Raw Materials
Last Friday was an important day for GRI in regards to its environmental engagements – the Sri Lankan tyre maker launched its ‘Greening Our Planet’ project by planting 450 rubber trees at smallholder rubber farms in Moneragala District.
Trelleborg Group brand Mitas has announced price increases for its motorcycle, scooter, go kart, trailer and aircraft tyres, as well as for its complete range of tubes and mousses. This increase, the second for 2021, takes effect from 1 October 2021 and is being implemented due to “significantly higher prices of raw materials and logistic services across the industry.”
Nynas has appointed Johan Andersson as vice president Group Strategy & Sustainable Development in Nynas. Johan Andersson leaves the position as CEO of the National Oil Industry Association in Sweden, Drivkraft Sverige, to take on the role. As the CEO he has since 2019 launched a roadmap for climate-neutral competitiveness for the industry, restructured the industry association and repositioned it as an organisation for innovative and sustainable mobility.
Black Bear Carbon B.V. has entered into a long-term supply chain and marketing cooperation with German chemicals marketing company Helm AG. Under this cooperation, the partners will jointly introduce industrial clients to the carbon black that Black Bear recovers from end-of-life tyres. Black Bear says it will contribute its extensive knowledge in product and application development while Helm will provide its supply chain know-how and commercial expertise through its broad market presence.
Research into the use of locally sourced rubber in tyre manufacture has led to Continental’s Dr Carla Recker being nominated for a prestigious award in her native Germany. Together with fellow researchers Prof. Dr Dirk Prüfer from the University of Münster and Dr Christian Schulze Gronover from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Recker has been shortlisted for the ‘Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2021’, an award for technology and innovation bestowed by Germany’s President.
Chemical and material manufacturer DuPont Mobility & Materials, which supplies tyremakers around the world, has announced sweeping prices increases globally. The price increases take effect from 1 October 2021 “or as soon as contracts allow”.
The latest figures from the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) suggest that year-on-year growth in global natural rubber supply won’t be quite as high as previously anticipated and will be lower than expected demand. The ANRPC has downwardly revised its full-year outlook on global natural rubber supply for 2021 to 13.782 million tonnes.
Locally harvested natural rubber is the key raw material that Sri Lankan tyre maker GRI Tires utilises. It thus views natural rubber farmers as important stakeholders in the ‘GRI ecosystem’. This is an ecosystem that “focuses on sustainability and aims to inspire the farming communities by recognising their work as well as providing knowledge and skills for their development and optimising the yields from their natural rubber farms.”
Toyo Tire Corporation has re-examined and updated its natural rubber procurement policy and established this as an independent policy separate from the company’s CSR Procurement Guidelines that prescribe the proper procurement process for the Toyo Tire Group (the Group).
After a turbulent few years, tyre industry supplier, Nynas AB has changed hands again signing a binding agreement with an investment vehicle managed by Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP for the acquisition of the entire equity stake (49.9%) in Nynas from Bitumina Industries Limited, making it the largest individual shareholder of Nynas.
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. has announced that it is increasing the prices of all its rubber carbon black products sold in the EMEA region effective 1 August 2021 or “as permitted by customer contracts”.
Madhavi Kanumoory has been appointed as Chief Digital & Information Officer at Birla Carbon. In this role, she will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s digital and information technology. Kanumoory will report to John Loudermilk, Chief Operating Officer, joining the company’s Senior Management Team and will be based at the Birla Carbon office in Mumbai.
As of 1 August 2021, Toyo Tire USA is increasing its prices “across all tyre categories” by up to 8.5 per cent.
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. launched its Ecorax Nature family of plant-based carbon black products. According to the company, Ecorax Nature 100, which was launched on 17 June 2021, is “the first highly reinforcing carbon black grade made from renewable feedstocks which can be used in critical tyre tread construction”. The product is currently being tested by customers and will go into high volume manufacturing in the second half of 2022. Orion further reports that Ecorax Nature is the first “renewable carbon black” to be produced for the tyre industry.
Agricultural tyres generally appear quite similar irrespective of brand, making it difficult to spot at a glance the difference between discount tyres and higher-priced premium products. Bridgestone observes that price thus “wrongly becomes a differentiating element” with these products. The tyre maker is concerned that some may gain the impression they’re paying extra for the brand rather than the tyre, and wishes to set the record straight.
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