Production capacity at Bridgestone’s Polish subsidiary, Bridgestone Stargard Sp. z o.o., is to be increased by more than 50 per cent. Bridgestone says the decision has been made to invest approximately 120 million euros in the Stargard truck and bus radial factory to give it an additional 1,350 tyres per day capacity, bringing total daily capacity to 3,750 tyres. The expansion is expected to be complete during the second half of 2014.
Continental’s top class football sponsorship includes the official sponsorship of UEFA Euro 2012. In its role as exclusive tyre partner the company will equip coaches transporting the players with its HSR2 premium tyre, while a specially configured HSU1 tyre will be fitted to forty fan buses in the four Polish host cities of Warsaw, Poznan, Gdansk and Wroclaw. The German tyre manufacturer will also supply service technicians through its Conti360° network to carry out daily tyre checks for the increased safety of players and supporters.
Hankook Tire has established an additional subsidiary in Europe. The opening of the company’s Polish branch in Warsaw is in keeping with the growing demand for Hankook tyres in the European markets. “Thanks to our new subsidiary in Poland we are now also able to provide full service to our partners and customers in the 6th largest tyre market in the European Union. This is in-line with Hankook’s strategy of close market and customer proximity to provide optimal tyre solutions, developed and produced with the very latest in market-specific and innovative technologies, to meet regional requirements and demands,” explains Hee-Se Ahn, vice president for marketing and sales Hankook Tire Europe.
On July 13 the General Court of the European Union reduced the fines imposed on a number of companies involved in a synthetic rubber price fixing cartel. The 13 companies participating in the butadiene rubber and emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (substances primarily used in tyre production) cartel between 1996 and 2002 were given fines totalling more than 519 million euros by the European Commission in November 2006. The companies appealed this decision; all, excepting Shell group companies, succeeded in gaining an annulment or reduction in their fines from Europe’s second highest court.
One significant aspect of the Reifen 2010 show for Monarch Vulcanising was that the company received numerous business enquiries from markets where it has previously not been active. Company president Toni Elderfield told Tyres & Accessories that “we’ve had a lot of interest this week from East European visitors, from people based in markets such as Poland. This has been interesting for us as we currently sell very little into Europe.” While the Guernsey based company sells its products around the world, its neighbours have accounted for only a small portion of total sales during the company’s forty years in the tyre repair business.
Marketing agency Wunderman has reportedly been given the task of revising the Europe-wide customer relationship management and communications strategy for Conti Trade, the organisation in charge of Continental’s retail activities in much of Europe. In 2009 Conti Trade reported achieving a turnover of more than 700 million euros, with its Conti-Trade-Network covering more than a thousand service stations in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland.
The market for new passenger cars in Europe (EU27 and EFTA markets) displayed a modest increase of 2.4 per cent to 1,461,859 units in June on the back of scrappage incentive schemes in operation in more than ten EU Member States. June’s figures represent the first market increase in 14 months. Accumulative figures for the first half of 2009 show an 11 per cent drop in European new car registrations compared to the same period in 2008, with a total of 7,425,762 new cars registered compared to 8,346,828 the year before.
Production at Michelin Polska’s Olsztyn facility has resumed after a six-week pause. Lower demand for truck tyres led to the plant in northeast Poland halting production in April; initially a one-month stoppage was planed, however management decided to extend this by two additional weeks. Although production has now recommenced at Olsztyn, Michelin says it cannot rule out further short-term stoppages.
A traditional “kagami-biraki” sake barrel breaking ceremony attended by more than a hundred guests and a guided factory tour has marked the official opening of Bridgestone’s new 200 million truck and bus radial facility in Stargard, northwest Poland. Senior company management including Bridgestone Corporation CEO Shoshi Arakawa and Bridgestone Europe CEO Toru Tsuda presided over the May 18 events and played host to numerous local, regional and national officials such as Mrs Grazyna Henclewska, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy, Mr. Tanabe, Japan’s Ambassador to Poland and Mr. Husejko, Marshal of West Pomerania.
Avon Tyres has once again proved a successful choice for FIA European Rallycross Championship drivers, with rallycross legend Kenneth Hansen recording his 14th ERC title, topping off a year of domination for the company in this category. Hansen’s 500bhp, four-wheel drive, Citroën C4 has run on Avon’s new-for-2008 ACB11 this year, a tyre specially designed for the ERC. It has also adorned the cars of the winners of Divisions 1A and 2, as well as the RX Cup class.
Swede Hansen finished fourth in the penultimate round of the championship in Poland to seal the main Division 1 title on his 225/640-17 ACB11s. He finished the year eight points ahead of nearest rival, Ludvig Hunsbedt. Hansen has scored two overall event wins in a close-fought season that has seen six drivers achieve race victories. The result means that Hansen has extended his own previous record of 13 ERC crowns.
“I am so happy, relieved, satisfied and quite dizzy from all the excitement,” beamed Hansen in Poland. “Of all my 14 gold medals, this was the most difficult to get and therefore I value it very highly. Now, my team and I will celebrate in style.” Jussi Pinomaki, Tomas Kotek and Michael de Keersmaecker won Div 1A, Div 2 and RX Cup classes respectively.
Happy birthday Bridgestone Poznan. On September 26 staff at the company’s facility in Poland celebrated its tenth anniversary of operation. The 1,300 employees were joined in by over 140 guests to commemorate the occasion, including Japan’s ambassador to Poland, Mr. Ryuichi Tanabe, the CEO of Bridgestone Europe, Mr. Toru Tsuda, members of the press and representatives of local authorities.
Michelin Group is reportedly planning to invest roughly 30 million euros in expanding its production adjacent logistics operation in Poland. The expansion, which will take place in the Warmia-Mazury special economic zone, will reportedly see the company occupy a total of 177 hectares of the zone, according to the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PALiLZ). According to Michelin, a 20 per cent rise in automotive production in Eastern Europe during the first half of 2008 boosted growth in original equipment tyre demand.
The exclusive, invitation only, International Tyre Club (ITC) will be looking for new Eastern European, Far Eastern and Middle Eastern members when the team exhibit at the Reifen show in Essen later this month. This year recognising change and meeting opportunities are the ITC’s watch words, according to ITC representatives.
Established almost a decade ago the Club is a member only organisation for tyre professionals from across Europe and the wider world. It hosts annual summit style meetings in some of Europe’s best venues where its members come together to generate mutually advantageous new business opportunities. ITC has regular participants from counties including France, Germany, UK, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Italy and are exhibiting Hall 2, stand 430 in Essen. cja
Continental and truck and bus manufacturer Scania have furthered their relationship by establishing a long-term agreement for Scania’s global tyre supplies from 2008 to 2010. The contract includes both truck and bus tyres and will grow the business in both segments. “As well as the positive growth of the European business, we have also entered the Brazilian market, securing the local tyre production by contracting significant volumes from 2008 to 2010,” says Markus Junk, key-account manager at Scania.
Conti has also renewed its supplier contract with MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG for supply to the heavy truck segment. Running from the start of this year through to 2010, the agreement covers 19.5-inch tyres and above for heavy-duty trucks and buses. This is not the first renewal of the contract – three years ago, Continental and MAN extended their working relationship by 36 months. ”The continuation of the supplier contract is further confirmation of a long-standing and intensive partnership between the two firms”, said Heinrich Schmitz-Horsch, key account manager for original equipment in Continental’s Truck Tyres division.
Following the news that Polish retreader Mark Gum had purchased the retreading equipment and the Colway and Greenway brands, all previously owned by C-Tyres, it has been revealed that the company will build a new factory in Poland to produce the tyres.
Mark Gum’s owners, Mariona and George Krzyzagorski, have said that construction of the plant will begin this summer, with some tyres being produced later this year. Full production will come on-stream in the summer of 2009 and the range will include tyres for all sectors; passenger car, 4×4, van, light and heavy truck.
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