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Tyre Service Professionals Launch Pan-European Network

A number of leading independent tyre dealers throughout Europe have joined together to launch a new pan-European network of tyre service professionals. This network, known as TEN (Tyre European Network), brings together more than 2,100 dealer locations and 6,000 affiliated tyre specialists from across the UK and continental Europe. At the core of TEN are a number of national groups including Tyrenet from the UK, Germany’s Top Service Team, Profile Tyrecenter in the Netherlands and Belgium, Italy’s Tyreteam and SEAS 24 in Spain and Portugal. Discussions are also currently underway with tyre organisations in a further six countries.

The network will offer fleet managers the reassurance of a single, fully operational European network combined with the flexibility of brand choice from highly professional independent dealers providing services whenever and wherever they are needed. Mike Riley, the inaugural vice president of TEN and managing director of Tyrenet in the UK, says: “TEN is an extremely exciting development for the tyre industry that will enable fleets and transport companies to manage their costs as effectively as possible and will allow tyre manufacturers to offer their products in locations where they do not already have a presence. It is a win-win situation for the tyre industry and all our customers.”

12th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Recycled Tyres to Help Protect Olympic Horses

A product produced by Hong-Kong tyre recycling company Jets Technics products will be used in The Hong Kong Jockey Club Parade Ring in Shatin Racecourse. Jets Technics, beat overseas rivals to win a major contract for the equestrian events at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The company also makes flooring and wall tiling products that will line the stables and a clinic at the Olympic equestrian venue in Hong Kong to protect the valuable horses taking part in the event.

Jets Technics has been developing green technology in various markets for the past 27 years and sees the contract as “a significant coup.”

“There will be a good number of valuable horses coming for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Event,” said John So Chi-chun, Assistant Director of Jets Technics. “To protect the horses’ hooves from being hurt, special materials need to be used in the walls and floorings of stables and the equestrian hospital.

9th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook to Test in Spain

Hankook has signed a long-term agreement securing its use of the Applus+ IDIADA proving ground in Barcelona, arguably the most comprehensive independent proving ground facilities in Europe. The 370-hectare site near the Spanish capital contains a host of facilities including a 7.5 kilometre high-speed circuit, off-road track and a soon to be commissioned wet track. The Korean tyremaker will begin testing there early next year.

The use of this facility comes on top of the 1600 metre wet handling track Hankook has recently built adjacent to its Geumsan plant in South Korea.

8th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Reorganisation will Reduce Michelin’s Capex, says Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank has provided comment on the recently announced Michelin closures and restructuring. According to the bank’s Equity Research division, the closure of Michelin’s factory in Toul, France and the passenger tyre division of its Lasarte, Spain plant will allow the company’s Capex in Europe to be lowered by 30 per cent while tackling the pressing issue of labour costs, which are currently 50 per cent higher than Michelin’s global average.

A reported 830 workers will lose their jobs as a result of the Toul closure, and a further 500 layoffs will take place when PCR production ends in Lasarte. According to Deutsche Bank the Michelin reorganisation in Europe will ultimately lead to a better equilibrium between production and sales for the continent – at present Europe represents 70 per cent of the group’s production but only 50 per cent of sales. The closures and restructuring will also in part address the imbalance of scale faced by Michelin’s European facilities, which are two to three times smaller than what is considered optimal – 8 to 10 million units for a PCR factory and 2 million units for one producing truck tyres.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Tables Plant Re-Organisations & Closures for France, Spain

Michelin has outlined plans affecting the company’s operations in France and Spain. These plans, according to the tyremaker, constitute a new phase in Michelin’s industrial strategy in the two countries, and are aimed at strengthening the group’s competitiveness in Western Europe. Michelin adds that “significant investments” have been earmarked for plant modernisation projects.”

As part of the strategy, production at the company’s factory in the French town of Toul is scheduled to cease in 2009. The facility produces mid-range passenger car tyres, a market experiencing intense competition from low production cost countries that have massively invested in this specific segment during the past five years. Michelin claim that, in spite of significant investment into the operations at Toul in recent years and the streamlining of industrial processes, production costs at the plant are 50 per cent higher than those of the French manufacturer’s competitors, therefore Toul is no longer a competitive site. The company adds that the market currently has an overcapacity in the tyre sizes manufactured in Toul.

4th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

CITExpo 2007 Reports More International Visitors

CITExpo 2007 attracted an increased number of international visitors, according to show organisers Reliable International Exhibition Services Co. Ltd. Their figures show that exhibition traffic totalled 6850 visitors, of which 4000 were domestic Chinese delegates, while 2850 were “foreign.” The were 254 exhibitors, 150 of which have reportedly already rebooked for next year, meaning that up 70 per cent of show space has already been rebooked, according to Reliable. The organisers report that international visitors came from a total of 86 countries including: United States, India, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, Norway and more.

27th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Wins Frost & Sullivan Consumer Choice Award

Europe has overwhelmingly cast its vote in favour of the tyre brand it regards as the safest and most durable, Michelin, putting the company miles ahead of the competition. The French tyre supplier emerged as Europe’s preference during a recent survey of consumer perceptions of chassis technologies conducted by Frost & Sullivan. Its dominance in Europe’s tyre market saw Michelin roll away with the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Customer Choice Award for Brand Offering in the categories of “safe and durable tyres” and “best overall tyre brand” in Europe.

Michelin was selected as the recipient of Frost & Sullivan’s prestigious award based on a recent study entitled, “Customer Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Driving Dynamics” covering over 2,000 respondents across five regions (France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom) and all vehicle segments (A&B, C, D&E, SUV and MPV).

17th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Car Manufacturers Must Now Share Info With Independent Garages

The European Commission has moved to ensure that car manufacturers will provide technical information about car repairs to all independent garages in the European Union. According to a Dow Jones report, the decision will legally bind DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, General Motors and Fiat to change their business practices and share technical repair information equally with branded and independent garages.

17th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli’s Telecom Italia Sale Delayed

The sale of Pirelli’s loss-making share in Telecom Italia has been delayed by Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel. The regulator’s review of the deal was postponed on August 30 in order for it to have more time to consider the acquisition in greater depth.

Anatel must approve the deal because Spain’s Telefonica, one of the investors in Telco, the holding company that has agreed to acquire control of Telecom Italia, also operates mobile phone services competing against Telecom Italia in Brazil. Representatives at Telefonica state they do not see any potential problems arising with Anatel.

The Spanish phone company is one of several investors that agreed to purchase Olimpia in April for more than four billion euros plus debt. However the investors must wait until Anatel grants approval before closing the deal.

3rd September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Best of British – Dunlop teams up with Triumph

Dunlop says it is proud to be British. The tyre manufacturer’s heritage and reputation span nearly 120 years and Dunlop has played an important role in Britain’s motoring history. The company claims the distinction of being involved at every stage in the evolution of the road transport industries and national infrastructure since Dunlop’s establishment in 1888.

Dunlop recently joined forces with another great and British brand. The manufacturer’s award-winning Sportmax Qualifier D209 street tyre has been approved as the sole OE tyre on the all-new Triumph Street Triple motorcycle for 2008. The Street Triple is essentially a ‘naked’ version of Triumph’s Daytona 675, but incorporates extensive modifications including new forks and brakes. Its restyled rear end is also based on its bigger brother – the Speed Triple. The first prototype of the Street Triple was tested by Triumph’s development riders in Spain in December 2005 and volume production began in July 2007.

16th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s Think Before You Drive” Awarded in Spain

Bridgestone’s globally successful ‘Think Before You Drive’ campaign has been the beneficiary of further accolades, this time in Spain. The road show event conducted in that country has been voted the country’s “Best Responsible Event” in the Eventoplus Awards, Spain’s top marketing events awards programme. The prestigious prize was presented at the Eventoplus 2007 Awards ceremony held in Madrid on 10th July. The road-show campaign was one of 38 finalists from 159 nominated candidates.

The road show covered 6,500 km and crossed 26 Spanish cities during 2006, promoting key road safety messages to adults and children. It was a highly visible event in Bridgestone Spain’s overall road safety programme and included more than 8,000 free tyre safety inspections for Spanish motorists. In granting the award, the Eventoplus jury placed particular emphasis upon the attributes of corporate social responsibility that characterised the event. Other aspects that helped Bridgestone secure the award were the originality of the campaign, its precision in reaching the target and its effectiveness in terms of results.

26th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sibur-Russian Tyres Opens German Subsidiary

Sibur–Russian Tyres Holding, one of the largest tyre-producers in Eastern and Central Europe, has opened a subsidiary in Berlin, Germany. According to a company statement, the move follows customer demand: “The growth of European consumers’ interest [in] Sibur–Russian Tyres’ production has lead to the decision of SRT’s top-management to establish a subsidiary in Germany. The opening of a new office in Berlin is a part of company’s policy aimed at entering Western European markets. “The main functions of Sibur – Russian Tyres’ subsidiary in Germany comprise product promotion and sales. The establishment of German subsidiary will help to optimize the company’s sales and distribution structure in Western Europe.”

Mr. Karavaev, Chief Strategic Officer of Sibur–Russian Tyres, noted: “Currently [the] company is actively developing. The company’s production is orientated not only to the internal but also to external markets: more than 25 per cent of company’s production goes for export. For the future the company plans to enter new markets while strengthening its positions on its traditional market areas. The goal is achievable as SRT will keep on the development of quality management systems and provides international standards in tyres production”.

23rd July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ex-Carlisle Workers Protest in Trinidad

Former employees of a Trinidad & Tobago based tyre factory acquired by Carlisle Tire & Rubber in 1995 have protested over severance money owed to them for more than a dozen years. Earlier this year the country’s Industrial Court ordered Carlisle, who took over the assets of the Caribbean Tyre Company, to pay more than TTD$10.6 million (£854,000) in outstanding benefits, with a payment deadline of February 23. To date Carlisle has not complied with the court’s ruling.

The workers involved in the current protest were employed by the Caribbean Tyre Company Ltd, who made them redundant in 1995. The company paid 70 per cent of the workers’ severance with the promise that Carlisle would re-employ all of them. Carlisle closed down operations in Trinidad & Tobago in September 2003, allegedly after workers began protesting working conditions and outstanding wages. About 400 employees lost their jobs during the closure.

4th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

OEM Wheel Maker Names New President

Asahi Tec, manufacturer or OEM aluminium wheels and other automotive parts and systems, has appointed a new president and co-CEO. Hideo Ishii takes on these roles, as well as that of director and representative executive officer, following the company’s general shareholders meeting on June 28.

Mr. Ishii will be responsible for Asahi Tec’s Metal Forming Group and Diversified Business Group, and will act as co-CEO alongside Timothy D. Leuliette, who also serves as co-chairman of the company with Shoichiro Irimajiri. Mr. Irimajiri had been serving as president, co-CEO and representative executive officer, and is resigning from these posts to focus on the role of director and co-chairman of the company.

“Asahi Tec’s goal is to create a strong, globally competitive company that understands and supports global markets, cultures and customers to deliver leading-edge products worldwide,” said Irimajiri. “In his role as president and co-CEO, Hideo Ishii will play a key role in developing and executing the initiatives and strategies that will help realise that goal.”

26th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Omega 3000 Extruder

Marangoni Retreading Systems has presented the Omega 3000, the latest version of its extruder for high quality hot retreading. Over the last few years the hot retreaded tyre market has become increasingly focused on the quality of the end product. In the building of retreaded tyres with hot retreading technology, quality is obtained by using compounds that are increasingly similar to new tyres and by applying the materials with precision, in terms of both quantity and distribution.
That’s why medium-sized retreading firms (producing 60-80 tyres per day) require a machine able to extrude “difficult” compounds, which is rapid, dependable, accurate and can be used on a wide range of tyre sizes.
Marangoni Tread introduced a modern extruder, the Omega, designed for the hot retreading market in 2003. Since then, the Omega has been continually updated in order to meet the needs of retreading firms and has become well established on the main European markets: France, Spain, UK and Italy.

Marangoni Tread has now produced the Omega 3000, considerably improved in many ways with respect to the first version. Updates include:
– Precision: the previous circumference and tyre profile measuring device has been replaced with a laser technology instrument.
– Rapid and simple use: software improvements have made it possible to increase process automation and to make machine operation more user friendly;
– Extrudable tyre size range: the previous 15-24 inch range has been widened to the new 13-25 inch range;
– Throughput: even when extruding “difficult” compounds, there is no reduction in machine throughput.

1st June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors