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.
Michelin has reported an operating income of 1,368 million euros for 2005, up 5.1 per cent on a year earlier. According to Financial Times Deutschland, this is well above financial analysts’ estimates and reflects the higher prices that Michelin has been able to achieve, more than compensating for raw material cost increases.
During testing for the Sepang MotoGP test, world champion Valentino Rossi has been spotted with a special 16-inch rear Michelin tyre, as opposed to the usual 16.5 inch tyre that can be found on his factory M1. “We worked very well with Michelin and with one or two new tyres that they brought we made some good improvements to the vibration (chatter),” Rossi told crash.net, without making any specific mention of a different tyre size.
The new Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier scored a decisive victory in its first major international comparative tyre test, being declared as “awesome” by top test riders. The test, carried out by US magazine, Sport Rider, compared the top road tyres on the market in a gruelling assessment of traction, braking, steering response and general handling qualities.
Michelin has announced that René Zingraff will retire from his position as managing partner after the company’s Annual General Meeting on 12 May 2006. Mr Zingraff’s announcement is subject to shareholder approval. At the last Michelin Annual General meeting in May 2005, Michel Rollier was appointed managing partner of Michelin, alongside Edouard Michelin and René Zingraff. The appointment is seen as advanced preparation for Mr Zingraff’s retirement.
Carlisle based owner-driver Keith Simpson has just replaced the original drive axle tyres on his Volvo FH12 tractor unit after an impressive 616,000 kilometres. The Michelin 295/80 R22.5 XDE2 tyres recorded this performance during the first life of the brand new tyres, followed by a regroove, which ensured an additional 20 per cent mileage. The regrooving also extended the tyres most fuel-efficient state, in line with Michelin’s Stop Thirsty Tyres Campaign.
EnTire Solutions, LLC has named Bianchi Public Relations, Inc as its public relations agency of record. The announcement was made by Richard Wolfe CEO of EnTire Solutions, and James A Bianchi, president of the public relations firm.
Bianchi Public Relations will provide strategic public relations counsel, media relations and promotional assistance to EnTire Solutions, which develops, markets and sells direct, driver-oriented tyre pressure monitoring (TPM) systems and related tools and services to vehicle manufacturers. The firm has been assisting EnTire Solutions on a project basis.
(Akron/Tire Review) As expected, United Steelworkers officials in Canada and the US reacted bitterly to the news that Michelin North America (MNA) was planning to close its 44-year-old broadline tyre plant in Kitchener, Ontario,
“It is outrageous that the company has never discussed alternatives with the union and simply dropped a bomb on the whole city,” said Wayne Fraser, USW’s Ontario/Atlantic director. “It is a mean-spirited, terrible way to treat workers, their families and the whole community.”
Transrent, the UK commercial road transport and financial services group, has Michelin a five year supply deal worth an estimated £15 million. The deal will see Michelin equip Transrent’s fleet with new and replacement tyres and is thought to be the longest commitment given by a trailer rental company to a tyre manufacturer.
At the end of 2005 CGS Tyres launched its new SuperVolumeTyre (SVT) – an innovation designed to serve demanding machinery, according to the company. But it didn’t stop there. At the same time CGS launched the Semperit agricultural brand, effectively re-branding its Uniroyal line, while also releasing its 2006/2007 databook.
CGS also introduced its new Semperit agricultural tyre brand in November, during the Agritechnica exhibition in Hanover. The move amounts to the re-branding of its Uniroyal products under the Semperit moniker. According to CGS, this brand is characterised in particular by an excellent price/performance ratio.
Unlike the Continental brand, Semperit will be marketed exclusively through selected distributors in Western Europe. For farmers and contractors in the British Isles this means RH Claydon in Great Britain and Phillip White Tyres and Donnegal Tyres in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Accompanying the launch, CGS has created modern new advertising concepts, which are said to allude to the Semperit passenger car range.
CGS will offer Semperit cross-ply and radial tyres. By offering a “large dimension range,” the company says the brand represents an alternative to other competitors in the quality segment. The Cultor-S (standard radial tyres) and Cultor-70 (70 per cent radial wide base tyres) were also presented at Agritechnica.
Speaking with CGS’ UK commercial managing director, Andrew Mabin, reveals that the company is in the process of negotiating OE fitments with a number of well-known machinery manufacturers, which could be finalised in the early part of 2006.
As far as the GB distributor, RH Claydon is concerned the introduction of the Semperit brand is good news. “Semperit is a good name, its an exciting brand to bring back into the market,” commented RH Claydon’s Dick Anderson.
When asked how he thought customers would respond to the brand name change, he added: “We had excellent sales with Uniroyal and we expect the same with the Semperit.” Tyres & Accessories learnt that there may be one or two minor alterations to the product range, but generally the transition is expected to be smooth with most of the changes taking place with cross-ply fitments. According to Andrew Mabin six Semperit sizes are already available with another scheduled for a January 2006 release.
For its part RH Claydon intends to promote the brand through the production of new Semperit brochure and show exposure, starting with January’s LAMMA show in Newark.
In order to explain the reasoning behind CGS’ decision to re-brand its Uniroyal products, the recent history of the company has to be examined. CGS Tyres develops, produces and markets its own brand Mitas agricultural tyres, as well as the licensed Continental, Barum, Semperit and Euzkadi brands. The company licences these brands on a “long term basis”, as it did with Uniroyal until recently.
When CGS bought Continental AG’s agricultural division in November 2004, the licensed brands came with it. However, now the time has come for the company to launch the Semperit brand. CGS says it will offer “excellent price/performance ratio” products under the Semperit name.
The broader CGS Tyres business unit makes a wide range of products – from the lawnmower to combine harvester tyres. CGS Tyres is active in 11 international locations and contributes to approximately 40 per cent of the total turnover of the larger CGS-Group. These sales are said to make CGS Tyres the second-largest manufacturer of agricultural tyres in Europe, Behind Michelin.
CGS agricultural products are manufactured at its Czech factories in Otrokovice, Zlin and Prague. The Otrokovice plant specialises in the production of radial drive wheel tyres. Radial tyre production there represents 80 per cent of total output. With the addition of two further production plants, CGS Tyres expects to be able to expand capacity to approximately 500,000 units in the coming years.
Michelin North America (MNA) has announced that it will close its Kitchener, Ontario, tyre plant in July with the loss 1100 jobs. Michelin cited overcapacity in its broadline products as the reason for the closure.
The news comes six months after the manufacturer closed its Poitiers, France, plant with the loss of 500 jobs and is believed to be part of a global cost-cutting programme. “We believe that Michelin will accelerate restructuring measures in coming quarters, using the opportunity of the progressive attrition of one third of their workforce (or 25,000 people) in Western Europe and North America in coming years,” Deutsche Banks analysts said in a report shortly after the news broke.
(Akron/Tire Review) As Michelin North America (MNA) prepares to pour $80 million into expanding truck tyre production at its Waterville, Nova Scotia, plant, the recent national elections in Canada threaten to derail the plan, according to reports by CBC.
As part of the expansion deal, the Liberal Party-led Nova Scotia government committed to giving MNA some $9.4 million in interest free loans. With the Conservative Party now in control, there are questions whether the loan offer will be met.
Philip J Ringo, chairman and CEO of RubberNetwork LLC, named Kumho Tire as the 10th member-owner of the global Tire and Rubber Industry Consortium. “We welcome Kumho Tire to RubberNetwork. They join nine of the Industry’s largest and most successful companies, Continental Tire, Cooper Tire & Rubber, Goodyear, Hankook, Michelin, Pirelli Tire, Sumitomo Rubber, Toyo Tire and Rubber and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. in what we believe is the most successful industry consortium. The addition of Kumho is both a validation of their stature in the Industry and the wisdom of RubberNetwork’s founders in forming the Company in 2000” Ringo said.
At the end of last year the International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC) organised its first conference dedicated to tyre related topics. As the name of the event suggests, it mainly dealt with intelligent tyre technologies – meaning run-flat tyres and tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). Participants were invited to take part in a day-long workshop immediately before the two-day conference with the first day completely focusing on new developments. The second conference day featured information about a wide range of different topics like for example tyre/road noise, chassis control and the design of alloy wheels.
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For nearly three decades, the East Anglian company Bickers has been developing the Maxxis brand in a number of niche markets, including motorcycles and scooters, Moto-X, ATV and lawn care. Now, following the establishment of a joint venture between Maxxis and Bickers (Maxxis International UK plc), a concerted effort will be made to develop the brand – especially in the passenger car tyre and LCV markets.
For Stamford Tyres the Chinese market is not new. There they have a local partner that produces some of Stamford’s private brands such as the Sumo truck tyre. Also, the new PCR private brand “Sumo Akina”, which will be launched by the end of this year, will be manufactured in China. China is becoming more interesting not only as a production base, but also as a potential sales market. China the giant is taking centre-stage for many wholesalers, including Stamford Tyres from Singapore.
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