November Archives - Page 23 of 34 - Tyrepress

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Workers Blame Manufacturing Solvent for Hankook Factory Deaths

Korea’s Ministry of Labour is investigating the relationship between the working environment at two of Hankook’s factories and the sudden deaths of 14 plant employees over a 17-month period. The deaths in question occurred between May 2006 and October 2007, and co-workers of the deceased employees, all workers at the company’s South Korean factories in Daejeon and Geumsan, North Chungcheong Province, claim the deaths can be linked to a toxic chemical solvent used during the manufacturing process – a claim Hankook reports it has examined but as yet remains unverified.

8th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental AG in Talks with Potential Buyers of Parts of VDO

(Akron/Tire Review) Continental AG is in talks to spin off Electric Motor Drives, which is part of Siemens AG’s former VDO unit, management board member and human resources head Heinz-Gerhard Wente said. He said there is strong interest in the unit, which has 3,300 employees. Wente added that Continental has started exchanging information with potential buyers but has not entered negotiations.

The European Commission is set to decide on Continental’s 13.5 billion euro VDO acquisition on November 15. Until then, Continental is not allowed to negotiate the spin-off of parts of VDO. Wente said that German automotive parts supplier Brose and an unnamed Japanese company are interested in acquiring Electric Motor Drives, citing sources close to the talks. It said industry sources put the sale price at around 500 million euros.

7th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama to Hold “Forever Forest” Tree Planting Ceremony

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced it is to hold a tree-planting ceremony as part of its “Yokohama Forever Forest” project on 11 November 2007 at its Hiratsuka Factory. About 3,500 people, including local residents and employees of the Yokohama Rubber Group and their families will plant 30,000 trees that day. Professor Emeritus Akira Miyawaki of Yokohama National University will supervise the planting, which will be followed by various events including a discussion on stage between Mr. Tadashi Tateuchi, a noted automotive journalist, and former F1 driver Mr. Ukyo Katayama.

5th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Staff Farewell Transaid Charity Cyclist

Staff from Hankook Tyre UK’s premises in Daventry were on hand to give charity cyclist Gary Williams a big send off as he heads to Kenya for a 400km charity cycle ride. Williams is making the trip to raise money for Transaid – a charity committed to making transport systems more affordable, available and efficient in developing countries, and the 55 year old joins a number of cyclists from the UK for the journey, including Radio 2’s Sally ‘traffic’ Boazman. The charity ride gets underway in Nairobi on Saturday November 10 before heading through Rift Valley to Kisumu in an event set to raise thousands of pounds for the charity.

2nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Compass Group Appoints New Senior Sales Manager

Compass Group Ltd has announced the appointment of Raymond Attiwell to the role of senior sales manager in its Compass HD Tyres Ltd tyre wholesale division, working alongside sales director David Wragg.

Tim Chesney, Compass Group managing director, explained that this senior appointment had been made to booster the sales team in light of the recent expansion of the Group’s warehouse facilities and continued sales growth of the Company’s main GT product lines. Mr. Chesney commented “Raymond is a seasoned tyre industry professional with over 15 years of experience. He has had a senior sales role at Lassa tyres for the past 10 years and before that he was with CPK so he has the experience and in depth knowledge of the tyre industry that we require’. Raymond takes up his new position in November and says he is “delighted to be part of this dynamic sales team and I look forward to working for Compass Group and helping to build on their great successes achieved to date.”

2nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Like Father, Like Son

The Wales Rally GB is set to be a family affair in 2007, with 18-year old driver Elfyn Evans competing against father Gwyndaf. Evans the younger has proven to be one of the country’s rising rally stars this year, finishing third overall in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy, and he is now relishing the chance to tackle the home round of the World Rally Championship alongside his former British Rally Champion father, who has spent the season driving for the Mitsubishi rally team in the BRC.

Organisers believe it is more than a decade since a father and son competed head on against each other in the event – the most recent being Roger and Matthew Clark in 1995 and Jimmy McRae against both Colin and Alister in 1993. Elfyn and co-driver Richard Edwards will continue to use their trusty Fiesta and have secured backing for the rally from Hankook Tire – the main sponsor of Gwyndaf’s BRC efforts in 2006.

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear, Cooper Set to Announce Results

(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear and Cooper will both announce their third quarter financial results in coming weeks. Goodyear plans to release its financials before the markets open on October. 30. Cooper will wait until after the SEMA Show and release its financials before the markets open on November 6.

19th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone to Attend 40th Tokyo Motor Show

The Tokyo Motor Show, acknowledged as one of the motoring world’s “big five” shows (along with Detroit, Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris) gets underway on October 24. The 2007 exhibition, the 40th Tokyo Show, runs until November 11 and has attracted numerous top name exhibitors, including Japan’s – and the world’s – largest producer of tyres.

Bridgestone will present a stand focusing on the theme of “The Environment and Safety”, and will introduce tyres and related activities supporting these concepts. The environmental emphasis will include a display of various eco-products, beginning with ECOPIA, an environmentally friendly fuel saving tyre, and NanoPro-Tech, a material technology that boosts environmental performance in tyres by reducing rolling resistance. NanoPro-Tech was first seen in the Blizzak Rev02 pcr studless tyre released in 2006, and is now one of Bridgestone’s core technologies. The company will also introduce a variety of its environmental activities using display panels.

18th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

European Commission sets Deadline for VDO Purchase Inquiry

The European Commission has announced that its inquiry deadline for Continental AG’s proposed 11.4 billion euro acquisition of the VDO Automotive Division from Siemens has been set for November 15. No further details were given at the time.

12th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

WTCC Champion Priaulx Celebrates 100th BMW Race

British driver and reigning WTCC champion Andy Priaulx celebrated his 100th touring car race with BMW during the championship rounds held at Monza on the weekend of October 6-7. And although Priaulx’s race experience at the Italian circuit did not measure up with that recently enjoyed at Brands Hatch – he was forced to retire after being the innocent party in a collision – the champion still sits at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, sharing 81 points apiece with Seat driver Yvan Muller.

“I’ve had a great career with BMW,” said Priaulx in a press release. “I’m very proud of my 100th race and I hope we will be together for another 100. This weekend’s races are to be forgotten and I’m going to Macau leading the championship with every chance of winning. BMW don’t like losing so I’m sure there will be five weeks of hard work in preparation for the final round.”

Priaulx worked his Yokohama Advan control tyres hard at Brands Hatch on September 23 to achieve his first ever WTCC victory on home soil, a win that made him a definite contender in the Drivers’ Championship and ensured BMW remains favourite for this year’s Manufacturers’ Championship.

9th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BEN to Host Evening Reception at St James’s Palace

BEN, the Automotive Industry Charity, will be holding a private Evening Reception, at St James’s Palace, on Wednesday 14 November from 6.30pm-8.30pm. Gerard Barclay, chief executive at BEN said, “BEN has been privileged over the past 40 years to have Princess Alexandra as its patron and we are delighted that Her Royal Highness is be able to celebrate this auspicious occasion with us”.

Champagne and canapés will be served in the magnificent Queen Anne Room and guests will have the unique opportunity to tour the State Apartments.

Built largely between 1531 and 1535, St James’s Palace was a residence of kings and queens of England for over 300 years. It remains the official residence of the Sovereign, although, since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837, the Sovereign has lived at Buckingham Palace. The Palace was built by Henry VIII on the site of the Hospital of St James, Westminster. Much survives of the red-brick building erected by Henry VIII, including the Chapel Royal, the gatehouse, some turrets and two surviving Tudor rooms in the State Apartments.

9th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan to Raise Prices

Titan Tire Corporation, a subsidiary of Titan International, Inc. increase prices on Titan and Goodyear branded farm and construction tyres, from 1 November 2007. The increase of up to five per cent is being put down to rising raw material and energy costs. Titan warned that the price rise may exceed five per cent on some product lines.

28th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

PTNA Raise Passenger/LT Prices

Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) is raising prices in the United States by an average of five per cent for all passenger and light truck tyres. According to a company statement the price increase comes in response to increasing raw material, energy and logistic costs. The exact amount of the increase will vary by product line and/or size. New prices will take effect on 1 November 2007.

26th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Man In Kenyan Charity Cycle Ride

Fifty-five-year-old Gary Williams, from Broughton Hackett, near Worcester, is preparing to travel 400km (248 miles) across Kenya in the Transaid cycle ride, which begins in Nairobi on Saturday, November 10. With the help of local companies, including Hankook Tyres, he is hoping to raise thousands of pounds to help improve people’s quality of life.

25th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Viking Offers Rally Driving Prizes

Fast and furious rally driving prizes are up for grabs in the final quarter’s promotion from Viking International for its private tyre brands Viking, Gislaved and Barum Tyres. Each rally driving experience is for two people and is available at a number of locations across the UK. On the day, winners will begin with an introductory briefing session from an experienced instructor then take their place behind the wheel and put into practice some of the skills used by professional rally drivers to power slide around the track as quickly and safely as possible. There will be three pairs of tickets and dealers will be automatically entered into the promotion, running from 1st September until 30th November 2007.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors