North America
According to news reported by the Bangkok Post today, Yokohama Rubber intends to double capacity at its Rayong factory in Thailand; the stated reason for this increase is to equip the country as a base from where the ASEAN region can be supplied.
Continental has been named an ‘Excellent Development Partner’ by Tesla Motors, the US-based electric vehicle manufacturer. The acknowledgement from Tesla was given as a result of Continental’s collaboration and development of specialty tyres for Tesla’s Model S electric saloon. The tyre maker announced in August that it was supplying its ExtremeContact in size 245/35 R21 for the 21-inch rim Model S option sold in North America; now Conti reports that for global markets it has developed an XL version of its ContiSportContact 5 summer tyre in size 245/35 R 21 XL 96 W.
Canada’s transportation regulatory body, Transport Canada, has outlined a number of changes in regulations pertaining to tyres. The new regulations, announced by Transport Minister Lisa Raitt on 20 November, are intended to enhance the safety of tyres manufactured for the Canadian market; they also bring Canadian regulations more closely in line with those enforced in the United States. Manufacturers have until 1 September 2014 to comply with the regulations.
Women in the United States are being encouraged to buy local; Goodyear Tire & Rubber has featured twice in the ‘America’s Best in Automotive’ category of this year’s Women’s Choice Award. The company was selected as best Premium Tire Brand, Tire Retailer and Auto Service Retailer.
Cabot Corporation has completed its acquisition of the equity stake owned by Grupo Kuo S.A.B. de C.V. in its Mexican carbon black manufacturing joint-venture, Nhumo, S.A.de C.V. The company says Nhumo is Mexico’s leading carbon black producer and the acquisition of Kuo’s interest strengthens Cabot’s global carbon black business and will help meet growing demand throughout North America. The Nhumo business will now be integrated into Cabot’s Reinforcement Materials segment. Under the terms of the agreement, Cabot will pay Kuo US$105 million, of which $80 million was paid upon closing. In addition, at closing, a special dividend payment will be paid to Nhumo shareholders, of which Cabot will receive $14 million.
Cabot Corporation, the second largest carbon black manufacturer in the United States, has agreed to pay a US$975,000 civil penalty and spend an estimated $84 million on state of the art technology to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOX), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM) from its carbon black plants in Franklin and Ville Platte, Louisiana, and Pampa, Texas. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice, these measures will resolve alleged violations of the New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at these three facilities.
In a filing submitted with a US court, Bridgestone Americas has described the implementation of a new companywide computer system as bringing chaos to the tyre maker. It is now seeking US$600 million in actual and punitive damages from the computer system’s supplier, IBM.
Sustainable materials company Lehigh Technologies has announced two new Board members. Former executive vice president and chief operating officer at Yokohama North America, Jim MacMaster has joined the company’s Board of Directors, while Adel Halasa, PhD, a polymer scientist formerly with Goodyear, has joined its Advisory Board.
October volumes in mature markets have risen by three per cent, according to Michelin. While North American passenger car tyre volumes increased a little more than in Europe to reach an aggregate rise of two per cent, Europe led truck tyre increases at nine per cent versus North America’s six per cent.
A Canadian firm is setting up what it says will be North America’s largest tyre retreading plant. The CA$37 million facility in St. Mary’s, Ontario will open in February 2014 and operator Green Arc Tire Manufacturing Inc. stated in a press release that it will remould up to 3 million passenger, SUV and light truck radials a year at the facility.
At this month’s SEMA show in the US, the China Manufacturers Alliance (CMA) displayed the first Warrior brand passenger car tyres sold in North America, the R29 and R30. The Warrior range, the product of a joint-venture between Double Coin Holdings and Michelin Tire Group and manufactured by Double Coin Group (Anhui) Warrior Tyre Co., was re-introduced in the Chinese domestic market in May 2012 following a two year absence.
Some six weeks after groundbreaking at the site of Yokohama’s future plant in the United States, Yokohama Tire Corporation subsidiary Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM) has hired its first employee – human resources manager Melissa Orman.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is appealing the partial ruling made by the Delaware Chancery Court last week. The appeal was filed with the Delaware Supreme Court on 12 November and asks the court to rule on it on an expedited basis – before 31 December 2013, the date through which Cooper’s agreement with Apollo Tyres remains in effect. Cooper confirms that until that date, the 8 November partial ruling requires both parties to continue performing their obligations under the merger agreement.
It may look like a Morgan three-wheeler from the future, but the Elio is one American company’s vision of fuel-efficient, safe motoring. The American-made car (or, as defined by US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, motorcycle) is expected to be market ready late next year and deliver 84 mpg on the highway and 49 mpg in the city (2.8 litres per 100km and 4.8 litres per 100km), plus an anticipated 5-star safety rating. Original equipment tyres will be supplied by Cooper Tire & Rubber, a relationship that has just been sealed by the signing of a letter of intent between the tyre maker and Elio Motors.
A new Mesnac facility being set up in the US will aid the company in its goal of developing equipment, processes and systems that are more closely aligned to the needs of its customers in North and Latin America. The Chinese tyre and rubber industry supplier is locating this new Research and TechnicalCenter in Akron, Ohio and says the facility will be an extension of its recently-established Research Institute in Qingdao. The company already runs a similar centre in Slovakia to support its European customer base.
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