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Michelin Withdraws From Shanghai Motor Show

The Michelin Group has withdrawn from April’s Auto Shanghai 2009 motor show, reports Chinese news outlet Sina Corporation. The company has attended the show during the past decade and maintained a significant presence there. A member of Michelin’s public relations team stated that the company will cut back on its exhibition presence this year. “The whole industry is in difficulty and we also have to do some adjustment and scale-down,” the representative explained. Michelin is, however, still scheduled to attend the IAA show in Frankfurt, Germany, in September.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ATD to Sell 37 Retail Outlets

US based tyre wholesaler and distributor American Tire Distributors Holdings (ATD) intends to sell the 37 retail outlets it acquired in 2008 as part of its purchase of Am-Pac Tire Distributors. In a financial filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the company states: “The acquisition of Am-Pac Tire also added 37 retail stores, predominately in the St. Louis, Missouri and Southern California areas. As these stores are not core to the Company’s business, management’s intention is to divest of these stores during 2009.”

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Wolfrace Announces 5-Year Aftermarket Rim Warranty

Wheel designer Wolfrace is confident in the quality of its aftermarket rims – so much so, that it is now offering them with a five-year warranty. This move, which the company claims is an industry first, applies to a number of lines in its 14 design GB range, namely the Porto in silver, Milano, Como, Modena, Oslo, Flair, Campo, Salerno and Riga. A number of designs, the Porto in black/ polished, Trenta, Lugano, Ravenna, Bari, Nogaro, Porto and Ancona in full chrome, are covered by a two-year warranty.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

In Tyres & Accessories, May 2009:
Tyrexpo Asia Review
High-Performance Tyres
Vintage Tyres

Tyrexpo Asia

Reports from this year’s Tyrexpo Asia exhibition in Singapore have been positive, with show attendees commenting on a good turnout and definite signs of flourishing business despite current global conditions. Following a full schedule of meetings with industry representatives at the show, Tyres & Accessories is proud to bring you its 2009 Tyrexpo Asia review. A comprehensive report on the Singapore show can be found in our next edition.

Born to Perform

If any aspect of the tyre business can at all lay claim to coolness, it is the high performance tyre segment. Manufacturers naturally make the most of this when promoting their wider product ranges, yet the performance tyre sector is a very important business in its own right. Healthy profit margins mean companies are keen to see continued market growth, and the production of high performance tyres is increasingly becoming a means of continued existence for plants located in higher cost countries following the flight of mass-market manufacturing to other parts of the world. Don’t miss the May edition of Tyres & Accessories, when we feature the latest news from the high performance tyre world.

Enjoying an Active Retirement

As we get older we are admonished to regularly exercise our bodies, to – ‘use it or lose it’. Vintage and classic cars are no different. A full appreciation of yesteryear’s vehicles can only be gained by keeping them on the road instead of gathering dust in a static museum display, but for a full and active retired life, these cars require a little more TLC than average – including the correct tyres. Thankfully, number of firms have dedicated themselves to ensuring these tyres remain available long after wider volume production ended. In May, Tyres & Accessories returns to the world of cross-ply and beaded edges to bring you its vintage tyre feature.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Ukraine Women’s Rights Group Wants Vianor Ad Banned

A Ukranian international women’s rights centre, La Strada Ukraine, wants tyre retailer Vianor’s TV commercial banned from the country’s Inter TV channel for apparently insulting children. La Strada says the ad, which reportedly shows parents ironically exchanging children for tyres, is a violent insult of children’s rights: “it represents disrespect towards children, panhuman values and a manifestation of parents’ irresponsibility and exploitation of a kid’s image.” Spokespeople at Vianor’s parent company, Nokian, were unavailable for comment on the news.

7th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Dumping Up 2,300%, Says South African Union

South African trade union NUMSA has spoken out against the importation of cheap Chinese manufactured tyres into the country, reporting on the phenomenon in a press statement that also addressed road safety concerns. According to NUMSA, China’s tyre dumping activities into the country has increased 2,300 per cent from 108,039 in the year 2000 to 1,057,312. These tyres often arrive under-invoiced, NUMSA adds, and therefore attract less duty, something that has caused industry production to drop by about 40 per cent.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bike Tyrestore Raises Sava Prices

Bike Tyrestore has announced that the pound/euro exchange rate collapse has forced the company to increase the prices of its range of Sava scooter and light motorcycle tyres. Speaking frankly in the company’s customer email newsletter, Bike Tyrestore representatives said: “To be honest, sales have been affected, although the Savas are still priced below most of the other ‘leading brands.’ Which is the point we’d like to make. Customers don’t always appreciate that Sava scooter tyres are made in Europe, to at least the same high standards as each of the household names, not all of which are in fact of European production, and the Savas are cheaper.”

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

US State Makes Tyre Pressure Checks Compulsory

When a regulation adopted on March 26 comes into force, automotive maintenance outlets in the US state of California will be required to check tyre pressure on every vehicle they service. The Air Resources Board regulation takes effect July 1, 2010, and is one of 44 early action measures intended to extend the average tyre’s useful life by 4,700 miles, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tonnes and the state’s fuel consumption by 284 million litres.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kraiburg Trains Nortenha Sales Staff

Despite the weakness of the European truck tyre market, there are still opportunities for retreaders, says Kraiburg Austria. To take advantage of these, Portuguese retreader Recauchutagem Nortenha organised a two-day training session, with Kraiburg Austria, for its entire sales staff.

In what was a practical-orientated workshop, Kraiburg’s Product Manager Michael Schwämmlein concentrated on four major themes; tyre technique, vehicle configurations, Kraiburg’s tread segmentation with K_base, K_tech and K_plus, as well as professional tread selection depending on vehicle and application.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin North America Releases New HydroEdge

According to Michelin North America, its newly released HydroEdge tyre range delivers up to 33,000 more miles than its competitor the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred. On top of this, the company says the HydroEdge stops up to 14 feet shorter than its competitor and is the most fuel-efficient tyre in its category. All in all, says Michelin, the new tyre offers consumers even more than the previous generation while providing the confidence consumers expect from its premier large passenger car and minivan tyre.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Welcomes Visitors to its Corporate Village

The Italian Marangoni Group is to once again invite exhibition visitors to its Marangoni Village concept stand during Autopromotec 2009. Billed as “a world of tyres in just one industrial group”, the Marangoni Group’s ‘village’ stand means that all group companies will be available on one impressive stand at Autopromotec. The “Marangoni Village” will be located in hall 22, stand C21-23, at the Italian trade show, and will feature all the latest news, products, technology and services offered in the Marangoni Group’s areas of business.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Appoints New General Manager to Mexican JV Operation

In late March Cooper Tire & Rubber announced the appointment of Jeffrey J. Schumaker as general manager of the company’s manufacturing joint venture in Mexico, Corporacion de Occidente. Schumaker joined Cooper in 1988 and has served as tyre testing manager, and sport-utility vehicle and light truck tyre development manager in the US and as technical liaison manager in Melksham. Following his time in the UK he held the position of business unit manager in Albany, Georgia, and, most recently, as director of quality systems. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degrees in manufacturing management and operations management.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo Continues European Website Rollout With Greek Site

Toyo Tires’ rollout of European-language websites continues with the launch of its new Greek site, www.toyotire.gr, at the end of March. The decision to focus on this particular site was taken, says Toyo, as Greek visitors are amongst the most frequent users of the company’s European website despite the country’s relatively small population compared to other European nations and the fact this website is only available in English. The new Greek language site provides information on Toyo’s entire Greek market product, technology and company information plus the latest news.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Brings forward P7 Cinturato Launch

Pirelli has launched a new version of its P7 tyre – the P7 Cinturato. In addition to offering the kind of high performance edge characteristic of the Pirelli brand, the new tyre features a 20 per cent reduction in rolling resistance which, according to company figures, results in a 4 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. Pirelli’s decision to offer a high performance eco-tyre is immaculately timed as it follows the first reading publication of new EU laws raising the bar in terms of rolling resistance, noise pollution and wet-braking performance – all areas that Pirelli’s R&D department have improved upon the standard product in the development of the P7 Cinturato.

The launch of the new tyre, which was originally scheduled for 2010, was brought forward a year in light of the new regulations and following unprecedented drops in tyre sales at the end of 2008 and through the first quarter of 2009. With this in mind the launch can also be seen as a kind or proactive market impetus – offering tyre customers and end-consumers a something of high quality and performance that also offers potential fuel savings and ecological benefits. Green tyres are not new, but till now they have largely been combined to smaller cars and have reportedly conceded performance for fuel economy. Pirelli officially presented the Cinturato P7 at the Nardò International Test Track on 3 April.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni to Restructure “Tyre Retreading” Business Area

“Our company, like other companies that operate in the tyre sector, is not, and has not been, an island in itself.“ With these words, Brenno Benaglia explains the reach of the current economic recession and its consequences, which are shaping up to be structural rather than cyclical. Despite a clear cut in truck and passenger car retread production and sales figures, the sales & marketing director for Marangoni’s Tyre Retreading business area points out that the Italian company is sticking to the growth and expansion strategy it presented two years ago.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors