Retreading
Abilene, Texas officials have approved a measure that will provide money to aid the planned expansion of a Bridgestone Americas retread plant in the city, reports Tire Review. The Development Corporation of Abilene approved $315,300 for the Bridgestone Bandag plant, which will be paid over three years to expand facilities, creating 11 new full-time jobs. The plant employs 130 full-time workers.
Harmonic Energy Inc. has identified Italmatic as the preferred tyre manufacturing equipment supplier for all of its facilities. The company reports that it came to this decision after reviewing the top equipment suppliers for tyre manufacturing. Harmonic has identified Italmatic Tyre, which is based in Italy, as the premier choice for highest quality and safety for production of what it calls re-new automotive tyres.
Bridgestone Taiwan has announced the establishment of its first Bandag retreading facility in the country. The new truck and bus radial retreading plant in the city of Taichung was officially opened on 15 February. According to an article published by the China Economic News Service the facility has been set up with an investment of NT$110 million (£2.3 million).
It’s now more than two years since the Kal Tire Mining Tire Group acquired a majority shareholding in Derbyshire-based OTR Tyres, and the company says retreading at its Alfreton facility shows that despite increasing raw material costs and a major shortage of good, retreadable casings, demand for a quality product still exists. In the past 12 months Kal Tire’s UK retreading plant utilised in excess of 1.3 million pounds (590,000 kilogrammes) of rubber compound in the retreading of more than 3,000 off-road tyres.
A recently published report by TechSci Research suggests that the Brazilian replacement tyre market will grow as the country’s increasing prosperity encourages drivers away from retreaded tyres. Karan Chechi, research director with TechSci Research argues: “The Brazilian tyre market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 13 per cent for the next five years. It is forecast that its replacement tyre market will grow at a much faster pace than anticipated earlier due to the increasing number of automobiles on Brazilian roads, [which is expected] to reach 63 Million units by 2016.”
The Retread Tire Association has announced the launch of its new website, retreadtire.org. RTA's managing director, Harvey Brodsky says the site is a work in progress: “Our site will never be 'done' because we will be updating and adding to it on a regular basis.”
As of the second quarter of this year Continental will assume responsibility for the marketing of its ContiTread precure treads. Previously Italy’s Marangoni group didn’t just produce these treads for the German manufacturer, it was also in charge of marketing the brand in Europe. “We successfully introduced ContiTread precure treads into the European market in 2008 through a licensing agreement with Marangoni. As of April 2012 we will begin marketing ContiTread directly through our own marketing organisation,” explained Christian Sass, director Retread Business Commercial Vehicles Tires (CVT) Continental.
Retreading specialist and fleet service provider Bandvulc recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. The Devon-based company marked the occasion at a recent end of year review. “With much subterfuge, code words and red herrings, members of staff managed to prepare a commemorative photobook, arrange a surprise gift and compile a 45 minute presentation to celebrate the occasion,” Bandvulc shares. During the proceedings commercial director Philip West delivered a light-hearted overview of the past four decades and secretly contributed messages of congratulations and best wishes from numerous customers and suppliers were shared with the O’Connell family, along with several mementoes.
The Dunlop MultiTread mould cure premium retreaded commercial vehicle tyre range is being extended. The new products come in six sizes covering long and regional haul as well as municipal applications.
For long and regional haul applications, the MT SP344 all-position tyre and the MT SP244 trailer tyre are being added to the range, to complement the MT SP444 drive tyres, which are now supplemented with two 60-series sizes. For applications such as buses and other municipal vehicles including garbage trucks and road sweepers, the MT SP372 City all-position tyre and the MT SP472 City drive tyre are being introduced.
Malaysian retreading specialist Goodway Rubber Industries is drawing its five product brands together under a new housemark, GIIB. Pronounced ‘gheeb’, this new ‘umbrella’ brand name is intended to represent a new phase in Goodway’s growth and business direction; the company says the GIIB name unifies the brands and presents customers with a more dynamic message.
Retreading specialist Kraiburg Austria has appointed Thorsten Schmidt as sole managing director responsible for production in Geretsberg, effective January 2012. His previous colleague in this management responsibility, Dr. Andreas Starnecker, now holds a new position in Kraiburg Holding.
Following the news of changes within the top management, Kraiburg’s new product manager, Helmut Schmitt, gave his support to the company’s new managing director. The 45-year-old – who joined Kraiburg in Geretsberg at the end of last year – has been working in the tyre industry for 13 years. His experience includes time as regional sales manager truck tyres at Michelin. After that he built up Germany-wide sales and product management for new truck tyres at Hankook. Schmitt’s remit is to look after further development of the tread programme at the retreading specialist.
Ian Harris, 27, has joined The Bandvulc Group the UK’s leading independent retread tyre manufacturer. He joins from a local company having gained previous commercial B2B skills in a different market.
Commenting on his appointment Harris commented: “I am delighted to have joined Bandvulc. My family has had an association with the company as my father worked here for 25 years. The role is exciting as it involves all aspects of the commercial activity which is a much wider role than I had previously.”
Brazilian retreader, Vipal’s mobile training unit helped to qualify 909 industry professionals in 2011, travelling nearly 23,700km across Brazil. In the last five years, the Carreta-Escola, as the mobile unit is called, has conducted 553 training sessions, delivered to 7,006 people across Brazil, with the number of participating companies reaching 334. Vipal expects to train about 1,050 people in 2012.
Bridgestone Europe is to roll out a new round of price increases for retread materials across Europe during the first quarter of 2012. Starting on 1 March and varying from country to country, price increases will average 10 per cent for Bridgestone and Bandag pre-cure tread products and 8 per cent for Bandag cushion gum products.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
