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Fourth Michelin Sustainable Development Report Published

Michelin has released the fourth edition of the Michelin Performance and Responsibility report, its document outlining the company’s commitment to balanced development. This year the report is organised around the five stages in a tyre’s life: design, raw material purchases, manufacture, sale and use, and end-of-life recovery. The information contained within the document, says Michelin, comes from lifecycle analyses conducted to measure the tyre’s environmental impact, and its objective is to demonstrate that this commitment to responsible development is fully integrated into all Michelin projects and initiatives.

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Retains Interest in Conti’s Tyre Division

Michelin has once again signalled its interest in rival Continental’s tyre division, reports Reuters Germany. Michelin Group managing partner Michel Rollier is quoted as commenting at the company’s May 15 Annual Shareholders Meeting “we won’t remain on the sidelines during discussions about Continental.” He added that Michelin was not currently engaged in any talks with the German company.

Conti has declined to comment on the matter, and Reuters quotes a person familiar with the situation as saying “nobody is working towards a sale of the tyre business.”

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres Burn in Paris as Conti Protests Continue

The air around the Place de la Bourse in central Paris, previously home to the French stock market, was heavy with the stench of burning tyres on May 18. Hundreds of Continental employees, together with representatives from the CGT union, congregated at the historic trading site and vented their emotions ahead of planned talks on the closure of Conti’s Clairoix factory.

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s Poland TBR Facility Officially Opened

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.

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Reports Solution to Stöcken Factory ‘Conflict’

The conflict regarding plans to end commercial vehicle tyre production at Continental’s Hanover-Stöcken plant has been resolved, the company reports. Continental management, the IG BCE trade union and employee representatives have reached an agreement on a solution that, in Conti’s words, “makes use of all instruments the labour market provides and opens up prospects for 2010.” The agreement will see the suspension of commercial vehicle tyre production at Stöcken as of the end of 2009, a move supplemented by a number of other measures.

“The package is the result of several rounds of intensive talks that came close to being bro-ken off at a number of points. In the end, however, the two sides moved closer and, against the backdrop of a dogged and complex economic situation, faced up to their responsibility,” said Werner Bischoff of the IG BCE Executive Committee following talks on May 19.

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Appoints New PR Firm for World Cup Tyre Campaign

Continental has negotiated a deal reportedly worth six figures with Inside Media for consumer PR in the UK, selecting the firm after pitches from five companies. PR Week’s Chloe Markowicz reports that the German manufacturer has given Inside Media a UK brief that will include the promotion of the brand’s safety message and its involvement in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The commercial vehicles side of the business will still be related in the media by Conti’s existing agency Automotive PR and motoring PR will be processed in-house.

The major focus is said to be in publications outside the sphere of the traditional motoring press, with the more generalised lifestyle media specifically in the frame. Continental’s communications manager Laura Hardy told Tyrepress.com, “Inside Media are working to increase our press coverage outside of the motoring pages. A lot of drivers don’t read the traditional motoring media but we still want to take the Continental brand name and our safety message to them, that’s why we’ve chosen Inside Media who are specialize in national press and lifestyle media coverage.”

19th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ContiSportContact 3 Specially Modified for Panamera Fitment

Hot on the heels of OE reports from Michelin and Pirelli is news that Continental has especially adapted its ContiSportContact 3 for the Porsche Panamera. Conti states the new sports saloon will be launched with its tyres, tweaked to match the car’s chassis and particular specifications. This limited series of Porsche specific tyres will display the designation ‘N0’ after the product name as a point of difference from the standard ContiSportContact 3.

The Panamera’s front wheels will be fitted with size 255/45 ZR 19 (100Y) tyres while the rear will wear size 285/40 ZR 19 (103Y). The alternative sizes 245/50 ZR 18 (100Y) and 275/45 ZR 18 (103Y) have also been approved by Porsche for the Panamera and also carry the special designation ‘N0’.

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ATS Euromaster Pumps Up Tyre Pressure Message

ATS Euromaster is urging motorists to adjust their tyre pressures if they plan to travel with a heavy load this summer, in a season which is expected to see more Britons pack their cars for a holiday on home shores than in previous years. Chris Hufflett, group operations director for ATS Euromaster, which has 460 automotive fast-fit centres across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, said:

“If you are carrying a full load of passengers with luggage or will be towing a caravan or trailer, tyre pressures must be increased in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. It’s a simple five minute job, but from our experience, the majority of drivers don’t bother. Few people realise that it is the air inside a tyre which carries the weight of the vehicle and its load, not the tyre itself, hence nearly every car has two recommended pressure settings – one for ‘normal’ use and a higher figure for full loads.”

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Terry Richardson – Spotted at Work on Pirelli’s 2010 Calendar?

According to Black Book, rumours circulating in recent months about Terry Richardson’s involvement with the 2010 Pirelli Calendar have been given some extra weight following sightings of the fashion photographer at work in Brazil. Word is that Terry is busy in Bahia with a list models that include Ana Beatriz Barros, Gracie Carvalho, Georgina Stojiljkovic and possibly also Catherine McNeil.

A picture of Richardson at work in Brazil, depicting a model resembling Catherine McNeil bareback on a white horse, has been leaked in the media. According to Black Book, for the 2010 edition of the Cal we should expect a wodge of nude models – nothing new for Richardson – provocatively posed in a pastoral setting.

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Wayne Thomas New Garage Equipment Association President

Wayne Thomas was appointed President of the Garage Equipment Association, (GEA), at their recent AGM, which was held at the GEA offices in Daventry, on 21 April 2009. Thomas takes over from Gary Shepherd, managing director of Rotary Lift UK, who has served as president for the past year. Thomas, who is currently managing director of GEMCO Equipment Ltd, commented: “The GEA has become recognised as our industry’s body, for example, it’s currently assessing and accrediting vehicle lift installation and service engineers. This accreditation scheme will drive-up the standards within our industry and provides our customers with greater peace of mind. During my term as president I will constantly influence the GEA in improving the standards of the garage equipment industry.”

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Concludes Vredestein Banden Acquisition

The Apollo Tyres acquisition of Vredestein Banden BV, now officially concluded, has been described by Vredestein Banden CEO Rob Oudshoorn as a “win-win combination for both companies.” With all regulatory approvals and place and consent from the Judge of the Dutch Courts granted, Apollo now holds a 100 per cent share in the Netherlands based manufacturer. While official statements on the acquisition give no purchase price for Vredestein-Banden, the Wall Street Journal notes that a ‘person familiar with the situation’ disclosed a sum of 175 million euros.

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Supports Aston Martin in the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race

Pirelli tyres are to support Aston Martin in their Nürburgring 24 hour race on the weekend of 23 and 24 May 2009. Pirelli have worked closely with Aston Martin for many years developing and supplying tyres for the DBS, V8 Vantage and in this case on the V12 Vantage. The P Zero Corsa System tyres used on the V12 Vantage road car are derived from the P Zero Corsa race tyres and ensure consistency and provide a tangible performance link between the two.

According to Pirelli, the P Zero Corsa is the ultimate sports version of the P Zero family. It is a highly technical tyre using directional and asymmetric tread patterns to enhance vehicle performance. The fitments on the V12 Vantage race car are 295/645 18 and 305/645 18.

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrepress.com Opens Twitter Account

Tyrepress.com is never one to resist the progress of the times, or indeed another forum through which to deliver important tyre industry news stories to its readers. Therefore, it is with great delight that the industry’s favourite news source announces its new presence on miniature update site, Twitter.com.

Readers of Tyres & Accessories, Tyrepress.com and the Tyrepress.com e-Newsletter are cordially invited to “follow” Tyrepress’ progress here. To do so, all you need is a Twitter profile, from which you can add Tyrepress to the list of fellow tweeters you are following. (The process is much simpler than it is easy to describe!)

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Tiger Paw Targets Family Rides

Michelin North America has added the Uniroyal Tiger Paw AS65, a 65,000-mile radial targeting a wide range of vehicle, from compacts to minivans. “The AS65 gives value consumers exactly what they’ve been asking for in a tyre – dependability, performance and long wear,” said Kaz Holley, Uniroyal brand director. “Between the center rib and the block placement, this is the most aggressive tyre we’ve added to the Tiger Paw line. Our customers are sure to notice how well it handles in any road condition.”

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Falken Tyre Gets “Rugged”

In the US Falken Tire Corp. has introduced a new, rugged line of all-terrain tyres – the High Country A/T. Falken said the “Falken High Country A/T confidently transitions when surfaces go from smooth to rough and dry to muddy,” and the tyre features a deep tread depth, heavy siping and M+S performance for all types of weather and driving conditions. The tyre is available in 24 P-metric, LT-metric and flotation sizes, ranging from 15- through 20-inch wheel diameters.

18th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors