Middle East
The news that Cheng Shin recently broke into Tyres & Accessories top 10 leading tyre manufacturers has drawn a response from Maxxis International representatives in the UK. According to the Maxxis statement, the company is continually looking to improve tyre performance and has now invested in a new, state-of-the-art private proving ground in China in order to allow it to “expand its already strong research and development capability.”
During a two-week long tyre safety campaign held in the United Arab Emirates, police stopped and confiscated 1,099 trucks running on unsafe tyres. Tyre related faults are reported to be one of the main causes of accidents in the UAE, a problem compounded by the preference of many truck drivers for cheap but inferior quality tyres.
Slovenian manufacturer Sava has added a high performance range to its winter tyre portfolio. Known as the eskimo hp, this lower-case titled tyre is described by Sava as a “high-performance winter tyre that offers excellent handling performance in difficult winter conditions as well as good mileage levels to the cost-conscious passenger car driver.” The eskimo hp is available in 23 sizes fitting most passenger car models and features a directional tread design optimised for winter conditions plus optimized plus a full silica compound. The Sava eskimo hp features the snowflake symbol on its sidewall, certifying that it meets the required performance levels of winter testing.
Toyo Tire & Rubber has announced a return to the black with a net income of 2,957 million yen (₤21.5 million) for the 2009 fiscal year. The Japanese company, which made a 10,722 million yen loss during the 2008 financial year, earned a profit in the 12 months to March 31, 2010 despite a 12.4 per cent decline in net sales to 287,726 million yen (₤2.1 billion). Operating income during the recent financial year amounted to 8,664 million yen (₤62.9 million). The company’s tyre business unit posted net sales of 214,291 million yen (₤1.6 billion), accounting for 74.5 per cent of total net sales and a 11.5 per cent drop from 2008 sales. Ordinary income for the 2009 financial year was 6,933 million yen (₤50.3 million); a year earlier an ordinary loss of 1,395 million yen was recorded.
Michelin is planning to open “the first retread factory of importance opened in the Arabian Gulf, outside of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” in Oman. The truck tyre retread plant is expect to produce over 10,000 retreads a year combining “Michelin know-how and competent expert hands.” According to AMEInfo, the project is being enacted in partnership with Moshin Haider Darwish, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman; Central Trading Company, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Central Motors and Equipment, Abu Dhabi and United Arab Emirates.
Michelin has released its first quarter financial report with the figure of 3.9 billion euros in net sales (representing an increase of 12.2 per cent) riding high on its statement. The manufacturer has seen a decent return to favourable comparatives a year after the depth of the financial crisis dominated most balance sheets, though European original equipment truck sales were a notable exception, down 1.2 per cent (including figures for Russia and Turkey. In comparison, year-on-year change in the segment in all other regions was up, most spectacularly in South America (up 56.9 per cent) and Asia (up 24.2 per cent). The European passenger car and light truck OE segment was much stronger, with 30.2 per cent rises in net sales.
Continental has adopted the now commonplace acronym ‘EMEA’ – Europe, Middle East and Africa – as the name of business formerly known as Car Tyre Aftermarket Sector Europe and Africa. This change of name is said to have taken place an organisational response to the company’s enlargement of its aftermarket importer and dealer network in the Middle East and Africa regions.
“We are very pleased with our strong first quarter performance,” stated Goodyear’s recently appointed president and chief executive officer, Richard J. Kramer, upon the release of the company’s January 1 to March 31 results. The US tyre maker reports an improvement in tyre unit volumes, sales and segment operating income during the quarter, as well as a “significantly” smaller net loss despite a one-time charge related to the currency devaluation in Venezuela.
One of the Middle East’s leading tyre distribution companies has announced its plan to open 65 automotive service outlets by 2012 at a dinner for its United Arab Emirates partners. ZAFCO is a supplier to the UAE domestic market, and a global supplier to customers in the USA, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Australia, has revealed details of its ambitious expansion plans. The Dubai-based company is set to launch its own chain of premium quality retail outlets across the GCC.
In March we mentioned that Dunlop was introducing its SP StreetResponse range at the Geneva Motor Show. For those of you seeking further information on this new summer tyre in these pages, the wait is finally over….
Rubberking Tyres India reports a successful 2010 show: "Tyrexpo Africa has always been a good platform for us to establish and promote our tyre brand and product range to the African market,” stated Dipti Jambhekar, Rubberking’s senior executive of international sales. “Though the number of visitors appeared to be less than normal, we were able to generate some serious quality inquiries, revive our relations with old customers and network with our existing ones.
Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) specialises in the production of tyres for off-road applications, including agriculture, industry & construction, earthmoving equipment, ATV and lawn & garden vehicles. Tyres & Accessories had the opportunity to meet with the India based manufacturer during Tyrexpo Africa, and the company’s senior general manager for exports, Rajesh K Vyas, stated: "Last year was a significant one for BKT. When the whole business world was under severe stress due to the economic slowdown, we at BKT took this as a period of opportunities.
Egypt’s Ghabbour Auto SAE, the country’s largest vehicle manufacturer and distributor of several imported automotive brands, has entered into an agreement with Yokohama Rubber to sell its passenger car, light commercial vehicle, truck, bus and construction equipment tyres in Egypt through its own outlets as well as via a dealership network that gives it a total of 300 points of presence nationwide. The Yokohama deal, states GB Auto, may enable it to quadruple tyre sales in the 2010 financial year.
Nexen Tire has elected H.B. Lee as Nexen Tire vice chairman and CEO along with the appointment of Byung-Woo Lee as vice president sales division. Hyun-Bong Lee, the former CEO of Samsung Electronics, was elected as vice chairman and CEO in the meeting at the KOSPI 200 company’s recent annual shareholders meeting.
In spite of the economic downturn in 2009, last year Nexen Tire broke its all it records with sales of $760 million, 28 per cent up over 2008. According to the company, “this outstanding performance came from aggressive marketing strategy to US and European markets and uplifting brand power in Korean domestic markets.”
When Pirelli says it is ready for Jordan, it is of course referring to the country rather than “celebrity” Katie Price. The desert-like conditions of the Middle East land await drivers participating in the next round of the World Rally Championship, and the tyre supplier is confident its Scorpion rally tyre is more than up to the job.
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