North America
K&M Tire Inc. has agreed to acquire Point S USA’s Denver warehouse, according to various news sources. Point S USA will reportedly use K&M Tire as its primary source of tyres in Colorado, company representatives said.
Half a year after launching its flagship Prinx brand in Europe, Prinx Chengshan has debuted Prinx across the Atlantic. It recently brought a swag of products to show off at the SEMA show, including the Prinx Hi Country HT2 urban SUV tyre, R/T HR1 off-road tire, and HM1. The tyre maker is also promoting the Prinx brand in the North American market via a new website, prinxtireusa.com.
Yokohama Tire has renewed its partnership with the United States Auto Club (USAC) as the official tyre partner and presenting sponsor of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and USA for the 2024 season. The renewal means next year’s challenge will be the fourth consecutive season with competitors using Yokohama rubber. Yokohama will supply its Advan A005 racing slicks and Advan A006 rain tyres. The North America series visits seven tracks for its 14 rounds, while the USA West schedule features 12 rounds at six different tracks.
Pre-Q Galgo Corporation celebrated 25 years in the US & Canada at a recent meeting at their corporate office in Dallas, Texas. Galgo began producing rubber products in August 1952 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Pirelli announced a voluntary recall in coordination with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on 7 September. 14,500 tyres covered by the recall have been sold in the USA, plus another 550 sold in Canada. Therefore, a total of 15,550 tyres are affected.
Linglong Tire has launched a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Linglong N.A. Sales, based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Geoff Doster became president of the new company effective 7 August 2023. The establishment of Linglong N.A. Sales follows the news that Linglong is considering investing in production facilities in “the Americas”.
Linglong Tire has established a new wholly owned subsidiary in North America to expand its footprint in the region. As of this month, Geoff Doster, former president and chief operating officer of TBC Corporation’s TBC Brands and TBC International operations, heads the new Linglong N.A. Sales LLC business as its president. Linglong will announce further additions to the team in due course.
Jeremy Kahrs has been promoted to vice president of research and development at the Yokohama Development Center America (YDCA) facility in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Iori Suzuki will retire as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA) on 31 July 2023, and two will fill the roles he vacates the following day. Tatsuo Mitsuhata is to become chairman and chief executive officer of TTHA, and Nobuo Yoshida has been named the business’s president and chief operating officer.
Wholesaler American Tire Distributors, Inc. (ATD) has published its third annual sustainability report. Titled Catalysts for Change, the report describes ATD’s achievements and progress in 2022 against the goals outlined in the inaugural 2020 report.
Pirelli will support the US Tire Manufacturers Association’s (USTMA) annual National Tire Safety Week campaign from 26 June to 3 July. The initiative seeks to educate drivers on the importance and simplicity of everyday tyre maintenance as a part of general road safety. The association argues that tyre safety is “on par with wearing a seatbelt and following speed limits” in terms of driving safety, since tyres “are the only part of a vehicle that truly touches the road.”
Elliott Investment Management L.P.’s 11 May open letter to Goodyear’s board of directors sent shockwaves through the company and the markets. Essentially, Elliott’s expounded on its “deep conviction in the opportunity for Goodyear to improve after more than a decade of underperformance”, which was widely interpreted as laying down the gauntlet to Goodyear’s board and most senior executives. With Elliott calling pistols at dawn in the mid-west, the question is: is it time to buckle up and circle the wagons in Akron or are vultures circling over Goodyear? Here, Tyres & Accessories presents an in-depth analysis of Elliott’s arguments for enormous change, critically evaluating the problematic areas Elliott identifies along the way. In order to support our analysis, we spoke to senior executives close to Goodyear, those with first-hand management experience in Akron, financial analysts and third-party market researchers.
Global carbon black supplier Birla Carbon will discuss the optimisation of adhesives and their production processes to reduce carbon footprint at the Adhesives & Bonding Expo (20-22 June, 2023; Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, USA). Dr Reuben Correia, manager of new product development in the Adhesives & Inks division, will examine the evolving market dynamics and the imperative for sustainable innovation in Specialty Carbon Blacks. He will address opportunities and challenges in product development and environmental sustainability.
Yokohama is returning as the exclusive tyre provider for the Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy Division for the sixth consecutive year. Every Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport vehicles will compete on Advan A052 tyres. In extended hill climb competition, 27 drivers in multiple divisions will run on Yokohama Advan tyres during the legendary 12.42 mile “Race to the Clouds,” which takes place June 25 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The tyre manufacturer wants to repeat its overall successes from 2022 when its Advan branded tyres were used by the overall champion, picking up 10 podium finishes, four division wins and four of the top five overall finishers.
TBC Corporation, a leading tyre distributor in North America, has agreed to sell its company-owned retail portfolio to Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. Specifically, Mavis will acquire 392 NTB Tire and Service Centers (NTB) and 203 Tire Kingdom Service Centers (Tire Kingdom). In connection with the deal, Mavis and TBC have entered into a distribution agreement, through which TBC will provide wholesale and tyre distribution for Mavis retail locations. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
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