Tyres can’t function without this critical raw material. Whether its natural or synthetic rubber you are interested in, articles bearing this tag feature this indispensable polymer.
Yokohama has announced that it has developed the “ADVAN AC Y-255,” radial aircraft tyre. The company began delivering the products for use on Boeing 777-200 and 777-300 aeroplanes in March. The products are sized 50×20.0R22 (26PR and 32PR).
Investors have ploughed hundreds of millions of euros into the Russian tyre industry in recent years, of which the largest part has been invested in machinery and equipment. Market leader Harburg-Freudenberger from Hamburg in Germany has been operating its own distribution subsidiary in Moscow since earlier this year. This is responsible for the co-ordination of all activities on the growing Russian tyre market. In particular it is the high performance PC tyre sector where machinery and equipment suppliers see a lack of sophistication on the part of the domestic manufacturers.
“Harburg-Freudenberger was able to preserve its contacts” during the breakdown of the Soviet Union, explains sales director Jens Ritter in an interview with Tyres & Accessories. The traditional German company, which was listed until last year as ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik, had good contact with Russian tyre manufacturers and the central Muscovite research institute for the tyre industry decades ago.
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. will announce its first quarter 2006 financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, May 3, the company said.
(Akron/Tire Review) Dr. Patrick King, global electronics strategist at Michelin Americas Research and Development Corp. (MARC), has been awarded the 2006 Don Percival Award by AIM Global, an association for automatic identification and mobility and SCAN: the Data Capture Report, a newsletter targeting the automatic data capture market.
The Don Percival Award “acknowledges outstanding contributions to the advancement of automatic identification and mobility solutions,” according to AIM Global, and was presented to King in recognition of his work in developing and standardizing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for tyres.
(Akron/Tire Review) Effective 1 June Yokohama Tire Corp. will increase prices for its passenger, light truck, medium truck radial and “some” OTR tyres by up to 7 per cent.
A 5-7 per cent increase will go into effect for medium truck radial tyres, light truck commercial tyres, earthmover and mining tyres, as well as Mohawk and private brands, according to Yokohama. There will also be in-line adjustments on select sizes and treads, the tyremaker added.
Well-known Dutch wholesaler Inter-Sprint is to jointly market and distribute Double Coin truck tyres across Europe. Tyres & Accessories has learnt that Double Coin manufacturer Shanghai Tire and Rubber Company is to open a European subsidiary called “CMA Europe.” CMA and Inter-Sprint will share marketing duties while the Dutch company will be responsible for distribution. The European agreement does not include the UK or Ireland where Double Coin truck tyres are distributed by Kirkby Tyres.
In the past three years Goodyear has improved its position amongst the growing number of importers supplying tyres to the Russian market, not to mention the replacement market itself. In 2002 the American manufacturer exported some 960,000 Goodyear, Dunlop, Fulda and Sava branded tyres to Russia. According to the Discovery Research Group based in Moscow, this has already grown to 1.39 million units. At the same time Goodyear’s share of the total number of tyres imported into Russia has increased from 12 per cent in 2002 to 17 per cent now, based on a total import market of 8.2 million units each year.
Tickets for the Motown-themed Rubber Industry Dinner are now on sale. The event (29 September 2006, Marriott Renaissance Hotel, Solihull) will includes the thrill of casino tables, live entertainment and a special performance by the ‘Secret Service’. In addition there will also be raffle prizes including a weekend for two in New York, dinner for two in a Michelin starred restaurant, weekend for two at a luxurious Devon retreat and a night “Putting on the Ritz”. Awards will also be presented for contributions to the rubber, tyre and recycling industries. Contact Christine Joyce at the BTMA for more information.
Staff from three First Stop dealerships have been treated to a VIP tour of one of Bridgestone’s major tyre manufacturing plants in France as part of a campaign to further increase knowledge within the network.
Representatives from Airway Tyres in Colchester, and the Lodge Tyres depots in both Walsall and Talke, near Stoke, were given a guided tour of the factory in Béthune, northern France. They received an in-depth insight into the whole tyre manufacturing process, from the combination of natural and synthetic rubber all the way through to the detailed and thorough quality control of the final product.
The Yokohama Rubber Co, Ltd, has announced that it established Suzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd. earlier this month in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. Beginning October 2007, the new company will manufacture and sell steel radial truck and bus (TB) tyres. The company invested US$81 million in the facility and expects to produces 350,000 tyres. Up till now Yokohama has exported Japanese produced replacement tyres into the Chinese market.
Cooper Tire & Rubber’s passenger replacement tyre volumes declined 4.3 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2006, Deutsche Bank analysts have reported. While this was slightly better than the market watchers feared, raw materials rose by more than expected, ruling out any advantages. Even the $4.3 million Cooper is believed to have gained as a dividend from its shares in Kumho was not enough to offset the higher raw material costs.
(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone Corp. founder Shojiro Ishibashi is among seven individuals selected for induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame on 3 October. Joining Ishibashi in the class of 2006 are vehicle designer Nuccio Bertone, race driver Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR chief Bill France Jr., AutoNation founder Wayne Huizenga, former Ford president Arjay Miller and designer Bruno Sacco.
(Akron/Tire Review) Just as suddenly as it came up, One Equity Partners has ended its quest to acquire Titan International Inc. One Equity Partners made an $18 per share offer last October, a move opposed by one of Titan’s largest shareholders but support by the company’s board.
Continental’s decision to launch the third variation of its popular SportContact reflects the increasing importance of high performance products in its portfolio. And when you consider that Continental experts predict that 16 per cent of the replacement market will be made up of WYZ products by 2009, you can see why.
Continental has developed the new ContiSportContact 3 with the car manufacturers and drivers of sporty vehicles in mind. Consequently, shorter braking distances, enhanced handling characteristics and improved driving safety on wet roads are said to be the new tyre’s main benefits. The Continental range also includes a different tread pattern option both for high-powered rear wheel drive cars and for customising requirements. The ContiSportContact 3 is available now.
(Akron/Tire Review) Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. has a new address for its corporate headquarters. The tyremaker moved to a bigger building not far from its previous headquarters in Findlay, Ohio. The new address is 16380 E. U.S. Route 224, Suite 200, Findlay, OH 45840. Hercules’ phone and fax numbers – 419-425-6400 and 419-425-6403 (FAX) – will not change.
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.
