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Toyo Tires has announced its support of the British Army Motorsport Association (BAMA) through the supply of discount tyres to Army racers throughout the season. Toyo will also provide prizes for successful competitors and set-up advice.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has officially opened its new global headquarters. Goodyear chairman and CEO Richard J. Kramer, Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic spoke before leading a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the tyre company’s new offices.
Bridgestone Americas is to break ground on construction of its Biorubber Process Research Center on 16 May. The research and development project in Mesa, Arizona, will investigate the use of the guayule plant as an alternative natural rubber source. Natural rubber from guayule has almost identical qualities to that harvested from the hevea tree, which currently is the primary source for the natural rubber used in tyre production.
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co president Akira Nobuki has announced the completion of the company’s new tyre plant in Malaysia (TTM). Toyo is progressing towards a three-region global supply system as outlined in the company’s 2011 mid-term business plan, with factories in North America, Japan and Asia. Toyo’s Asia operations are in a process of expanded motorisation where further growth of demand is expected. Toyo is positioning Asia as a vital strategic market that will provide a boost to its business foundation.
Michelin introduced the latest version of its road crane tyre range, the X-Crane+, at Intermat in spring 2012, with the product available since last summer. The tyre provides users with three important advantages: increased longevity, operator comfort and safety, and easy mounting to maximise uptime. The previous generation crane tyre, named sans +, was described as the market standard setter, but the new tyre, available in the segment’s best-selling 445/95R25 size, extends these properties, according to the French giant.
US transportation body the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall on almost 12,000 tyres. What makes this recall stand out from the crowd is that the tyres in question were previously recalled – and then resold.
In a quarter punctuated by recovering domestic and US markets, a stagnant and unstable European economy, and slowing economic expansion in Asia, Bridgestone Corporation posted net sales of ¥794.5 billion (£5.2 billion) in the three months from 1 January to 31 March, a year-on-year increase of nine per cent. Operating income amounted to ¥74.4 billion (£483.6 million), 18 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2012, while operating margin rose 0.7 per cent year-on-year to 9.4 per cent. Ordinary income was up 14 per cent to ¥70.1 billion (£455.6 million), and net income rose two per cent to ¥43.1 billion (£280.1 million).
Last December, Thomson Reuters named Michelin and Goodyear Tire & Rubber two of its 100 most innovative organisations for 2012. Michelin reports receiving an award last week for this achievement; in sharing this news, the tyre maker states that the Thomson Reuters award is “significant for Michelin” as it focuses attention exclusively on companies that generate a “sizable amount of innovation.” – For example, only businesses that have accumulated 100 or more patents in the past three years are qualified for consideration.
The heads of rival US retreading associations, the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) and the Retread Tire Association (RTA), will both make an appearance at the China International Rubber Tire & Auto Accessory Exhibition (ChinaGRTAE 2013).
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Carl Casalbore has been appointed president of BKT Tires USA, effective 6 May. He replaces Rami Bitran. He is based at the company’s US headquarters in Akron, Ohio and joins BKT from Zafco/ZTI Tires, where he served as vice-president of sales. Casalbore has worked in the tyre industry for more than 30 years and also has sales executive posts with Armstrong Tire, Pirelli Tire North America, Cooper Tire & Rubber and Continental Tire the Americas.
Tom Masuguchi has been promoted to Yokohama Tire Corporation’s senior vice-president, chief strategy officer and deputy chief financial officer. The former vice-president and chief accounting officer began in these new positions on 1 May.
Although admitting that difficulties were encountered in the first quarter of 2013, Continental says it “held its ground” during this period and has confirmed its guidance for the full year.
Cordenka celebrated 75 tyre cord manufacturing on 25 April 2013. The company’s Obernburg location has been producing technical viscose yarn under the Cordenka name since 1938. And for the seven and half decades since then its products have been used as reinforcing material for tyres and other technical rubber goods.
During April’s Auto Shanghai show, Yokohama Rubber held a ceremony to mark its strong performance in the "2012 China Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Index Study" carried out by the research firm J. D. Power Asia Pacific. The study, which was released in November 2012, placed Yokohama on top of the 19 original equipment tyre brands tested in terms of overall customer satisfaction. At the ceremony in Shanghai, Geoff Broderick, vice-president and general manager of J. D. Power and Associates Asia-Pacific, presented a plaque to Koichi Tanaka, chairman and president of Yokohama Rubber (China) Co., Ltd.
Following the announcement of Pirell’s 2013 Supplier Awards on 10 April, Tyres & Accessories spoke with Luigi Staccoli, Pirelli’s chief purchasing officer (CPO), to find out more what makes a good supplier.
First, Luigi Staccoli offered his appraisal of the awards event itself: “It was a very successful presentation of the awards with an event demonstrating the performance of Pirelli products running in parallel.” The parallel event is said to have offered representatives of the winning suppliers the opportunity to drive some of the most exciting vehicles available such as the Ferrari California and Lamborghini Galliardo on a test track near Milan.
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