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Nizhnekamskshina to Commission 1.2 million Tyre All-Steel Radial Plant

International News

Russian petrochemicals group OAO Tatneft (Kama and Niznekamshina’s parent company) said it is set to expand its tyre manufacturing capacity with the commissioning of a 1.2 million tyres a year all-steel truck and bus radial plant near its existing Niznekamshskina plant in Niznekamsk. The commissioning follows investment of around 17 billion rubles (£362 million; 388 million euros; US$578 million) in line with a plan first conceived in 2006. Increasing demand in this part of the Russian market is said to be behind the move, with Tatarstan truck manufacturer KamAZ Auto Manufacturer lined up as a customer.

According to Tatneft such large-scale construction of a factory from scratch is “really unique in today's Russia” and is part of a strategic investment programme scheduled to continue until 2013 – providing for the “further increase of the Kama-Euro type tyre production.” According to a company statement, Tatneft has implemented major investment projects in this field during the past few years, such as organizing the production of Kama-Euro passenger cars and light truck tyres using Pirelli technology and the construction of a new rubber-mixing complex.

The new plant, which Tatneft refers to as its “SSC Tire Factory” (SSS = Solid Steel Cord) reportedly allows the company to produce tyres which offer 8 per cent more weight capacity and “significantly reduce fuel consumption.” In addition, SSC tyres can reportedly be retreaded up to three times, thus extending potential life up to 500,000 kilometres, says Tatneft.

14th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Technical Tire Consulting: Performance has it Roots in the Process

TTC stands for Technical Tire Consulting, a team of specialists with many years’ experience in the field of tyre manufacturing and familiarity with the latest technologies. During their time in the business the consultants have been responsible for building world class manufacturing facilities, such as those producing drop centre tyres, and have knowledge of all aspects of the business at their fingertips.

28th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Retreading Special September 2009

This edition of the bi-lingual Tyres & Accessories/Neue Reifenzeitung Retreading Special supplement contains articles on: The completion of Kraiburg's first large scale OTR tyre retreading project in Russia; Treads Direct's European marketing strategy, Bandvulc's move to wholesale Fulda new truck tyres and much more.

24th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hundreds of Jobs in Danger at SRT’s Ekaterinburg Factory

International News

The website RusBusinessNews reports that Sibur-Russian Tyres will end the manufacture of non-military products at its Ekaterinburg Urals Tyre Plant Ltd. factory, resulting in the redundancy of two-thirds of its workforce. Demand for the cross-ply tyres produced by the factory is steadily falling, and despite considering investing in modernisation, Sibur-Russia opted not to do so has the equipment and construction work involved would have taken more than a decade to repay. The only product made by the Urals Tyre Plant still in demand is a roller for tanks.

24th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Morgan Stanley: Michelin August Sales Present Good and Bad News

Analyst reports on Michelin’s tyre sales for last month show both an improvement over Morgan Stanley’s previous predictions and the continued decline of truck tyre sales on July, albeit at a slower rate than in year-to-date figures, representing a bittersweet day for Bibendum. The analyst said that truck sales “were somewhat disappointing in mature markets,” though the figures were “on track to exceed our volume forecast for the quarter. Assuming stable share, we estimate Michelin volume in Aug declined approximately 9 per cent versus our forecast of a 12 per cent volume decline in third quarter.” Predictions in the report were also variable in optimism, since the analysts believe improving declines should “turn into outright growth” towards the end of the year. However, pricing discipline and profitability could be affected over the next two years throughout the industry, as depressed volumes and lower raw materials prices put both at risk.

23rd September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Walkout Planned at Nokian Tyres Facility

Workers at the Nokian Tyres factory in the company’s Finnish hometown are scheduled to stage a one-day walkout on September 23. According to Petri Sorvali, chief shop steward at the factory, the walkout will be held in protest against the company's restructuring programme.

22nd September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo Tires is Back on Track

When at the start of the year Japanese manufacturer Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. put the brakes on expenditure in response to the global economic and financial crisis, the package of measures implemented were received with a shock: layoffs, massive budget cutbacks, withdrawal from the Tokyo Motor Show, restrictions upon travel for management and so on. Later it became public knowledge that top managers voluntarily forewent their bonuses. Since that time a collective sigh of relief has been breathed that some of the restrictions didn’t turn out to be as severe as first anticipated, and for Toyo’s factories in particular the tide has turned. "Our plant utilisation in Japan is already approaching a hundred per cent," comments Tatsuo Mitsuhata (44), executive vice president Toyo Tire Europe. The company’s Japanese competitors are somewhat lagging in this respect and their recovery not occurring as quickly as Toyo’s.

28th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa Wheels Increase Tyre Life on Turkish Buses

Turkish bus company, HAS Turizm is claiming increased tyre life after switching to Alcoa forged wheels. The groundwork for the changeover was laid a couple of years ago after a visit from Alcoa’s Turkish distributor Otomotiv Lastikleri Tevzi AS (Oltas), who reportedly explained the benefits of Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. As a result, HAS decided to test the products themselves. “After several months, we realized that the buses, equipped with Alcoa wheels, use around 1 per cent less fuel compared to buses on steel wheels. Another advantage we discovered is the longer life time of the tyres. Today almost all of our vehicles operating in Turkey are equipped with Alcoa wheels. All new vehicles are specified on Alcoa wheels as well.”

25th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama to Begin Russian Tyre Production in 2011

Plans for Yokohama Rubber to set up a manufacturing presence in Russia took a further step forward on August 21 with the announcement that it has signed an agreement with Japan’s Itochu Corporation to establish a company manufacturing and selling tyres in Russia. Called YOKOHAMA R.P.Z. L.L.C, the new company is capitalised at 3.76 billion roubles (approximately £71.86 million), in which investment ratio is 80 per cent for Yokohama Rubber and 20 per cent for Itochu.

21st August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Nokian Anticipates ‘Market Headwinds’ to Continue

Sales at Nokian Tyres decreased 34.6 per cent to 346.7 million euros in the half year between January and June 2009, and operating profit went down along with it; the company reports a 86.4 per cent decline in operating profit to 17.5 million euros. Net income during the half-year amounted to just 346.7 million euros, supported by a more robust second quarter in which profits of 191.1 million euros were generated.

11th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Alcoa Supplying 20-Inch Wheel Blanks to Solomon Alsberg

Alcoa has extended the range of lightweight wheel forgings supplied to Russia’s Solomon Alsberg for its high-performance alloy wheel range. The American based company states that the aerospace-derived metallurgy used in its blanks allows Solomon Alsberg to create a wide range of ultra-stylish wheels that improve vehicle performance and dynamics while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

7th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Freezes China Investment

The changes that have occurred in global markets since last year have prompted Pirelli to mothball its planned US$100 million investment in China. In July 2008 the company announced it would invest this sum in China over a two-year period in order to double production capacity by 2011. Yet despite at 40 per cent year-on-year increase in sales within China during the first half of 2009, weak global demand has led to a rethink in Milan.

6th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Carbon Black Shortage Creating Headaches in India

The New Indian Express newspaper has reported a “severe crisis” looming over India’s tyre and tread rubber manufacturers. According to the newspaper, carbon black supplies are critically low and the four major Indian manufacturers of the substance lack the capacity to meet domestic market demand. This problem is compounded by allegations that India’s Ministry of Commerce is preventing the importation of carbon black to compensate for this shortfall.

A number of factories are said to have been idled as a result of this shortage, which The New Indian Express attributes to a Ministry of Commerce decision to restrict carbon black imports if the landed cost is less than RS 80 (£1.00) per kilogram, markedly more than the current Indian price.

24th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Says “Da” to Russian Language Guides

Russians wishing to spend their hard earned roubles abroad can now draw upon expert help when visiting Paris, thanks to the launch of Michelin’s first Russian-language guide. The Cyrillic version of the Michelin Paris Green Guide is one of a number of guides, maps and atlases now on sale in bookshops across Russia. Apart from the Paris Green Guide, the range on offer is at present solely available in English – however Michelin states it will release four further Russian-language Green Guides before the end of the year.

24th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Sibur Still Interested in All of Amtel-Vredestein

Sibur Russian-Tyres is still moving towards an acquisition of Amtel-Vredestein’s (A-V) bankrupt Russian operations, with all parts of the fractured business remaining under consideration. Sibur Russian-Tyres initiated this approach in late January 2009 stating its interest in buying $600 million of Amtel-Vredestein’s $800 million debt. However earlier news reports, also published by Kommersant, suggested other parties are also interested and may be attempting to take control of certain assets.

2nd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors