North America
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) said it has consolidated its online communications with its other advertising and marketing communications, awarding all of that business to Campbell-Ewald. The agency has had MNA’s passenger tyre advertising account since 2001.
(Akron/Tire Review) Tensions in Charlotte, North Carolina, are rising as the head of Continental Tire North America (CTNA) saying the company may close its HQ plant and the United Steelworkers (USW) claiming the tyremaker hasn’t provided information to allow it to “develop a plan to salvage manufacturing at the Charlotte plant.”
(Akron/Tire Review) Pirelli Scorpion LT/SUV tires have earned an OE position on the 2006 Ford F-150. The new F-150 Harley-Davidson model will have 22-inch wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tires in size P275/45R22. And the F-150 FX4, Lariat, and King Ranch models will have an available 20-inch wheel with Pirelli Scorpion ATR tyres in size P275/55R20. Pirelli Tire North America said this was the first OE fitment for the Scorpion ATR.
(Akron/Tire Review) Toyo Tire North America Inc. (TNA) officially opened its first North American tyre production facility this morning in White, Georgia. The opening ceremonies were attended by Georgia state and regional officials, Toyo and Nitto tyre dealers, and Bartow County, Georgia., business and community leaders.
(Akron/Tire Review) Kevin Sapp of Rema Tip Top/North America was elected chairman of the Tread Rubber and Tire Repair Materials Manufacturers’ Group (TRMG) during its recent annual meeting in Las Vegas. Jeff Young of Patch Rubber was elected vice chairman, Phil Boarts of Oliver Rubber Co. was elected secretary, and Thad Perdue of Robbins LLC was elected treasurer. All will serve a one-year term.
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) said that it will begin selling its Michelin and BFGoodrich branded agricultural tyres in Mexico as of 1 January, 2006. The tyres will be available through a “network of select dealers” in Mexico. MNA will offer radial Michelin brand tyres, and “value priced” BFGoodrich units.
(Akron/Tire Review) In 1958 Craig Anderson sold his first set of Goodyear Double Eagles while working at his uncle’s tyre store in New York state. Now, after 40-plus years in the tyre and rubber industry, Craig has stepped down as president and chief executive officer of Hercules Tire & Rubber Co.
Singapore’s Stamford Tyres has published first half 2006 results which show the company is ahead of schedule as far as net profits are concerned. In the six month period ended 31 October the company recorded a 114.3 per cent rise in net profits to S$6.5 million.
SmarTire Systems Inc has launched a new wireless gateway product line that will carry the SmartWave(TM) brand. This SmartWave brand will apply to all products developed under SmarTire’s wireless gateway architecture. Under the SmartWave brand, the company will initially introduce three versions of its tyre pressure and monitoring systems to meet the varying needs of fleet customers.
Michelin is planning to expand a Lexington County, South Carolina plant that makes large earthmover tyres, the associated has press reported. With reference to the current earthmover tyre shortage, Michelin said the company is investing in a South Carolina facility “west of Columbia.” He said capacity will be added there but did not discuss the size of an expansion nor a definitive timetable.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) said that its Continental brand medium truck tyres have earned standard equipment fitments on Autocar’s Xpeditor line of trucks. The OE contract includes CTNA’s Continental HSU and HDL steer and drive tyre lines.
Tyres & Accessories recently asked its diverse readership – comprising of manufacturers, wholesalers – retailers and everyone in-between, what they thought about the recent spate of price increases. For their part the manufacturers claim rocketing raw material prices have forced them into a corner, with regard to end-product price increases. However wholesalers and distributors are likely to feel that these increases are an attack on their margins, which can only be remedied by passing the cost onto the consumer, therefore making retail more difficult.
T&A asked readers: Are price increases a necessary evil, or just the result of prudent financial planning on the part of the manufacturing business? 60 per cent of those that responded put price increases down to the nature of supply and demand, while the remaining 40 per cent said manufacturers had more ‘business orientated’ motives.
Continental Tire North America has asked 1,000 employees at the company’s Charlotte plant to give up 35 per cent of their pay and benefits by January. If the workers’ union doesn’t agree, the company is ready to immediately cut the plant’s production by 30 percent, and hasn’t ruled out closing the plant altogether, the Charlotte Observer quoted chief executive Alan Hippe as saying. The plant’s union leaders have not yet made a decision on the request.
From the 1 January 2006 Cooper-Avon Tyres Ltd, will be known as Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd. The news follows the launch of a new international corporate image at the SEMA show in November and is seen as an effort to unify the company’s global operations. While the move is clearly linked to the company’s efforts to enhance the global recognition of its Cooper brand, this will not be at the expense of the Avon brand, according to Cooper.
Michelin does not envisage raising prices in Europe at the moment, despite price increases in North America and Japan. “Our philosophy has not changed, we reflect the rise in the prices of the raw materials in our selling prices,” Reuters quoted one Michelin spokesperson as saying. Michelin’s last price increase in Europe was a year ago.
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