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Corghi Sees the Blue Light

In the motor vehicle workshop equipment segment, Corghi reports that it is responding to today’s global economical crisis by investing in product innovation, infrastructure and new commercial facilities. The company says that it is committed to constant research in innovative solutions to meet the demands of an increasingly discerning market, an aim that the brand hopes to address through its participation in the Autopromotec show, where it will display a wide range of its newest products.

For the wheel balancer segment, Corghi presents Blue Light, a sophisticated wheel balancing machine developed in response to the needs of the upper end of the market. This high-tech system includes touch screen, real time, blue light and touchless technologies, which aim to simplify significantly the operator’s job.

2nd April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ContiBusinessCouncil Boosts Tyre Maker’s Plans

Continental Tire North America’s ContiBusinessCouncil, formed in 2004 to serve as a liaison between the company and its dealers, recently met in Huntington Beach, California, in conjunction with Continental’s launch of the new ExtremeContact tyre lines. “The feedback we receive from the Council has been an integral part of our strategy-building as well as our decision-making processes,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, executive vice president of sales and marketing for CTNA. “The council meets once a year, and also actively contributes throughout the year, and its suggestions have driven many of the key initiatives that Continental has executed and will implement in the future.” (Tire Review/Akron)

1st April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Canadian Retreader Inaugurates New Michelin MRT Facility

On March 30 Canadian firm Pneus Bélisle inaugurated its new CA$3.9 million (£2.2 million) retreading plant in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, near Quebec City. The facility is the second plant owned by Groupe Bélisle and the eighth in Canada to utilise Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT).

“We have complete confidence in the MRT technology, as we already have one retreading plant using this technology in Saint-Jérôme in the Laurentians,” said Daniel Bélisle, president of Rechapage Bélisle inc. and vice-president of Groupe Pneus Bélisle. “In addition to investing $3.9 million in the construction of the plant, equipment and staff training, we are also very proud to be contributing to the creation of specialised jobs in the Quebec City area.”

31st March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Opens New Headquarters

Continental Tire North America celebrated the grand opening of its new North American headquarters in South Carolina. CTNA held a special ceremony yesterday, attended by community leaders, customers and employees, to open the $11 million, 75,000-square-foot facility in Lancaster County, South Carolina.

The company had been based in Charlotte, North Carolina, adjacent to its now-closed passenger tire plant there. CEO Matthias Schoenberg was joined by Fred Thomas, Lancaster County council member, to cut the ceremonial ribbon.

“This move to South Carolina is just the next step in our ongoing effort to contribute to the North and South American markets,” said Schoenberg. “We are grateful to South Carolina for helping us develop this beautiful new headquarters. The Lancaster County Economic Development Corporation and the State of South Carolina were instrumental in the decision to move our headquarters. We appreciate their efforts on our behalf, and we look forward to a long and successful future in South Carolina.” (Tire Review/Akron)

27th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dana’s CTIS Celebrating Quarter Century

This year automotive component supplier Dana Corporation celebrates 25 years of supplying its Central Tire Inflation Systems (CTIS) to military and commercial vehicle customers. Initially developed for use by the US armed forces in 1984, Dana reports that it now supplies its CITS to OEMs in the North America and global markets.

“Dana CTIS is selected by more military vehicle OEMs than all of the competitive systems combined,” said James Beverly, Dana’s chief engineer of advanced chassis control systems. “The product is used extensively by the US Army and Marine Corps, as well as NATO forces, and in a variety of commercial vehicle applications such as oil field exploration and construction.”

26th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin’s Ardmore Plant Returning to Full Work Schedule Mid-April

Workers at Michelin North America’s Ardmore, Oklahoma passenger and light truck tyre facility will return to a full work schedule in mid-April, says company spokeswoman Lynn Mann. The factory has been operating at reduced capacity since last November, when approximately 240 employees were placed on eight-week furloughs. In February, Michelin announced plans to reduce production at the plant.

The reduced work period ends on April 13, said Mann. Following this date, employees will return to normal work schedules.

26th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Opens Giant Florida Distribution Centre

Bridgestone Americas opened the doors to its new 1 million square foot distribution center in Jacksonville, Florida.

Calling it “state-of-the-art tyre,” the company said the new facility has a capacity of more than one million tyres and will supply tyres and automotive parts to customers in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. It will also supply the entire U.S. with tyres produced in Latin America, and the eastern half of the U.S. with tyres from Japan and other Asian countries.

Bridgestone Americas operates seven distribution centres across North America. (Tire Review/Akron)

26th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Wide Single Truck Tyres 6-10% More Efficient – US Study

Michelin North America has reported on a 383-page report made available in mid-March the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This report, says Michelin, confirms that wide single tyres are more fuel-efficient than duals on heavy trucks. This conclusion is based upon data collected from more than 700,000 real-world miles driven by six instrumented tractors and 10 trailers over the course of four-years.

25th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Americas Strengthens Distribution Network

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) has marked the official opening of its new tyre distribution centre in Jacksonville, Florida. The centre’s opening, says BATO, marks the latest step in its North America distribution centre modernisation programme.

With a capacity of more than a million tyres, ranging from small passenger and industrial tyres to those for medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, the Jacksonville centre will supply tyres and automotive parts to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. In addition, the distribution centre will supply the entire United States with tyres produced in Latin America, and the eastern half of the United States with tyres from Japan and the wider Asia region.

25th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Opens First Vietnam ‘Tire Pro’ Centre

On March 12, Kumho Tires announced the planned launch of its specialist ‘Tire Pro’ retail store in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, a country the South Korean manufacturer identifies as one that is “emerging as a promising market.” The Vietnam launch of Tire Pro follows the opening of branches in Korea and China.

Kumho has already opened tyre manufacturing and rubber processing plants in Vietnam, and the company says it now plans to launch Tire Pro branches in Vietnam and accelerate its efforts to penetrate the Southeast Asian market, in order to strengthen and expand its distribution channels in local markets.

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

A Global Concern

The increasing globalisation of the automotive industry is an indisputable fact. Today’s leading companies, such as Toyota, General Motors, Renault/Nissan, Volkswagen and a handful of others, view expansion into as-yet untapped markets as a means of ensuring the profitable growth that established – and increasingly saturated – markets cannot deliver. A replacement for the masses of two and three wheeled vehicles still serving as family transport in various parts of the world is a well recognised need, and in several emerging markets the race is on to introduce “people’s car” that offers the right blend of modernity, efficiency and price. Exactly who will be first to produce such a widely-accepted car remains to be seen: It may be one of the smaller international manufacturers that seizes the inititave, or perhaps an emerging market company such as India’s Tata or China’s Chery. What is more certain, however, is that the the companies best placed to grow in the future are those that locate their centres of production in the markets where growth is taking place – and this is every bit as true for wheels as it is for the vehicles they are fitted to.

24th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Announces 26th North American Highway Hero

Goodyear has announced the winner of its 26th Goodyear North American Highway Hero Award, honouring Colorado truck driver Jorge Orozco Sanchez. He saved the lives of two young girls after a horrific highway accident last October. The announcement was made at a special awards banquet during the Mid-America Trucking Show. Alongside the award, he also received a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond, a plaque and a specially designed ring.

An independent owner-operator, Orozco Sanchez was hauling grain on Oct. 28, 2008 on Highway 392, north of Greeley, CO, when an SUV suddenly crossed the centre line and crashed head-on into his tractor-trailer rig. After impact, the truck pushed the SUV backward down the road for about 200 feet. As the vehicles stopped moving, a shaken Orozco Sanchez quickly jumped from his cab and went to the other vehicle. There, with flames already beginning to surround the vehicles, he saw two girls, strapped into their car seats and crying, and a woman up front who was not moving. Working with a passer-by who used a fire extinguisher to fight back the flames, Orozco Sanchez used his knowledge of child car seats – he has two young children – to rescue the two girls.

One of the youngsters was extracted quickly, but the fire was getting bigger and the smoke was so thick he had trouble seeing into the vehicle. He was finally able to remove the other girl, then the truck’s saddle fuel tanks ruptured and exploded, creating an inferno. The 27-year-old mother died in the crash. Orozco Sanchez sustained burns on his arms from the rescue and was taken to a nearby hospital. The fire reduced the cab and the SUV to rubble, also burning the side of a nearby building.

20th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Launches Commercial ‘Revolution’

Continental Tire North America plans to “improve the product, service and training offerings to commercial vehicle tyre customers” though its new Continental Revolution program. The new project was launched this week at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Part of the program was the launch of five new medium truck radials (see separate story), and “new programs designed to reduce overall driving cost and a new state-of-the-art mobile classroom,” CTNA officials said.

Named the “Untamed Innovation Tour,” CTNA’s new 83-foot mobile tyre information centre featuring product samples, rolling resistance demonstrations, a movie theatre, driving games and touch-screen explanations of Continental tyre technologies, according to the company.(Tire Review/Akron)

20th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Mayfield Back at Del-Nat…as President

Well-traveled tyre executive Jim Mayfield has been named president of Del-Nat Tire Corp., returning to the company he once served as marketing vice president. Mayfield took over for Ed Fabrizio, who left the private brander last December without explanation. Mayfield was marketing vice president for Del-Nat from 2004 to 2006, and subsequently held posts with Stamford Tyres and most recently with Yokohama Tire Corp.

Prior to joining Del-Nat in 2004, Mayfield held marketing and sales management posts with Continental Tire North America and Michelin North America. Dick Erickson, Del-Nat chairman, said, “Jim’s level of knowledge in our industry combined with an intimate understanding of our company makes him the right choice to lead Del-Nat to future growth and success.” (Tire Review/Akron)

19th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Manfred Wennemer Nominated to Bekaert Board

Following Julien De Wilde’s decision not to seek re-election to the board of Bekaert, the steel wire manufacturer has nominated ex-Continental AG CEO, Manfred Wennemer as director. The appointment is subject to approval by the general meeting of shareholders, which will take place on 13 May 2009.

Manfred Wennemer was chief executive officer of Continental AG from 2001 until August 2008, when he stepped down at the point that Schaeffler Group’s hostile takeover offer appeared to have reached the point of no return. Wennemer, had previously fought hard for Continental to retain its independence. He holds a Masters degree in Mathematics from the University of Münster, Germany and an MBA from INSEAD Fontainebleau, France.

18th March 2009/by Tyrepress Editors