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Beru Appoints New Communications Head

Beru AG has announced personnel changes at its German head office’s Corporate Communication and Investor Relations department. Sabrina Knorr will take over the position of head of department on February 1, replacing Stephanie Konrad, who leaves the company at the end of January after six years with the department.

Sabrina Knorr joined the department as a junior manager in 2005. She had already gained experience in various aspects of corporate communication in the automotive industry during her business administration and engineering studies, some of which she completed in Australia. In her new role, Sabrina Knorr will report directly to the Executive Board chairman.

16th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

ViaMichelin to End GPS Production

ViaMichelin, the subsidiary of the French tyre manufacturer specialising in digital travel assistance products, has stated it will no longer participate in the GPS navigation device market. According to a report published in France’s La Tribune, the company, which holds 14 per cent of the French GPS market, has found it difficult to expand in Europe in the face of strong competition from rivals such as TomTom. Sixty of ViaMichelin’s 170 employees are affected by the decision, La Tribune reported.

14th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Recycling Faces a Reptilian Delay

The businessman behind plans for a tyre recycling facility in the Barrow docks area is hoping to begin set up work on the project by February despite a last minute environmental hurdle. The commencement of recycling at the Green Earth Regeneration Ltd facility may be delayed while a £200,000 earth wall is built to protect birds, lizards, worms and newts living in the plant’s vicinity.

This latest obstacle appears to be testing the patience of businessman Chris Parker, who has been quoted by the North-West Evening Mail as saying “There are so many conditions for a tyre recycling plant it is ridiculous.” Gaining the necessary permission to operate the business has already taken far longer that anticipated: “We have been held up massively in past months. We had nearly 12 months to wait to get a Waste Management Licence and, for the last four months, we have been held up (to do) with the ecology and reptile report for the site,” said Parker, who first submitted a planning application to Cumbria County Council in May 2006.

11th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Cleared of Heart Disease Charges

The South Korean Ministry of Labour has concluded that “no connection existed between multiple occurrences of heart disease and the working environment at a Hankook Tire plant in Daejeon,” according to a Korea Times report. The ministry told the presidential transition team in a briefing that though the workers at the plant “seem to have more heart disease than others,” but the relation between the alleged “deadly working environment’” could not be established. “We will do our best to improve the working environment no matter what the final report says,’” Hankook Tire spokesman Calvin Park said, welcoming the government announcement. “Workers will be provided with more specified and thorough health checks to prevent such mishaps in the future,’” he added.

9th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Pressure & Tread Depth Neglected in Winter – TyreSafe

TyreSafe has marked the post New Year return to work, and the daily commute, by issuing another warning about the importance of regularly checking tyre pressure and tread depth. The organisation’s latest report quotes disturbing figures from surveys conducted by vehicle supermarket Motorpoint, which indicates more than 50 per cent of drivers fail to regularly check their tyre pressure before embarking on a journey, and by carmaker Kia, which found that one in three drivers failed to check their tread depth even monthly during the 2007 winter season.

8th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pessimistic Outlook for US Equipment Aftermarket

In the US the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) has announced the results of a recent member survey showing that suppliers expect business to look a little less than rosy for the automotive aftermarket this year. The results were compiled from quarterly market segment surveys conducted by the three MEMA market segment groups – Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA). These member-only industry surveys serve as barometers for the business outlook for the next 12 months.

7th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Fire Halts Work at Titan Plant

(Tire Review/Akron) A small fire at Titan Tire’s plant in Des Moines last week forced the evacuation of some 125 workers. No one was injured in the fire, which reportedly started near rubber mixing equipment at the plant. The specific cause of the fire remains under investigation. Production resumed at the plant later in the day, though, report said, the mixing equipment involved in the fire remained off-line.

17th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

WTO Rules Brazil Must Allow Retread Imports

A World Trade Organization appeals panel ruled on December 3 that Brazil did violate international commerce rules by restricting importation of retreaded tyres from Europe. Brazil claimed that the European Union was dumping millions of used tyres on its market, creating a greater risk of disease and environmental damage as the country had no means to effectively recycle the used tyres. Because Brazil allows such imports from South American countries, the WTO ruled that Brazil’s ban on the retreaded tyres was, in fact, as restriction on international trade.

5th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Appoints New Asia Executives

At the start of the New Year Allen Tsaur will take over as vice president and general manager of its Asian Operations, replacing Ron Shield, who took on the role in an interim capacity and is retiring at the end of 2007. Tsaur, who joined Cooper Tire in January 2007, is currently general manager of Cooper’s operations in China. The role of deputy general manager for the Asian Operations, a new position, will be filled by Michael Cati. The former director of Asian Operations sales and marketing will report directly to Tsaur.

4th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook: Stopped Subsidy Reports False

Hankook has flatly denied reports that the Hungarian government has stopped an $820,000 training subsidy, characterizing them as “misinformation.” One company spokesperson told Tyres & Accessories that, while Hankook was perfectly entitled to claim such a subsidy, the Korean manufacturer hadn’t in fact applied for one. Therefore Hankook maintains that the Associated Press’ earlier report that the Hungarian government had stopped an $820,000 training subsidy payment to Hankook Tire Co. due to violations of the country’s labour laws is totally false.

28th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New First Stop Member Unveils Customer Friendly Facilities

In a move to better meet the needs of its customers a new addition to the Bridgestone First Stop dealer network has unveiled its recently overhauled facilities. The reception area of Dexel Tyres in Bentley, Doncaster was given the substantial overhaul shortly after signing up, and apparently the changes are already proving to be a hit with customers and staff alike.

The work involved installing a comfortable new seating area for customers, along with television and drinks facilities plus a children’s play area, while the walls were decorated in the First Stop colours of red and grey. Staff at the dealership also benefited, with a new computerised counter area and a brand new office for branch manager Nick Housley. “We’re getting a lot of positive feedback about the refurbishment,” said Stuart Hopkinson, area manager for Dexel Tyres, which operates 12 branches across the region. “The staff enjoy it because of the new equipment that we had installed for them, while the whole experience is a lot more comfortable for our customers.

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Paul Everitt To Be New SMMT Chief

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says that Paul Everitt will be its next chief executive. He will succeed Christopher Macgowan who leaves the society at the end of December, after a nine-year term.

Everitt is director of civil air transport and communications at the Society of British Aerospace Companies, where he is responsible for environmental and safety issues, as well as leading its media team and government relations programmes. Before this, Everitt was head of communications, economics and policy at SMMT. He played a big part in launching the SMMT’s motor industry sustainability report and its annual CO2 report, plus he also took a lead on a range of high-profile policy campaigns, including the End of Life Vehicle Directive, Block Exemption and the Climate Change Levy.

12th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli 9 Month Results Expected to be Flat or Lower

Analysts expect the nine-month operating results released by Pirelli & C SpA to be flat or slightly lower due to the mixed performance of the company’s various divisions. Analysts have predicted a net profit of between 91 and 114 million euros compared with a loss of 1.411 billion euros in same period last year, an EBIT of 280 to 297 million, down from 300 million last year, an EBITDA of 441 to 462 million, against last year’s 462 million, and sales of 3.856 to 3.929 billion.

Pirelli Tyre is expected to benefit from volume increases in emerging economies, offsetting the impact of higher raw material prices. However, margins are expected to be particularly hard hit by higher raw material prices, one analyst commented. A second Milan based analyst noted that Pirelli has little exposure to the US market, and is thus in part insulated from the weaker dollar’s negative impact on sales. “The US represents 8 per cent of sales. They are more present in Latin America that is going very well,” he said.

9th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

High Mileage Not a “Supreme Importance” for Winter Tyres, says Conti

Rating winter tyres according to just one criterion fails to take account of the many demands placed upon them, claim experts working with Continental Tyres. They report, for example, that mileage performance on its own cannot be considered to be of “supreme importance” for a winter tyre. Rather, a high level of grip on both wet and dry roads and in typical winter weather conditions – features that require a softer and therefore faster wearing compound – should be given higher priority.

“What makes a really good winter tyre is having a well-balanced design incorporating a wide range of driving characteristics,” explained Alexander Lührs, press officer at Continental. “And here what counts is not achieving outstanding performance in one or the other discipline, but rather offering a design that is as balanced as possible, so that overall its characteristics meet the highest demands.” Above all, a tyre needs to provide good driving characteristics in typical winter weather conditions, including effective aquaplaning prevention and short braking distances in the wet.

7th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Charges Against Apollo Chairman May be Unsustainable

The mismanagement allegations made by Narinder Jeet Kanwar against his elder brother, Apollo Tyres chairman Onkar Singh Kanwar, might not be sustainable in Chennai’s Company Law Board (CLB) as the younger brother is not a company shareholder, report both Apollo Tyres and independent legal experts. A spokesperson from the company has stated “Narinder Jeet Kanwar has no stake in the company.” Therefore, it was added, he is not in a position to bring the issue before the CLB.

India’s Business Standard newspaper has quoted the position of a Chennai based company law expert, M R Venkatesh, regarding the matter. “The petitioner or petitioners as a group must hold at least a 10 per cent stake in the company for the CLB to accept the petition. It is not an easy process, unless this 10 per cent stake is held by a person,” said Venkatesh.

7th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors