North America
Although Goodyear Tire & Rubber recorded a net loss for the third consecutive year, company chairman and CEO Richard J. Kramer states he’s “very pleased” with the tyre maker’s fourth quarter and full year 2010 performance. “Our operating results reflect significant recovery, with improvement across all of our businesses versus last year despite escalating raw material costs,” Kramer commented.
WIthin its full year 2010 results report, released February 10, Goodyear Tire & Rubber discloses plans to close its tyre making facility in Union City, Tennessee by the end of this year. A stated reason for proceeding with closure plans is the desire to “reduce high-cost manufacturing capacity globally” as per Goodyear strategy. The Union City plant currently employs approximately 1,900 people.
Haulier David Murray reports that Bridgestone’s M729 drive tyre has achieved twice the performance of a standard competitor. David Murray Transport has been a customer to Bridgestone for over 12 years now and tyre performance and reliability has been a significant contributing factor to the loyalty shown. Managing director, David Murray, commented: “It is vital that all our components meet the high standards required, to provide a first-class service to our customers. Good quality, good wearing tyres provided by Bridgestone play a key role in delivering this.”
Commercial vehicle operators in the US now have a new tyre service option available to them following the launch of a Michelin franchise network, the Michelin Commercial Service Network. Upon announcing its rollout, Michelin Americas Truck Tires (MATT) says the franchise network of commercial tyre dealers will be one “committed to establishing a new standard for consistent, high-quality service across the US.” Services offered by the Michelin Commercial Service Network include road service, online operating manuals and online fleet reporting. MATT adds that fleets will receive “consistent service from Network dealers with highly trained technicians, professional equipment, and casing management, all ensured by rigorous certification and audit standards.”
Michelin has become the official tyre of Florida’s Sebring International Raceway, a move that coincides with the US launch of the Pilot Super Sport – a product featured on the new signage displayed around the Sebring track. The signage will make its debut in front of an audience of over 175,000 fans attending the Twelve Hours of Sebring race weekend on March 16 to 19. “It is very fitting that we begin the North American launch of our outstanding new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyre here at Sebring, the home of America’s premier sports car endurance event, the Twelve Hours of Sebring,” commented Don Byrd, vice-president, marketing, Michelin Americas Small Tires.
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In addition to previously announced price adjustments in its Bandag and truck tyre businesses, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has announced price increases for two of its off-road divisions. The company’s Off Road Tire, U.S. & Canada Commercial Tire Sales division (BAOR) has announced plans to increase prices by 12 per cent with some in-line adjustments. The price increases will affect all mining, construction and industrial tyres marketed by BAOR and are scheduled to begin March 1. Furthermore, the Agricultural Tire, U.S. & Canada Commercial Tire Sales division (BAAG), has announced a four per cent price increase on Firestone branded agricultural, construction and forestry tyres; Bridgestone branded garden tyres and Regency branded tyres sold in the United States and Canada replacement markets. The new pricing will be effective April 1, 2011.
Kumho Tire USA is raising its prices on some of its rannge by an as-yet undisclosed amount on 1 March. Kumho said increases will affect all passenger, light truck/SUV and medium truck tyres. The company concluded its statement by saying the exact details of the increase "will be provided to our clients in the near future.”
From 1 April Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd will increase the price of tyres for passenger cars and light trucks sold in the Japanese domestic replacement market by an average of 7 per cent. Despite the fact the price hike takes effect on April fool’s day, the increase is not joke and applies to both Toyo’s summer and winter tyres. In fact the cost of some size of light truck tyres will rise sooner, with their Japanese domestic market price increase scheduled to take effect on 1 March 2011.
Bridgestone’s decision to impose a drastic 12 per cent increase of North American truck and bus tyre prices in only likely to recoup roughly a fifth of the increased rubber costs the tyre manufacturer has had to pay recent, Deutsche Bank analysts reported.
Lodge Tyres technician John Lane, based at the firm’s Walsall branch, recently became the 500th technician to attend and pass the Vehicle Roadside Technician training provided by Bridgestone UK Ltd, training department.
LDL Technology is a privately owned company, specialising in development, manufacturing and marketing worldwide of wireless embedded electronic systems. According to company literature, the firm’s core technologies include Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), Vehicle Immobilization (IMMO), Keyless Entry & Start system (KESS) and body control units.
Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions has announced a 12 per cent price increase on its Bridgestone and Firestone brand truck and bus radial tyres, effective immediately. Upon announcing the pricing changes, company president Kurt Danielson stated “unfortunately, severely escalating raw material costs, as well as energy and other costs related to manufacturing, have made a price increase of this level unavoidable. We remain committed always to provide a premium package of quality and value to our customers.”
Continental, Schrader and Beru are all names anyone associated with the tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) part of the tyre business will be more than familiar with. However Advantage PressurePro, LLC claims it is the developer and marketer of PressurePro, the “Original” TPMS and that PressurePro is a leader in the TPMS market worldwide.
Hankook Tire made 585.8 billion Korean won (383.3 million euro) in financial year 2010 operating profit, the company has announced. Helping Hankook achieve these figures was a record-breaking global sales total of 5.4 trillion won (3.5 billion euro), which fulfilled its aggressive global sales target to exceed 5.1 trillion won and recording an 11.5 per cent year-on-year increase. The company’s 2010 operating profit represented a 6.7 per cent increase. Hankook also said it sold more tyres than ever before to the European markets produced at its new European plant in Hungary.
Mitas Tires, formerly CGS Tires US, reports the signing of a contract covering US$10 million worth of curing presses for its factory in Charles City, Iowa, which is currently under construction. The presses will be delivered and installed in August and September this year and the production of radial agricultural tyres will begin in 2012. In its first year of operation the plant will employ an estimated 159 workers and the company plans to employ 262 people in the US by 2016.
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