This week saw the official launch of Vredestein’s first high performance SUV winter tyre the Wintrac 4 Xtreme.
The manufacturer has transferred the characteristics of its passenger car tyre Wintrac Xtreme to the 4 Xtreme in an attempt to enter the growing 4×4 tyre market, a segment Vredestein describes as “a phenomenon.”
Amerityre Corporation has announced that its airless polyurethane tyres has passed FMVSS 129 testing. “This is a major breakthrough in tyre technology,” said Richard Steinke, Amerityre’s president and CEO. “Over the past several years, a lot of companies have attempted to make a non-pneumatic tyre for passenger vehicles. Those attempts fell short, in large part, because they didn’t have the compounds to do it. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first company to have a tyre that completely meets the standard,” he added.
(Akron/Tire Review) Reports out of Texarkana, Arkansas, indicate that a tentative agreement has been reached between Cooper Tire & Rubber Co and striking United Steelworkers of America (USWA) employees. No details of the agreement, believed to be a three-year deal, are available.
(Akron/Tire Review) According to reports, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. sent a summary of its latest master contract proposal directly to striking Texarkana, Ark., plant workers last week, urging them to seek union permission to vote on the proposal.
The Texarkana Gazette reported that in the proposal and a letter from Cooper negotiating team to members of United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 752, Cooper officials said “it is important for you to see the entire final proposal that is on the table so you can make your own decisions as to whether this is a fair contract.”
(Akron/Tire Review) American Tire Distributors (ATD), the largest independent retailer in the US, has entered into a contract to supply tyres directly to some 3,700 General Motors brand auto dealers in the US.
ATD plans to provide an array of major brand passenger and light truck/SUV tyres to Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, Saab and GMC Truck dealers under the new agreement.
ATD, which has 71 distribution centres across most of the US, would be the primary replacement tyre supplier to GM dealers, according to the agreement, but reportedly will not actively solicit business from the car dealers. Reports also say that ATD is looking at developing similar deals with other vehicle manufacturers.
(Akron/Tire Review) According to its most recent Securities and Exchange Commission 10-K filings, American Tire Distributors (ATD) has entered into a contract to supply tyres directly to some 3,700 General Motors brand auto dealers in the US.
Well known celeb Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs has put his name to a new line of aluminium wheels. His partnership with American company, Weld Wheels, will produce a line of Sean John-branded custom one- and three-piece precision-forged aluminium wheels for the sport truck, luxury SUV and high-end American and German luxury car markets. The custom designed wheels made their world debut at the Greater New York Auto Show last week.
(Akron/Tire Review) A Toyo Proxes S/T equipped Sportec Cayenne Turbo SP600M broke the Fastest SUV in the World title by lapping the Automotive Testing Papenburg oval test track in Germany at a top speed of 191.65 mph. The test was held 10 March, according to Toyo officials. Driven by Sportec’s Andreas Hodel, the new mark shattered the previous record of 175 mph set in 2003 by a Kleenman ML55K also running on Toyo’s Proxes S/T tyres.
”We are very proud of this record set through a collaborative effort between Toyo and Sportec, said Travis Roffler, Toyo Tire (USA) Corp.’s senior director of marketing. “The fact that another world class tuner selected the Proxes S/T to break such a prestigious record demonstrates their continued confidence in the engineering excellence and overall quality of Toyo products.”
(Akron/Tire Review) According to a United Steelworkers of America (USWA) website, the union and Cooper Tire & Rubber have “agreed to postpone” an injunction hearing that was scheduled to be held yesterday. No further details were given.
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co has introduced the Cooper Discoverer ATR, a new line of light truck/SUV radials that the company says “offers uncompromising on and off-road performance, going beyond ordinary all-terrain tyres.”
(Texarkana/Tire Review) Talks between Cooper Tire & Rubber Co and members of USWA Local 752 at Cooper’s Texarkana, Arkansas, tyre plant reportedly broke off 14 March, leaving the passenger and light truck/SUV tyre plant operating on a skeleton crew as union workers picket outside.
(Akron/TR) Union workers at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co’s Texarkana, Arkansas, plant walked off the job on Saturday night after failing to gain a new contract covering the passenger and light truck/SUV tyre plant. Texarkana workers, represented by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 752, went out on strike at midnight when their previous contract expired. The USWA had apparently received a proposed contract offer from Cooper, but did not put the offer to a vote before walking out. Cooper officials said they are hopeful that “talks will continue toward resuming production as quickly as possible.”
In 2004 Group Michelin achieved a turnover of 15.6 billion euros ($21.07 billion) and an operating income of 1.299 billion euros, 8.3 per cent of the company’s total turnover. At the same time, net income rose to 527 million euros ($705 million). Put simply, last year’s figures don’t contain any big surprises.
In spite of significant price increases in several areas, Group Michelin proved its lasting profitability. At the end of 2004 Michelin had net debts of 3.2 billion euros, a number which is broadly in line with what the financial world expected. The largest proportion of the operating income came from the passenger car/SUV tyre division, which brought in 731 million euros. The truck division’s operating income totalled 548 million euros, a relatively high figure considering that the segment’s turnover is significanly lower than the passenger car division. For the first time, the group’s ‘other activities’ division, found its way into the black, reporting 20 million euros of operating income.
America’s National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) has certified the results of a union representation vote at Continental Tire North America’s (CTNA) Mount Vernon, Illinois, plant. Tire Review reported the news following claims by the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) union that the manufacturer interfered with the vote. The NLRB issued is decision, overruling the union’s claim on 23 February, but CTNA did not issue a statement about the results until 3 March.
In the US, Goodyear has released two new premium tyres aimed at SUV and light truck drivers. The Wrangler and Fortera both feature one of the company’s latest innovations, SilentArmor technology.
When Goodyear says its tyres use this technology, it basically means that the products include three distinct features. Firstly they use an “armour zone” that is comprised of a layer of DuPont Kevlar, a material five times stronger than steel. In addition, they feature an extra durable sidewall in order to resist punctures and cuts. On top of this the products include a rugged rim guard that helps protect wheels from rim damage. On the comfort side, the Fortera tyre features a layer that is designed to “soak up” road noise and vibration.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
