North America
Media reports in the US indicate it may be third time unlucky for Kumho Tire’s planned factory in Bibb County, Georgia. Macon-based newspaper The Telegraph states work on the US$225 million plant has been placed on hold for a third time, a move that allegedly has prompted local economic development officials to rethink the entire project’s future and mull over the prospect of putting the greenfield factory site back on the market.
Mitas is aiming to raise the profile of the company and better communicate the strength of its products and recent sales performance in the market following the official rebranding of the UK company as Mitas Tyres Limited. With an impressive number of OE contracts under its belt, Mitas is aiming to grow market share in both the OE and replacement markets and solidify its position as “the UK’s leading off-road tyre specialist”, according to the company. And despite the fact that company is well-known for producing Continental branded agricultural tyres under licence, as you might imagine, a key part of this strategy is to highlight the Mitas name in the UK and beyond.
Hercules Tire Company of Canada Inc has announced its acquisition of wholesale distribution business Pneu Mondial Canada Inc, located just outside Montreal. The acquisition is Hercules’ first in Quebec and the company, a division of the Hercules Tire & Rubber Company, says it will allow it “to expand and better the service currently offered out of its five locations in Ontario, New Brunswick and British Columbia”. Pneu Mondial operates out of Saint Laurent, having been started in early 2007 by Jacques Gravel and Daniel Lamoureux to serve Quebec’s independent tyre dealers.
The expansion work at Rhodia’s Chicago Heights dispersible silica production facility in the US state of Illinois is now complete and the enhanced site has been officially inaugurated. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony the company, along with customers, key business partners and public officials, celebrated the addition of an additional 16,000 tons to Rhodia’s North American output, a quantity that lifts capacity in the region by a third.
Michelin North America has been honoured with a 2011 Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) Award, reports Tire Review. The award was presented to the French manufacturer at a ceremony last week at the Aerospace Industries Association Fall Product Support Conference. MNA’s aircraft tyre unit was a PBL Component-Level Award recipient for supplying tyres to the US Navy.
Yokohama’s BluEarth S34BZ eco tyre has been chosen as original equipment for the 2012 Toyota Prius V. The new crossover, which is known as the Prius + in Europe, is available to US and Canadian purchasers fitted with the BluEarth tyre in size P205/60R16 91V.
Local TV stations in the US (namely WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky), is reporting that the now closed Goodyear plant in Union City., Tennessee, may open up again soon. Tire Review reports that rumours are flowing through the community that a "major company" is looking at the plant with an eye toward potentially buying, modifying and reopening the facility.
Tire Review reports that China’s Qingdao Doublestar Industrial Co. Ltd. is opening its first warehouse and distribution center in the US, with an assist by Del-Nat Tire Corp. Executives from both companies were in the city of Memphis on November 5 to sign an agreement whereby Qingdao Doublestar will warehouse and distribute Doublestar brand medium radial truck tires from Del-Nat’s facility in South Memphis.
Although Continental merged its Passenger & Light Truck Tires and Commercial Vehicle Tires divisions into a single unit, the Tires division, on August 1 this year, both remain as business units within the combined division. At the start of next year management of the Commercial Vehicle Tires business unit will be handed over to Dr. Andreas Esser, who is currently responsible for Continental’s passenger car and van tyre replacement business in the Asia-Pacific region. In his new role, the 52-year old will report directly to Tire division chief Nikolai Setzer.
In the US the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of certain Shandong Yongtai tyres. The recall relates to size LT265/75R16 and LT235/85R16 Negotiator Commercial H/T tyres manufactured between April 2009 and May 2011. According to the NHTSA, some of these Shandong Yongtai tyres have experienced blistering or bubbles on the tyre’s sidewall, which under extended use could lead to a loss of tyre pressure.
On 2 November Larry Brandt took over from Mike Berra as president of the Tire Industry Association. In his first speech after taking on the office, Brandt stated a central theme of his administration would be maintaining “continuity in TIA's direction and leadership” and emphasising the TIA's relevance in protecting and educating the US driving public and tyre dealers.
On the back of a 41.3 per cent year-on-year increase in net sales in the first nine months of 2011, Nokian Tyres retains its outlook that it is “positioned to provide strong sales growth and to improve operating profit clearly compared to 2010.” The Finnish tyre maker recorded group net sales of 974.3 million euros, up from 689.4 million euros between January and September 2010. During this same period operating profit doubled from 130.4 million to 261.0 million euros. Earnings per share also effectively doubled, from 0.85 euros to 1.66 euros per share. Net sales increased 41.2 per cent in the third quarter to 346.3 million euros, operating profit jumped 97.4 per cent to 95.4 million euros and earnings per share increased 122 per cent year-on-year to 0.60 euros per share.
Goodyear has introduced its latest North American market winter tyre, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT. According to the manufacturer, this new product is designed to provide traction on the changeable road conditions encountered during winter; to achieve this, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT features 2D blades in the centre zone – Goodyear says these provide “hardworking biting edges for enhanced starting and stopping power on snow and ice” – and Goodyear’s proprietary ‘3D TredLock Technology’ blades in the tyre’s shoulder zone – these are designed to lock together to form large outer tread blocks for “confident winter grip and handling in sweeping turns.”
Negotiations on a new labour agreement for unionised workers at Cooper Tire & Rubber’s Findlay, Ohio factory failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion before the existing agreement’s expiry on October 31, and local newspaper The Courier says talks between the tyre maker and United Steelworkers representatives are still ongoing.
The first Chinese designed and manufactured super wide truck radial to be marketed in the US was launched at the SEMA show in Las Vegas on November 1. The Double Coin FT125 super wide, a low rolling resistance trailer position tyre, will be distributed in the US by the China Manufacturers Association; the distributor reports the FT125 has already attained EPA SmartWay verification.
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