North America
A new commercial vehicle dealer programme with Isuzu Commercial Vehicle Truck of America gives Yokohama Tire access to Isuzu truck dealerships across the US. Yokohama will supply its full range of commercial vehicle tyres through participating dealers and provide point of sale information for on-site display.
Results for the first quarter of 2010, released April 22, show Hankook Tire’s sales to have increased 17.6 per cent year-on-year to 1.3 trillion won (£780.4 million) and operating profit to have jumped 501.2 per cent to 212.2 billion won (£124.1 million). The tyre maker’s operating profit to sales ratio was 15.9 per cent, up from 12.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Blame those rising raw material costs –Continental Tire The Americas has announced price increases of up to six per cent on all Continental, General Tire and proprietary brand passenger car, light truck and commercial vehicle tyres in the United States. Exact increases will vary by product size, and the new pricing takes effect June 1st, 2010.
The risk that cable corrosion could lead to spare tyres coming loose and causing safety hazards has led Toyota to begin the voluntary recall of around 600,000 vehicles in the US. The manufacturer is recalling first and second generation Siena 2WS minivans sold between 1998 and early 2010 to address a problem that may occur on vehicles that have been driven in cold climate areas where salt is frequently used to de-ice the roads. Toyota says it is currently working to develop a remedy for this condition, and until this remedy is developed, customers will receive an interim notice instructing them to bring their vehicle to a dealership for a preliminary inspection. Once the remedy has been developed, customers will receive a secondary notice advising the customer of the remedy availability.
Hankook Tire Canada Corp. opened its second Canadian distribution centre in Richmond, British Columbia this month, bringing Hankook’s total number of distribution centres serving North America to eight, reports Tire Review. The new distribution centre will support retailers and multiple distribution points in western Canada, according to the company.
The tyre maker giveth, the tyre maker taketh away….On April 14, Michelin North America announced it will add retreading operations to its aircraft tyre factory in Norwood, North Carolina. The official press release, however, did not mention that the expansion of Norwood operations was taking place parallel to plans to end operations at its existing aircraft tyre retreading facility in Kansas City.
Just as it takes a steady hand to navigate the waters of the Caribbean, Continental Tire the Americas is taking the same approach to its near-term efforts in the North American market, reports Tire Review. No major changes, no major announcements, just subtle adjustments and the addition of two new tyres highlighted its Gold Program Dealer Meeting, held during a three-day Caribbean cruise the 258 Gold Program dealers earned.
Two Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations facilities and a retired BATO plant manager were each recognised for environmental initiatives by state agencies and environmental organizations recently, reports Tire Review. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources recognized the Wilson, North Carolina, plant as an environmental steward; the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control awarded the plant in Aiken County, South Carolina, the 2010 DHEC Earth Day Award for Large Businesses; and Ron Brooks, recently retired plant manager at the BATO facility in Warren County, Tennessee, was named Community Servant Leader of the Year at the Green Business Summit at Lipscomb University.
Goodyear’s newly appointed president and CEO has expressed confidence in the tyre maker’s ability to grow in hand with global economic recovery. At the company’s April 13 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Kramer stated this confidence is supported by the Goodyear’s very strong portfolio of brands, strength in high-growth emerging markets, innovative new product offerings, industry-leading retailer network and enhanced supply chain capabilities.
Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) specialises in the production of tyres for off-road applications, including agriculture, industry & construction, earthmoving equipment, ATV and lawn & garden vehicles. Tyres & Accessories had the opportunity to meet with the India based manufacturer during Tyrexpo Africa, and the company’s senior general manager for exports, Rajesh K Vyas, stated: "Last year was a significant one for BKT. When the whole business world was under severe stress due to the economic slowdown, we at BKT took this as a period of opportunities.
Results of the latest J.D. Power and Associates survey into OE tyre satisfaction levels in the US place Michelin and Pirelli on top in terms of positive consumer response. In the survey of 29,818 new-vehicle owners who purchased a 2008 or 2009 model-year vehicle, Michelin was ranked highest in the luxury, passenger car and truck/utility segments of the 2010 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, with strong results for tyre wearability recorded in the passenger car and luxury segments and for ride in the truck/utility segment. Pirelli came out on top in the performance sport segment and performed particularly well in the tyre appearance and tyre ride factors.
The retreading of aircraft tyres is scheduled to commence at Michelin North America’s Norwood, North Carolina plant during the second half of the year. The addition of a retreading capability to the Norwood site, which currently employs 320 people in the production of new aviation tyres, will cost the company US$11.3 million, and the project will create 74 new jobs over an 18 month period. Hiring for some of the new posts at Norwood will begin in late April, and Michelin anticipates that 50 of the jobs will be filled by the end of 2010.
Yokohama Rubber’s North American manufacturing and marketing arm, Yokohama Tire Corporation, has added baseball to the range of sporting codes its sponsors through the signing of a deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The company comments that the Angels’ signing of free-agent Hideki Matsui – the Japanese player affectionately known as “Godzilla” – made the team a good fit. The agreement between Yokohama Tire and the Los Angeles Angels includes signage behind home plate and in the “Angel Stadium of Anaheim” outfield; pre-game, post-game and in-game spots on the Angels flagship radio station throughout the season; in-stadium displays and in-game announcements on the public address system and LED scoreboard; as well as hospitality opportunities at select games.
In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a final rule regarding a proposed tyre efficiency consumer information programme. This document establishes the test procedures for tyre manufacturers to use in a new consumer information programme intended to provide consumers with comparative information on fuel efficiency, safety and durability when purchasing replacement passenger car tyres. The programme, when fully implemented, will offer information both at the point of sale and online.
Toyo Tires reports the SmartWay certification of a fourth commercial vehicle tyre in its US range. The US Environmental Protection Agency has certified the M154 steer tyre as meeting the SmartWay criteria when used in a set on a rig equipped with Toyo’s M657 drive tyre and M127 free-rolling tyre for trailer axles. Owners and fleet operators can now choose between two Toyo products for the steer position, the M154 for regional trucking and the M137 for long-haul applications.
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