Rubber prices have reached their highest level in more than three months, in part due to concern that rainfall in key producing countries will reduce supply of the commodity. Heavy rain is expected across Thailand, the world’s number one producer, and a La Nina weather event may persist in Southeast Asia until at least the end of this year.
B-Quik, Thailand’s biggest independent automotive repair organization, saw revenue grow over 30 per cent in the first 6 months of 2010, this despite the unrest in the Thai capital in the month of May. The company has opened two new stores so far this year (one on the island of Phuket and one in Bangkok) and now operates through 64 outlets. For the second half of the year another seven new stores are confirmed and three more are pending. B-Quik adjusted its revenue expectation for 2010 to exceed 2.5 billion Thai baht (£50 million, 61 million Euros). Growth is almost equally split, 15 per cent from like for like same store increase and the other 15 per cent from new stores build last year and this year. The sales growth is divided evenly over the various product groups but aircon repairs and servicing and oil/filter changes lead the growth.
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd., has reported that it has returned to first quarter profitability with an operating income of 2,612 million yen compared with an operating loss of 3,054 million yen in the first quarter of 2009. Net income faired less well but showed the company returned to the black by this measurement too, with 743 million yen in the first quarter of 2010 compared with a net loss of 2,620 million yen for the same period in 2009. Period net sales totalled 72,162 million yen, up 9,789 million yen or 15.7 per cent over the first quarter of 2009. The tyre business unit posted net sales of 53,097 million yen and operating income of 1,995 million yen.
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has posted net income of 1.6 billion yen (£11.775 million; 14.160 million euros; US$18.455 million) in the first quarter compared with a net loss of 1.8 billion yen in the same period of the previous fiscal year. That result is for the three months from April to June, the first quarter of the company’s fiscal 2011 (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011). Yokohama's net sales climbed 23.4 per cent over the same quarter of the previous fiscal year, to 117.4 billion yen.
Yokohama Rubber has pledged its support for the Asia Cross Country Rally 2010, which will be held in Thailand between August 7 and 11. This is the tenth time the tyre maker has been involved with the FIA certified cross country rally, the largest in Asia, and Yokohama will provide its Geolandar tyres to all entrants in the newly established sports class category and award prizes to the winners in all categories. It will also support many drivers, including Takuma Aoki, who will participate in the T2-D class (non-converted commercial diesel) and Tadamitsu Niihori, the race’s overall winner on two previous occasions.
Singapore-based Stamford Tyres has confirmed the firm will makes first appearance at Brityrex for five years, with the company’s new Sumo Firenza STO5A making its UK debut. Located at stand 10, Stamford representatives report they will be presenting “an extensive collection of tyres and wheels plus many members of the Sumo Firenza European Sales team will be on hand.”
The all-new Sumo Firenza STO5A ultra high performance tyre, which was only launched at Reifen Essen in June, will take centre stage. Officials say it offers “an impressive asymmetric pattern, with significant benefits in low noise, rolling resistance plus high grip levels in wet road conditions.” Furthermore the tyre complies with all the latest European standards, has been specifically designed for the UK and European tyre markets and will be available in 34 sizes including 19 and 20 inch diameters.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. (YTPI), the company’s production and sales location for passenger car tyres in the Philippines, achieved what the company calls "complete zero emissions" in June 2010. Yokohama Rubber confirmed the achievement by conducting on-site investigations of all contractors commissioned to dispose of waste from the plant (based on the disposal flowchart of each contractor), confirming achievement of "complete zero emissions." By Yokohama’s reckoning, "complete zero emissions" means no waste is subject to direct landfill disposal.
YTPI began efforts towards "zero emissions" – which internally translates as landfill disposal of less than 1 per cent of total waste – in 2006. Starting by recycling paper waste from offices, the company conducted Recycle Collection Events of recyclable resources that grew to include PET bottles, plastic containers and used cans, separated and collected by each department or manufacturing process.
Data and estimates from the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) indicate global supply of natural rubber will grow this year at a slower rate that previously anticipated. Forecasts based on preliminary estimates and reports available up to mid-June point to a 5.2 per cent growth, lower than the 6.3 per cent rate anticipated in March and 6.1 per cent rate anticipated in May.
Singapore-based brand Sumo Firenza enjoyed strong interest in its expanding portfolio of products from visitors from around the world. PCR, UHP and truck tyre specialists, Sumo Firenza presented an extensive display of patterns covering all three market sectors with centre stage being taken by the all new STO 5A ultra high performance range, which the company says is specifically developed and manufactured for the UK and European markets.
The Kingdom of Thailand has named Toyo Tire & Rubber one of ‘Thailand’s Best Friends 2010’ in acknowledgement of its importation of Thai natural rubber. Thailand’s Best Friends 2010 is a project implemented in line with a strategy to maintain and promote close relationships with purchasers and overseas importers of Thai products. The project, run by the country’s Ministry of Commerce, began in 2009.
The US government dropped the duty-free status for certain passenger tyres produced in Thailand, part of a group of imported products that were part of an annual tariff review of trade programmes involving emerging countries, reports Tire Review. With the change, Thailand-produced passenger tyres are now subject to a tariff if annual imports of those products exceed $140 million in value or represent 50 per cent of total passenger tyres imported into the US. No tariff has been set or planned for these tyres. The status change was made when US trade officials found the product to be ''sufficiently competitive'' in the US.
Production capacity at Yokohama’s passenger car and light truck tyre factory in Thailand is to be increased by almost 54 per cent, with the additional production commencing next April. Through a 9.7 billion yen (£72 million) investment an additional 1.4 million units of annual capacity will be added to the Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) plant in Raying Province, pushing total annual capacity up to 4 million tyres.
Bloomberg reports that natural rubber prices continued rising for the third straight day on fears that heavy rains will hurt output in Thailand. Tokyo rubber futures jumped 1.5 per cent on Thursday after a 3.8 per cent rise earlier in the week. A monsoon is dumping heavy rains on many parts of Thailand, the world’s largest natural rubber producer, and are not expected to dissipate soon.
As part of its investment in marketing communications aimed at boosting brand profile both within the tyre industry and amongst key consumer audiences such as tuning and performance enthusiasts, Maxxis has appointed Amy Colbourne to the position of marketing and sales coordinator. Ms Colbourne, 24, works alongside Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin and has taken on the day-to-day responsibility for the smooth running of the company’s advertising and sponsorship programme and its online marketing activities.
According statistics released by China’s Natural Rubber Association, the total area of rubber plantation land in the People’s Republic amounts to 1463 mu (98 hectares) up 65 mu (4.35 hectares) in 2009.
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