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Pirelli Declares 2005 Year of OE

In a statement summing up the company’s plans for the New Year, Pirelli has called 2005 “the year of OE.” In the company’s words, its New Year strategy will be based on four key business pillars – MIRS, original equipment, brand and new products.

The company recently announced that it would be bringing a fourth MIRS system into operation. In addition Pirelli highlighted the fact that its “Fist” advertising campaign has received awards for its “original equipment on the world’s finest” message.

Gaetano Mannino, president and CEO of Pirelli Tire North America, explained that only a few days into the New Year, the list of vehicles riding on Pirellis includes the following well-known names: The Dodge Ram SRT-10, SRT-10 Quad Cab and the Durango, made by Daimler-Chrysler; Ford’s F250 and F350 pickup trucks and the Five Hundred, Freestyle and Mustang GT. Chevrolet’s new Cobalt is also shod with Pirellis as an OE fitment.

4th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Competes in American Le Mans Series

Kumho Tire is to join the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) this year, as a race tyre supplier, according to American news source Tire Business.

The company will begin both tyre testing and the selection of a racing team this month. The tyre manufacturer is reportedly already in talks with GT and prototype teams.

4th January 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Completes Sale of Automotive Unit

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (Findlay/Ohio) has completed the sale of its automotive business, Cooper-Standard Automotive, to an entity formed by The Cypress Group and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners for approximately $1.165 billion in cash, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. As previously announced, $30 million of the purchase price will be held by the buyer until the post-closing working capital adjustments can be finalized.

28th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Accuride Acquires Transportation Technologies Industries

Accuride Corporation (Evansville/Indiana), North America’s largest manufacturer and supplier of wheels for heavy/medium trucks and trailers, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Transportation Technologies Industries, Inc. (TTI), one of the largest North American manufacturers of truck components for the heavy and medium-duty trucking industry. The common stock of both companies is privately held. Upon completion of the merger, the combined company will offer the trucking industry a onestop component sourcing solution and expects to become one of the predominant suppliers to the heavy/medium commercial vehicle industry.

28th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin North America Announces Price Increases

Michelin North America is increasing U.S. replacement tyre prices on a variety of product lines.
• Passenger and light truck tyres will increase by up to 5 percent on Michelin brand and up to 6 percent on BFGoodrich, Uniroyal and private and associate brands effective March 1, 2005.
• Commercial truck tyres will increase by up to 6 percent on both Michelin and BFGoodrich brands effective March 1, 2005.
• Earthmover tyres will increase by 5 percent effective Jan. 1, 2005.
• Agricultural tyres will increase by up to 6 percent for radial tyres and up to 12 percent for bias tyres effective Jan. 1, 2005
• General aviation tyres will increase 5 percent worldwide effective April 1, 2005.

21st December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNT, Steelworkers Re-Start Negotiations

Bridgestone Firestone North America and the United Steelworkers of America union have returned to the negotiating table after talks broke down 13 months ago according to a Modern Tire Dealer report. The negotiation collapsed when USWA officials walked out in response to a BFNA proposal.

Workers at five BFNT plants are still working under a day-to-day contract that can be canceled by either party at five days notice. Factories that would be covered under a new contract include plants in Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma and a racing tyre plant in Akron, Ohio.

10th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

French MRT Franchise Renews Contract

Robert Bernard TRM, the first Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT) franchise in Canada, has renewed its contract with MRT for another five years.

“We are pleased to renew our strong partnership with Robert Bernard TRM,” confirmed Guy Pekle, president of MRT Canada. “As the demand for MRT products strengthen and our growth continues, we remain committed to finding lower cost solutions for customers.” Jocelyn Bernard, vice-president of Robert Bernard TRM Ltée added “our existing structure allows for the sale of high-end MRT products on the road, via our retail distributors and Michelin partners. We are confident that market response will be as good as it has been for the last five years where we have seen consistent, annual growth.”

Michelin says it will continue to focus on the independent dealer and franchises, noting that there are now more than 230 points of sale in North America for Michelin retreads.

8th December 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Firestone Announces US and Canadian Price Increases

Bridgestone Firestone North America and Bridgestone/Firestone Canada have jointly announced price increases. Prices are due to increase by 5 per cent on passenger and light truck tyres, 7 per cent on truck and bus tyres and 10 per cent or more on agricultural and off-the-road tyres. The companies say the increases will affect Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton, associate and private brand tyres and will come into effect from 1 January 2005.

According to Mark Emkes, CEO and chairman of Bridgestone Americas Holding, parent company of BFNT and BFCA, “Our tyre companies are facing an unprecedented continuation of rising raw material prices on a number of different fronts. From steel to petroleum to rubber chemicals, we have seen cost increases that simply can not be offset by the increases in efficiencies and productivity that we have implemented at all levels of our company. The action we announced today is a necessary step in addressing these escalating costs.”

30th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Price Increases Good News for Manufacturers’ Shares

The prices increases announced by a number of leading manufacturers are good news for their share prices, say market analysts Deutsche Bank. Bridgestone/ Firestone announced a 5 per cent across the board price increase for passenger car and light truck tyres in North America, effective 1 January 2005, with heavy truck tyre prices set to increase by 7 per cent. According to the analysts, this news is particularly significant because BFS was one of two companies (along with Michelin) that did not raise prices during the last round of price hikes that were rolled out by Goodyear, Cooper Tire, Continental and others in October. This means that “most tyre companies will elect to raise prices once again in early 2005, and that price increases will mitigate higher raw material costs,” says Deutsche Bank.

30th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Names New Technology Director

Goodyear has appointed Jon Bellissimo as director of technology for the company’s commercial tyre systems. Mr Bellissimo previously served as director of global technology for Goodyear Engineered Products a position has held since August, 2000. The company says Mr Bellissimo’s experience in tyre modeling and composite science will “contribute to expediting new technologies in medium truck tyres.”

“We plan to lead in ‘smart’ truck tyres that use computer chips to improve tyre maintenance and increased miles to removal,” said Steve McClellan, Goodyear’s vice president commercial tyre systems, North America region. “Through Goodyear computer modeling, we are gaining product leadership in line haul and regional haul steer tyre application, line haul drive and urban steer position,” Mr McClellan added

25th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

New year New Price Increases

Continental Tire North America has announced that it will raise prices of its commercial and off-the-road tyres, from the 1 January 2005, as a result of rising raw material and other costs.

The increase, which will be between three and six per cent will affect all of its truck and off-road brands including Continental, General and Semperit.

19th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Reports Better Than Expected Results

Goodyear has officially reported third quarter results that show “record sales and positive net income.” According to the company the improved figures were driven by improved operating results in all seven of its business segments.

10th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Bekaert Expects Double Digit Growth for 2004

Bekaert sustained its sales growth across all business segments in the third quarter. However, after making further efforts to manage unpredictable raw material markets, sales prices inevitably grew.

In the first nine months of 2004, Bekaert achieved an increase in consolidated and combined sales of 19 per cent and 17 per cent respectively (1)(2). The consolidated sales’ increase was 20 per cent from organic growth and three per cent from the net movement in acquisitions and divestments, while adverse currency movements amounted to four per cent.

9th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop’s Triple Tyre Launch

International News, Product News

Goodyear presented three new high performance Dunlop tyres at the SEMA show in an effort to rejuvenate its North American line up of the fading brand. Independent tyre dealers and consumers that attended the show had the chance to see the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, the company’s new “flagship ultra-performance tyre” that has already been released into the European market and that performed well in Autocar’s recent tyre tests.

According to Andy Traicoff, director of the Dunlop brand in North America, the tyre has been received enthusiastically from manufacturers seeking “original-equipment tyres for their high-horsepower models.”

8th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Gives Away free ‘Treadheads’

Just a few days after unveiling its new Direzza DZ101 tyre, Dunlop found a number of volunteers willing to sit in the “chair.” The barber’s chair, that is.

4th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors