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Less than two years’ after being granted approval by the Thailand Board of Investment, Yokohama Rubber has officially opened its ‘Tire Test Center of Asia’ proving ground in Rayong Province. Work began on the 2.5 billion yen centre in September 2007 and the site was ready for use last December. Although the opening ceremony was not held until April 30, tyre testing has been performed at the proving ground since January 2009.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe has released a statement announcing its plan to cut 30-50 jobs at its Melksham, Wiltshire plant, amounting to around 4 per cent of the company’s workers there. The manufacturer will invite its 1,000 employees at the site to apply for voluntary redundancy throughout May. The statement cites the reduction of costs necessary to remain competitive within its markets as the reason for the cuts.
While overall sales declined 8.2 per cent to US$232.6 million during the first quarter of 2009, Titan International reports that its sales of agricultural sector products hit an all-time first quarter record. “Large farm tyres and wheels were selling well in the first quarter of 2009, along with Titan’s new super giant mining tyres,” commented Titan chairman and CEO Maurice M. Taylor Jr. upon the figures’ release. These record agricultural sales of $187.3 million represent an increase of almost eight per cent on the $173.5 million generated in the first quarter of last year.
Provided the supply of electricity is restored, Dunlop India will most likely recommence the manufacture of tyres at its Sahaganj facility during May. The supply was cut following the suspension of production last November; the Press Trust of India quotes company chairman P K Ruia as recently saying “the Sahaganj plant is waiting for electricity connection to restart production.”
The facility partially re-opened on March 6, with 200 of the plant’s 1147 employees returning to carry out maintenance work.
According to the organiser of Automechanika Middle East, the exhibition’s host country retains a strong tyre industry despite the global slowdown. Dubai’s direct trade in tyres, it says, was valued at more than AED 6.6 billion (US $1.8 billion) in 2008, an increase of 12 per cent from 2007. And organiser EPOC Messe Frankfurt GmbH believes that “even with the economic downturn catching up, wheels of the tyre market in the UAE are set to keep turning in 2009” – and thus it has high hopes for the exhibition, which opens on May 31 and runs until June 2 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Upon announcing its first quarter 2009 results, Continental AG stated that the slump in worldwide vehicle production has “left scars” on the company’s performance, with consolidated sales dropping “sharply.” The company reports its Automotive Group sales decreased in tandem with market developments, while the decline in Rubber Group sales was much less severe as to aftermarket sector sales account for a larger percentage of business. Despite the recent undertaking of the largest cost reduction programme in the company’s history, the highly negative sales trend helped push EBIT performance into the red.
Plans for a tyre industry conference held as part of the next staging of Tyrexpo Africa in Johannesburg in March 2010, have been announced by event organisers ECI International. ECI wants to extend the scope and pulling power of the exhibition and has been encouraged to add a conference session by exhibitors and partners in South Africa. The one day conference will focus on key issues in tyre and rubber manufacturing, tyre retailing, developments in technology and the impact of new legislation. Keynote speakers will be drawn from the South African industry, together with major international players. The third staging of Tyrexpo Africa will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg on 4, 5 and 6 March 2010.
Avon Tyres, a brand owned and manufactured by Cooper Tire, dominated the opening round of the 2009 FIA European Rallycross Championship at Lydden circuit, in Kent. In a championship where tyre choice is completely open and where tyres have to provide traction on both asphalt and gravel on every lap, Avon reports that the popularity of its selection has increased over recent seasons. 37 of the 38 drivers who scored at Lydden use Avon Tyres.
Ukrainian tyre manufacturer Belshina is attempting to strengthen its position in the Canadian market. The Belarusian Telegraph Agency reports that Beltyre, Belshina’s export business, has opened an official representative office in Vancouver and from this base will work towards boosting sales through the promotion of tyres best suited to the market.
Toyo Tire & Rubber has made several revisions to its consolidated and non-consolidated performance forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009. The company’s previous forecasts were announced on February 9, 2009. Consolidated forecast net sales for the year have dropped four billion yen to 328 billion (£2.3 billion), while operating income has been downwardly adjusted by a billion yen to minus three billion (-£21.2 million). Net income, now forecast to be minus 10.8 billion yen (-£76.4), is up from February’s estimate of minus 12.7 billion.
A Dubai based company has been named as a potential purchaser of Continental’s soon to be closed Clairoix factory in France. Representatives from both the tyre manufacturer and the Moaffaq Al Gaddah (MAG) Group have confirmed talks are already underway between the two parties, although specific details are still under wraps.
Nottinghamshire-based tyre equipment and consumables supplier Auto4 has published its new catalogue. The distributor says that it aims to offer more than competitive pricing and consistent stock, with a flexible distribution model and the provision of management information also important parts of its core business.
It’s not all bad news out there – Yokohama Rubber has announced that its losses in the fiscal year to March 31, 2009, will be smaller than the projections announced on March 24, 2009. Management now projects consolidated operating income of 13.0 billion yen (£92 million), down 60.7 per cent from the previous fiscal year; and a consolidated net loss of 5.5 billion yen (£38.9), down from a consolidated net profit of 21.1 billion yen in the previous fiscal year; on consolidated net sales of 517.0 billion (£3.7 billion), down 6.2 per cent from the previous year. The revised projection for operating income 13.0 per cent higher, the revised projection for net loss 31.3 per cent less, and the revised projection for net sales 0.6 per cent lower than the projections announced on March 24.
Continental is employing a new CT scanner to further improve the testing of prototype tyres. This new piece of equipment is being set up at the company’s research and development centre in Hanover, Germany. According to Conti, the CT scanner greatly reduces the time needed to screen a tyre and enhances the quality of images taken during the process. Individual components of a tyre’s construction can be displayed separately enabling, for example, tests for wear in individual parts of the casing to be undertaken. Around 3,000 tyres are to undergo the testing process annually.
Modified Live, an event held on the weekend of 25 April, 2009 at Oulton Park witnessed saw the Team Maxxis Yamaha YZF-R1 superbike pitched against a modified Subaru Impreza to answer an eternal question: which is faster, four wheels or two. Following an early downpour and a last minute change to the programme, which saw the original car – a Norris Design SWB Mitsubishi Evo – replaced by a Subaru Impreza, driven by 2009 Time Attack Pro Class Champion, Olly Clark, from Roger Clark Motorsport.
Under official timed trials, provided by Timing Solutions Limited, Clark was the first to take to the track. He drove his 2009 RCM 850bhp Impreza around three laps of the shorter Island circuit, recording 1:27:588 on his second. Unperturbed by the Impreza’s time, Team Maxxis rider Dave Johnson took to the circuit, and by the start of lap two, felt comfortable enough to open the throttle of the 185 bhp Superbike, finishing his second lap in a time of 1:25:566, 2.022 seconds faster than the RCM Impreza.
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