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Eliokem Increases Chemigum Nitrile Polymer Prices

At the end of May Eliokem increased its prices for products made in its Valia (India) plant by up to 13 per cent. The Valia plant specializes in emulsion polymerization of polymers and latices for both the rubber and latex industries. The products are marketed under trademarks such as Chemigum NBR Polymers in Latex, Powder and Bale forms; and Pliolite HSR High Styrene Butadiene Rubber Masterbatches.

“With the strong polymer demand globally and crude oil record highs, all major monomers and notably Butadiene used in rubber manufacturing are continuing to increase further, as are the costs of energy, chemicals, transportation and labour. Therefore, further price adjustments in June and in the third quarter cannot be ruled out”, said Jacques Collonge, CEO Eliokem.

28th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin: Tyre Markets Recovered in April

Sales in the European tyre replacement markets recovered in April, according to Michelin and industry analysts. European truck tyre replacement sales are reported to have grown 10 per cent; while Michelin’s numbers suggest that European passenger tyre replacement sales grew 4 per cent in April (compared with a -1 per cent year-to-date figure). Total OE sales are said to have grown by “a high double digit figure.” Responding to the report, Deutsche Bank analysts put the perceived recovery down to “the Easter weekend effect.” However, Tyres & Accessories’ research shows that the current sales situation may not be so rosy overall.

Taken in isolation, April was a very good sale month in France (which no doubt meant strong sales for market leader Michelin). This may explain why their calculation puts the European market up 4 per cent, but it conflicts with the ETRMA Europool data T&A has seen.

28th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook to Acquire 1.5 Million Outstanding Shares

Hankook Tire announced on May 26 it will purchase 1.5 million of its outstanding shares at a cost of 20.7 billion won (£10 million) in order to boost its stock price. The buyback begins on May 30 and will continue until August 29, and the amount of shares purchased will be the equivalent to one per cent of all outstanding stock.

28th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Vipal Launches VRT1 Tread

Increasingly influential Brazil-based retreading material producer, Borrachas Vipal, has launched a new medium to long-haul tread. The new Vipal-branded pattern has a tread width of 205 millimeters and a tread depth of 15 millimetres. According to Vipal, the new tread improves traction and protects casing integrity.

28th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Lower Rolling Resistance, TPMS by 2012, says EU

A host of new vehicle safety and environmental requirements, including several tyre related measures, will become obligatory as of 2012. On May 23 the European Commission unveiled its timetable for the introduction of these measures, of which European Commission vice-president Günter Verheugen said: “We are simplifying legislation. We are improving road safety. We are promoting fuel efficiency. We are presenting a modern integrated policy approach beneficiary for citizens, for the environment and the industry.”

Low rolling resistance tyres (LRRT) are to become obligatory from 2012, and the European Commission notes that, in order to avoid any negative impact on safety, explicit safety requirements are to be introduced alongside new standards on noise. Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems will also become obligatory from 2012. Deflated tyres, comments the Commission, can cause up to a 4 per cent increase in fuel consumption while reducing tyre lifespan by 45 per cent. Tyres can lose 3 to 6 per cent pressure per month, and this may not be noticed by the driver. According to research by TNO in the Netherlands, the fuel saving potential of LRRT and TPMS in passenger cars is 3 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively. For new cars with expected engine test cycle performance of 130 g CO2/km this would mean additional reductions of more than 7 g CO2/km (3.9 LRRT and 3.25 TPMS). The CO2 reduction potential of LRRT+TPMS on a current car (with a test cycle of, for instance, 160g) would be greater than 7kg/tonne.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Chooses Board Members, Taylor Remains as Chairman

Titan International shareholders elected Richard Cashin, Albert Febbo and Mitchell Quain to serve as directors with three-year terms. At the subsequent May 15 board of directors meeting, Morry Taylor was re-elected as chairman and CEO, Erwin Billig was re-elected as vice chairman, Ernest J. Rodia as executive vice president and COO, Kent Hackamack as vice president of finance and treasurer, and Cheri Holley as vice president and secretary. (Tire Review/Akron)

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Analysts: ‘Massive’ Price Increases Needed to Offset NR Costs

Analysts have warned that tyre manufacturers will have to introduce “massive” price increases to offset the surging natural rubber cost. On 26 May the natural rubber price reached US$3.25/kg, 12 per cent above the level reached last month (US$2.90/kg); and 40 per cent above last year’s average price (US$2.30/kg). According to one Deutsche Bank analyst’s research note the price surge is surprising because natural rubber supply (9.9 million tons in 2007) still exceeds demand (9.7 million tons in 2007); and world inventories represent 23 per cent of annual demand.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental to Sponsor 2010 World Cup

Continental Tyres has announced that it is to sponsor the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. According to the company, which also partnered the 2006 World Cup and is sponsoring this year’s European championship, the latest move is a continuation of its long-term marketing strategy based on football sponsorship, to deliver “huge global TV audiences.” Continental also has the option to extend its sponsorship to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Continental has acquired the rights to promote the sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup worldwide and will link this to product communication. In addition, Continental has once again received a sizeable ticket allocation and premium hospitality, which has become an important cornerstone of its strategy.

“This sponsorship deal continues the marketing strategy we have been following since 1995 for all Continental tyre products and maintains our focus on football as a central communication platform for increasing brand awareness in our core markets over the next three years,” explains Continental Tyres UK advertising and sponsorship manager Tim Bailey.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Nexen Driver top Drifter 2008

James Deane, the Nexen-sponsored Prodrift driver has reached the top spot in the 2008 Prodrift European Series standings following a win at Mondello Park in Ireland in April. The first Prodrift meeting of the series, James’s win makes it a double success for sponsor Nexen as last year’s sponsored driver Eric O’Sullivan won the 2007 event in Ireland. Stapleton’s is supporting the Prodrift team by supplying tyres from the Nexen N3000 range and will continue to support the drivers throughout the programme as it progresses through Europe.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Toru Tsuda New Bridgestone Europe President

On 22 May Bridgestone Corporation announced a string of senior management changes that mean Toru Tsuda has become the new Chairman, President and CEO of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA. Mr Tsuda is currently Vice President and Senior Officer Responsible for Products Development Tire Products Development.

Current Bridgestone Europe chairman, president and CEO, Takashi Urano, will become vice president and senior officer responsible for International Tire Business Operations. This role means Mr Urano will also be director Middle East, Africa, Russia, Asia, Oceania and China Operations Division; and concurrently general manager, Middle East, Africa and Russia Operations.

The management changes in full are as follows:

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Luxury Wheels Improves Your ‘Lex Appeal’

While Bristol based Luxury wheels is carving a name for itself as a source of quality aftermarket wheels, many people don’t realise the company also offers an extensive range of styling lines in its product portfolio.

To give an example of the company’s work, the Lexus LS600h pictured here was specced by one of Luxury Wheels’ Norwegian dealers with the full Autocouture styling package. The ‘Progressive Line’ kit consists of front bumper, fog lamps, side skirts (in either short or long wheelbase), rear bumper, two replacement front wings with vents, and a rather saucy dual stacked exhaust. This ensemble is topped off with a rear spoiler and Autocouture boot emblem for that final finishing flourish.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Nokian Trials RFID System

Nokian Tyres has taken on an RFID-based “manufacturing execution system” for use in its tyre production process. The solution reportedly the first and largest deployment of the UHF RFID based system in Finland. A total of 40 RFID readers and some 1000 RFID tags were deployed at Nokian Tyres during this project.

According to the company, the new system is used to plan, track and control the tread component production at the Nokian Tyres production plant located in Nokia. Additionally, Nokian Tyres is now able to monitor their production in real-time and ensure the availability of tyre materials.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Discusses Wider Capacity Expansion Plans

Apollo Tyres has already discussed plans to increase capacity at its Gujarat and Kerala factories, and these projects are part of a wider plan to invest Rs 20 billion (£236.6 million) enhancing domestic and international production capacities. In addition to these expansions, the company will set up a new facility in Chennai.

According to Apollo Tyres chief of India Operations Satish Sharma, the company shall invest this sum over next three years, more than half of which, 200 million euros, would go towards its facility in Hungary. As part of the domestic capacity expansion, Apollo Tyre’s Vadodara plant will see its capacity of passenger car tyre go up from the existing 10,000 tyres a day to 15,000 tyres a day, by around mid-2009. The company will also enhance its truck and bus radial tyres capacity at Vadodara from the existing 300 tyres a day to around 1,100 tyres a day over the same timeframe.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Gujarat Chosen as Site for New Ceat Radial Plant

India’s Ceat Ltd has chosen the state of Gujarat for the location of its long anticipated greenfield radial facility. The RS 5 to 6 billion (£60 to 70 million) plant was first announced over a year ago and several locations throughout India were short listed as possible sites – the company reportedly selecting Gujarat for its infrastructure, proximity to a port and ‘work culture.’ In addition to the production of passenger car tyres, the facility will also be home to a pilot facility for the manufacture of 250,000 TBR tyres per annum.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Reports Strength in Russian Market

Ellerbrock, the German subsidiary of the Marangoni Retreading Systems Group, has reportedly taken leadership in the Russian truck retread market after a decade of growth. Marangoni report that at least half of Russia’s retreaders are directly supplied with Marangoni/Ellerbrock products.

The size of the market is about 48 million car tyres (including OE) and about 7 million truck tyres (including OE). Over the past three years, truck sales have doubled in a country with over 700,000 kilometres of roads and 30,000 kilometres of expressways and highways. Marangoni says that unofficial but reliable estimates indicate a truck retread market of about 150,000 to 200,000 tyres, of which one third are retreaded locally and two thirds are imported, mostly from Central and Western Europe. Official figures for 2007 indicate 7.3 million units in the European truck retread market, which means that the Russian market accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the overall western, central, and eastern European market.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors