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Michelin Leads Clean Air Green Tour

Michelin North America has teamed up with the “Clean Air Green Tour” to educate consumers on the benefits of environmentally friendly products. The 60-city US tour is expected to an average of 1,500 consumers per stop. “Many consumers do not realize the impact tyres can have on the environment,” said Parmeet Grover, brand director for MNA. “Our goal in partnering with the Clean Air Green Tour is to reinforce our message that tyres make a difference.”

In addition to featuring passenger car and light-truck tyres for consumers, the tour will cover more than 30,000 miles in a solar-powered bus fitted with Michelin X One super wides. In its third year, the Clean Air Green Tour launched on Apr. 14 in New York City, and will make stops at 40 Lowe’s stores, 14 Wal-Mart Supercenters and eight major festivals. In addition, the tour will hold tree plantings in five cities and host a community clean-up day. (Tire Review/Akron)

23rd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Providing Integrated Solutions

During the planning of a factory’s layout and manufacturing processes, the integration of process automation solutions and software at an early stage maximises cost and time savings for the customer. Rockwell Automation, a global leader in the supply of industrial automation power control and information solutions, is collaborating with German company TTC (Technical Tire Consulting) in order to do just that – deliver reduced integration costs, optimised capacity availability, safe product quality and ensured traceability. When Tyres & Accessories met with representatives from both companies during February’s Tire Technology Hamburg exhibition, they explained exactly how tyre industry customers stand to benefit.

21st April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Top Rated in Tire Rack Surveys

Pirelli Tire North America reports landing the top spot in three out of four online consumer surveys performed in April. Tire Rack, one of the largest tyre dealers in the US, rated Pirelli’s Scorpion Ice & Snow, the 210 Sottozero, and Winter Carving tyres number one following an opt-in survey it conducted.

Consumers and customers of the online retailer are asked to contribute their opinions to a tyre survey that addresses twelve separate areas, including hydroplaning resistance, wet traction, cornering stability, dry traction, noise/comfort, steering response and other parameters such as light or heavy snow traction, ice traction and whether or not the customer would consider purchasing the tires again if given the opportunity. The survey data was tabulated from the responses of customers and website visitors, with performance traits rated on a scale from “0” to “10”, with “10” considered superior.

20th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin’s OE Business 40% Down in North America – Wilkerson

Michelin North America’s Dick Wilkerson has engaged in a further tête-à-tête with his local newspaper, and he is clear that the company is “committed to manufacturing our product in North America and selling it in North America.” The regional operation’s chairman and president told The Greenville News that around 90 per cent of the company’s North American sales tonnage is produced on the continent, including at its Mexican and Canadian plants. These four factories complement Michelin’s 11 major US manufacturing facilities.

20th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Tire Gets Volkswagen OE in North America

This month Hankook Tire began supplying Volkswagen’ Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and New Beetle cars manufactured at Volkswagen’s Puebla, Mexico plant and destined for North America with Optimo H725A tyres. Hankook already has fitments on Volkswagen cars in other global markets, but this development represents a significant increase in VW fitments on Volkswagens to be sold in Canada and the US, where the Jetta is the highest selling VW model vehicle.

“We are extremely excited to supply the Optimo for Volkswagen Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and New Beetle exports to the U.S. and Canadian markets. By leveraging our Kontrol Technology in the development of UHP products, Hankook Tire is able to tailor its products to current environmental sustainability standards, and this in turn allows Hankook Tire to deliver quality products to our consumers,” said Seung Hwa Suh, CEO, Hankook Tire, adding: “After working closely with Volkswagen as an OE supplier in other world markets, we have created excellent relationships, and we look forward to earning even more fitments on VW vehicles to be sold in the US and Canada.”

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Vin Diesel Takes General Tire for a Ride

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are making a tyre screeching return to the big screen – and General Tire has been selected as the official rubber the pair will be burning. The US based Continental Tire North America brand has partnered with Universal Pictures to become the official tyre of the latest instalment in the “Fast & Furious” film series. The new film sees Diesel and Walker once again join Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster to, in General Tire’s own words, “blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert.”

16th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Gaining US Market Share – CEO

According to Michelin North America CEO Dick Wilkerson, the company’s Michelin brand products are “much more resilient than the other brands” in its product portfolio. This comment, made to a newspaper in the company’s US hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, indicates that its facilities in South Carolina are not facing a similar fate to the soon to close BFGoodrich plant in Alabama.

15th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin NA to Close Opelika, Alabama Factory

On April 13 Michelin North America announced plans to close its BFGoodrich passenger and light truck tyre factory in Opelika, Alabama. The company says this ‘restructuring plan’, which will lead to the plant ceasing production by October 31, is being pursued in response to an unprecedented drop in market demand.

North American consumers are, Michelin adds, driving fewer miles, purchasing fewer vehicles and delaying tyre purchases. For this reason the company has a significant overcapacity in these markets – and Michelin says it doesn’t expect this overcapacity to ‘rebound in the near term’. This appraisal of the current market situation is in line with that of the Rubber Manufacturers Association, which expects North American tyre sales volume to decline this year for the second year in a row.

14th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Benefitting From Its Differentiated Structure

Times are hard; for some they are even too hard. During the prevailing financial and economic crisis plenty of steps need to be taken if a company wants to successfully weather the hardships involved. In an exclusive interview with Tyres & Accessories, Massimo De Alessandri, CEO of the Marangoni Group, explains how his company is facing the current situation, why its prospects are quite good, and why there won’t be any long-term damage to the group.

TYRES & ACCESSORIES:
The economic environment in Europe has been difficult in recent months, to say the least. How has the Marangoni Group been affected by this?

9th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Names Commercial OE Account Manager

Continental Tire North America has named Wyatt Hamilton its key account manager for original equipment sales in the commercial vehicle tyre division. Hamilton is based in CTNA’s North American headquarters in Indian Land, South Caroline, and will service truck and trailer manufacturers for the eastern USA and Canada, said Tom Fanning, CTNA’s director of OE sales for the Americas. Hamilton was previously a key account manager for aftermarket tyre sales and has been with Continental for five years.

“Wyatt’s expertise in commercial tyre sales will assist us with increasing our OE sales in these key territories,” said Fanning. “His overall knowledge of the Continental brand will be invaluable in providing excellent service to our existing manufacturing partners, as well as developing new relationships that support our growth strategy.” Hamilton, a native of Charlotte, is a graduate of North Carolina State University and holds a bachelor of science degree in business management. (Tire Review/Akron)

9th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Directors Re-Elected at 2009 Annual Meeting

Goodyear Tire & Rubber shareholders re-elected 11 members of the company’s Board of Directors at the 2009 Annual Shareholder Meeting, held on April 7. Re-elected were:

James C. Boland, retired vice chairman, Cavaliers Operating Company, LLC;
James A. Firestone, executive vice president and president, corporate operations, Xerox Corporation;

Robert J. Keegan, chairman, chief executive officer and president, Goodyear;

8th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Snider Tire Joins Michelin Retread Technologies Network

The North America based Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT) network of servicing dealers has grown through the addition of Snider Tire. The retreader, headquartered in North Carolina, is one of the largest commercial tyre dealers and retreaders in the US. At present the company operates eight retread facilities and 31 commercial service locations, primarily in the Carolinas, Georgia and Texas area.

“Snider Tire has long been recognised for the quality of its people and service to the fleets,” said Francois Corbin, COO of Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “We are confident that John Snider and his team will help us continue to provide excellent commercial truck services to fleet customers.”

8th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Double Win for Dunlop Direzza

The winner of the Street Touring Ultra class at this year’s Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition, held in California, may have appeared familiar. The man taking the honours at the event was none other than last year’s winner, Richard Jung. At both the 2008 and 2009 competitions Jung attained victory on Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tyres.

“There has been a lot of hype about new street tyres from some of Dunlop’s competitors for this type of competition, so it was satisfying to get a repeat victory as evidence that the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is still the tyre to beat,” said Jung. “Enthusiasts are getting the message that this Dunlop tyre is proven to be the fastest in competition. You can feel the difference when you push the Star Specs, which is an advantage, because it allows a more consistent feel and reduced the need for suspension adjustments between runs.”

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin North America Releases New HydroEdge

According to Michelin North America, its newly released HydroEdge tyre range delivers up to 33,000 more miles than its competitor the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred. On top of this, the company says the HydroEdge stops up to 14 feet shorter than its competitor and is the most fuel-efficient tyre in its category. All in all, says Michelin, the new tyre offers consumers even more than the previous generation while providing the confidence consumers expect from its premier large passenger car and minivan tyre.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Nokian Q1 2009 Sales Down following 2008 Sales Growth

At the Nokian Tyres’ Annual General Meeting, held on April 2, company president and CEO Kim Gran announced that first quarter 2009 net sales are clearly lower than in the first quarter of 2008 and a net loss is expected. On a more positive note, Gran estimates that the first quarter will be the weakest of the year, and Nokian Tyres’ sales will increase during the other quarters. Full year net sales in 2009 will, however, be weaker than in 2008.

Last year proved to be Nokian Tyres’ 17th consecutive year of profitable sales growth, the company president and CEO told AGM attendees. Net sales of 1.08 billion euros for the financial year ending December 31, 2008 represent a 5.5 per cent increase on 2007 results, and operating profit increased a similar amount

3rd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors