Barbara Klaus, an Austrian driving a New Holland tractor mounted with Mitas tyres, recently won the conventional ploughing world championship held in Olds, Alberta (Canada). Her teammate Margareta Heigl won the silver in reversible ploughing driving a Steyr tractor. John Whelan of Ireland won the reversible ploughing category.
Carlisle Companies, parent of Carlisle Transportation Products, says it will investigate “strategic alternatives” for its tyre and wheel subsidiary following quarter results punctuated by poor sales for the business unit.
Although India’s Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association recently expressed a measure of dissatisfaction about the domestic rubber situation, member company MRF Ltd’s latest quarter results show profits that have been helped by the commodity. In the three months between 1 April and 30 June (the third quarter of MRF’s financial year), the tyre maker’s net profit leapt 57.2 per cent to Rs 2.27 billion (£25.0 million).
Ongoing concerns over the availability of natural rubber have prompted India’s tyre makers to cast an envious eye on supplies from outside the country. Now the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), the organisation representing ten of India’s tyre manufacturers, has handed the country’s Commerce Minister a statement saying the tyre industry will more strongly rely on rubber imports.
Pirelli’s Board of Directors will now meet to review results for the six months ended 30 June on 5 August 2013, instead of on 29 July as previously announced. Other planned dates remain the same; Pirelli will present its new 2013-2017 Industrial Plan to the financial community on 6 November 2013, after the approval of results for the nine months ending 30 September 2013, scheduled for 5 November, as previously announced.
Daisy Tires, Zeetex’s Italian distributor cut the ribbon at the launch of the brand’s latest tyre during Autopromotec in May. The new ICE 1000 studless winter passenger car tyre will be available in sizes ranging from 14 to 17 inches and is said to be part of a new generation of products which are set to replace the S-100 line over the next few years. The ICE 2000C is a winter commercial tyre with zigzag sipes. According to the company, the tyre offers “remarkable handling and enhanced stability on slush and snow surfaces”. This tyre is available in 15 and 16 inches with high end load ranges.
As a manufacturer of inflatable products, it could be considered rather apt that the world’s largest tyre-maker should use compressed air to its advantage in its promotional activities. Two new eight metre radius displays, utilised so far at Donington Circuit, the Yorkshire Show, Props and Pistons and the CLA Game Fair, are helping Bridgestone to increase its impact at outdoor events in 2013.
Seoul-based Korea IT Times reports that Hankook Tire’s holding company, Hankook Tire Worldwide, will increase its capital by issuing capital stock for noncash assets. This is being done in order to make Hankook Tire its subsidiary, the ICT journal explains. Through the capital increase, Hankook Tire chairman Cho Yang-Rai and his family will be able to strengthen their control over the company by doubling their stake in the holding company.
The 1980s may have enjoyed a fashion and pop revival but cars from that decade are some of the most endangered cars on British roads today. New research into the top British family cars by consumer motoring champion HonestJohn.co.uk reveals that many of UK's once-popular family cars are on the verge of disappearing completely.
According to a recently published consolidated financial summary for Cheng Shin Rubber, the Taiwanese tyre maker’s net sales and profits are expected to steadily climb over the next couple of years.
In the first quarter of 2013, Nexen Tire Corporation achieved net sales of KRW 432.9 (£252.5 million), the Korean tyre maker reports. Almost 85 per cent of sales were generated in the aftermarket, with North America by far the company’s largest single geographic region; North American sales declined 13.0 per cent year-on-year to KRW 106.6 billion (£62.2 million). Sales in Europe, Nexen’s second largest market, grew 19.2 per cent year-on-year to KRW 87.2 billion (£50.9 million), and domestic market sales increased 14.4 per cent over the first quarter of 2012 to KRW 56.4 million (£32.9 million). Sales in China, at KRW 8.8 billion (£5.1 million), were 11.0 per cent down on a year earlier and other region sales increased 10.4 per cent year-on-year to KRW 112.1 billion (£65.4 million). Original equipment sales accounted for 15.6 per cent of Nexen’s total and grew 21.5 per cent year-on-year to KRW 68.6 billion (£40.0 million).
In its interim report covering January – March 2013, Sweden’s Trelleborg “noted a strong first quarter despite weaker market conditions”, or in other words, its figures are down on a year earlier but show a respectable performance given the current market. The company anticipates its performance in the second quarter will be on a par with the first quarter.
Goodyear Dunlop’s dedicated truck tyre service provider, TruckForce has expanded its vehicle tracking system with the UK and Ireland’s largest telematics provider Ctrack, covering its entire fleet. The company says the deal will improve its operating efficiency, enhancing customer service.
In response to questioning about low plant utilisation in Europe, Michelin CFO Marc Henry told participants in the company’s Q1 2013 earnings call that the tyre maker will consider its options in the coming months. Michelin's European passenger car plants are currently running at 75 to 80 per cent of capacity and its truck plants at 65 to 70 per cent, he shared.
Infinity Tyres has confirmed its participation at this year’s Autopromotec in Bologna, where it plans to stage the official launch of its Ecopioneer, Enviro, and Ecovantage tyres. All three tyres, which have fitments for small city cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles respectively were previewed previously at Pneu Expo in Lyon and Madrid’s Motortec Automechanika Ibérica. They will come to market in summer 2013.
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