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Reifen China Opening the Door to New Markets

Following the successful premiere event in 2007, the popular Asian region “Reifen China” exhibition was again held last December. Some 5,600 domestic and international visitors attended the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) between December 4 and 6, 2008, to gain information on the latest products, technologies and services available within the Chinese and worldwide tyre industry. While the fair attracted some two hundred fewer visitors than the 5,800 recorded the previous year, this decline of 3.5 per cent must be viewed in light of the current economic situation, particularly within the tyre industry, and should therefore be interpreted as a very positive result. “Actually I don’t at all want to speak of it as a decline,” commented Klaus Reich, director Trade Fairs and Exhibitions for the show organiser, Messe Essen GmbH, to Tyres & Accessories. The result, he said, was in the economic circumstances, “absolutely good.”

6th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Maxxis Planning New 2009 Additions to Motorcycle Range

Maxxis says it plans to continue its aggressive growth strategy for the UK motorcycle market, and to do so is this year introducing two new products aimed at budget conscious consumers. The company plans to further support tyre retailers through an ongoing marketing support strategy that includes the continuation of the brand’s presence in the British Motocross Championship, British Superbike Championship, Premiership football matches and many consumer focused events thought the country. All this comes, says Maxxis, on top of a sustained advertising and public relations campaign with leading consumer motorcycling publications.

6th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Tyres Mission 2018 Scholarships Announced

Apollo has announced that 15 new tennis-playing youngsters will join the 21 children selected last year at the FIST Academy in Bangalore, taking the total number of Apollo Tyres tennis scholarships to 36. Mission 2018 represents the tyre manufacturer’s financial commitment to helping India gain a Grand Slam winner by the titular year.

Speaking on behalf of Apollo Tyres, Avik Chattopadhyay, head of Corporate Marketing and project leader for Apollo Tyres Mission 2018 said, “It’s been an amazing journey this year. We had six, seven and eight year olds participating in the selection camps from across the country. We also had participation from an NRI from Tanzania and few of them coming all the way from places like Imphal and Jorhat. This batch will further enrich the programme and Mission 2018’s prospect of bringing Grand Slam glory to India.” He added, “We have selected this time a tiny six-year-old girl from Ahmedabad who first picked up a tennis racquet when she was a little over one year old! This clearly shows the kind of passion for sport we have in India.”

6th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Zimbabwe Sales Rise Following Granting of Forex Permit

According to a company official, sales at Dunlop Zimbabwe Limited have significantly improved since the company received a license entitling it to sell its products in foreign currency. The license was granted to Dunlop Zimbabwe by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in late November 2008.

Without releasing specific figures, company managing director Kennedy Mandevani said that sales have been steadily increasing. “The FOLIWARS (Foreign Exchange Licensed Warehouses and Retail Shops) sales are gradually picking up and will make a positive difference to our sales mix,” he said. “Dunlop is intensifying its marketing campaign so that more of our customers are made aware of this facility.”

6th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Tire Delays Bonus Payments

The payment of bonuses to approximately 3,000 Kumho Tire employees in South Korea have been delayed due to, according to a company official, the “company’s liquidity problem.” South Korean vehicle manufacturers are currently experiencing a sharp decline in sales, the affects of which have been passed onto tyre makers.

The annual bonus payment, said the official, has been indefinitely postponed, however the company “will make its utmost efforts” to pay the bonus of 2.5 million won (£1,350) per worker.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Vietnam’s Rubber Industry Suffers as Synthetic Rubber Use Increases

Vietnam, the world’s fourth largest rubber exporter, is faced with rapidly dropping natural rubber prices as a result of the global recession and the increasing use of synthetic rubber. According to the Vietnam Rubber Association, global tyre production, which accounts for more than half of the world’s rubber supply, is expected to grow more slowly in the years to 2010. Growth of between 2 and 3 per cent is anticipated compared with the 3.4 per cent growth enjoyed in 2007.

Tran Duc Vien, director of the Hanoi Agriculture University, said that current crude oil prices, which have dropped more than 70 per cent since July, are encouraging the use of synthetic rubber, which is in turn causing natural rubber costs to sink. This increased use of synthetic rubber has coincided with Vietnam’s peak latex production period (September to December), and a huge supply of rubber has arrived onto what has become a buyer’s market – in 2007 a ton of natural rubber could fetch US$2,700. In December 2008 this same quantity sold for only around $1,300. Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are forecasting further price drops in 2009.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Unveils Wall of Shame

It’s not as glamorous as the Pirelli Calendar – which this year features an African backdrop and a bevy of elephants to complement the traditional array of stunning models – but the Kwik-Fit Tyre Wall of Shame is arguably just as compelling, and the company says it is the perfect gift in helping keep loved ones safe on the roads next year.

Kwik-Fit’s Tyre Wall of Shame 2009 calendar features a dozen shocking images of the most dangerous tyres customers brought into Kwik-Fit centres during 2008. The truly frightening part is that, whilst each tyre represents the worst example seen in that particular month, the monthly specimen represents just the tip of the iceberg. Kwik-Fit says it saw enough tyres like these in 2008 to fill at least 50 calendars.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Wins Award for its Aircraft Tyres

Kumho Tires has won a South Korean award for its aircraft tyres. It was bestowed the Minister’s Prize of Knowledge Economy (Award for Excellence) at the ‘2008 Awards and Selection of Top 10 Technologies’ ceremony held in Seoul on December 22, 2008.

San Kim the manager at Kumho’s Airplane Tire Development Team who accepted the award, said “the selection of the airplane tyres of Kumho Tires as one of the top ten new technologies is very meaningful to us. We have contributed to national economic growth by developing the first airline tires for export.”

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

TRIB Welcomes Nine New Members

A number of companies from around the globe have joined the ranks of the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB). The newest members are Akar Makina Sanayi Ltd (Turkey), Marangoni Tread (Italy), Salvadori S.R.L. (Italy), Tire Lyna (Canada), Consolidated Tires, Inc, (USA), Sun Rubber Industry Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia), Tony Pneus S.R.L. (Italy), Phoenix Tire (USA) and Santarosa Holdings (USA).

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Receives Two Wheel Top Ranking

Dunlop’s Sportmax Roadsmart Motorcycle tyre has been ranked in first position in a Two Wheels Only Magazine tyre test. The tyre was tested in the wet and dry against the latest offerings from Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin, and Metzeler at the Millbrook Testing Facility in Bedfordshire.

James Whitham, top tyre tester for TWO and Isle of Man TT, World Supersport and World Superbikes champion shod a Ducati 848 to find the tyre that gave the best feedback and feel, as well as the best performance. “Straight away when you get on these you know that they are good” said James Whitham. “To get confident you need that feeling from a tyre that lets you know you can push all the way to the limit and beyond if you want to, but in complete safety. This is what the Dunlops do.”

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Cambrian Tyres, the ‘Big Seven’ Distributor

Cambrian Tyres, said to be the UK’s largest motorcycle tyre distributor, continues to offer its dealers exclusive special offers and strong customer service. The ability to do this, says Cambrian, is down to the company’s bulk buying power capabilities and a dealer-centred philosophy. The distributor’s target of being a ‘one stop tyre shop’ for dealers has been realised since its early days, and today Cambrian reports it is the leading UK customer to each of the big seven tyre manufacturers.

Customer sales and technical enquiries are handled by Cambrian’s knowledgeable telesales team, a team that between them holds years of motorcycling and industry experience, enabling them to give customers what Cambrian Tyres calls the best, unbiased advice – advice that ensures the correct tyres are chosen. 2009 sees the company launch its B2B website where account holders can order tyres or view stock availability online, making ordering, whether within or outside business hours, even easier.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Announces Snow Tyre for WRC Ireland

The opening round of this year’s World Rally Championship kicks off in Ireland at the end of January and Pirelli – the competition’s control tyre supplier – is taking no chances when it comes to selecting the best rubber for climatic conditions. The Italian manufacturer has announced that it will be adding three 40ft truckloads of its Monte Carlo Snow tyre to its usual offering, allowing competitors to find additional grip in the ice – a major problem at 2008’s concluding Welsh rally.

Gordon Noble, the course clerk for Rally Ireland, said that while challenging conditions are a necessity for any world class rallying event, the additional safety offered by the tyre shows that competitors’ wellbeing has been taken into consideration: “Many competitors at Wales Rally GB struggled for grip on the icy roads so it is great that we have this option in place for all entrants in Rally Ireland ’09. The conditions, as in 2007, will be testing for all the drivers but at all times safety must be to the fore. With these provisions in place we will get to see the best of what the world’s top drivers have to offer.”

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Lower Exports May Lead to Further Solideal Job Losses

Plans are reportedly underway to eliminate jobs at Solideal’s Sri Lanka and China factories in response to declining exports. The manufacturer of industrial tyres recently laid off around 1,100 workers, however company founder and president Philippe Daneels indicated that a five per cent contraction in global exports is anticipated in 2009 and thus further redundancies may take place. Before the initial downsizing measures began Solideal had 8,100 employees at its production facilities.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo Names Three US Promotions

Toyo Tire & Rubber has promoted three members of its US corporate team, effective January 1. New in the position of chairman at Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. is Carlos Kibata, who has worked for Toyo for more than 37 years. Before accepting this latest post, Kibata served as president of subsidiary Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corporation, president of Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. and most recently, president and CEO of Toyo Tire Holdings.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Race Academy on New Track

Launched in 2004, the Dunlop Race Academy has processed over 17,000 hopefuls to produce five competition winners, each of them with no previous motorsport experience. The 2005 winner, Simon Shaw, has gone on to make a professional career in motorsport. In 2009 the Academy is set to return, albeit with some significant changes to its format. The competition will switch its focus from attracting talented drivers and newcomers into the sport to developing drivers who have already made a start in their racing career.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors