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General Motors May Sell ACDelco Parts Business

General Motors is ‘exploring a potential sale’ of its ACDelco aftermarket parts business. In a press release published October 22, the automotive giant stated that a possible sale of ACDelco, along with the potential sale of its Hummer brand and the company’s technical and manufacturing centre in Strasbourg, France, were part of a wider range of initiatives aimed at bolstering GM’s financial liquidity by approximately US$15 billion by the end of 2009. It is thought that the sale of ACDelco alone could be worth as much as $4 billion to the company.

24th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Strategic Partnership Beneficial to Both Marangoni & Fedi Gomme

Italy’s Fedi Gomme Srl, a provider of total tyre outsourcing for large transport fleets, has established a strategic partnership with the Marangoni Group. This partnership, says Marangoni, will allow Fedi Gomme to expand its business abroad and Marangoni to create a replicable model for the benefit of its customers.

The transport and logistics business is evolving, and an increasing number of companies are now finding it significantly more convenient to outsource the management of their tyres to specialist companies. Fedi Gomme, as one such service provider, has as customers some of the main players in the Italian logistics and road transport industry.

15th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Ahluwalia To Retire From Bridgestone/Firestone

Singh Ahluwalia has announced plans to retire next year, ending a 32-year career with Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire. The president of truck and bus tyre sales for the recently formed Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions will retire as of Mar. 1, 2009. He will also be leaving his position as a as member of the BFNAT board of directors. Ahluwalia will be succeeded by Kurt Danielson, currently vice president of marketing, who will become vice president of sales and marketing for BBTS. To provide a smooth transition, Danielson’s appointment is effective Nov. 1. Danielson will report directly to Saul Solomon, BBTS president, and will be responsible for all new and retreaded truck tire marketing and sales activities.

“After 32 years of dedication to our company, Singh has certainly put in his time and earned the opportunity to retire and enjoy more free time,” Solomon said. “Almost all of our major milestones in this business occurred during Singh’s tenure – the overall explosive growth in our TBR business, our long-standing relationship with Ryder and our partnership with Paccar. Above all, it was Singh’s vision that ultimately led to our merger with Bandag, a transaction that has given us so many opportunities across the globe.” (Tire Review/Akron)

14th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyresure First UK TPMS Provider to Join TyreSafe

UK Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems provider Tyresure has joined TyreSafe, the non-profit making organisation set up in 1992 with the responsibility of raising the awareness of the dangers of defective and worn tyres. As such, Tyresure is the first UK TPMS manufacturer to join forces with TyreSafe, and the company’s technology offers an obvious synergy with TyreSafe’s message of safety through correct tyre pressure.

On announcing the partnership, Tyresure UK managing director, Ian Smith looked happy to be part of the TyreSafe team. “’We’re delighted to augment TyreSafe’s message and be part of the push to educate the public into safer driving. Human nature being what it is, we know that this sound advice often falls on deaf ears, with people still rarely checking their tyre pressures. Tyresure does it for you, meaning that once you have set your tyres to the correct pressures, it’s impossible to encounter a problem without getting both a visual and audible warning. It’s hopefully something that even the most apathetic driver can do to make themselves safer.”

10th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Unveils Plans for European Road Safety Day

October 13 is European Road Safety Day. To play its part in this event, taking place for the second year, Bridgestone has planned extensive programme promoting the importance of good tyre care in road safety. Activities, it says, will include thousands of free safety checks for motorists across Europe backed by local safety education initiatives in individual countries. The free safety check-ups will be conducted by the company’s First Stop tyre dealer network, with more than 1,700 of its outlets across Europe participating. Work will be carried out within First Stop premises, in store car parks and in various public places over a three-week period.

10th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyresure Helping to Make the School Run Safer

Tyre safety firm Tyresure has announced its latest technical partnership. The Leicester based company’s sells the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System has been selected for OE fitment in the new Iovan minibus, the vehicle jointly developed by Brecon Coachworks, Swansea University and Irisbus Iveco (UK), and promoted as the UK’s safest minibus.

Every aspect of this new-generation Minibus has been scrutinised to improve safety, comments Tyresure, resulting in over 30 significant improvements being made. Tyresure has supplied its six-wheel monitoring system to allow drivers to keep an eye on all tyre pressures through receiving instantaneous readings on a clear display screen. The driver is alerted should tyre pressure drop even by 1 PSI, ensuring motoring under the safest possible conditions.

9th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Renews Jones Link for Swiss IRC Event

Hankook has renewed its links with leading rally driver Stuart Jones for the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Switzerland – the Rallye International du Valais – in October. The manufacturer has been working with Jones and his family business, SJR Motorsport since the driver’s British Rally Championship days, and Hankook motorsport manager, Mike Patterson declared himself, “delighted to be renewing our partnership for such an exciting event.’’

“We have been developing tyres specifically for the S2000 cars and Valais will provide the perfect opportunity to test these in some tricky conditions and against some of the best rally competition around.’’ The Hankook MG Super 2000 will be in action at the three-day event, which gets underway on Thursday October 23 from the rally’s base in Martigny. The crews will tackle more than 260 km of competitive stage miles.

9th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

LSUK Goes into Administration

Car parts wholesaler LSUK has gone into administration following a failed takeover attempt by competitor Euro Car Parts. All 53 branches will close, with 600 workers being made redundant. The new owners reluctantly came to the decision “after a considerable amount of non-stop work and investment into LSUK” during the five days following Euro Car Parts’ takeover bid over on 29 September. Despite their efforts Euro Car Parts’ directors realised that they had no option but to place LSUK into administration with effect from Monday 6 October 2008. This includes all 53 LSUK Branches, including MI Diesel Products, Protech Automotive (UK) and Yeovil Rewind.

In a statement on the failure of the deal Euro Car Parts explained its reasons for putting LSUK into administration: “Unfortunately, it became clear, very quickly, that it was simply going to be impossible to continue with investment without the required support, which was not forthcoming.”

6th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa to Supply US Bus Fleet

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products has announced it has entered into a partnership agreement the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, one of the oldest bus fleets in the US. The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, with over 11 million passenger trips a year, is Ohio’s fourth largest public transit system. Its fleet includes diesel buses, electric trolley buses, ‘Project Mobility’ vans and buses and vintage ‘Wright Flyer’ trams.

3rd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Active Wheel Spectacle at Paris Motorshow

Visitors to the Paris Motorshow are witnessing what Michelin developers hope is a vision of the future of the wheel, as two cars fitted with the French manufacturer’s Active Wheel (instead of the traditional engine, suspension and transmission fixtures) are presented for the first time. The Venturi Volage is a roadster with an electrical drive motor freed from the constraints of the traditional prerequisites, while the new WILL – built in partnership with Heuliez, Michelin and Orange – is an electric car capable of competing with traditional cars in addition to providing a practical solution to road transportation concerns in the areas of energy resources, urban pollution and personal safety.

The Active Wheel has been enabled through the substantial reduction of component size, making it possible – Michelin says – to “reinvent the wheel”. The energy that powers the integrated motor is always electric, whether it comes from a lithium ion or other type of battery, a fuel cell, and/or super-capacitors. In all cases, these power sources offer two important benefits—zero pollution and optimal comfort—since vehicles equipped with the wheel emit no greenhouse gases. The WILL’s two engines housed in the front wheels make the car extremely responsive. As for the Venturi Volage, with its four motorised Active Wheels, it offers impressive performance in the areas of acceleration and road holding.

2nd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Euro Car Parts Buys LSUK

Euro Car Parts has acquired the businesses of Pinco 1555 Ltd, otherwise known as LSUK. Euro Car Parts will take over all 53 LSUK Branches, together with subsidiaries M I Diesel Products, Protech Automotive (UK) and Yeovil Rewind. Chairman, Sukhpal Singh commented on the acquisition: “Euro Car Parts has proved its ability to grow organically in difficult times. The purchase of LSUK will further accelerate our expansion and support our quest to provide the ultimate in quality and service to the automotive aftermarket.”

He added: “Previous acquisitions by Euro Car Parts have shown our willingness to invest in the staff and fabric of companies, so as to bring them up to the same market-leading standards that have gained Euro Car Parts many awards for customer service throughout the industry.”

30th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Signs Multi-Year Contract With Brazil’s SL Group

One of South America’s leading truck tyre retreaders, Renovadora de Pneus SL, has switched over to Marangoni. At the end of August, following several months of negotiations, Marangoni Do Brasil stipulated a multi-year supply contract with the São Paulo based group.

The SL Group, founded in 1996, is a major player in the truck tyre retreading business, operating four large retreading plants located in the main cities of São Paulo state. The group employs 140 people and operates a large fleet, with more than thirty service and support vehicles – thus the company can be considered one of the largest retreaders in Brazil and the whole of South America.

26th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Credit Crunch Impacting Tyre Sales

With new car registrations at a historic low point, new evidence suggests money conscious consumers are cutting corners when it comes to tyres. According to a report released by independent tyre dealer network Protyre, there is mounting evidence that motorists are delaying replacing worn and defective tyres. This false economy is putting drivers, passengers and other road users in danger of an accident or the potential for prosecution.

Protyre’s survey reveals that over three quarters of motorists visiting their 31 outlets had at least one defective or badly worn tyre, up dramatically on a year ago. Protyre technicians have also discovered that drivers of family cars seem to be more responsible than owners of premium vehicles, with a lower percentage of family cars having more than one defective tyre compared with premium models – the cars usually fitted with lower profile tyres.

25th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

First UK Bus Rolling on Bridgestone Through £5M Contract

A £5 million contract awarded to Bridgestone UK will result in the company supplying new and remould tyres for 3,500 vehicles in the First UK Bus fleet. Bridgestone UK began supplying tyres and service provision to sites in Yorkshire in July, and this was followed by supply to the Midlands and East Anglia regions commencing in August. Supply to sites in Bristol, Somerset and Avon begin in late September. The new arrangement is directly supported by 35 Bridgestone staff, of which 29 were transferred from the previous supplier under the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations (TUPE) employment regulations.

23rd September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kia Wants Michelin for Fuel Efficient cee’d

Korea’s Kia Motors has selected Michelin to provide the OE tyres for all new additions to the company’s cee’d range. The choice has been inspired by Michelin’s efforts in manufacturing tyres that contribute to the fuel-efficiency of the vehicle they are mounted upon. The cee’d range, Kia states, is to be grown with new low environmental impact models.

It seems that this is a marriage of design principles, with both companies expressing commitment to innovations leading to both increased safety and better fuel economy. The Michelin-Kia partnership began in 2006 when Kia selected Michelin as the exclusive supplier of 15”, 16” and 17” tyres to equip the carmaker’s cee’d range.

16th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors