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.
Senior management at Hangzhou Zhongce have responded to a Bangkok Post article that suggests its joint venture plans with Thailand’s Thai Hua Rubber have been placed on hold. Tyres & Accessories was told that management has “no idea” why its Thai partner claims Hangzhou Zhongce is postponing its joint venture tyre factory plan due to “concerns about the uncertain outlook in Europe.”
Westlake Tyres has appointed Axle Group Holdings Ltd – which owns both the retailer National Tyres and Autocare and wholesale Viking International – as sole distributor of its passenger tyre range in the UK. Eskay Tyres, part of the Al Dobowi Group, which brings the Westlake brand to Europe from its Chinese manufacturer Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber, said the Axle Group’s success and current growth, was “one of the reasons” it became interested in working with them. Viking has significantly increased stocks and same day delivery capability, while the retail division, National Tyres and Autocare, has recently added 20 new branches to the network this year, now totalling 240 sites.
Last week, Pirelli opened its very first Pirelli Corsa Venezia retail fashion shop. The 4 million euro store, located in Milan’s fashion district, is the final extension of the tyre maker’s “P Zero Project,” which began in 2002 with small line of shoes and apparel sold through third parties.
In their daily automotive sector report, analysts at Deutsche Bank observe that while most tyre companies budget a natural rubber price of US$5.00 per kilogram for 2011, the current price for the commodity is, at $4.20 per kilogram, 15 per cent below this planned-for figure. As natural rubber purchasing costs account for between 13 and 18 per cent of sales, they posit that recent declines in the price of natural rubber could “have a meaningful impact” on next year’s tyre maker earnings, assuming – the analysts add, that the industry retains similar discipline to that it has demonstrated in the last few years.
According to unconfirmed news published by the Bangkok Post, concerns about an “uncertain outlook” in Europe may have prompted a postponement of the planned joint venture between China’s Hangzhou Zhongce and Thailand’s Thai Hua Rubber. In its September 26 article, ‘Chinese-Thai venture on hold’, the newspaper reports Thai Hua CEO Luckchai Kittipol as saying investment in the joint venture has been suspended as Hangzhou Zhongce wishes to monitor European economic conditions.
A large blaze that broke out in a warehouse at Neolay Ltd’s tyre recycling plant in Croydon on September 22 is said to have badly damaged the building, however no injuries have been reported and the company states it remains “business as usual” for most of its product lines. London Fire Brigade remained at the scene for most of the day after dispatching at least six fire engines, 30 firefighters and an aerial appliance.
Avon Tyres’ niche CR500 product has helped long-time partner Caterham Cars and stunt driver Terry Grant set a new Guinness World Record for the number of donuts completed in one go, spinning a 150bhp Caterham Roadsport consecutively 566 times. Having seen his own previous record of 161 donuts beaten on Sunday, 4 September by one of Caterham’s rival sportscar manufacturers at 283, Grant was determined to reclaim his place at the top of the Guinness World Record table.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, who as born in Ripley, New York in 1841 and died in 1881, was a pioneering figure in the United States tyre industry. When his business idea of producing rubber products failed to enthuse, in 1870 he established his own Akron, Ohio-based firm – which later became famous as B.F. Goodrich. The company introduced the first US-made mass produced tyre in 1896, the first tubeless tyre into North America in 1946 and the first radial there in 1965. In 1977, B.F. Goodrich delivered tyres for the first prototype Space Shuttle.
Murfitt Industries Ltd is understandably pleased Cambridge Crown Court chose not to proceed further with charges against the company related to a 2009 fire, yet some residents living near the tyre recycler have voiced their dissatisfaction with the court’s decision. Cambridgeshire-based publication Ely Weekly News reports that “residents whose lives were ‘devastated’ when a huge blaze broke out near their homes are furious after a court case collapsed.”
At its most recent “Rubber Day”, held today in Germany, specialty chemicals company Lanxess reported it expects – and is well equipped for – a labelling-related boost in demand for high performance rubber. Speaking at the event, company Board of Management chairman Axel C. Heitmann said “in order to meet the new legislation and the expected customer demand, our high-tech materials are essential. As the world’s largest partner for the tyre industry, we have adapted to the trend on time. We have made the right strategic investment decisions and have strengthened our capacities.”
Starting today, Twitter users can keep up to date on the latest happenings at Yokohama Rubber. The Japanese company announced the opening of its official English language Twitter account on September 20 and said it will use it to “disseminate information on its various business activities globally.”
Hankook Tire Canada is supplying Canadian Tire – Canada’s largest retailer – with an exclusive Hankook-brand “all-weather” tyre. The Hankook Optimo 4S, which carries the mountain/snowflake symbol that the Rubber Association of Canada and its US counterpart, the RMA, assigns to approved winter tyres, will be available only at Canadian Tire locations across Canada.
As part of its service provision that to farm tyre customers, Goodyear has put together some top tips for storing your harvester for the winter. Phil Stanton, Goodyear’s Farm Manager said: “It is important for farmers to store their harvesters in a good, sheltered place for the winter. Ensuring that a harvester remains lubricated and internally dry can mean there is less time wasted in the new year and a smaller risk of problems developing through the cold season.”
Analysts believe that China’s tyre industry will face a severe test in the second half of this year. According to the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) statistics, in the first six months of 2011 member companies’ tyre production totalled 128 million units, of which 107 million were radial tyres. This represents year-on-year growth of 1.6 […]
You get what you pay for. That’s the clear message Continental was communicating to fleets, safety associations and the trade at a series of Continental experience days the company has been running at MIRA this year. The firm also ran presentations and demonstrations on the benefits of greater tread depth, winter tyre usage, OE development and the evolution of its on ContiSportContact range.
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