OTR tyre company Eurotire has announced that it will increase prices by up to 9.8 per cent on all its OTR bias tyres and up to 11.5 per cent on all its OTR radial tyres, effective globally on 5 September, 2011. Orders delivered before then will be at pre-increase prices.
Maurice Taylor, chairman and CEO of Titan International has sought to add clarity to forecasts of what is happening in the agriculture, construction and mining markets by pointing out that the firm expects to receive three-digit millions of dollars worth of orders: “I’ve had a number of shareholders and analysts call and e-mail asking what’s going on in the farm, construction and mining markets…The majority of these e-mails show concern as to why there’s not more positive guidance going out from the big boys in equipment manufacturing for 2012…”, he explained, adding:
Alliance Tire Americas has launched the Primex LS Xtreme LS-2, a new radial forestry tyre, reports Tire Review. The new tyre features a variable-angle, tapered lug design for “exceptional performance in a wide array of terrain and soil conditions,” Alliance said. “It’s exceptionally stable on steep hillsides, delivering market-leading traction in virtually all soil conditions: sand, mud, clay and everything in between.”
Price increases of up to 11 per cent for all US market OTR tyres will be implemented by Yokohama Tire Corporation on September 1. These price rises will also be accompanied by in-line adjustments, the details of which will be announced at a later date.
For the six months to June 30, 2011, Bridgestone Corporation reports net sales of 1,459,125 million yen (£11.7 billion), 1.4 per cent lower than the sales projection announced on May 13 and 5.3 per cent higher than net sales for the first half of 2010. Operating income during the first half of this year was 93,629 million yen (£751.0 million), 30.0 per cent higher than projected, and ordinary income amounted to 91,880 million yen (£737.0 million), 43.6 higher than the projected figure. Net income for the six months to June 30, 2011 was 54,115 million yen (£434.1 million), a 54.6 per cent increase on the May 13 projection and up 21.6 per cent year-on-year.
With nine containers of truck tyres arriving to Spain with full compliance accreditation, Chinese tyre manufacturer Techking is seeking to promote its performance in terms of European environmental legislation. Currently the company is part of the group of Chinese tyre producers that already possess e-mark, s-mark and Reach accreditation. This, say company representatives, is the result of Techking’s investment in research and development.
As of September 1, prices for Michelin North America’s entire OTR tyre line-up in the US, Canada and Mexico will rise. Increases will range between five and 13 per cent, MNA reports. This is the third price increase MNA has implemented for its OTR tyres this year; previous increases were up to 7 and 8 per cent, respectively.
Techking has launched three new OTR and truck tyre products, the ETSA 14.00 R20 and two ETME 14.00 R20 applications. The ETMT 14.00R20 and ETSA 14.00R20 are designed for desert and sand road condition. The two applications can be distinguished by the labels ETME B and ETMT J, which are upgraded versions of tyres launched back in 2008.
An area of focus for UK company OTR since its integration into the Kal Tire group is the further development of the ‘fendering’ process for its tyres. As Wayne Cornell, Kal Tire’s UK & Africa manufacturing manager explains, “the sidewall of a tyre is a large exposed area and, at the same time, is the thinnest part of the tyre. In harsh working environments this area is more susceptible to damage as the sidewall makes contact with objects – so the logical solution has always been to protect the sidewall i.e. fendering.”
Recently RH Claydon decided that a new sales and distribution strategy should be adopted in the UK and Northern Ireland. markets and as such, the “Infinity Dealer Partner Programme” has been launched. According to group business development and purchasing manager, John Parker, the Infinity Dealer Partner Programme is a “new and exciting marketing concept for RH Claydon that offers many benefits to both the tyre distributor/service provider and end user in the light and heavy Truck tyre market.”
Two new companies – Autogem Motor Concepts and Euro Car Parts join three regular finalists in this category, with those three being Apaseal, Harvie Tyres and Rema Tip Top Automotive. This category has seen a number of different winners over the years – will there be another new name for 2011?
After more than 60 years in the business, Lincolnshire-based Vacu-Lug has grown to the point that it can claim to be the largest one-stop industrial, truck and OTR retreader in Europe. And what’s more, the latest products in the Vacu-Lug portfolio are said to offer eco-qualities that outstrip the premium brands. Tyres & Accessories met with managing director Tim Hercock and fleet sales director Dave Alsop to find out more.
The July edition of Tyres & Accessories is now online our e-paper format. July's magazine features special reports on EDIWheel, EM/OTR tyres and manufacturing machinery, plus reviews of Automechanika Middle East, Autopromotec and a preview of the forthcoming CITExpo in Shanghai. Subscribers can simply click more to view the latest issue.
Tyre maker Triangle Tyre Co. Ltd is reportedly planning to invest 275 million euros in raising its production capacity to 2 million radial truck tyres a year. According to reports published by Tyres & Accessories’ German sister publication NeueReifenzeitung (reifenpresse.de), the investment is earmarked for the development of the company’s operations in Weihai, Shandong province. NeueReifenzeitung reported that the large Chinese tyre manufacturer has a total of three plants in Weihai where is also produces OTR production as well as tyres for cars, agricultural and industrial vehicles.
To state the obvious, good OTR/EM tyres don’t come cheap and immediate availability of the right product has been less than certain in the last five or six years. Therefore it only makes economic sense to treat tyres as an investment and to maximise this investment accordingly. Speaking recently with Tyres & Accessories, Jock Aitken, Michelin’s technical manager for Earthmover and Industrial Products, stressed the golden rule for OTR sector end-users wishing to do this. It is simply, he stated, a matter of fitting the correct tyre at the correct pressure upon the correct application.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
