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Conti Announces Changes to UK Commercial Management Team

Continental Tyre Group has announced a number of changes within its commercial management structure, changes the company says utilise current expertise and commitment to further strengthen its position in the UK market. Barry Guildford, previously a member of Continental’s Industrial division, joins the truck team as general sales manager – Truck Replacement. Guildford has an extensive background in truck marketing and more than seven years’ experience within the Continental group.

14th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

BBS OEM Wheel For Performance Lexus

BBS of America has released its latest OEM alloy wheel fitment. The custom designed 10-spoke, 19-inch forged alloy wheels are intended for the 2008 Lexus IS F, the luxury division’s first high-performance sports sedan to carry the new F marque. “The IS F comes standard with serious performance credentials, and the BBS brand’s decades of motorsports success made it the ideal wheel partner for us,” said Brian Bolain, Lexus national engagement marketing manager. “IS F owners enjoy the car’s aggressive character, and BBS wheels ensure that performance is on complete par with style.”

The Lexus IS F’s satin-finished, dark-grey BBS wheels are up to 40 per cent lighter than cast aluminium wheels of the same size, and they are designed to meet rigorous Lexus factory performance standards as well as exceeding stringent international TUV/JWL certification requirements. The BBS engineers have focused on superior light wheel weight, balanced by exceptional strength, the result being a high-performance wheel with an good stiffness to weight ratio, which helps to absorb hard acceleration, forceful cornering and aggressive braking.

29th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

TVS Srichakra Looks Towards European OEMs

TVS Srichakra Limited, the largest Motorcycle tyre manufacturer in India, spent its time in Essen promoting the new expansion to its range of OTR crossply tyres. Having achieved the milestone of manufacturing 11.5 million tyres for the Motorcycle and Scooter segments, the company is working towards enhancing their brand TVS Eurogrip. Additionally the company’s display of products on Flotation, OTR and MPT showed off its New Product Development programme to a large extent.

9th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan to Implement OEM Price Increase

Titan Tire Corporation has announced plans to implement a price increase for tyres and assemblies supplied to original equipment manufacturers, effective July 1, 2008. The increase will range from 7 per cent to 37 per cent, depending on the tyre, to offset rising costs for natural rubber, bead wire and oil-based material such as synthetic rubber and carbon black. Overall synthetic rubber shortages have also contributed to rising raw material costs, reports Titan.

These OE price increases follow those implemented for the aftermarket, which took effect June 1. Prices for aftermarket Titan, Goodyear and General branded OTR, farm and construction tyres increase between 4 per cent and 34 per cent.

10th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Prominent European OEM Wheel Lock Supplier Making UK Inroads

Europe’s leading supplier of OEM automotive fixings, Altenloh, Brinck & Co GmbH & Co, is entering the UK market through its wholly owned French subsidiary, ADL s.a.s. The company, which supplies most German and European car manufacturers, will introduce into the UK a range of security wheel locks marketed under the Blocky brand name.

Established in 1973, ADL has quickly become European market leader in the design and production of security wheel locks, which it sells under several different brand names (including Blocky). In the past, however, Britain has not been a major market for ADL products. ADL sales manager Hans Dietmar Fiedler thus is confident Britain presents itself as a major opportunity for the company, as he believes the quality of many wheel lock products currently available here to be substandard. He emphasises the importance of not compromising on product quality in this area, as a security locking wheel bolt is an important component in car safety as well as for security.

21st April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Phasing Out OEM Supply of PAX

Last year’s speculation that Michelin’s feelings towards its PAX run-flat system had somewhat cooled appears after all to contain substance. The New York Times reports that the tyre major is no longer attempting to sell the system to vehicle manufacturers. Michelin spokeswoman Lynn Mann told the newspaper that this decision had been reached as automotive manufacturers have several other run-flat technology choices available to them and due to the “slow growth of the extended-mobility tyre segment in general.”

Only three years ago Michelin predicted that its tyre-wheel combination “could become as commonplace as fold-flat seats,” however the company’s experiences with PAX in the US have been a saga of customer complaints about high replacement tyre costs and difficulties finding appropriate repair facilities. Michelin still faces a number of lawsuits filed by disgruntled consumers. In spite of this, Ms Mann claims these issues played no role in Michelin’s latest decision, and she added that replacement tyres and service would continue to be made available for vehicles already fitted with the tyres.

21st April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Shanghai Baolong Supplies Leading OEMs

International News, News, UK News

As an official supplier of tyre service products to Ford, GM and Chrysler, Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corporation hopes to maximise the value of these contracts when it comes to marketing its Digitire aftermarket TPMS products.

Baolong started its business working with the trade, and now after 10 years of development the company has grown into a corporation covering R&D, investment, production and trade. As a way of offering top quality products to our customers, Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corporation and its subsidiaries follow the requirements of ISO9002, QS9000, VAD6.1, ISO/TS16949 and established a strict QC system.

7th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Taking Stock of the Industry

Product News, UK News

When Tyres & Accessories last spoke with Rimstock Plc a couple of years ago, the effect of MG Rover’s collapse in 2005 was still fresh in everyone’s mind. Rimstock itself lost 10 per cent of its business overnight when the last remaining domestically owned vehicle manufacturer ended production. Two years later the wheel industry here has not completely rebounded, but the well-known West Midlands wheel producer, Britain’s largest, has managed to carve several successful niches for itself.

2nd April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bringing OEM Standards into the Workshop

Bus and Commercial vehicle maintenance facilities around the country are facing increased demand to follow the manufacturers’ recommended specifications on a wide range of bus and chassis components and sub systems. In response to a number of potentially catastrophic events, proper wheel tightening has become a critical procedure. Thanks to Chicago Pneumatic and its BlueTork range of tools – the name comes from ‘Blueprint’ and ‘Torque’ – workshops can now service vehicles back to their original, blueprint torque specification.

According to the company, the BlueTork range is the most advanced family of fastening tools in the industry and takes over where standard impacts and ratchets stop. The range offers torque-limiting (shut-off) impact tools, vibration-free, low-noise pneumatic and electric nut runners as well as wheel assembly machines. It also includes torque and angle measuring equipment, computer controlled tightening wrenches and precision measuring tools.

18th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Double Coin Tyres ‘Have Plenty More Potential’

In the last year, Kirkby Tyres & Wheels has experienced a near 20 per cent increase in truck tyre sales. Speaking to managing director, Dave Dorrity, Tyres & Accessories learnt that the company’s Chinese-produced Double Coin truck products are at the forefront of company growth, with fleet deals, OE business and increased tyre and wheel assembly business all either underway or on the horizon.

In fact business is going so well that Kirkby recently took the step of extending its own office in China, with an extra two mother tongue Chinese speaking employees committed to securing continuous stock levels and obtaining new product lines. Currently the company brings in six containers a day (across all product lines), with business growth reported in every sector.

While the majority of Kirkby’s truck tyre sales are in the replacement market, the company is also involved in various OE and fleet operations. These centre on Kirkby’s growing tyre and wheel assembly business which sees the company supply complete tyre/wheel packages to various trailer-makers. “The OE side of the business has really been customer led,” Dave Dorrity explained.

20th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

OEM Wheel Maker Names New President

Asahi Tec, manufacturer or OEM aluminium wheels and other automotive parts and systems, has appointed a new president and co-CEO. Hideo Ishii takes on these roles, as well as that of director and representative executive officer, following the company’s general shareholders meeting on June 28.

Mr. Ishii will be responsible for Asahi Tec’s Metal Forming Group and Diversified Business Group, and will act as co-CEO alongside Timothy D. Leuliette, who also serves as co-chairman of the company with Shoichiro Irimajiri. Mr. Irimajiri had been serving as president, co-CEO and representative executive officer, and is resigning from these posts to focus on the role of director and co-chairman of the company.

“Asahi Tec’s goal is to create a strong, globally competitive company that understands and supports global markets, cultures and customers to deliver leading-edge products worldwide,” said Irimajiri. “In his role as president and co-CEO, Hideo Ishii will play a key role in developing and executing the initiatives and strategies that will help realise that goal.”

26th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Update: Kumho to Supply Mercedes Benz

Kumho Tires has announced that it has been selected by DaimlerChrysler AG to supply tyres for the second generation of the Mercedes Benz A-Class model. Kumho will supply its Solus KH15 in size 185/65R15 for the new hatchback which is manufactured at DaimlerChrysler’s Rastatt plant in South West Germany.

16th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

1012 bhp Bristol Fighter-T Runs on Michelin Tyres

International News, Product News, UK News

Kensington-based luxury carmaker, Bristol, has announced that it has produced a record braking variation of its Bristol Fighter model. Seen as something of a Bugati (Veyron) beater, the Fighter T’s twin turbocharged and intercooled 8-litre V10 engine is capable of producing 1012 bhp and a top speed of 270 mph, which has been electronically limited to 225 mph.

13th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Adds to OTR Sales Team

(Akron/Tire Review) US-based Yokohama Tire Corp. has hired former Bridgestone/Firestone executive Michael Baggett as its eastern region OTR sales manager, and promoted Tim Easter to national OTR fleet and OEM manager. According to Gary Nash, Yokohama’s director of OTR sales, Baggett will be responsible for OTR sales across states along the Atlantic Ocean, spanning from Florida to Maine, and Easter will focus on national account and OE business. Previously, Baggett also served as senior vice president for Cobre Tire and as national OTR director for Michelin’s Tire Centers Inc. unit.

4th October 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Achieves Profit Growth Through Price Rises

Michelin has reported an operating income of 1,368 million euros for 2005, up 5.1 per cent on a year earlier. According to Financial Times Deutschland, this is well above financial analysts’ estimates and reflects the higher prices that Michelin has been able to achieve, more than compensating for raw material cost increases.

17th February 2006/by Tyrepress Editors