North America
Yokohama Tire Corporation has hired Andrew Zeisser as its new director of OE sales. In this role, Zeisser will be responsible for the company’s original equipment business in North America and will lead Yokohama Tire Corporation’s OE sales, engineering and quality functions. He will be based at the company’s Detroit, Michigan office.
A small family business in southern Italy is achieving excellence in the tyre repair niche. Founded in 1980 by Giuseppe Ferrara’s family, the company is named RFP, but the brand is better known in the industry as Tap-Rap; a name that is synonymous with specialist and advanced know-how in repairs. What distinguishes Tap-Rap is not only its specialised product, but also its patented technology, which Ferrara calls "a real transplant surgery."
With the ink still drying on Apollo Tyre’s agreement to purchase Cooper Tire and Rubber, on 27 June Tyres & Accessories met with Apollo vice chairman and managing director Neeraj Kanwar at the company's new global marketing office in central London in order to get the inside line on the deal, the impending integration and the strategy behind the purchase.
In 2010, Apollo's owners, chairman Onkar Kanwar and vice-chairman and managing director Neeraj Kanwar, told the world that the company was aiming to break into the global top 10…at least. At the time this announcement was made you could be forgiven for thinking such a proclamation was either an exercise in hyperbole or in corporate goal setting. And why not? There's nothing wrong with aiming high, as many of the world's fastest growing tyre companies are clearly doing. After all, as the saying goes, “he who aims at nothing hits it”.
But with all the speculation that surrounded the company's decision to engage in takeover talks with Cooper at the end of 2012, the fact that the deal has now been agreed arguably isn't as much of a surprise as the speed with which the top 10 goal has been attained. Early indications suggest that the amalgamated Apollo/Cooper will be the seventh largest tyre company on earth. So what’s next? The exclusive club that is dominated and fiercely defended by the big five? Or, as is more likely, a period of integration and consolidation while the dust settles?
On 27 June, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) received a US$25,000 donation from Michelin North America in honour of the 25-year partnership between both organisations. The cheque was presented to the NAIAS during its “Covering All Bases” event, an off-season, day-long planning meeting attended by more than 300 representatives of auto manufacturers, sponsors, and partners who participate in the NAIAS.
One result of Apollo Tyres’ acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber is that the US brand will be distributed in India, to both original equipment market customers and the replacement market. News regarding this was initially published by The Hindu Business Line on 19 June; the Indian financial daily wrote that the first Cooper products to arrive in Apollo’s home market would be SUV tyres, which will be supplied to “various OEMs”.
Michelin’s supply of its high and higher than high performance Pilot Sport branded tyres as original equipment has continued to yield new deals moving into 2013. The all new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series will be fitted with the new Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre, while specially developed Pilot Super Sport ZP tyres will be fitted to the full 2014 range of Chevrolet Corvette Stingray models.
Taiwanese tyre maker Cheng Shin Rubber is reported to be considering building its seventh plant in China. On 19 June the Taipei Times printed comments made to this effect by company vice-president Wu Hsuan-miao (吳軒妙) following Cheng Shin’s annual general meeting the previous day.
Cabot Corporation has announced a new agreement with Grupo Kuo SAB de CV to purchase its remaining 60 per cent equity in the companies’ Mexican carbon black manufacturing joint venture, Nhumo, SA de CV. Cabot will pay $105 million for Kuo’s current shareholding, of which $80 million will be paid upon closing, excluding cash acquired. Cabot says Nhumo’s position as a leading carbon black producer in Mexico will help to strengthen its global carbon black business, and help to meet what it says is a growing demand for carbon black throughout North America. Following the announcement Cabot shares increased 2.9 per cent, and the company said it expected an earnings boost of around $0.15 per share as a result of the acquisition in the 2014 financial year. Extending into the next three years, Cabot estimates that operational synergies could increase earnings per share by $0.05 to $0.10.
Michelin and Goodyear have ranked highly is separate workplace surveys carried out in the US.
Late last month a new organisation was formed to represent tyre makers in a region some refer to as the “tyre capital of North America”. The establishment of the Tire Manufacturers’ Council was announced by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce on 29 May; it says the council’s aim is to “evaluate and propose policies relating to the manufacture of tyres in South Carolina.” Foundation members include Michelin North America, Bridgestone Americas and Continental Tire the Americas.
In its latest market figures, published 13 June, Michelin reports that Europe’s original equipment and replacement passenger car tyre markets were stable in May, with demand approximately the same as in May 2012. Year to date, original equipment and replacement market demand is down four and five per cent year-on-year respectively.
Further details of Apollo’s Cooper Tire acquisition have been published by Indian brokerage house Angel Broking. In its 13 June market outlook report, Angel Broking notes that Apollo Tyre’s acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber will be funded entirely through debt. Apollo, it elaborates, plans to form a new holding company in the Netherlands involving Cooper and Vredestein, which would raise US$2.1 billion in debt via bonds. The major portion of the debt will be backed by Cooper and Vredestein’s assets. The remaining debt $450 million debt will be raised at Apollo’s Mauritius subsidiary and serviced by its standalone business, says Angel Broking.
Apollo Tyres has finally confirmed speculation that the India-based manufacturer is to buy US firm Cooper Tire in a friendly takeover. According to the company the US$2.5 billion deal makes the firm the seventh largest tyre manufacturer in the world with combined revenues of US$6.6 billion. It also gives the manufacturer access to the North and South American markets currently uncovered by its global presence. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Cooper stockholders will receive $35.00 per share in cash. The transaction represents a 40 per cent premium to Cooper’s 30-day volume-weighted average price, according to an announcement detailing the news. We will add further details to this developing story as we receive them. Look out for complete coverage in the July issue of Tyre & Accessories magazine and online at Tyrepress.com.
Goodyear has released its latest all-season performance tyre in North America. Initial sizes of the Eagle Sport All-Season are now available, and the tyre maker says the full line-up of 47 sizes will be on offer by the end of 2013. Goodyear says the Eagle Sport All-Season is suited for a wide range of vehicles, from the Honda Accord to the Audi A4 and Ford Mustang.
On 10 June, Exide Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US. This is the second time it has done so since the Millennium; in April 2002 the stored electrical solutions company also submitted a Chapter 11 application in the District of Delaware. Exide says it took this step to “facilitate the financial and operational restructuring necessary to strengthen its balance sheet and its business to position the company for future success.” It also says it intends to “become more aggressive in reducing costs, taking actions with respect to underperforming business segments and focusing on the most attractive areas for future growth.” Only the company’s operations in the United States are affected by the filing, and Exide Technologies confirms that it plans to “operate globally without interruption during the reorganisation.”
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