Nokian Tyres appoints Westerlund as VP and CIO
Nokian Tyres has appointed Frans Westerlund vice president, CIO and Processes. He will join the company’s management team on 1 August 2017 and will report to the president and CEO.
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Nokian launches Hakkapeliitta Truck F2 steer tyre
When it comes to winter driving, Nokian Heavy Tyres observes that an extra couple of percentage points improvement in grip “makes all the difference.” This is why when developing a successor to the Hakkapeliitta Truck F, the Finnish tyre maker says it wanted to make an “already excellent” steer tyre “even better.” The Hakkapeliitta Truck F2, it adds, is a completely redesigned tyre with a “more aggressive tread pattern” that maximises grip.
Nokian launches Nordman 7 SUV for ‘varying winter weather’
At the end of January Nokian Tyres renewed its Nordman product family with the introduction of the Nordman 7, including an SUV variant. The Nokian Nordman 7 SUV studded tyres utilise a unique stud technology that offers safe and comfortable winter driving. The carefully tried and tested technological solutions ensure that new Nokian Nordman tyres are a reliable choice for the varying Northern conditions in terms of safety as well as overall economy.
Nokian CT tyre range extended to five sizes
Four new sizes have joined the Nokian Heavy Tyres’ CT trailer tyre line-up, complementing the 650/55R26.5 CT tyre introduced at the Agritechnica exhibition three years ago. The new sizes –560/60R22.5, 600/50R22.5, 600/55R26.5 and 600/60R30.5 – are available as of this month.
Nokian appoints Pantioukhov as interim president/CEO
The board of directors of Nokian Tyres plc has appointed Andrei Pantioukhov, 44, as the interim president and CEO starting 1 January 2017. Pantioukhov currently serves as Nokian Tyres’ general manager, Russian operations and continues also in this role. He has been in the company since 2004, a member of the management since 2009 and executive vice president since the beginning of 2016.
SnapSkan service aims to improve traffic safety for millions: Nokian Tyres
Nokian Tyres’ investment in Sigmavision and the installation of its SnapSkan tool via tyre and car service chain Vianor is targeting “improved safety” for “millions of drivers”, the Finnish tyre manufacturer states. The free and fast technology measures the depth of tyre treads on the go and informs the driver of the results, serving motorists on their everyday routes, in locations such as car parks.
Nokian invests in Sigmavision, launches SnapSkan based on TreadReader technology
Nokian Tyres has become a shareholder in diagnostics equipment firm Sigmavision, launching its own digital tyre checking service, branded SnapSkan. SnapSkan will use TreadReader Drive Over ramps to provide a service that SigmaVision says will help to advance its “Beyond the Workshop” strategy. Dr Andrew Pryce, Sigmavision’s managing director, commented “The opportunity to progress our ‘Beyond the Workshop’ strategy with Nokian Tyres plc is a significant step and we are also delighted to welcome Nokian Tyres as a shareholder in our business.”
Goodyear wins Auto Express all-season tyre test
Recognising the attractiveness of all-season tyres to the majority of the UK market, leading weekly magazine Auto Express has conducted its second comparative test of six products in the segment. Testing on the bestselling 17” size, 225/45R17, the magazine used the independent Test World facility, with support from Hankook, to test in snow, and Continental’s Contidrom to test in cold and wet conditions to represent winter, and dry conditions to represent summer. The full test also included two leading seasonal tyres, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen-1 winter tyre and the Continental ContiSportContact 5 summer tyre, which showed that all-season products continue to represent a compromise; however the performance gaps in the tests most relevant to UK drivers may surprise critics of year-round tyres.
Nokian Tyres and Vianor help set new world record for the fastest car on two wheels
A new world record for the fastest car on two wheels was set at Seinäjoki Airport on August 31st, when Nokian Tyres’ product development, Vianor’s professional pit crew and well-known stunt driver Vesa Kivimäki combined their strengths. The tyres on the record-breaking car had been reinforced with Nokian Tyres Aramid Sidewall technology and the new record was set at a speed of 186.269 km/h (115.742 mph)
Former Nokian boss appointed head of green tech firm
Immediately following the announcement of his departure from Nokian, Ari Lehtoranta has been unveiled as the new president and CEO of Caverion Corporation, a supplier of energy-efficient technical solutions for buildings, industries and infrastructure on whose board he has sat since 2013 (as chairman since 2015). He will assume the new position on January 1, 2017.
Nokian Tyres’ president resigns
Nokian Tyres’ president and CEO Ari Lehtoranta has resigned in order to “pursue new opportunities outside of Nokian Tyres”. According to the company, Lehtoranta will continue in his present position until the end of 2016. Lehtoranta only joined Nokian in May 2014 and will be remembered for his decision to own up to company’s magazine tyre test manipulation in February 2016.
Nokian sponsors Fin golfer Mikko Ilonen
Nokian Tyres has started a multi-year partnership agreement with professional golfer Mikko Ilonen, Finland’s “Mr. Golf”. The cooperation starts in the beginning of 2017, and Ilonen is set to take part in various company events and endorse Nokian Tyres and its products, especially in the Nordics.
Nokian becomes World Orienteering Championships title sponsor
The Nokian Tyres World Orienteering Championships, WOC, will begin on Saturday 20 August in Strömstad, Sweden and last until 27 August. There are over 400 participants from 46 countries. Nokian Tyres, the world’s northernmost tyre manufacturer, is the title sponsor for the championships.
Nokian Tyres “in line with expectations” in Q1 2016
Although Nokian Tyres’ net sales decreased 1.9 per cent year-on-year to €275.8 million in the first quarter of 2016, the Finnish company increased its operating profit by 4.6 per cent to €50.5 per cent and nudged its operating margin up from 17.2 per cent to 18.3 per cent. Net profit for the January to March quarter amounted to €39.9 million, 70.5 per cent lower than the result recorded a year earlier; the reason for this was the return of €100.3 million worth of taxes and interest for 2007 to 2010 to the company’s books in the first quarter of 2015. Excluding this one-off event, profit rose 13.8 per cent year-on-year. Earnings per share amounted to €0.30 during the quarter.
Nokian excluded from SUV summer tyre test, loses top honours in winter test
The publication ‘SUV Magazin’ has printed a test of size 215/65 R16H/V in its current 2/2016 issue. An Audi Q3 quattro was used to evaluate five brands of tyre; a sixth tyre – the Nokian Line SUV – was removed from the ranking post-testing as a “precaution” after details of Nokian Tyres’ test manipulation activities came to light.
