Michelin Archives - Page 244 of 323 - 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.

Tag Archive for: Michelin

Redcap Brings One Stop Auto Care to the Middle East

Motorists in Saudi Arabia are now able to benefit from the convenience of having all their automotive purchasing and servicing needs met under the one roof. The giant Tamimi Group has announced the opening of four car care hypercentres, a concept Tyres & Accessories are informed is brand new to the Middle East. The centres will trade under the brand name ‘Redcap’ and will cater for every make and model, from the smallest car to the largest SUV.

The chain’s initial four hypercentres have opened in the cities of Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Hassa, with a fifth outlet opening in Al Khobar in the near future. The Tamimi Group state that Redcap hypercentres in numerous other locations – including outlets in Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait – are also in the pipeline.

27th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Q1 Sales Praised

Analysts have praised Michelin’s strong first quarter sales which saw sales increase 9.5 per cent when restated from foreign exchange impact. The company also reported market share gains of 4.9 and 4.4 per cent in Europe and the US respectively. “…this gives us comfort in our first half EBIT of 900 million euros, 40 per cent (250 million euros), significantly above consensus,” Deutsche Bank analysts commented, reporting the consensus as 765 million or 120 million euros. Meanwhile Thomas Aney of Dresdner Kleinwort maintained his “hold” rating on Michelin, while raising his estimates for the company.

27th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

A Different Approach

(Akron/Tire Review) Possibly the quietest, one of the most accomplished and certainly one of the most respected head of a major tyre company, Jim Micali has also had one of the longest careers, having first joined what is now Michelin North America some 30 years ago as a staff attorney. Micali worked his way up through a number of assignments, including two stints in France, before becoming chairman and president in 1996.

In 2001, Micali was appointed to the Groupe Michelin executive council, and served a term as RMA chairman in 2002. He has also served on the boards of Sonoco and Lafarge North America, and was named distinguished senior fellow in political economy and leadership management at Furman University in 2004, where he is still a guest lecturer. Micali also received the Order of Merit from the French government.

This past December, Micali sat down with Tire Review to discuss legacy and raw material costs and their impact on North American tyre manufacturing and competition, and how MNA is tackling these key issues.

27th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Second Life

Berwickshire based Rocklug Tyres are well aware of the affect a good tyre – and a bad one – can have on the performance of an earthmover. That is why the company, who have been in the tyre business since 1974, decided to make the provision of quality remoulded OTR tyres one of their priorities.

When Rocklug Tyres co-director Graham Redpath spoke to Tyres & Accessories he likened earthmoving machinery to high performance cars. “They are designed around a particular tyre and are optimised for its specifications,” he said. “For example, a Caterpillar 50 tonne dump truck may be homologated for Bridgestone tyres, and it works at its best when fitted with these. But if the operator is unable to replace the OE tyres with another set and instead must fit cross-ply tyres sourced from China, the equipment will not be able to work to its full design capacity. In many cases there have been major shortcomings in the tonne-per-hour capabilities specified for these machines.”

27th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Revenue up 5.5%

Michelin’s revenue during the first quarter of 2007 rose 5.5 per cent thanks to higher prices and demand from commercial vehicle manufacturers. The tyremaker reported that sales during the quarter came to 4.2 billion euros, compared with 3.98 billion euros a year earlier. The company is sticking to its forecast of a “tangible increase” in full-year profit as a proportion of sales.

In February Michelin affirmed its goal of a margin of 10 per cent by 2010 (compared with 8.2 per cent during 2006), and stated it will reduce costs by as much as 1.7 billion euros by 2010. The company plans to cut spending on purchasing and manufacturing.

According to the company, higher prices and changes in the type of tyres purchased added 4.4 per cent to Michelin’s sales in the quarter. The company had been expected to report sales of 4.15 billion euros.

25th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Double Tyre Donations to Emergency Crews

(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America plans to double the number of tyres it will donate to local fire and EMS departments as part of its Driving America’s Safety program. The company has already donated tyres to 25 first-responders this year.

Beginning today, communities and individuals can nominate their local fire and/or EMS teams to receive a set of new Michelin tyres. Nominations will continue through Nov. 23. For 2008, MNA will donate 50 sets of tyres to local first responder units.

24th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Investigate Rossi’s MotoGP Tyre

Michelin has taken the rear tyre from MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha back to Clermont Ferrand for a thorough investigation into its sudden failure during the Turkish Grand Prix on April 22.

Rossi experienced difficulties throughout the race and later complained of tyre problems. “I immediately started to have problems with the rear tyre,” he stated after finishing tenth. “It did get up to temperature, but then I started sliding all over: something went wrong on the right side of the tyre and it gave us a lot of problems.” It is believed the tyre began to vibrate violently on lap 14 of the race.

Pierre Alves, Michelin’s technician in the Yamaha garage, believes the problems to be the result of how the tyre has been made and not a matter of rubber degradation. “It seems that it is inside the tyre rather than what happened in Laguna [July 2006], when it was starting to blister,” he explained.

A source from within Michelin has commented that Rossi’s recent tyre problems may have been caused by a manufacturing problem rather than anything inherently wrong with the tyre’s design.

24th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin’s Gift to the Community

Up in Dundee Michelin is creating more than new tyres – the company, through its Michelin Development division, is creating opportunities. An estimated 200 plus jobs will be created as a direct result of funds – almost half a million pounds – that Michelin Development has invested in twelve new or fledgling Dundee companies during the past few years.

Michelin Development was established with the aim of helping small and medium businesses flourish in regions were the tyremaker has plants or other strong community links. These locations also include Stoke-on-Trent, Ballymena and Burnley – the closure of Michelin’s factory at the latter site in 2001 prompted the establishment of Michelin Development. The investment Michelin Development provides comes in the form of unsecured base interest rate loans (at present 5.25 per cent), the risk for which is covered by Michelin. And it appears these investment loans are doing what they were intended to do – throughout the UK almost a thousand jobs have been created through Michelin Development’s support, with an expected 211 new jobs in Dundee alone. One Dundee company has secured £500,000 worth of contracts thanks to the programme, while another has trebled its payroll.

24th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Romania Truck & OTR Tyre Production up 23%.

Michelin’s subsidiary in Romania, Michelin Silvania, has indicated it expects production at its facility in the city of Zalau will rise by 10 per cent this year, following an increase of 23 per cent during 2006. The factory, which focuses on the production of truck and OTR tyres, currently has an annual output of 600,000 units

Speaking to local media, factory manager Jana Popa painted an upbeat picture of the coming year. “We have already conquered the market of tyres for agricultural equipment, heavy vehicles and lorries, which will ensure an over 10 per cent increase in the volume of our production, while at the same time doubling the volume of semi-finished products exported to Eastern Europe,” she said. “We are also relying on the fact that we have regular clients buying our tyres and demand on the market is currently witnessing an upward trend.”

23rd April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin deal for Australian Safari

Promoters of the Australian Safari off-road rally, Octagon Australia, have announced the appointment of Michelin & BFGoodrich Tyres as major sponsors of the event. Michelin has been chosen as the official motorcycle tyre supplier, while BFGoodrich Tires will be the official automotive tyre supplier for the event. The agreement covers both the 2007 and 2008 Australian Safari events.

As part of the sponsorship, Michelin & BFGoodrich Tires representatives will travel with the event, supplying and fitting tyres for competitors along the 5500-kilometre route, which starts in Kununurra, Western Australia on August 24 and finishes in state capital Perth on September 1, 2007.

“Michelin and BFGoodrich Tires are thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic world class rally event, particularly one that caters for both automotive and motorcycle”, said Adam Storey, Michelin Australia marketing manager.

20th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

100 Jobs to Go From Michelin Canada Plant

Michelin will cut 100 jobs from its Granton facility in Nova Scotia, Canada later this year in a move the company says is necessary to keep it competitive in the marketplace. According to Michelin, about 70 per cent of those losing their jobs will be offered early retirement, with the remaining cuts coming through the axing of contract positions.

The Granton plant, which produces passenger car and light truck tyres, as well as rubber compound for other tyre lines, currently employs some 1400 staff, half of whom are, Michelin claim, eligible to retire within the next five years. Company manager of corporate communications Sheri Somerville, speaking to Canadian broadcaster CBC, claimed Michelin are “not laying anyone off and we are not forcing anyone to retire,” and added that the cuts and retirements will give younger workers at the plant increased opportunities to advance. However some employees have voiced the opinion that many will be coerced into retirement despite wanting to continue working.

20th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

NTDA Dinner at Brityrex – Bigger than Ever

Attendance at the NTDA/TAFF Awards dinner is reaching record levels with over 400 members and guests already booked to attend. Commented NTDA National Chairman John Tarbox: “The dinner is the key business event for the UK Tyre Industry and running it alongside the exhibition has certainly contributed to this year’s record support.” During the Exhibition the NTDA stand at Brityrex will be focusing on one of the key health and safety issues in the trade, manual handling.

In partnership with Penny Hydraulics and Renault UK the stand will showcase the dangers associated with the handling of modern truck tyres both for roadside repairs and on mobile units.

20th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Tempts Aircraft Tyre Buyers

On April 1 Michelin Aircraft Tire Company in the US launched a promotion through its Authorized Service Centers intended to lure potential customers over to the French brand. The “Upgrade to Michelin” program tempts customers with an 20 per cent instant rebate should they choose to convert all the main landing gear tyres on their aircraft from a competitor’s brand to Michelin. Those converting all main and nose landing gear tyres on their aircraft will receive a 25 per cent discount on the purchase price of their Michelin tyres.

Terry Schultz, director of general aviation sales for the Michelin Aircraft Tire Company believes that the program “challenges existing centres to utilise the tools and resources we have designed to expand their sales and receive rewards in return.” The offer covers purchases of Michelin AIR X, Michelin Air, and Michelin Aviator products.

19th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Pumps Blow Away Competition in Auto Express Test

Michelin foot-pumps have taken an impressive one-two clean sweep in comparison tests run by Britain’s biggest selling motoring weekly, Auto Express. The Michelin twin-barrel pump was awarded the “Best Buy” 5-star rating for performance and accuracy whilst the Michelin single-barrel foot pump took the runner-up “Recommended” award and a 4-star rating.

The two foot-pumps from the Michelin motoring accessories range were compared with eight competitors’ products in detailed tests carried out by Auto Express’ technical experts. The accuracy of the pressure gauges and their pumping power were at the heart of the tests, which also awarded points for stability in use, build quality, hose length and ease of tyre-valve connection.

17th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Primacy Hits the OE Teens

Michelin has disclosed that, in the year following its introduction, its Primacy high performance tyre has been approved as OE on no less than 13 new cars. These OE agreements cover everything from saloons to minivans to sports coupes, and every vehicle category in the 2007 car market features at least one model equipped with the tyre.

The Michelin Primacy HP is fitted as original equipment on the Audi A3, A4 and TT, the Citroën Picasso, the Ford Mondeo and Galaxy, the Kia Cee’d and Opirus, the Lexus GS, the Peugeot 607, the Renault Laguna, the Toyota Auris and the Volvo S80.

The tyre has received a fair amount of press due to the claim it provides at least 25 per cent longer tread life than any competitor in the same premium range, according to the findings of a test conducted in the third quarter of 2005 by German technical services firm TÜV SÜD Automotive.

16th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors