North America
Over here in Blighty, pick-up trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are perhaps not the most practical vehicles for negotiating narrow country lanes and suburban roads. But in North America they are among the most popular vehicles in their class. Goodyear reports that General Motors has selected several of its tyres as original equipment on 2104 Silverado and Sierra models.
Despite significant drops in first quarter sales and profitability, Nokian used the publication of its latest financial results as an opportunity to rebuff negativity relating to its exposure to the Russian market. In the first quarter of 2013 Nokian Tyres Group’s net sales decreased by 13.3 per cent to 333.1 million euros (1Q 2012: 384.3 million euros). Operating profit fell even more sharply, dropping 27 per cent to 76.3 million (1Q 2012: 105 million euros).
The tyre manufacturer blamed historically low levels of tyre demand in Europe, but also presented the case that demand for replacement car tyres in 2013 will be on previous year’s level in Nordic countries even if it does remain weak in Europe.
On 29 April 2013, Yokohama Rubber signed an agreement with the US State of Mississippi, making plans to build a truck and bus tyre plant in West Point official. Hikomitsu Noji, president and representative director of Yokohama Rubber and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant represented the tyre maker and State at a signing ceremony held at the West Point Ritz, near the site of the future company plant. The facility will be located approximately 149 miles (240 kilometres) from state capital Jackson.
The first commercially-available Tweel product has landed Michelin North America a Silver Edison Award. The tyre maker was presented with the transport category award at the Edison Awards ceremony, which was held on 25 April.
Although Goodyear Tire & Rubber shipped fewer tyres and generated lower sales in the first three months of 2013 than a year earlier, the bottom line for the quarter was much healthier. The only regional disappointment was, predictably, Europe – and Goodyear says it will address weakness in the European markets by implementing “additional productivity improvements”. Specific details regarding these measures have yet to be announced.
Summing up its first quarter 2013 experience in a single sentence, Michelin states that in the three months to 31 March the “market environment was weak in Europe in passenger car and light truck tyres, disappointing in North America and expanding in the new markets.”
This autumn, Nokian Tyres will release a new product for the growing SUV markets in Europe, Russia and the Ukraine. The WR SUV 3 is a non-studded, symmetric and directional tread pattern that Nokian says will feel at home in Europe’s varying winter conditions Europe. The tyre maker claims strengths in winter grip and driving response, including effective resistance to slush planing and aquaplaning.
Groundbreaking on the new distribution centre to be erected by the US marketer of the Double Coin brand, China Manufacturers Alliance (CMA), will take place one week from today, the company reports. A ceremony to mark the occasion will be held at the site in Rancho Cucamonga, California on 25 April. The company also says it intends to build further warehouse facilities, both within the US and internationally.
Titan International has hired Keith Fuglaar as its new vice-president of finance for North America. Fuglaar joins Titan from US-based heavy manufacturing firm The Egging Company, where he served as chief financial officer. Prior to his Egging commitment, Fuglaar was vice-president of finance for ARC Automotive, corporate controller at HNTB Corporation and director-FP&A with McLeodUSA. Fuglaar holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee and a BS from Louisiana Tech.
Takayuki Hamaya, chief operating officer at Yokohama Tire Corporation, shares that several promotions within the Japanese tyre maker’s North American operation took effect on 1 April.
Yokohama Rubber has announced three personnel changes that will take effect on 1 May.
Hikomitsu Noji has been appointed CEO of the tyre maker’s US operation, Yokohama Tire Corporation, and CEO of Yokohama Corporation of North America. Noji retains the title of president and representative director of parent company Yokohama Rubber. Noji is expected to travel to the United States regularly in his new role but will remain based at Yokohama Rubber’s headquarters in Tokyo.
In future, Yokohama’s motorsport activities will be handled by a new company specifically set up for that purpose. On 1 April, Yokohama Rubber established Yokohama Motorsports International Co., Ltd., a company specialised in governing the development, supply and overall activities related to its racing tyres. The new operation is headed up by Tetsuya Kuze, who has been appointed president of Yokohama Motorsports International. Kuze also serves as a director and corporate officer at Yokohama Rubber. The Tokyo-based company will be fully operational as of July and employ approximately 20 people.
The North American premium touring tyre segment is the stated target for Nokian’s newest all-season tyre, the Nokian WR G3. The Finnish manufacturer says the combination of its “solid winter experience” plus the use of “environmentally friendly premium products” such as nanotechnology and canola oil in the tyre “guarantee their reliable functionality in the typically varying weather conditions of North America.”
Bridgestone Americas subsidiary Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations reports that its commercial tyre division has a new vice-president of marketing. As of 1 March this position has been occupied by Matthew Stevenson, who joins the company from Meritor, Inc., where he served as general manager of North American Field Operations and Marketing. Prior to beginning his role with Meritor in 2010, Stevenson spent ten years at Daimler Trucks North America, where he held several positions of increasing responsibility in both sales and marketing.
In its latest annual report, Trelleborg Group CEO and president Peter Nilsson describes 2012 as being “a good year” for the company. “In a turbulent economic climate, we improved our geographic balance and portfolio of operations, and strengthened our market positions,” he says. “Net sales and earnings rose slightly despite an increasingly challenging market environment. The group has a strong financial base.”
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