Pirelli Archives - Page 173 of 210

Ceat to Meet Aftermarket Demand through Outsourcing

When handed lemons, make lemonade…or when OE orders dwindle, produce tyres for the more profitable aftermarket. In spite of reports coming from India that vehicle makers are reducing output, Ceat Tyres – a company that traditionally has obtained about 20 per cent of its revenues from OE supply – is planning to increase its tyre production rather than cut it back.

“The least profitable sector for us has shrunk, giving us the opportunity to sell more to the more profitable ones,” said Arnab Banerjee, the company’s vice-president, sales & marketing. Ceat plans to boost its production in the short term through outsourcing, a necessary move while it awaits the construction of its own new facilities. “Looking at the robust replacement demand, right now we are unable to manufacture enough,” Banerjee added. “My number one priority is to secure supplies through outsourcing, since the two greenfield plants we are planning to set up would come on stream only over the next two-three years,”

11th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Introducing the Dunlop Interactive Display – a First for South Africa

Product News

(SA Treads- South Africa) An exciting new development – the Dunlop Interactive Module Display – was launched early this year, exclusively for Dunlop’s Accredited Dealers. This hi-tech selling tool – the first of its kind in South Africa – is set to make an irrevocable mark in this business and is likely to provide Dunlop’s loyalty programme with an added advantage in the marketplace.

Set on a hi-tech display stand that not only makes a fashion statement, but also reinforces the fact that the shop in question is at the cutting edge of the latest global phenomenon, the new Interactive Display Module is operated at the touch of a button via an advanced touch screen option. Easy to drive and fun to explore, it provides customers and motoring enthusiasts with exciting footage and plenty of information. Take the Land Speed Record for example. Here, customers are provided with the full story behind the record-breaking run, thereby demonstrating the outstanding performance of the SP Sport 7000D.

4th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Fully Pumped and Rearing to Go

Product News

Most new vehicles now come fitted with some type of tyre pressure monitoring system, and legislation calling for the compulsory fitment of such units is not too far off in some parts of the world. However merely detecting changes in tyre pressure could easily be viewed as a half measure – why not also correct the pressure?

The technology involved in the automatic sensing and re-inflation of tyres with insufficient pressure is not new. Military vehicles have employed systems doing exactly that for years, HGVs are often fitted with this type of technology and Pirelli designed a re-inflation unit for motorcyclists in 2004. But as yet automatic re-inflation systems have not found a place on mainstream passenger car equipment lists. Efforts earlier in the decade that appeared to promise the imminent arrival of re-inflation technology for passenger cars, such as Michelin’s TIPM (Tire Intelligent Pressure Management) system – originally marked down for a 2005 release – turned out to be optimistic thinking. Following Michelin’s ever-deeper involvement with its EnTire Solutions joint venture, founded in 2003, very little has been heard about its once vaunted TIPM system.

1st June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Aiming for Doubled Euro Sales by 2010

Product News

With the opening of Hankook Tire’s £340 million facility in Dunaujvaros, Hungary scheduled for June, the South Korean manufacturer’s goal of doubling its European market share to 8 per cent by 2010 looks on track. By the end of this three-year timeframe the new factory will have an expected capacity of 10 million units. During this same period Hankook plans to increase global output from 69 million to 80 million units, and the company has previously stated that its longer-term goal is 100 million units a year.

Hankook is the fastest growing of the world’s top 11 tyremakers, with sales increasing by 20 per cent annually. Furthermore, it reportedly enjoys the industry’s highest profitability, with average operating profit margins exceeding 10 per cent. And as Hankook’s largest export market, Europe is naturally very important to the tyremaker – a fact confirmed when the company referred to Europe as their “second domestic market” earlier in the year. A total of 35 per cent of the company’s export revenue (which in turn is 70 per cent of total revenue) comes from European sales.

29th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

No Plans for Pirelli Tyre IPO – Gobbi

Product News

According to Pirelli & C SpA managing director for finance and strategic planning Luciano Gobbi the company has no plans for a separate listing of its Pirelli Tyre unit. These comments were reported by Italian media agency Radiocor, and come from a speech the executive gave in Paris.

“At the moment, the IPO of Pirelli Tyre is not in the programme. We have no evidence of a plan in this direction,” said Gobbi. Recent analyst reports indicate that Pirelli will move to re-acquire the 38.9 per cent Pirelli Tyre stake from Speed, a company set up by six Italian and foreign banks. For this purchase Pirelli will dip into the funds – an estimated 3.3 billion euros – it will receive from selling its stake in Telecom Italia SpA. Gobbi said he expects these funds to arrive between July and October.

In January Tyres & Accessories reported that an IPO of Pirelli Tyre looked likely, based on information that indicated both Speed and Marco Tronchetti Provera were keen to press ahead with plans to list the division.

29th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Launches Online Film Quiz

News

Having launched two high profile “Pirellifilms” in the last two years, Pirelli has now produced an online film quiz offering 16,000 prizes. The game is structured into a number of different rounds presided over by a virtual hostess. With over 16,000 prizes to be won which include HD Widescreen TV plus Apple TV Box, Pirelli Calendars, Apple iPod Shuffle, Virgin Digital Songs, Track Days and Pirelli Merchandise, the prizes are awarded throughout the game on a monthly basis as well as a grand finale prize. The interactive PirelliFilm Quiz which can be seen at http://game.pirellifilm.com.

25th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Tyre Romania Reports 2006 Turnover of £12.7 million

Product News

Pirelli Tyre’s operations in Romania ended the 2006 year having recorded a turnover of 60.36 RON (£12.7 million) and losses of 18.49 million RON (£3.9 million). The division has a capital share of 77.16 million RON (£16.3 million). However, while on paper the company’s 2006 appears less than illustrious, late October saw the opening of a new tyre manufacturing facility near its existing steel cord plant in Slatina. The establishment of this new plant, which specialises in the manufacture of high performance tyres and employs about 450 people, required an investment of £115 million.

22nd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

We Sell Tyres Gives Away £1,000 in Competition

Product News

To celebrate the opening of its new Nottingham Wholesale warehouse We Sell Tyres (Wholesale), in conjunction with Pirelli Tyres UK, offered their customers the chance to win £1,000 pounds-worth of electrical goods vouchers, plus quality Pirelli merchandise, by increasing their sales of Pirelli tyres, with particular emphasise on the new generation of P-Zero tyres.

This prompted an outstanding performance from AG- Services of Long Eaton Nottingham, Alan Gadsby pictured receiving his prize of electrical goods vouchers, courtesy of Pirelli. Gadsby from AG services a long standing Customer of WST, commented: “Its an opportunity I couldn’t resist and just had to go for the big prize, selling quality isn’t difficult, and the new P-Zero certainly has plenty of quality.”

Five runners-up also received prizes of £100 electrical goods gift vouchers.

21st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

GTI Pirelli Makes a Long-Awaited Comeback

Product News

Almost a quarter century after its hugely popular predecessor first saw light of day, Pirelli is once again lending its name to Volkswagen’s high performance hatchback. Differentiated from its lesser brethren by its unique aesthetics and mechanical specifications, the Golf GTI Pirelli will make its debut several weeks after September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Media and aficionados were treated to an advance showing of the new Volkswagen at its world premiere at the international GTI Meeting in Wörthersee, Austria on May 16.

The rubber chosen for the Golf GTI Pirelli is from the P Zero range, in 225/40 size, fitted to 18-inch 5P Pirelli light alloy wheels. The P Zero theme extends into the GTI Pirelli’s insides, with interior styling inspired by the tyre’s tread pattern. But while they may add to the car’s appearance, the P Zero tyres are not there simply for show – lurking under the Golf GTI Pirelli’s bonnet is a 230hp direct injection turbocharged engine capable of delivering a maximum speed of 245 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds.

21st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Advanced ID to Purchase Pneu-Logic

Product News

A company press statement released on May 15 indicates that US supplier of UHF tag reading equipment Advanced ID Corporation is preparing to purchase Pneu-Logic Ltd, the Derbyshire-based provider of tyre industry technology. According to the statement, the chairman of Advance ID, Seymour Kazimirski, and George Yeomans, chairman of Pneu-Logic, signed a letter of intent for Pneu-Logic’s acquisition following the decision previously gaining the board of directors’ unanimous approval.

“This was an easy decision for both companies,” commented Dan Finch, president and CEO of Advanced ID. “Pneu Logic has superior technology for tyre management and Advanced ID is the leader in tyre identification. By combining our technologies, we are able to offer a complete system solution for tyre and fleet management. Pneu Logic has been in business for three years with a 100 per cent focus on tyre inspection. Their client base includes major tyre manufacturers and fleet operators and the success specifically in the European market is a testament for the value of their product line. Pneu-Logic’s product line has patent protection and design IP. We have already started joint marketing efforts, which have led to new business opportunities. You could not ask for better synergy between two companies. There is no question that our combined company will be the undisputed leader in tyre management focused on tyre maintenance and tyre identification.”

21st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Nizhnekamskshina To Open New Rubber Mixing Facility

Product News

Nizhnekamskshina, Russia’s third largest tyre manufacturer, will in June complete the final stage of its production line for Kama Euro tyres, a range that draws on technical expertise from Italy’s Pirelli. The final facility in the project, a 25 million euro rubber mixing facility with a capacity of 21,000 tonnes of silica rubber compound, will open in June 2007.

16th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Van den Ban – A Total Tyre Supplier

Product News

Van den Ban came to Brityrex with new products – and with news of the company’s expansion plans and how they can serve their UK customers.

The most significant of Van den Ban’s new products to be shown at Brityrex was the new range of SUV sport tyres from their exclusive private brand Novex. As Michael Noorland, a member of the company’s UK sales team, explained, this range signals Van den Ban’s first venture into the 4×4 market with Novex, and it fills a gap the company identified in its product range. Designed with smaller 4×4 vehicles in mind, the Novex SUV Speed range will be available in a total of 16 sizes between 15 and 20-inch and in speed ratings from H to W. The first product in the SUV Speed range to be released onto the market is the sports-oriented 255/55VR18, which will most likely be available from late May 2007. The remainder of the range will be available from the end of July.

16th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Tyre Post Positive Quarterly Figures

Product News

Pirelli &C. SpA have released company financial figures for the quarter up to March 31, 2007, and this data indicates a largely positive three months for Pirelli Tyre. In the first quarter of 2007 Pirelli Tyre registered a 6 per cent increase in sales, in spite of a negative exchange rate effect, and although faced with increases in raw material prices operating income rose compared with the same period in 2006.

Revenues as of 31 March 2007 were equal to 1,060 million euros, up from 1,000.4 million euros in the first quarter of 2006, an increase of 9.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis, net of any exchange rate effect. EBITDA was equal to 150.9 million euros.

Operating income amounted to 103.7 million euros, an increase of 4.5 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2006 when operating income was recorded as 99.2 million euros. The ratio over sales was substantially unchanged compared with last year, despite increases in raw material costs.

14th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Europe appoints new PR manager

Product News

Hankook has appointed a new head of public relations for its European markets. Effective as of May 1, 2007, Felix Kinzer stepped into this role, taking over from Benedikt Preussner, who will now take charge of European media and event planning for Hankook Europe.

Mr. Kinzer, aged 44, has served in a number of public relations roles within the tyre industry for more than 15 years, most recently heading up his own press office in Munich, from which he supplied automotive related articles to various car and tyre magazines. Previous industry positions include head of the public relations department at Pirelli Germany and public relations manager for Bridgestone’s German operations.

Amongst other responsibilities, Mr. Kinzer will be responsible for the expansion and strategic positioning of Hankook’s pan-European press activities, a role of particular importance in light of the upcoming inauguration of the company’s Dunaujvaros production facility in Hungary, Hankook’s first in Europe.

14th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

NTDA Names 2007 TAFF Award Winners

Premium, Product News, UK News

On Wednesday 2, alongside the Brityrex International exhibition, the NTDA named the 2007 TAFF award winners. Michelin took best single company result of the night, winning two awards. But Bridgestone, Vellco, Apaseal and Group Tyre were also celebrating success in categories including production innovation, wholesaler of the year and tyre and aftermarket equipment supplier of the year.

The awards were presented during a glittering ceremony at Manchester’s Palace Hotel, which featured well-known stand-up comic Stan Boardman. The Tyre and Fast Fit (TAFF) Awards, which are sponsored by Renault UK, are the NTDA’s own awards which were established in 2005 to reward excellence from industry suppliers and, in that short time, they have firmly established themselves as the premier awards for the UK Tyre Industry.

The 2007 TAFF awards included categories for Tyre Manufacturer, National Wholesaler, Tyre and Aftermarket Equipment Supplier, Product Innovation and a special award for Industry Advertising Campaigns. A special category covering scrap tyre disposal, collecting and recycling is entitled the Environmental Award.

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9th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

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