Michelin Archives - Page 232 of 321 - Tyrepress

Tyre industry pioneers, Michelin has a long history. Having begun in 1889, Michelin is now the second-largest tyre manufacturer in the world after Bridgestone and larger than both Goodyear and Contineantal.

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Control Tyre Almost Certain for British Superbikes

It appears that at least one motorcycle championship will definitely change to a single tyre supplier for 2008. The Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board of Great Britain (MCRCB) has been evaluating the feasibility of the competition with a single tyre supplier since September, and after much dialogue with riders and their teams, as well as with tyre companies, has elected to proceed with its plans for a switch to a single brand for both the Superbike and Supersport classes next year.

The two main contenders for the job are Dunlop and Pirelli, with the Italian manufacturer considered to have an edge on Dunlop in terms of experience in managing the type of logistics that would be involved. However Dunlop, who currently supplies the majority of the Superbike class teams and around half the Supersport teams with its products, is by no means in a weak position.

16th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cash Injection Helps Tyre Startup

A US startup tyre company that has developed a winter tyre with retractable studs has become the recipient of a US$200,000 investment from SC Launch, an organisation specialising in the provision of seed funding and mentoring for new, innovative businesses. South Carolina based Q Tires Inc. has yet to bring any products to market, but the company, headed by former Michelin executive Roy Bromfield, claims it is creating the world’s safest tyres.

Utilising a patented technology called “Celsius”, the tyres function by causing air pressure from the main chamber of the tyre to expand a secondary chamber, which lifts the studs above the surface of the tread. When road conditions no longer require studs, the air pressure is released into atmosphere and the studs retract below the tread face. The Celsius tyres have already been granted DOT approval, and plans are afoot to commence manufacture in China. Q tires has raised $8 million from investors and created a joint venture to produce the tyres in the Chinese city of Qingdao. Untreaded tyre cores will be purchased from Yellow Sea Tire and will be fitted with the new technology tread in a 6,700 square factory that will employ an estimated 140 staff.

15th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Aiming for 15 Million Tyres a Year in Poland

The previously reported Michelin expansion in Poland will see capacity at the company’s Olsztyn plant boosted to 15 million units a year, claims Deutsche Bank’s Equity Research division. This capacity will further be revised in the mid-term to 20 million units, making the facility in northeast Poland the tyremaker’s largest.

The reasoning behind the decision to expand in Poland at the expense of facilities in Western Europe becomes clear when viewing the relative costs of each region. In Western Europe, direct labour costs per passenger car tyre represents approximately 7.5 euros, or 15 per cent of its selling price. In Poland the same tyre can be manufactured for 1.7 euros, less than 4 per cent of the tyre’s retail price.

15th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone New Truck Tyre Segment Market Leader

The 1.2 million tyre strong UK commercial vehicle segment has a new market leader. Speaking at Bridgestone UK’s Truck Point annual dealer conference, commercial director Greg Ward told delegates that Bridgestone’s truck and bus market share had grown 2 per cent on last year’s total to 28 per cent, overtaking previous market leader, Michelin. Goodyear’s share stands at 20 per cent, while Continental is estimated to hold 9 per cent of the market. The remaining 16 per cent is held by various “other” manufacturers.

According to Ward, Bridgestone’s progression comes on the back of major fleet gains and strong service performance in recent years. It is understood that Michelin’s share is strong in terms of public service bus contracts, but the commercial truck fleet side of the operation has been losing ground to its competitors. Other conference topics included exclusive news of around £2.7 million worth of truck fleet gains, and the awarding of LRPA expert dealer status to 49 truck point dealers.

15th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Stoner Unhappy About MotoGP Single Tyre Proposal

The recent suggestion from Dorna that a one tyre rule should be adopted for MotoGP in 2008 has been met less than enthusiastically by current world champion, Australia’s Casey Stoner. The Bridgestone shod rider recently made public his feelings about the proposal made after a season in which the Japanese tyre major dashed Michelin’s long enjoyed winning streak.

“There has been one [bad] season and now everyone wants to jump ship,” Stoner said. “This is a prototype championship. These bikes are built just for this championship and these tyres are built just for this championship. If we bring in a single tyre rule, then you bring in single manufacturer bikes, and then it’s the R6 Cup.”

12th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Poland Logistics Centre to Employ 1,000

A thousand new staff will be taken on by Michelin Poland when its logistics and production centre in Olsztyn, in the country’s northeast, is completed. The £180 million facility, being constructed on a 50,000 square metre site, will serve production in the domestic market, the rest of Europe and in North America.

Michelin’s growth in Poland has been made easier through the granting of a couple of concessions; the town of Olsztyn gave Michelin a 99-year lease on an 82 hectare site in early 2005, for which the tyremaker pays a sum of 100,000 zloty (£18,650) per month. That same year the Polish government implemented a number of tax rebates for the company and approved an aid package valued at around £11 million.

12th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Canadian Retreader Goes With MRT

(Akron/Tire Review) Brampton, Ontario’s Tiremaster Ltd. has switched from the Bandag retreading process to Michelin Retreading Technologies’ process. “As we look toward the future, we’re confident that Michelin’s technology, quality and cradle-to-grave approach is the best solution for our customers – particularly the large national fleets,” said Tiremaster President Ron Cherry. “After decades in the retreading business, I’m sold on the MRT process supported by Michelin service.”

11th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Wins Autocar 2007 Tyre Test

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric has been declared ‘Best Tyre’ by Autocar magazine, just a month after the new tyre’s domination of the Evo Magazine tyre test. Autocar tested Goodyear, Michelin, Continental, Pirelli and Bridgestone tyres on both front wheel drive and rear wheel drive cars. The Goodyear was the clear overall winner after winning in both categories.

The renowned UK weekly magazine had chosen the 138bhp Mondeo TDCi and the 268bhp Mercedes C350 to give a comparison between a typical large family car and a powerful rear wheel drive sports saloon respectively.

11th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Runs Training Seminar in Bahrain

A total of 33 employees from Bahrain tyre specialist Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo (E K Kanoo) have been trained at a workshop organised by Michelin. The training was conducted by the Michelin’s Bahrain representative and technical sales officer Mahmoud Madi; and was the first workshop of its kind to be led by Michelin in Bahrain, according to local news sources. Ebrahim K. Kanoo B.S.C. serves customers ranging from on-road to off-road for passenger vehicles; and heavy duty truck tyres and specialised tyres for industrial and construction equipment. The division offers brands such as Michelin, BF Goodrich, Cooper, Sime, Amine and Ceat.

10th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Grocontinental Opts For ATS Euromaster/Michelin Fleet Servicing

Shropshire-based truck fleet, Grocontinental, has appointed ATS Euromaster as its sole commercial vehicle tyre services provider across its fleet of 55 commercial vehicles and 100 trailers following an extensive Michelin tyre trial. The new agreement will see ATS Euromaster work in partnership with Grocontinental’s maintenance team fitting Michelin tyres across the fleet. According to the company the new contract replaces a previous Goodyear policy which had been managed internally for more than 30 years.

David Grocott, Joint Managing Director of Grocontinental says: “Tyres have a critical impact on a vehicle’s fuel economy, and after a Michelin tyre trial we saw that by working with ATS Euromaster to manage our tyres more effectively, we could make valuable savings to our fuel bill. Switching our procurement policy will also allow us to follow Michelin’s Four Lives tyre strategy.

“It was a difficult decision for us to make because of the length of time we have worked with our previous supplier, but ATS Euromaster was able to offer a range of additional benefits including a nationwide roadside assistance service and weekly fleet checks to ensure our tyres remain in the optimum condition,” he adds.

9th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Evacuates Employees’ Families from Algeria

Michelin has decided to evacuate the families of French nationals in its employ in Algeria because of concerns for their safety. The plans for their repatriation from the North African state were made after nine people, including two French nationals, were injured during an attack made upon a convoy of foreign workers in September. A group with al-Qaeda affiliations claimed responsibility for carrying out the attack.

Violence linked to terrorist activities has surged within Algeria this year, with dozens killed by suicide bombings in September alone. Recently al-Qaeda released a video in which second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri called for militant groups in North Africa to “cleanse” their lands of the Spanish and French.

The French tyre major said operations at its Hussein Dey facility in Algiers would continue and that those actually employed at the plant would remain in Algeria.

8th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Acquisition of Oliver Rubber Completed

Michelin North America announced on October 5 the completion of its acquisition of the Oliver Rubber Company from Cooper Tire & Rubber. Oliver, which produces tread rubber and retreading equipment, will now operate as a subsidiary of Michelin North America, Inc.

The US Federal Trade Commission granted an early termination of the standard waiting period for the transaction allowing the acquisition, which included a cash purchase price of US$69 million, to proceed.

This latest acquisition complements Michelin’s tread manufacturing capacity and extends, via the Oliver dealer network, the commercial reach of Michelin’s services throughout North America’s growing retreading market. In 2005 Michelin announced a major expansion of its tread manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia and, earlier this year, the opening of a new tread manufacturing facility in Querétaro, Mexico.

8th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Malaysia Appoints New MD

Michelin’s Malaysian operation, Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd, has announced the appointment of a new managing director. Former sales development manager for Michelin Asia Pacific Yves Pouliquen began in this role on October 1, taking over from Ronald Sutardja, who is leaving the company.

Pouliquen started his career with Michelin in 1998 as a supply chain manager for the Asia-Pacific region before becoming a territory account manager in 2001.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Micheldever: Focused on Independent Tyre Retailers

Despite broadsheet gossip that Micheldever was bidding to buy National Tyres at the end of the second quarter, Micheldever executives remain clear that their focus is on selling to independent dealers and that any such speculation was completely unfounded. Instead they would much rather that attention fell on pioneering developments such as the release of the first all-terrain 4×4 tyre in the world capable of H-rated performance with an 18-inch diameter – 255/60hr18 General Grabber AT2.

Micheldever Tyre Services’ core strategy remains the same as ever, according to wholesaler director, Alan Baldwin. And the company continues in it clear mandate to provide “the widest possible range of products at the most competitive prices to the independent tyre retailer.” Further significant investment has been made by the company in additional warehouse capacity and delivery vehicles, says Baldwin, explaining that the company runs eight strategically positioned warehouses that hold the largest multi-brand tyre stocks in the UK.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Imerys Trial Michelin XZM Tyres

St Austell-based Imerys Minerals Ltd has entered into a preferred supplier agreement with Michelin and ATS Euromaster, for the supply and fitment of Michelin XZM radial tyres across its fleet of 50 forklift trucks.

Imerys has been a long term Michelin customer for over 25 years, but the start of a new contract hire agreement in 2006 saw a number of new forklifts delivered with a mixture of solid and pneumatic tyres fitted from a range of manufacturers, providing the customer with an opportunity to undertake its own extensive tyre tests.

“The trial allowed us to benchmark the Michelin XZM tyres against a number of other brands which were fitted as original equipment to trucks supplied by Barloworld Hire,” explains Steve Truscott, Engineering Manager – Mobile Plant, at Imerys Minerals.

“We have always leaned towards the Michelin XZM tyres in the past due to their proven resistance to cuts and damage, combined with strong wear characteristics. We’ve run other trials in the past to ensure the Michelin tyres provided good cost-per-hour benefits, but this recent delivery gave us the chance to conduct a much broader test involving four different makes of tyre,” he adds.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors