Paderborn, Germany-based, Hämmerling – The Tyre Company GmbH, has signed a distributor agreement with Irish company Philip White Tyres Ltd. This family-owned company is now the exclusive distributor of Athos truck tyres in the UK and Ireland with immediate effect. This newly-signed agreement with Philip White Tyres Ltd is aimed at achieving further growth of Hämmerling – The Tyre Company GmbH in the UK tyre market.
Aeolus has announced its membership of German tyre dealer association BRV. The Chinese brand says it will cooperate on bilateral work with the association. Wang Feng, general director of Aeolus Tyres said: “As a Chinese tyre manufacturer, we are particularly proud to become a sustaining member of the German association. We look forward to providing support for the regulations and the major tasks in this very important branch of the specialised trade within the scope of our capabilities.”
Several new product lines graced the Zafco stand at this year’s Reifen show. The latest range to emerge from the company’s joint venture with Thailand’s Otani Tire is the Otani Expero TBR line, a 14-size range that aims to cater to the needs of the European market and places a focus on durability and reduced rolling resistance.
Alloy wheel manufacturer Borbet marked the start of Reifen 2014 last week with the launch of its new-look website. The www.borbet.de site offers both English and German language options, although at the time of writing some features are only available in German.
Five decades ago Kraiburg started production at its Geretsberg site with just eight employees. The customs barriers between Germany and Austria were the reason why the directors of the Kraiburg family business with its headquarters in Waldkraiburg in Bavaria decided to go across the border. After two decades of producing in Germany they purchased a saw-mill with 11 hectares of land in Geretsberg, Austria and built up Kraiburg Austria.
Alongside a number of new commercial segment products, including its new R:01 II truck tyres and H:01 coach range, Pirelli displayed a significant addition to its retread portfolio at Reifen 2014. The Italian manufacturer’s brand-new mould cure Novatread retread line complements the existing range of Pirelli Novateck pre-cure treads and is produced exclusively on Pirelli casings using original Pirelli moulds. Pirelli says the casings used in the Novatread retread range are solely sourced from its latest generation of casings and the retreaded tyres feature tread patterns from the Series :01 new tyre range, which was first introduced in 2009.
The figures for Reifen 2014 have been totted up; according to show organiser Messe Essen, between 27 and 30 May around 20,000 people visited the world’s largest tyre exhibition. This year’s attendance was therefore even higher – if only slightly – than the record numbers achieved in 2012. This time round, 36 per cent of all visitors were industry professionals based in the show’s home country, Germany, while the rest – some 12,800 visitors – travelled to Essen from 130 different countries.
GT Radial’s Hall 3 stand at Reifen 2014 hosted the launch of two new products alongside the already announced GSR225 Combi Road multi-use tyre. The GTL925 low platform trailer tyre and the GSW226 steer axle winter tyre are both being shown for the first time at Europe’s largest tyre fair.
GT Radial has launched its new passenger car tyre for the mass market, the Champiro FE1. Angelo Giannangeli, marketing director – Europe for passenger car and light truck said that the tyre’s launch “is a huge statement of intent”. It will be available on European markets between September and October.
Taiwanese manufacturer Kenda has sold products into European markets for some time, but Reifen 2014 is seen as an opportunity to enhance and solidify its position. This rejuvenation of Kenda’s European business is inspired by the establishment of a new European headquarters in Oldenburg, Germany, and two key appointments.
Hunter Engineering Company has brought its latest tyre changer to the Reifen show in Germany, and the US-based firm says the new Revolution is “the industry’s most advanced fully-automatic tyre changer.”
Bridgestone has launched a premium range of radial agricultural tyres at Reifen 2014. While the manufacturer boasts a wide range of products for the sector under its Firestone brand, including the Performer and Maxi Traction, the Bridgestone VT-Tractor will focus on the growing high performance tractor segment.
Messe Essen and Messe Frankfurt have announced a “far-reaching strategic partnership”, aimed at strengthening the Reifen and Automechanika trade fairs. The partners expressed a joint desire to exploit “synergetic effects in sales and marketing across borders,” the most obvious of which will be package solutions for exhibitors.
Messe Essen announced the Reifen 2014 award winners on the evening before the show opened, with Yokohama taking the coveted Innovation Award in the Technology and Products category. The Japanese manufacturer presented its process for the visual representation of the aerodynamic and acoustic rolling behaviour of tyres to the jury, using the Japanese space authority, JAXA’s supercomputer from space research to show that the noise level of a rolling car tyre also depends on flow structures in front of the tyre, which are subjected to a compression effect.
Reifen 2014 has opened at Messe Essen, Germany. 670 exhibitors from 44 countries are exhibiting this year, including two thirds from outside Germany, making it one of Germany’s most international expos. Many of the world’s leading tyre and related industries sector, including the 20 largest tyre manufacturers, are present at the show, which continues until Friday, 30 May. The exhibition organiser said that it expects 19,000 visitors from 130 countries during the show’s four days.
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