Russia
Cooper Tire has shared details of the sales office it has set up in Moscow. Alex Kolkov heads the office as sales manager; he joined Cooper Tire after serving in leadership positions at multinational companies with sales and production facilities in Russia, including Paulig Rus LLC and Sappi.
Edward Freedman, the football branding guru who headed up merchandising at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur FC in the late 1980s and 1990s, has questioned the effectiveness of sponsorship from companies such as tyre manufacturers.
The Zeetex tyre brand launched a new website on Thursday 12 September 2013. According to the company, the site has been “aesthetically upgraded, is user friendly and boasts of enhanced functionality and dynamic tools”. The goal appears to have been to create a “visually appealing, polished and professional website – which also offers region-specific capabilities.”
The United Kingdom is Cooper Tire’s strongest European market. The company holds a 7 to 7.5 per cent of the consumer market here, thanks largely to healthy 4×4 tyre sales. Market share on the other side of the English Channel and in the PCR segment is more modest, however, and Jeff Schumacher would like to see this change. Schumacher, who took on the role of Cooper Tire Europe’s managing director and vice-president at the start of this year, aims to increase combined market share for all Cooper brands to five per cent across Europe. To achieve this, the company has opened a new branch office in Russia, is increasing market penetration in France and Germany and signing on new brand ambassadors. Furthermore, in September Cooper unveiled a new range-topping passenger car tyre, the Zeon CS Sport.
Sailun says the last three years have seen it establish a stronger truck tyre presence in Europe, from what it describes as “a relatively very low” base. The company states that its approach has been through research and development, epitomised by the creation and growth of a 400-strong Technical Quality and Research Centre at its company-owned manufacturing plant in Qingdao.
Triangle Tire representatives have denied online reports that the company is planning to invest in a Russian tyre production facility any time soon. Following online reports which surfaced in August, Tyres & Accessories contacted the company and its UK importer TYM International. According to TYM managing director Steve Eke, there were talks with Russian government officials along these lines last year, but at the start of 2013 the decision was taken not to follow these through any further.
Various news sources are reporting that leading Chinese domestic tyre manufacturer Triangle Tire is taking its international operations to the next level with the investment of some 250 million euros in a new tyre factory in the Western Russian Republic of Bashkortostan. The unconfirmed reports suggest that the new plant will be built in one of two areas near Sterlitamak and that the government is offering Triangle a subsidy that will save the company as much as 10 years’ property tax.
Taiwan’s Federal Tyre has become the latest tyre manufacturer to sign a sponsorship agreement with Manchester United FC. The three-year agreement, making Federal United’s Official Tyre Partner in Russia and Taiwan was launched at the Interauto Show in Moscow, led by Federal CEO, Jamie Ma.
Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) has announced it is sponsoring three teams during the 2013 NFL season – the New England Patriots, the Chicago Bears and, for the first time, the Indianapolis Colts. YTC’s affiliation with the Bears is in its second year and in its third with the Patriots.
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., is participating in InterAuto 2013, Russia's 9th international exhibition of automotive industry, which is being held in Moscow between 28 – 31 August. According to the company, the Yokohama exhibit will feature the firm’s three core tyre ranges – the high performance Advan line, the environmentally friendly BluEarth line, and the winter-safe "iceGUARD" line. The tyre maker is also displaying tyres for trucks and buses as well as aluminium wheels.
Bridgestone is sponsoring Warwick resident Anna Turney’s bid to become a paralympian, after she enquired about a set of winter tyres. The leading manufacturer agreed to sponsor Turney’s preparations to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Russia next year, where she hopes to represent Great Britain in a number of Alpine Skiing events. She said the partnership would make a huge difference to her chances, with funding going towards an intensive training programme in the run-up to the games in March.
Pirelli will gain a controlling share of the Kirov and Voronezh tyre factories in Russia by increasing its stake in the joint venture it operates with Russian corporation Rostec and financial group GHP. The tyre maker will repurchase from GHP 15 per cent of shares from the package that used to belong to Fleming Family & Partners, thus increasing its share to 65 per cent.
Starco reports that its Russia-based business, Starco Eastern Group, has moved into new and larger facilities in St. Petersburg. The operation’s new central warehouse has been established on a greenfield site within ten minutes drive from the St. Petersburg ring road; Starco says the move has brought its supply chain closer to its customers, and the new warehouse will simplify compliance with import procedures.
Cooper Tire Europe is demonstrating its increasing interest in the Russian market by attending the Moscow International Motor Show with what it calls an “extensive range of high-performance, winter and 4×4” tyre products. The Moscow Motor Show runs from 26 – 29 August.
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Nokian sales and profits are down 5.7 and 18.4 per cent respectively for the first half of 2013, the company has reported. However the second quarter has been increasingly strong for the company, with net sales totalling 419.1 million euros 1.3 per cent up on the second quarter of 2012. President and CEO Kim Gran said that the company had been strong in the Nordic countries and Russia particularly during this period, and Nokian expects growing winter tyre demand – playing to the company’s strengths – in these countries and in central Europe during the rest of the year.
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