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Yinbao Group: 57-inch Bias Tyre Lasts 4000 Hours+

International News, Product News

Chinese OTR tyre manufacturer, Yinbao Group, has reported that its giant bias OTR tyres (4000-57) are achieving service lifetimes in excess of 4000 hours. Yinbao Group highlights one particularly example of a 4000-57 tyre the company shipped to South Africa last year and which is still in “good service” despite being in operation and exceeding 4000 hours to date. Another product (in size 45/65-45) has reportedly been in use for more than one year.

11th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Salil Gupta New Apollo Tyres CFO

Apollo Tyres’ announced expansion plans have been augmented by the appointment of a new chief financial officer. Mr. Salil Gupta, formerly group CFO at Dentsu India, will in his new role oversee the organisation’s finance, taxation and accounts functions – Apollo states that his primary objective is to contribute to the organisation’s financial health and stability, ensuring full compliance with statutory guidelines and the company’s corporate governance policies. His responsibilities also include an advisory role to the company’s legal and secretarial functions.

5th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Joint African Import Tax Causing Harm, Says Sameer

A shared tax threshold for imported products is hampering Sameer Africa’s efforts to expand, the Kenyan company claims. The manufacturer of the Yana brand of tyres says that the common external tariff protocol, agreed upon in 2005 by the East African Community Customs Union, has led to a flood of new and retreaded tyres from markets with lower production costs. This tax, applicable on new commercial vehicle tyres, currently stands at 10 per cent; previously tax rates between 25 and 35 per cent were employed to protect the viability of local manufacturers.

5th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Zimbabwe Voices its Commitment to the Home Market

Zimbabwe’s sole domestic tyre manufacturer, Dunlop Zimbabwe, states it remains committed to continuing local operations. The company, now 100 per cent owned by Apollo Tyres, has maintained a presence in the country for 45 years, and its CEO, Mr. Kennedy Mandevani, states it will be guided by “business rationale” and won’t close up shop in Zimbabwe for political reasons.

The Zimbabwe government owned Herald newspaper quotes Dunlop Zimbabwe as saying it will “not join the multinational companies’ crusade against doing business in Zimbabwe.” An article published on July 28 specifically points to UK and US influenced multinational companies, including Tesco and Barclays, as pressuring local subsidiaries to cease operating.

28th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Appoint New South African Marketing Manager

Gareth Passmore has taken over Continental’s marketing operation in South Africa, having been shifted from his post as head of sales and marketing for the Middle East, Near East and North Africa region.

Passmore, originally from Wales, stated that his personal motivation behind the move was to seek out a new challenge for his career, to “experience a new way of life in a different environment” and to be in South Africa during the 2010 football World Cup, an event that the company is sponsoring. Having experienced Conti’s involvement in the 2006 tournament in Germany, Passmore is looking forward to the challenge of helping to develop the sport’s popularity in a country where Rugby Union and Cricket share the nation’s sporting enthusiasm.

18th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Sanchez Appointed President of Remy Unit

Remy International Inc. appointed Jesus “Jay” Sanchez as president of the company’s Electrical Aftermarket business unit.

Sanchez had been managing director of the Arvin Meritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket business in Europe and South Africa.

Sanchez is a graduate of Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis., with a degree in mechanical engineering. (Tire Review/Akron)

17th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Sweeps Out of Nigeria

International News

Dunlop, the last tyre manufacturer with a factory in Nigeria, is set to leave the country, favouring the importation of tyres from other nations such as South Africa. The decision is said to be inspired by the persistence of power cuts, unreliable gas supply, a rise in manufacturing costs and inconsistent governmental tariffs, which allowed imported tyres to gain the upper hand in the domestic market.

The company stated that it had reached an impasse with the Nigerian government, after failing to persuade it to alter the prohibitive tariff structure. The government said that local manufacturing could not meet the market demand, though Dunlop argued that the current tariffs, coupled with energy costs and unreliability, made the improvement of production capacity impossible.

14th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Making Billions in Zimbabwe – But Enjoying No Profits

You don’t have to look very far these days to encounter news about Zimbabwe. A steady stream of grim reportage and chilling images are fed through television, internet and print media, all conveying the same basic message that things aren’t what they should be in this troubled African nation. And in addition to the much talked about violence and political issues, conditions for business are, to put it mildly, dire.

4th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo to Expand Capacity at South Africa Facilities

Capacity at Apollo Tyres’ South African facilities will rise by one fifth following a £12.9 million investment in its wholly owned Dunlop Tyres International (Pty) Ltd, South Africa (DTIPL) facilities in Ladysmith and Durban. “We are expanding the capacities of both the South African facilities by approximately 20 per cent during this fiscal at an estimated investment of 200 [million] South African Rand,” stated a senior Apollo Tyres official.

At present the combined capacity of the two factories is approximately 180 to 190 tonnes per day – a 30 to 40 tonne per d ay increase on levels two years ago. The majority of production is focused upon truck and bus radial products, with 15 per cent of capacity used to manufacture OTR tyres for the mining sector. These last products are mainly sold in Europe, Australia and South Africa.

30th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Tyres Appoints Chief of Research & Technology

Peter Becker, former senior manager at Goodyear Dunlop Germany, has been appointed Chief, Research and Technology at Apollo Tyres Ltd. He has formally joined the company this month and will be leading Apollo Tyres’ initiatives in tyre technology, research and new product development, especially with regard to European market needs. Mr Becker will be based in Germany, where he will be responsible for establishing an R&D facility for Apollo Tyres. He will be working with Apollo’s research, technology and design teams across geographical locations in India, South Africa and Europe. The company has previously announced plans for a 200 million euro passenger car radial tyre manufacturing facility in Hungary.

According to a company statement, the appointment forms part of Apollo Tyres Ltd’s ongoing plans for the European market. Peter Becker commented: “I am excited by this opportunity and impressed by the possibilities the future holds with Apollo Tyres. I am positive that we will be able to bring out competitive products which address customer needs.”

11th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

10 Million & Counting: Bridgestone Reaches Run-Flat Milestone

In August 2006 Bridgestone celebrated the delivery of five million run-flat tyres over the course of two decades; a mere twenty months later the company doubled this figure. On June 4 Bridgestone announced that it passed the ten million mark during April 2008.

Bridgestone says it recognises run-flat tyres as strategic products. The company also points to their environmental benefits, such as fuel economy through vehicle weight saving and reducing rubber consumption and scrap, and thus the company plans to further permeate and expand its run-flat market.

The first Bridgestone run-flat tyres were delivered in the early 1980s, the initial products being tyres fitted to specially manufactured vehicles for physically disabled persons. The first run-flats for a production vehicle model, the Porsche 959, were delivered in 1987. Bridgestone’s run-flat production has accelerated since 1999 as automakers have adopted run-flat specifications on a growing range of vehicle models, reflecting a changing environment surrounding motoring lifestyles. Currently the company produces run-flat tyres at six plants in four countries worldwide – Japan, the United States, Poland and South Africa.

9th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental to Sponsor 2010 World Cup

Continental Tyres has announced that it is to sponsor the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. According to the company, which also partnered the 2006 World Cup and is sponsoring this year’s European championship, the latest move is a continuation of its long-term marketing strategy based on football sponsorship, to deliver “huge global TV audiences.” Continental also has the option to extend its sponsorship to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Continental has acquired the rights to promote the sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup worldwide and will link this to product communication. In addition, Continental has once again received a sizeable ticket allocation and premium hospitality, which has become an important cornerstone of its strategy.

“This sponsorship deal continues the marketing strategy we have been following since 1995 for all Continental tyre products and maintains our focus on football as a central communication platform for increasing brand awareness in our core markets over the next three years,” explains Continental Tyres UK advertising and sponsorship manager Tim Bailey.

27th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Tyres Profits Rocket 125%

Apollo Tyres Ltd has reported a 125 per cent increase in annual net profits, rising from 1.2 to 2.7 billion rupees (£33.42 million). Operating profits grew 50 per cent to 6.1 billion (£75 million), from 4.1 billion in 2006/07. Consolidated revenues grew by 9 per cent, while operating profit showed a growth of 50 per cent from 4.1 billion to 6.1 billion rupees. Net sales grew 9 per cent to 47 billion rupees. Apollo also detailed how its retread business is also booming – sales of DuraTread retreading materials grew 139 per cent in the period.

However, the company reported a worsening raw material situation, with crude and raw material prices rising sharply in the final quarter of the last financial year. At the beginning of the quarter crude was around $90 a barrel, while by the quarter end it had crossed $113/barrel. Rubber moved from 92 rupees/kg to 116 rupees/kg in the same period.

9th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

11th Hour Reprieve

Swiss based alloy wheel manufacturer Uniwheels has acquired the European interests of Germany’s ATS Group, former subsidiary of South African company Tiger Wheels. Included in the purchase are the company’s affiliated production factories in Germany and Poland as well as the globally recognised ATS brand name. We can only speculate at the purchase price – Uniwheels has chosen not to disclose this – and a separate solution is sought for the company’s US subsidiary, ATS Light Alloy Wheels (Alabama), Inc.

“With Uniwheels we have found an investor, who is taking over the shares of the subsidiaries of the insolvent ATS Beteiligungs GmbH,” commented Tobias Hoefer, representative of the Group’s insolvency administrator, Hack Hoefer. “With that in Europe all jobs and sites of the Group can be kept. This is the best possible result for the creditors and the employees.”

22nd April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Tyres International – ‘Investigation Good for Consumers’

CEO of South Africa’s Dunlop Tyres International, Dr Luis Ceneviz, has responded positively to the actions carried out by the country’s Competition Commission to ensure anti-competitive behaviour is regulated. A statement from Dr Ceneviz was released after police and investigators from the commission raided Dunlop Tyres International’s head office in the city of Durban on April 4.

“During the raid, Dunlop remained fully co-operative and complied with any request made by investigators for any hard copy or electronic documentation,” said Cenevis. “At this point we are not able to give any further comment on the issue and have instructed our attorneys, who will be dealing with the matter.

11th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors