s Putno has topped the b-segment sales charts in western Europe and been named the most sold car in Western Europe. In January 2006 Fiat sold 37,977 Puntos ahead of Renault’s Clio (36,016) and Ford’s Fiesta 31,470. In the same month, Fiat Auto recorded over 100,000 vehicle sales in Europe, which represents a 17.9 per cent growth over January 2005. Fiat Auto’s European market share stands at 8.4 per cent, which represents a 1.1 per cent increase over the same month a year ago.
Goodyear has reported a fourth quarter net loss of $51 million for 2005, compared with the previous year period’s net income of $125 million. This year’s lower result was put down to losses caused by the sale of the company’s farm tyre unit. Despite the losses the company recorded sales of $4.9 billion in the fourth quarter and a full-year sales record of $19.7 billion. According to the company, sales benefited from improved pricing and product mix and higher volume in the international tyre businesses, while the effect of currency translation reduced sales by approximately $107 million in the quarter.
Bekaert has acquired Delta Wire Corporation for an enterprise value of US$10 million. With almost 100 employees, Delta Wire Corporation, located in Clarksdale (Mississippi), is a major supplier of bead wire for tyre reinforcement, as well as of a wide range of specialized wire products for the North American market.
Deutsche Bank analysts are expecting Cooper to announce losses of $0.14 per share when the company releases its fourth quarter results. The analysts are already describing the period as “another weak quarter.” Cooper is said to have under-performed the market in recent times. According to the Deutsche Bank analysts, Cooper’s third quarter North American (NA) volume declined 6 per cent compared with a drop of 1 per cent across the market.
Sales of cars imported into Russia more than doubled in the past year, as more of the country’s burgeoning middle class switch to non-domestic makes. The sale of cars imported into Russia is expected to continue to boom in Russia over the next few years, although the market share of used foreign models is expected to decline steadily.
The popularity the foreign makes, led by Hyundais, Chevrolets and Toyotas, is believed to have been a key factor behind the increase of foreign car sales to almost 600,000. Rising disposable incomes and zero import duty on car components, is also encouraging the large car producers to build assembly plants in Russia.
Russell Fleetwood has literally stepped up a gear at ATS Euromaster. ATS Euromaster has named the 39-year-old as its new national car sales director, a position he immediately takes over after just one year as one of ATSE’s divisional sales managers.
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