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DuPont acquisition of Danisco finalised

DuPont’s acquisition of Danisco has been finalised. On May 16 the chemical company reported that its wholly-owned subsidiary DuPont Denmark Holding ApS had taken on 92.2 per cent of Danisco’s outstanding shares, having paid 700 krone (£82) per share. Following the acquisition’s finalisation DuPont CEO and chair Ellen Kullman said “we are delighted that the tender has been successful and we can move on to the process of integrating Danisco into DuPont.” Danisco chairman Jorgen Tandrup added the Danish company is “very pleased that a vast majority of Danisco shareholders have accepted DuPont's offer” and commented on the two companies’ shared outlook on science and research capabilities.

18th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Fritz appointed Goodyear investor relations VP

Goodyear Tire & Rubber has announced the appointment of Gregory A. Fritz to the position of vice president, investor relations. In his new role, Fritz, who prior to joining the tyre maker was assistant treasurer and senior director, investor relations for Whirlpool Corporation, will report to Darren R. Wells, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

17th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit offers puncture protection through Michelin deal

Research carried out for Kwik-Fit shows tyre damage from potholes to have more than doubled in the last year. Based upon the findings of the ICM Research-conducted survey of 2,000 adults, the fast fit company estimates the number of motorists sidelined by a pothole related puncture to have grown from 1.5 million in 2009 to 3.8 million in the preceding 12 months. In 61 per cent of cases this brief pothole encounter led to irreparable tyre damage; survey respondents reported spending an average of £65 on replacement tyres.

16th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ survey reveals female mistrust for fast-fitters, talks strategy for change

A recent HiQ survey suggests that negative perceptions of the fast-fit industry amongst women continue to linger after independent research revealed that while 70 per cent of women believe they receive a dishonest and untrustworthy experience when they visit a garage. The research, commissioned by HiQ, also disclosed that 24.3 per cent of women charge the men in their lives with taking their car in for new tyres because they found the whole so unpleasant. However it is worth pointing out that the level of trust is not much higher amongst members of the more traditionally dominant sex: 62 per cent of men feel the same way. What’s more, 53 per cent of men surveyed “do not trust garages and tyre dealers for advice, and would rather research online instead”. HiQ says that five female marketing experts are attempting to change these perceptions by bringing the fast fit industry in line with high street shopping experiences.

12th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Ben Butlin new global research director a JATO Dynamics

Ben Butlin has joined research firm JATO Dynamics as global research director. Prior to JATO, Butlin’s career included 17 years at Ford where he began as a professional mechanical engineer. His role developed into overseeing quality, product planning and project management with international assignments in Belgium, USA and Japan. His most recent role at Ford was global CV product planning manager where he was responsible for the alignment of LCV product planning across all regions.

12th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Weed-derived rubber a dandy alternative for Ford

Tyre makers Continental and Cooper are not alone in seeing the possibilities locked within the humble dandelion. Researchers at the Ford Motor Company and Ohio State University have also explored the plant’s qualities and recognised its potential as a sustainable source of rubber. As Ford research engineer Angela Harris explained, the vehicle manufacturer is “always looking for new sustainable materials to use in our vehicles that have a smaller carbon footprint to produce and can be grown locally. Synthetic rubber is not a sustainable resource, so we want to minimise its use in our vehicles when possible. Dandelions have the potential to serve as a great natural alternative to synthetic rubber in our products.”

11th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Gajah Tunggal profit grows 35% in first quarter

Indonesia’s Gajah Tunggal has reported a net profit of Rp 332 billion (£23.4 million) in the first quarter of 2011, a 35 per cent year-on-year and 182 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase. This result is “well above” Deutsche Bank’s consensus (the bank’s equity research analysts comments that it is equal to 40 per cent of consensus and 43 per cent of its full year 2011 forecast). Much of this growth was, however, from foreign exchange gains and associates. Core net profit, excluding foreign exchange and associates, was Rp 181 billion (£12.8 million) – relatively unchanged from the first quarter of 2010 and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 60 per cent.

9th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Government acclaim for Yokohama inner liner development

Two Yokohama Rubber employees have been acknowledged by Japan’s government for their work on developing tyre inner liner technology. Yuichi Hara and Yoshiaki Hashimura, both research and development managers at Yokohama, received “Commendations for Science and Technology” from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science. The awards were given in the development category for developing a tyre inner liner that possesses a balance between the low air permeability of resin and the flexibility offered by rubber, thereby substantially reducing air leakage despite being only 20 per cent as thick as a conventional liner. The product developed by the pair and their research teams was released in 2009 under the name Advanced inner liner.

9th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli picks up Chinese ‘best marketing’ award

Pirelli reports it recently won the “best marketing” category of the 2011 China Auto Aftersales Summit Forum awards – an award the tyre maker describes as “one of the most influential awards in the auto industry.” In total, five categories of award were announced at the forum, which is hosted by the China Automobile Manufacturers Association, China Automotive Engineers Society, China International Trade Committee Automotive Branch, China Automotive Technology and Research Center and Motor Trend magazine.

4th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Transense launches iProbe tyre inspection tool

News, Product News

Transense Technologies plc has launched its iProbe multi-function RFID/TPMS tyre inspection tool into the market. Developed by its subsidiary Translogik and following consultation with potential customers, the iProbe provides wireless measurement of tread depth, tyre temperature and tyre pressure combined with integrated RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag and TPMS (Temperature Pressure Monitoring System) sensor reading capabilities.

4th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Van-motorhome sector well catered for by Michelin Agilis range

Michelin produces an extensive selection of van tyres catering for the latest generation of vans and motorhomes. These include the updated Agilis range, which when originally launched was the first range of tyres designed specifically for vans.

3rd May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Team programmer to unicycle for Cancer Research

Rob Northcott, head programmer at Team Systems, will be competing in the Dartmoor Cycle 2011 event on 22 May in support of Cancer Research UK. The event is organised by the Firefighters Fighting Cancer campaign and Northcott will be taking part in support of his colleague Matt Bateman, customer support manager at Team who is seriously ill with Hodgkins Lymphona in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth and is currently receiving chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

20th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone alters senior management responsibilities

Bridgestone has announced the approval by its board of directors of three vice presidents’ changes of position and responsibilities. Yoshiyuki Morimoto is now responsible solely for products development in his senior officer role, with Tatsuro Hamada taking over responsibility for tyre research and material development. Hamada’s previous position as internal manufacturing management officer has been transferred to Masahito Tsuji, who has added this responsibility to his role as procurement officer.

19th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Transport secretary hinting at MOT changes, associations hit back

There are signs that the government is moving closer to changing MOT frequency, despite the protests of industry experts and associations. Announcing a consultation on the proposed meaures, Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, said: “Car technology has come a long way since the 1960s, that’s why we think its right to look again to check whether we still have the right balance of MOT testing for modern vehicles. We want to work with the industry and motorists to get the decision absolutely right.”

15th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin top in J.D. Power US satisfaction survey

The latest J.D. Power and Associates survey in the United States has revealed a growing level of tyre satisfaction amongst owners of domestic and European vehicles. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, released on April 11, levels of tyre satisfaction amongst owners of US-produced vehicles increased to 682 on a 1,000-point scale, up from 659 in 2009. Similarly, tyre satisfaction among owners of European vehicles has increased to 698 in 2011 from 689 in 2009. Tyre satisfaction for owners of Asian vehicles, however, has remained flat, declining just one point between 2009 and 2011 to its current level of 637. Tyre satisfaction amongst owners of Asian nameplate vehicles, J.D. Power notes, is well below average in all segments except for the luxury segment.

13th April 2011/by Tyrepress Editors