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Continental Sime Exports Grow 40 per cent

Contental’s Malaysian joint venture partner, Sime Tyres, reports that it is on track to achieve 10 per cent increase in sales on the back of higher domestic and international demand, according to chief executive officer Mohd Shukri Baharom. Folowing the strong results, the company is expected to increase tyre production to 5.5 million this year, with exports projected to grow by 40 per cent.

In a move designed to further boost sales, the company says it will explore the regional market under the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta). “Afta will allow us to expand further,” Mr Shukri told journalists at a Simex 4×4 International Rainforest Challenge (RFC) 2004 briefing in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

9th November 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Lassa to Release New Sizes

Lassa has announced that it will release a number of new size references for its Impetus Sport range in the new year.

29th October 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin and Elyo agree 15-year Contract

Michelin Italiano Spa and Elyo Italia have agreed a 400 million euro contract to build and manage a cogeneration unit at the Michelin Italiana plant in Cuneo, northern Italy. The 50 MW facility will supply all the electrical and thermal power required by Michelin’s largest plant in Italy.

The companies say that the 15-year contract will conform to the most stringent European and national energy efficiency regulations. According to the Elyo, “the electric and thermal power cogeneration production system will help to significantly reduce polluting emissions (carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide) into the atmosphere. The acoustic impact, both inside and outside the Michelin plant, will also be extremely limited.”

29th October 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

New Jeeps to Use Superior Wheels

Superior Industries International, Inc has announced that it has been awarded four new aluminium wheel contracts for the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty models.

8th October 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Creates New Hose Division

Yokohama Rubber has announced that it will create a hoses and coupling division as of the 1 October.

The company will merge the operation of Yokohama Hydex, a wholly owned subsidiary, so that the production and assembly of hoses are integrated under one chain of command. The move will be made in an attempt to improve the efficiency of the business.

The new division will head a hoses and coupling sales department, engineering department and quality assurance department. The Yokohama Hydex head office in Tokyo and Nagoya will be integrated with the MB Tokyo Office and MB Nagoya Office of Yokohama Rubber, respectively. And the branch office functions in Osaka and Hiroshima will be transferred to the new hoses and coupling sales department.

Hydex Tokyo and YH America, will now become 100 per cent subsidiaries of Yokohama Rubber. Yokohama Hydex employees will be transferred to Yokohama Rubber.

1st October 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Superior Expects Results Slip

Superior Industries International, Inc expects its operating results for the third quarter of 2004 to be less than expected. Management expects about a 5 per cent decline in unit wheel shipments for the third quarter, and net earnings of approximately $0.20 per diluted share.

“Our major OEM customers have announced planned production cuts for the second half of the year based on weak summer sales of cars and light trucks resulting in an unanticipated decline in unit wheel shipments for the company. In addition, operating difficulties led to a delay in the ramp-up of production in certain of our factories following this year’s extended seasonal shutdowns,” said President and COO Steve Borick.

29th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Union Asks Continental to Reconsider Mayfield Closure

Union representatives from Continental’s Mayfield tyre plant have asked company officials to reconsider a decision to close its Mayfield plant.

24th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Argentinean Labour Dispute Ends

The intervention of government officials has brought a yearlong labour dispute between Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS) Argentina and its workers to an end.

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

PSA Peugeot Citroën to Double Production in Argentina

PSA Peugeot Citroën has today announced its industrial development plan for Argentina through which it plans to launch two new models at its Buenos Aires plant.

The Peugeot 206, 307 and Partner and the Citroën Berlingo are currently manufactured at the plant and production of the two new models is expected to begin by 2007.

The company believes the “favourable outlook” for the Argentine automobile market supports these developments. There is no doubt that the move will heighten the facility’s competitiveness, and reflects the country’s improved economic situation.

According to the company the new models will be exported to other Mercosur countries, as well as to other Latin American markets and possibly around the world.

Annual output at the Buenos Aires facility is expected to increase from the 45,000 cars planned in 2004 to 100,000 in 2007. Total investment is expected to amount to 450 million Argentine pesos (125 million euros).

21st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Myanmar Government Lifts Rubber Export Ban

Myanmar has resumed the export of rubber following an announcement by the government that took effect on 1 September. In a statement released by the country’s trade directorate on 27 August, the government said that domestic production had risen since the ban was put in place at the beginning of the year. According to the statement demand is being met.

16th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Down Grade Inner Tube Production

Due to a decline in demand Cooper Tire & Rubber has decided to end production of inner tubes at its Clarksdale, Mississippi, plant by 12 November.

The company has confirmed that most of the facility’s 159 workers will be made redundant. About 30 of the workers are expected to remain at the plant to produce curing bladders and operate the rubber mixing unit, which produces rubber for internal consumption at the company’s other plants.

In an official statement the company explained that employees have been notified of the redundancy and will receive outplacement assistance. Cooper is also said to have notified its customers about the inner tube decision and is provided recommendations for alternative sources.

The phase-out is expected to cost about $9 million (£5 million), which will be needed to cover the write-down of assets and the impacts of severance and other benefits. The company will record a charge of approximately $7 million during the third quarter of 2004 as a result of this decision.
Cooper maintains that the decision supports its strategy to “dedicate resources to those product categories that will help the business grow globally and provide shareholder value.” cma

10th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Hayes Lemmerz Tightens its Belt

Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc’s second quarter results show that the company has felt the consequences of increased steel and iron prices and lowered OEM production requirements in North America.

8th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti to Embark on Chinese Joint Venture

Continental chairman, Manfred Wennemer, has said that the company will announce that it has agreed to a joint venture in China, this week, according to German media sources.

7th September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Amerityre Replacing Rubber

Tyres have been made from rubber for more than 100 years, using the same fundamental manufacturing processes. However American tyre corporation, Amerityre, claims to have invented a polyurethane material that will replace rubber and revolutionise the entire tyre manufacturing industry, within the next 15 years.

This proposed polyurethane elastomer tyre production is essentially a unique process. Revolutionary it may be, but what does it mean for the tyre manufacturing industry?

The new polyurethane elastomer material can be used in the manufacture of tyres and automated manufacturing equipment. The significance of the new material is placed on the cost efficiency of the manufacturing process. According to Amerityre, manufacturing tyres from polyurethane is considerably more efficient than manufacturing tyres from rubber.

It may be new to the market, but the company has big objectives for its new technology. The company claims that polyurethane will ultimately replace rubber in tyres. It also predicts that the transition from rubber to polyurethane tyres will occur quickly, because of the amount of benefits it provides. It estimates that this conversion will begin in the next 12 months, and will be complete in the next 12 to 15 years. And on top of this, its prototype tyre, ‘ARCUS,’ awaits its launch into the market and its opportunity to silence critics. Whichever way you look at it, these are high aims for a product the industry knows little about.

The company was originally formed in 1995 as the American Tire Corporation. Its initial business objective was to take advantage of, and develop, existing urethane formulations. At first the company used these formulations to produce Flatfree bicycle tyres from polyurethane foam. In 1999 the company changed its name to Amerityre Corporation. Located in Nevada, it occupies a 49,200 square foot site. And has now developed two distinct proprietary chemical systems for tyres: a polyurethane elastomer and a closed-cell polyurethane foam.

3rd September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

US Sales and Production Expectations

Analysts expect August’s US light vehicle sales to reach 17.5 million units compared with 17.2 million from July and 19 million from last August. They predict that Chrysler’s sales will increase by three per cent, however GM’s and Ford’s are expected to decrease by one and five per cent respectively. Investors will be focusing on both GM’s and Ford’s fourth quarter results where they are expecting production to be down by 2.4 and 7.8 per cent respectively.

1st September 2004/by Tyrepress Editors