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Goodyear and the United Steelworkers have agreed to extend their existing three-year labour contract until August 15 in order to give the two parties time to negotiate the terms of a new deal. The new contract, currently under discussion, will cover seven US facilities.
“We remain confident that we will reach an agreement that is acceptable to both sides,” said Goodyear negotiator Jim Allen in a statement.
Tyrecor is planning to launch a new range of Infinity UHP tyres into the South African market at Tyrepxo Africa next year. Confirming the news, managing director Charl de Villiers said: “Infinity will be launching an exciting new range of products into the Southern African market at the show next March, which will include Ultra High Performance tyres up to and including 21 inches in V and W speed ratings. The Infinity brand already enjoys a large following in Europe and other parts of the world and we have received numerous requests from our dealer base to expand our current range. “We feel that Tyrexpo Africa is the ideal platform to launch this range due to the exposure it offers exhibitors,” he said.
By mid-July, floor space for TyrexpoAfrica’10 was more than 55 per cent occupied and on track to meet targets set by organiser ECI International. There is a current balance of 40 per cent national to 60 per cent international companies exhibiting, with strong representation from China, India, south east Asia, Europe and the US.
Polish online tyre wholesaler Oponeo.pl is preparing to launch its new Italian website in the next two to three weeks. This latest site will join the company’s German, Spanish and French pages, which entered operation this year.
“In countries in which we launched our e-stores, sales are already taking place. We are continuously working on improving the websites and increasing their functionality,” Ernest Pujszo, responsible for developing Oponeo.pl’s foreign sales, told the Warsaw Business Journal.
Snap-on Equipment equipment recently became the first garage equipment manufacturer to gain independent, third-party authorisation to provide training courses for mounting and demounting run-flat and UHP tyres at its European Competence Centre in Pfungstadt, Germany. WDK, the Association of the German Rubber Industry, provided the authorisation, which included certification of turntable and roller-type tyre changers.
Snap-on Equipment, Europe’s leading manufacturer of garage equipment, offers a comprehensive range including tyre changers and wheel balancers. Products under the Hofmann and John bean brands include entry-level machines that are ideal for low-volume workshops, through to top-of-the-range equipment for high-volume fast fit operations.
Retired cop Ronnie Faison has joined Raybestos as technical consultant and official spokesperson for the new Raybestos Police Braking System. Faison served for 35 years as equipment superintendent for the North Carolina Highway Patrol, managing one of the largest police fleets in the country, Raybestos said.
“The North Carolina Highway Patrol was involved in countless research and development tests with Raybestos product engineers at our driver training facility,” said Faison. “They are constantly striving to improve their product and that’s why Raybestos police brakes have always outperformed the competition, and why the new complete Police Braking System from Raybestos will perform unlike anything else in the fleet industry.”
In his new role, Faison’s responsibilities will include everything from product development and testing to public speaking engagements and appearing in Raybestos product spotlights and ads. (Tire Review/Akron)
Following a half-year pause, India’s Century Textiles & Industries Ltd has resumed the production of rayon tyre yarn at its factory in Kalyan, Maharashtra state. Production had been suspended in February due to market conditions, and the decision to resume production on July 1 means that overall annual production capacity will fall about 12 per cent, as opposed to the previously estimated 25 per cent. The company states, however, that ongoing market conditions may necessitate further decisions being taken.
The top ten finalists have been selected in the 2009 Bridgestone Americas Safety Scholars video contest, and now consumers get their chance to vote. The national competition challenges 16- to 21-year-old drivers to create short videos about automotive safety or making eco-conscious decisions when operating a vehicle. The finalists were selected by a panel of judges from 817 entries received by Bridgestone Americas.
The top ten videos are now posted at safetyscholars.com for online voting until 3 August. Votes will determine the three grand prize winners who will be announced on 10 August. Finalists’ videos are also available for viewing on social networking sites including Facebook, YouTube and MySpace. The grand prize winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship and a set of new Bridgestone or Firestone tyres, and their winning videos may be used on TV stations nationwide as part of a public service announcement campaign. (Tire Review/Akron)
Further layoffs have been announced at a Bridgestone facility in the US following a week-long shutdown. An additional 91 employees at the OTR tyre factory in Bloomington, Illinois were laid off on July 12, four months after 67 of their colleagues were let go. The company expects to re-hire 40 of these workers on August 1, however it comments that due to inventory levels and industry demand, 19 workers will also be laid off on August 15.
Produced by Mai (Shandong) Radial Tyre, a subsidiary of the Italian Mai Group, Maxam tyres boast an “advanced” range of all steel radial OTR products which play an important role in accelerating the group’s market development strategy, both in the local market and for global export. Mai (Shandong) Radial Tyre Company is headquartered in Shandong Province, China and says that it possesses a “technically-advanced radial tyre manufacturing plant with a highly skilled workforce.”
Mai has manufacturing plants in Asia and Europe, enabling the fast development of heavy duty, application-specific products for divergent markets. All its products are available through the Maxam dealer network. The company will be exhibiting the Maxam range in booth 2828.
Musculoskeletal disorders, which often arise from poor manual handling practice, are the most common cause of occupational ill health in Britain and currently affect a million people a year – and they are said to cost the nation some £5.7 billion. The need to increase awareness of such risks amongst tyre industry employees has prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to team up with the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) and the British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA). It is hoped this three-way cooperation can inform workers of potential dangers and reduce the number of injuries caused each year.
Teijin Aramid will be continuing to pursue its aim of becoming the leading and preferred aramid supplier from booth 3106 at CITExpo. Its products include Twaron, the synthetic fibre made from aramid polymer, which can be found in a comprehensive range of products including protective clothing, ballistic vests and helmets, tyres, hoses, composites, conveyor belts, optical fibre cables, transmission belts, gaskets, brake linings and clutch facings. The company says that it anticipates sustained across-the-board expansion in all sectors.
In the tyre industry, Teijin Aramid provides Twaron- and Technora-dipped tyre cord and anti-puncture fabric for tyre reinforcement. It also provides Technora-dipped chopped fibre and Sulfron product for tyre compounds. Teijin Aramid is a member of the Teijin Group, a global, technology-driven company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of $4.2 billion. Teijin’s consolidated turnover amounts to $8.5 billion. It has approximately 19,000 employees worldwide.
Maxxis has completed its second Maxxis Rewards prize draw, giving 13 tyre retailers £500 worth of gift vouchers from either Marks & Spencer, Thomas Cook or High Street Gift Vouchers, which they can spend at more than 18,000 stores across the UK, including Boots, HMV, Debenhams, Waterstone’s, M&S, House of Fraser, Carphone Warehouse and Threshers. Under the terms of the Maxxis Rewards initiative, the more Maxxis car, van and 4×4 tyres that accredited retailers purchase during the promotional period, the greater their chances of winning a major prize.
The Maxxis Rewards dealer support programme has been organised in conjunction with Grouptyre, the exclusive Maxxis distributor in the UK. Dealers who sign up are automatically entered into the quarterly prize draws, which run until 11 December. Based on their purchase levels, retailers also have the opportunity to earn Argos vouchers and Maxxis-branded promotional clothing and accessories.
The winning tyre dealers and Grouptyre members who supply them are:
Auchinlea Tyres (dealer) – Cooper Bros. (Grouptyre member)
Baker Tyres – Broadway Tyres
Baldonrie Garage – Kenway Tyres
Carmarthenshire Tyre Services Ltd – King David Tyres
DIY Motorist Centre – WJ Wood & Son
Holderness Tyre Services Ltd – BAB Distribution
Hometyre Services – Car Tyrestore
Homend Tyres – ETB
K&M UK Ltd – EG Wholesale
Leeds Commercial Vehicles – NE Wholesale
Lurgan Tyre Company – MT Wholesale
Tyre Care Ltd T/A Havers Tyres – We Sell Tyres (Wholesale)
Wheels ‘n’ Tyres – Oak Tyres
During the first quarter of 2009, Apollo Tyres launched its new corporate identity across its operations. Now it’s the turn of its website to don the new look and colours. Apollo has moved away from the earlier usage of black and red to the vibrancy of purple and orange, moderated by shades of grey – colours and usage, which no other tyre company has, and only a few companies across the world dare to incorporate. The colours have allowed Apollo, it says, to bring to the fore its “internal reality of youthfulness and dynamism”.
Europe’s leading online tyre business, Delticom AG (mytyres.co.uk in the UK), has been celebrating its 10th Anniversary by offering special additional discounts of up to 10 per cent off its normally competitive prices. “The formula for our success is our more than 3 million satisfied customers to date and the fact that we do not want to stop being better,” Rainer Binder, CEO of Delticom AG, explained, adding: “More and more drivers buy their tyres online. In the current economic situation across Europe, a rising number of consumers are discovering favourably priced purchasing opportunities on the Internet, which they can find with us in 35 countries and in more than 100 online shops.” According to Delticom, the company’s prices are on average 20 to 25 per cent cheaper than traditional tyre dealers. Moreover customers are offered a worldwide network of about 24,000 service partners, who mount the tyres professionally for “reasonable prices.”
Euro Car Parts (ECP) now stocks what is described as “a comprehensive range of tyre repair materials” from Rema Tip Top. According to a statement released by ECP, Rema Tip Top complements the ECP strategy to offer a wider range of consumables and offer an even greater service to its customers. Rema Tip Top UK Ltd has been operating for over 50 years and offers a wide range of automotive consumables and equipment, ranging from valve hardware and balance weights, to chemicals tools and accessories.
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