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European Soil Like Home Turf for BKT

In less than 20 years Balkrishna Tyres (BKT) has developed a strong presence in the agricultural tyre segment and brought to market one of the widest ranges of agricultural (and other off highway) tyres currently available. It is only as recently as 1988 that the company’s first factory, in the West Indian district of Aurangabad, entered production with a modest annual production of 3,000 tonnes; today the company has an output in excess of 30 times that, and much of BKT’s annual production is destined for global markets, including our own.

According to information the company presented at November’s Agritechnika show in Hanover, Germany, exports now account for 95 per cent of BKT production. Of this amount, 70 per cent is exported to Europe (by comparison the next largest export market, North America, generates only 11 per cent of export sales), with 2006/07 sales in this region valued at approximately £58 million. Tyres for agricultural applications make up the bulk of European sales, BKT representatives added. In the UK and Northern Ireland the BKT range is exclusively marketed by RH Claydon Ltd.

13th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

US to Impose Duties on Chinese OTR Tyres

The US Department of Commerce has decided upon the implementation of countervailing duties on new OTR tyres imported from China, a move based upon assertions that the manufacturers of these products are financially benefiting from Chinese government subsidies. The Department found that OTR tyre manufacturers in China received subsidies including loans from government-owned banks, tax breaks, government grants, and access to low-cost rubber and land, with subsidy margins for Chinese tyremakers ranging from 2.38 to 6.59 per cent.

13th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Aiming for 40% of Oman PCR Market

While visiting Oman for the launch of Bridgestone’s Adrenalin Potenza RE001 tyre, the company’s general manager for the Gulf, East Africa and Nigeria, Takahiro Mitsui, spoke about the company’s activities and ambitions for the region, and the measures being taken to ensure global supply keeps pace with demand.

According to Mitsui, Bridgestone holds 30 per cent of Oman’s passenger car tyre aftermarket. This high percentage, he believes, is in part the result of the predominance of Japanese cars sold on this market, most of which arrive fitted with Bridgestone as OE. The activities of Bridgestone’s regional distributor, Towell Auto Centre, is another key factor, said Mitsui. From a solitary outlet in 2001 the distributor has expanded to 16 outlets by 2007. However the general manager believes that, should a sufficient supply of tyres become available, Bridgestone could feasibly hold 40 per cent of this market segment. Across all market segments, Bridgestone currently holds 35 per cent of the market.

12th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Crumb Rubber Retreads Compare Well With Standard

A WRAP-funded project has published research which claims to demonstrate that crumb rubber from waste tyres can be added to truck and OTR tyres in much higher rates than was previously thought. According to the report, tyres using a compound that was up to 40 per cent crumb rubber from tyres “suffered no reduction in durability or performance when compared to the industry standard.” Truck tyres fitted to dual-drive axle tipper lorries and earthmover tyres, with a diameter of 1.6 metres were used in the trial.

11th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ceat Close to Land Sale Deal

India’s Ceat Ltd is reportedly close to closing a deal that will see 2.8 hectares of surplus land at its Mumbai factory sold off. This sale will most likely take place some time before March 2008, according to managing director Paras K. Chowdhary. He added that the proceeds from the sale would be injected into the company’s plans to expand capacity.

“We are very close to finalising the sale. We had wanted to close it by September but it has been delayed.” he said. “A large part of the expansion will be met from the sale and internal accruals.”

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo to Expand OTR Production Six-Fold

News that Apollo Tyres was considering some form of joint venture with Indian mining vehicle manufacturer Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) and its most significant customer, Coal India, was first disclosed in early April 2007. Eight months later India’s Economic Times reports that the tyremaker has entered into a tripartite agreement with these two companies for the supply of OTR tyres.

10th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Management & Unions Meet to Discuss MRF Lockout

Managers from the MRF tyre plant at Tiruvottiyur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu met with union representatives on December 7 in an attempt to resolve the deadlock over the factory lockout that began four days earlier. Plant management announced an indefinite lockout on December 3, the result of their claim of employee indiscipline and inability to meet productivity norms. A previous meeting on December 5 failed to resolve the issue.

7th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear to Build OTR Retread Plant in Canada

Goodyear Canada Inc is constructing a new retread plant in North Bay, scheduled to be completed in Autumn 2008. The new 80,000 square foot facility is designed using lean manufacturing principles to support continuous flow of production. “Goodyear has been a committed corporate citizen, operating a retread plant in the City of North Bay for the past 21 years,” said Glenn Bennett, Business Centre Manager, Goodyear Canada. “Our Associates are second to none in the industry,” said Mark Pillow, Director of Commercial Systems and Off Highway, Goodyear Canada. “The plant’s ISO 9001 registration is a tribute to the quality management systems they have put into place.”

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Changes OTR/Agri Tyre Management

(Tire Review/Akron) The impending retirement of Ralph Burchfield, president of its off-road tyre group, has created a number of management changes at Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire. Burchfield has opted to retire at the end of this year, ending a 36-year career with the company. As a result, BFNAT is “streamlining” its OTR and agricultural tyre businesses, with three group vice presidents now reporting to BFNAT President Asahiko “Duke” Nishiyama.

Heading the agricultural tyre group will be vice president Kenneth Allen, formerly executive director of sales and marketing for Firestone Agricultural Tire Co. Leading the OTR group will be Shawn Rasey, formerly executive director of the OTR group. Heading up the tube group will be Scott Gateley, general manager.

5th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Raising US Tyre Prices

(Tire Review/Akron) In the US Yokohama Tire Corporation has announced an across-the-board price increase, effective January 1, 2008. Prices on Yokohama passenger and light truck/SUV tyres will increase by up to 7 per cent, while commercial light truck and medium truck tyre prices will jump by up to 4 per cent. OTR tyre prices will be increased by up to 5 per cent. In all cases, in-line adjustments will be made, Yokohama said.

4th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kirkby Secures ‘Giant’ OE Deal

Kirkby Tyres & Wheels has secured a large scale OE contract to supply to OTR tyres to a particularly UK-based manufacturer. The deal will see the Liverpool-based wholesaler counter EM tyre shortage issues by supplying between 5000 and 7000 tyres a year, including certain ‘giant’ sizes. Speaking to Tyres & Accessories after giving a company statement on the Michelin/Double Coin dispute, Kirkby managing director, Dave Dorrity, said the agreement would be a “multi-million pound” contract.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Rapid Growth the Hallmark of Yongsheng’s Short History

Exhibited at CITExpo with well-known distributor the Meir Group were products from the Shandong Yongsheng Rubber Co. This Qingdao based manufacturer has been in business for 21 years, originally producing bias tyres. However in 2003 the company invested in a new production facility for the manufacture of radial products. Known as the Shandong Santai Rubber Co., Ltd, this new factory possessed an initial capacity of 600,000 units per annum.

29th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT OTR Plant Gets OSHA Award

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire’s Bloomington, Ill., OTR tyre plant was awarded the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status. The OSHA Voluntary Protection Program Star award is given to companies that have comprehensive safety and health programs with injury rates below the industry’s national average. The Bloomington plant is the sixth in BFNAT’s system to receive the award.

28th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ceat OTR Factory Plans in Final Stage

Plans by India’s Ceat Ltd to build a factory for the production of 60 tonne OTR tyres should be finalised by the end of the year or shortly afterwards, and construction of the new facility, located near the city of Patalganga in western India, is anticipated to begin by next May. The newspaper Hindu Business Line also reports that ‘sources’ claim discussions between Ceat and possible partners are in an “advanced stage”, indicating that a second-tier tyre major is the most likely collaborator for such a project. The Hindu Business Line named Yokohama, Toyo, Cooper, Kumho and Hankook as likely providers of “decent radial technologies.”

27th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Chadha Rubber: Diversified Group

Chadha Rubber is a member of the Chadha group; a vast organisation with interests in foodstuffs, metals, paper, rubber, handicrafts distilling and wine and real estate. In all, the group employs some 10,000 people. Products of Chadha Rubber include butyl rubber tubes, flaps and curing bags and envelopes for retreading. The tube plant began manufacturing in 1989 and covers a wide range of tubes for vehicles from two wheelers to OTR machinery. Domestically, the company enjoys regular business with the Special Defence Aircraft tubes and is actively associated with the various State Transport Fleet owners and Indian tyre manufacturers. Exports form a healthy part of Chadha Rubber’s business, with sales made in over 40 different countries, said Mr Ajay Bhardwaj, General Manager, International Business.

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors