North America
At next month’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction industry trade show in the US, Yokohama Tire Corporation will unveil two new OTR radials – the RL45 and the RL51. Both tyres are described by Tim Easter, Yokohama’s director of OTR sales as spotlighting the company’s “latest technology in OTR radial tyre tread design.” Easter says the new treads “are more durable and last longer.”
Tyre manufacturer Sailun has confirmed to Tyrepress an “indirect interest” in Kings Road Tyres. While the direct players in the investment group have yet to be fully confirmed, Sailun’s indirect interest gives some indication of potential tyre industry figures involved in the partnership, confirmed to involve Chinese, European and North American interests.
The vacancy in Bridgestone Americas’ senior management created by Eduardo Minardi’s impending departure for Europe will be filled by Gordon Knapp. Effective 1 March, he will assume the role of chief executive officer of Bridgestone Americas and chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. Until a successor is appointed for his current position, Knapp will also continue as president of North American Consumer Tire at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
This month, American Tire Distributors (ATD) acquired Hercules Tire & Rubber for approximately US$310 million. Further details of the deal beyond the news reported this week have been published by US trade publication Tire Review, who yesterday spoke about the purchase with Ron Sinclair, senior vice-president of marketing at Hercules Tire & Rubber.
Most carbon black manufacturing units in the western world, especially in North America and Europe, are being forced to shut down their operations because of the heavy competition they are facing from low cost Asian manufacturers. That’s the view of Tech Archival analysts, who said as much in a report entitled “China Carbon Black: Assessment, Opportunities & Forecast Up-to 2018”, which was published 24 January.
Major US-based replacement tyre wholesaler American Tire Distributors (ATD) has acquired Hercules Tire & Rubber for approximately US$310 million. Details of the purchase – described as a merger – were submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on 24 January. Subject to closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be consummated by the end of January 2014.
Continental Tire the Americas has thanked “everyone who came from near and far and braved the weather” to attend the opening of its Sumter factory in South Carolina. Despite the arrival of an Arctic cold front, on 28 January several hundred guests, including Germany’s Ambassador to the US and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, attended the facility’s official inauguration.
The Smithers Group has announced organisational changes within the Smithers Rapra/Smithers Pira operations in Europe and North America. The company has named a new vice-president and general manager for both regions, as well as a new managing director of global information business.
Falken Tire Corporation, the Japanese brand’s North American operation, recently promoted Ken Masaoka to the role of vice-president of corporate planning. Masaoka, who joined parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries in 1993, was previously Falken Tire’s director of corporate planning.
The latest market figures from Michelin were released on 23 January, and these show across the board year-on-year growth taking place within the European tyre market in December 2013. These results for Europe include the Russian and Turkish markets. Original equipment passenger car and light truck tyre sales were eight per cent up on December 2012, while replacement market tyre sales expanded by one per cent. Michelin noted that growing markets experienced a slight decline in Western Europe due to winter tyre sales. Heavy truck tyre market growth was even more pronounced and experienced what Michelin called a ‘technical rebound’. In December, the original equipment market was 26 per cent above where it was a year earlier and the replacement tyre market was 12 per cent higher.
While Rema Tip Top has a significant Tyre Pressure Monitoring heritage, it might be said that the TPMS part of their offering has been flown somewhat under the radar – in the UK at least. Now however, the company’s management is sharing details of its broad offering in what is quickly becoming an important part of the professional tyre retail business.
The proliferation of electronic driver assistance systems is making the average vehicle more dependent on computing power than ever before. The latest trends see cars becoming more connected to their user’s personal computing systems and the Internet than ever as well. The combination of the two raises security questions, but are they valid and how does all this related to the tyre/TPMS business?
Bridgestone America’s retreading operation is suing a van-transport company for trademark infringement, reports indicate. In a suit filed this week in the US District Court for Middle Tennessee, Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions says the newly-designed logo used by Bandago, a California-based company that provides van rentals primarily for touring musical acts, may cause consumer confusion.
Nexen Tire America has appointed Kyle Roberts its new director of marketing. The company says Roberts will lead the tyre maker’s marketing effort to building a brand that resonates industry-wide.
A controlling interest in Kings Road Tyres Group (KRT) has been acquired by a strategic investment group with members in China, Europe and North America. The UK management team, which bought out the company in the second half of 2011, will “continue to retain a significant equity position in the company and will maintain responsibility for day-to-day operation of Group businesses,” said a statement issued to Tyrepress by KRT today. The company said that the deal would “secure significant new equity investment” for KRT, which it said would help it develop its position as one of the leading players in the UK tyre industry.
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