The Smithers Group, an independent testing, consulting and contract research organization based in the US, has announced that it had closed a deal to purchase UK company Rapra Technology. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The announcement ends weeks of speculation of the fate of Rapra Technology, which was forced into Administration on 8 March.
Snap-on Equipment has appointed Alan Wood as Business Development Manager for its range of Hofmann and John Bean wheel service equipment. Mr. Wood has over 25 years’ experience in the tyre service industry having worked with companies, including Kwik-Fit, Supertracker & Beissbarth UK.
To help Sven’s team along at the World Cup Snap-on Equipment has launched a competition to win two VIP tickets to England’s opening game against Paraguay on June 10th. The location couldn’t be better as the game is being played in Frankfurt, which is only a few kilometres north of Hofmann’s head office in Pfungstadt. The package will include hotel accommodation, transport to the stadium, hospitality suite, plus a commemorative gift.
US companies Startech Environmental Corp. and Future Fuels (FFI) in the building of FFI’s own $84 million Waste-to-Ethanol Facility to be constructed in Toms River, New Jersey. “An important fact sometimes overlooked is that waste is an inexhaustible, renewable, ever-recurring resource.”
Joseph F. Longo, Startech Environmental Corp., president Startech also received the Letter of Intent from FFI for FFI’s purchase of a 100 ton-per-day Startech Plasma Converter System (PCS) for installation in the Waste-to-Ethanol Facility in Toms River, scheduled to go online in late 2007. Plans call for the Toms River Facility expansion to include a series of additional Startech PCSs.
Towell Auto Centre, the sole representative for Bridgestone tyres has established a nationwide chain of retail outlets in Oman, branded as ‘Tyre Care Plus.’ According to AMEInfo.com, “these exclusive outlets are redefining tyre retailing.” In a very clear and focussed marketing strategy and keeping in line with their ‘Closer to Customer’ concept, Towell Auto Centre has expanded to thirteen Tyre Care Plus outlets in the country. The first outlet was set up in 1999 at Wadi Kabir, which was known as ‘Bridgestone Tyre Service Centre’. Later a need to brand these exclusive outlets led to the conception of ‘Tyre Care Plus’ in 2005.
Michelin has increased its financial stake in Hankook, purchasing an additional two million shares – equivalent to 1.3 per cent of the Korean manufacturer’s share capital – for US$26 million.
(Akron/Tire Review) Pensler Capital Corp. is out of the running to buy Continental Tire North America’s (CTNA) OTR tyre plant in Bryan, Ohio, sources told Tire Review. Titan International now appears to be the front-runner to obtain the giant tyre facility.
Pensler, said sources, held a number of negotiating sessions with the United Steelworkers and USW Local 890 to facilitate the purchase, but the union rejected each offer made. Pensler, which owns Denman Tire Corp, came into the bidding in January and had signed a letter of intent to buy the plant on 16 January.
A generation of women are choosing cars before kids as material possessions overwhelm maternal instincts. Sales of cars to women are booming with the biggest increase reported among those aged 29 to 44 with disposable income – and without children. According to evecars.com, the British car trade will see almost 5 million car purchases by women this year – half the UK’s forecast total sales. The RAC Foundation has stated that women buy almost 50 per cent of new or used cars, but have a deciding influence on 80 per cent of purchases.
Supply Direct has just published a new catalogue and price list. The catalogue features a full range of two-post lifts, four-posts lifts, scissor lifts, compressors, wheel aligners, tyre changers, wheel balancers, MOT bays (including the new Automated Test Lane) and a full variety of other garage equipment. Details for every product include 3D CAD drawings with full dimensions, and complete specification tables for every piece of equipment.
(Akron/Tire Review) News reports say that Continental AG is looking to purchase portions of struggling Delphi Corp.’s non-U.S. businesses. Continental CEO Manfred Wennemer confirmed the talks at the Geneva Motor Show. “We wouldn’t want any UAW (United Autoworker) factories,” said Wennemer in an interview at the auto show. “There are a lot of other opportunities – Asia, Europe – where we’d be interested in buying. It all depends on what’s available.”
Blackcircles has formed a new partnership with Europe’s most popular motorbike site, biketrader.co.uk. The new deal will see Bike Trader launch its own online tyre shop powered by the Blackcircles retail engine. Through the new shop bike owners will have access to a range of over 10,000 tyres, including Pirelli, Bridgestone and Metzeler, at some of the lowest prices in Europe.
With the Marangoni/Group Tyre (UK) Ltd marketing partnership now firmly in place, details of a new retailer support package have been revealed. Building on the ‘Intelligent’ theme of the 2006 Marangoni/Group Tyre marketing campaign, key dealers will be known as ‘Intelligence Centres’ and strongly branded with prominent exterior signage and themed point-of-sale material.
Leeds-based ContiNetwork member Tyre Maintenance Ltd is this year celebrating 25 years in business. The family-run company now has two depots in Leeds and Gateshead and 14 recovery vehicles, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive independent tyre providers in West Yorkshire and the North East. Run separately from their locally managed business, Tyre Maintenance also operates its own fleet contracts department, offering national fleet business various contractual options including fixed cost and PPK payment solutions.
The ContiTech Conveyor Belt Group, Northeim, is buying the conveyor belt operations of the Danish company Roulunds Tech A/S, Odense, subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities. In the special conveyor belt sector, Roulunds Tech A/S posted sales of approximately 10 million euros in 2005. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Continental AG has sold Stankiewicz GmbH to the Dutch investor Gilde Buy-Out Fund, Utrecht, Netherlands. The two parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Stankiewicz belonged to the ContiTech division of Continental AG and was taken over by Continental as a part of Phoenix AG in 2004. “ContiTech is reorienting its core business activities, which is why we decided to sell Stankiewicz GmbH,” says Gerhard Lerch, executive board chairman of ContiTech AG. “This move will have a positive impact for Stankiewicz as well.”
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