Michelin Launches Inflation Station Safety Programme in South Carolina
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) announced the opening of the first Michelin Tire Inflation Station at the Welcome Center on Interstate 26 in Landrum, S.C.
North America
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) announced the opening of the first Michelin Tire Inflation Station at the Welcome Center on Interstate 26 in Landrum, S.C.
Continental Tire North America, Inc. (CTNA) has filed an unfair labour practice charge against the United Steelworkers union (USW) in relation to its Bryan Ohio OTR tyre manufacturing facility. The announcement follows attempts by Rodos Giants (part of the Roesler Group) to buy the plant. The union refused to enter into a labour agreement with the company.
Canadian Autoparts Toyota Inc, which makes aluminium wheels for Toyota Motor Corp, is expanding its operations in British Columbia with a $39-million investment. The expansion will increase wheel capacity at the Delta site by almost 17 per cent to 1.68 million units annually, starting July 2007. The 19,000-square-metre plant produces 22 wheel models for Toyota’s vehicles and employs about 230 people, a number that is set to increase to increase to 260.
Bridgestone brand Potenza RE050A tyres will be original equipment on all of Mazda’s new MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Bridgestone Corporation will supply the tyres to Mazda’s Hofu, Japan manufacturing facility in a 215/45R18XL 93Y size. The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A carries a UTQG rating of 140 for treadwear, A for traction and A for temperature.
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd is to “spin off” the Nitto brand division of Toyo Tire (USA) Corp, incorporating it as a separate company. The new business will be called Nitto Tire North America Incorporated, from 1 July 2005.
Alcoa is planning to develop a range of forged aluminium passenger car rims, which will be produced alongside the company’s forged truck products. The wheels will be produced at Alcoa’s Samara, Russia, plant and will also be made available for sale in the European market. At the same time the company is set to embark on a restructuring programme designed to improve efficiency, shedding five per cent of its total international workforce. This means up to 800 jobs in the company’s wheel business could be lost. The wheel restructuring programme is expected to cost the company between $65 and $70 million – roughly half of this will be down to severance costs.
Alcoa acquired the casted wheel business as part of the large purchase of competitor Reynolds in 1999. This acquisition saw the company take over factories in Italy (Ferrara), Venezuela and North America. However, Alcoa never really seemed happy with its casted aluminium passenger car rim strategy.
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) has filed a suit in the federal court of Birmingham, Alabama, against Canadian distributor Dynamic Tire and Chinese manufacturer, Aeolus Tyre, claiming tyre design patent infringement. Robert Sherkin, president of both Dynamic Tire Corp and Aeolus Tire in North America was also named in the action.
“We will not tolerate look-alike tyres trading on Michelin expertise and will bring the full resources of Michelin North America to bear on those seeking to profit from our innovations,” said Luc Minguet, COO of MNA’s Michelin Americas Truck Tyres unit. MNA claims that the tread design of the Aeolus HN-308 medium truck tyre is identical to its patented design for the Michelin XDA-HT.
(Akron/Tire Review) The new A1 Grand Prix has released a 12-race schedule that features races in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and South and North America. All cars running in the A1 Grand Prix series will race on Cooper tyres produced by Avon racing. The series kicks off at Brands Hatch on the 25 September and then will continue with races at Lausitzring in Germany on 9 October and at Estoril in Portugal on 23 October.
(Akron/Tire Review) Bandag Inc. has launched BDV (Bandag Drive Urban), a new pre-cure tread the company said is designed especially for bus drive tyres and for all wheel positions on pickup/delivery vehicles. Used extensively in its South American and Asian markets, said Bandag, the BDV tread design will replace Bandag’s Omnibus design in North America, which is being phased out in the next year.
Bandag said the new tread is ideal for commercial applications “where irregular wear from corners and curbs presents a maintenance challenge.” The tread is available in 210, 220 and 230 mm sizes. “Field trials in the US on two urban bus fleets shows that BDV delivered 20 per cent better tread wear over the tread it is replacing,” said Chris Hoffman, Bandag’s product manager for global tyre products, “BDV offers a deep 22/32-inch tread depth which reduces maintenance expenses for fleet managers.”
Roesler Group representatives have confirmed to Tyres & Accessories that the company is interested in buying Continental Tire North America’s (CTNA) Bryan, Ohio, OTR tyre plant. Earlier local media reports had stated that the German company was expected to buy the 312-employe facility this summer. Although Roelsler representatives concurred that a final decision would be made by the end of June, they stopped short of saying that they would definitely purchase the factory. The company would not release details of how much the deal might be worth.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) has introduced the ContiComfortKit (CCK); a run-flat system designed to temporarily seal a tyre puncture temporarily thereby extending mobility.
Less than three years ago, the Governor of Georgia and Guy Mannino, President of Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA), pushed the button to start production at Pirelli’s first Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) module in North America, in Rome, Georgia.
Continental Tire North America Inc. is expected to sell its 312-employee Bryan tyre factory this summer to the German Roesler Group, the Toledo Blade has reported. According to the reports, negotiations are said to be ongoing, and a sale price has not been determined. Roesler is expected to take on the plant’s existing staff. The northwest Ohio factory primarily makes giant tyres used on earth-moving equipment.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has appointed Laura Thompson as vice president of business development reporting to Darren Wells, senior vice president of business development and treasurer. The move became effective 1 June 2005.
(Akron/Tire Review) For the second time this year, Michelin North America (MNA) is raising prices on some of its commercial tyre product lines. Prices on Michelin and BFGoodrich branded replacement medium truck tyres will jump three to five per cent, MNA said. The increase will hit direct-billed fleet accounts as of 1 July, but won’t hit dealer accounts until 1 September, the company said.
Prices on OTR tyres sold in North America will increase by an average of 7 per cent, from the same date. Prices on replacement market agricultural tyres sold in Canada will go up five per cent on average, while agricultural tyre prices for US customers will increase by an average of eight per cent, also from 1 July.
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