Team Falken completed the ALMS season-ending Petit Le Mans on a high note, taking first place in the GT class. Falken’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, prepared by team manager Derrick Walker, was driven by Porsche Works and Falken team driver Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers were again joined by co-driver Nick Tandy, who previously ran with the duo at Sebring.
Erik Jonnaert has taken over as new Secretary General of the European automobile Manufacturers’ Association, following confirmation by the ACEA Board of Directors in September.
Former Bridgestone Americas CEO Mark Emkes is retiring from his current role as commissioner of the Department of Finance and Administration in the state of Tennessee, reports US trade publication Tire Review. Emkes was selected for the role following an election held in 2010, and Tire Review shares that Emkes told a local newspaper that he now has “absolutely no political aspirations.” He will finish as commissioner on 31 May.
According to a statement released by Bridgestone Corporation on 18 February, the Bridgestone Technical Center Europe is soon to receive a new managing director. The tyre maker reports that Yutaka Yamaguchi will take on this role, which is currently held by Bridgestone Europe CEO and president Franco Annunziato, on 26 March.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Europe Ltd says “difficult market conditions in Europe” are behind the recently-announced redundancies at its Melksham site. The tyre maker has confirmed some 50 redundancies in the plant’s manufacturing operations area.
Jorge Lorenzo dominated the field on his Yamaha Factory Racing M1 in a wet French MotoGP to claim his second win of the season, ten seconds ahead of Ducati’s Valentino Rossi, moving him to the top of the Championship standings ahead of third-placed Casey Stoner. All the riders chose to use Bridgestone’s soft wet tyres on front and rear on a cool, sodden track, increasing warm-up performance and initial grip. Bridgestone said the reduced standing water as the race went on resulted in very little degradation, since the majority of riders setting their personal best times in the latter stages of the race.
After 42 successful years in the tyre industry, Alan Jackson, managing director of Grouptyre member We Sell Tyres (Wholesale), has announced his retirement. Jackson’s successor will be Andy Zelos, who will take over as wholesale director from 1 January, 2012. Zelos has also joined the board of directors at Grouptyre. Jackson and Zelos have worked together for over twenty years, both at WS Tyremasters and subsequently at We Sell Tyres (Wholesale).
As of the middle of next year, GKN plc will have a new chairman. The company announced the appointment of Michael J. Turner, CBE to replace Roy Brown, who intends to retire at the close of the GKN annual general meeting on 3 May 2012.
A 13th member has been appointed to Goodyear Tire & Rubber’s Board of Directors. This newest member is William J. Conaty, retired senior vice president of human resources for the General Electric Company.
Matthias Schönberg, who has served as chief executive officer of Continental Tire the Americas since October 2006, is soon to leave the company’s American operation to assume management of the ContiTech Fluid Technology business unit on July 1. Schönberg will take over this Germany-based position from incumbent Hannes Friederichsen, who as of October 1 will take on management of the Air Spring Systems business unit; current manager Dr. Thomas Johannsen, who is credited for transforming the Air Spring Systems business unit from an air spring manufacturer located in Hanover, Germany into an international supplier of air spring systems with plants in six countries, has announced his impeding retirement. Mr. Schönberg's replacement has yet to be named.
The upcoming retirement of Trelleborg Group CFO Bo Jacobsson created a vacancy that has now been filled by newcomer to the company, Carolina Dybeck Happe. The 38 year old former CFO of Swedish firm Assa Abloy’s EMEA region will take over the role on April 26; to ensure a smooth transition Jacobsson will remain with Trelleborg until retiring in June.
Mark Emkes, who in February retired as president and CEO of Bridgestone Americas, has taken on a role with the Tennessee state government. Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Haslam has appointed Emkes to the role of commissioner of finance and administration. In this position Emkes will play a key role in shaping a US$1 billion reduction in state spending when federal stimulus money runs out next year.
Staff at Cooper Tire & Rubber’s plant in Melksham went on a no overtime strike last week to protest changes to working conditions at the facility, reports Tire Review. It is believes that 500 workers there – members of the Unite union – have refused to take any overtime in a dispute over benefit changes, which include a cut in paid holidays, capping sick days, elimination of a late Saturday shift, and an increase in the mandatory retirement age, as well as overtime that has been forced by staff reductions at the plant.
V. Narayanan, former chairman of Goodyear India, died September 14 at his home in Chennai. He was 91.
Hoosier Tire has announced the July 16 retirement of Don Newton, a 36 year veteran of the company. The US based race tyre manufacturer says Newton took early retirement in order to spend more time with his family, and notes that during his career at Hoosier Tire Don Newton oversaw the substantial expansion of the company’s manufacturing operations. His job responsibilities will be re-assigned to John DeSalle, who will assume the new position of vice president of Engineering and Manufacturing and to Craig Benninghoff, who will assume the new position of vice president of Operations.
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