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Automechanika Returning to Shanghai in December

Automechanika Shanghai – one of China’s leading professional forums for the automotive parts, components and aftermarket industry – will take place from December 5 to 7 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. With over 1,000 exhibitors in six exhibition halls, the 2007 event will be without question the largest Automechanika show ever held in China.

Exhibitors from 24 countries & regions will be in attendance, including those from Belgium, Brazil, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and the USA. The fair will also feature the Automechanika Academy and the Match-Making Forum, as in previous years.

20th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Rubber Prices Set To Rise Sharply

A statement from Jom Jacob, senior economist of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, warns that increased demand for natural rubber – demand which producers are struggling to fulfill, will inevitably lead to spiralling rubber prices. Factors such as erratic weather, lack of cultivatable land and labour supply constraints could all adversely affect output in the main producing countries of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

International prices have risen four-fold since 2001, when there was over-supply and the price was at a 30-year low. Some analysts say they expect rubber to rise around 18 per cent to $3 a kg next year. Thai RSS3 grade, often used as the benchmark for physical prices, stood at USD2.55 a kg on Friday.

5th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sometimes Change is a Good Thing

After 28 years in the tyres business Peter Harries has been appointed as the new managing director of the UK’s largest wholesale group, Group Tyre (UK) Ltd. For Harries, the appointment represents something of a step change from the manufacturer-based positions he enjoyed at Cooper Avon for the vast majority of his career. Tyres & Accessories met with the new managing director as he settled in to his new role at Group.

Prior to joining Group Tyre, Harries spent six years as sales director of Cooper Tire & Rubber Europe. Before this he spent more than two decades in a range of positions with Avon Tyres and Cooper Tire. “I am very excited to be joining Group, a company which I have always admired,” Harries told Tyres & Accessories, adding that he has joined the company at a significant point. “There is a lot of change in tyre industry,” he commented.

So what’s the plan from here on in? “I am here to develop strategy and structure and to drive the business forward to higher sales and deeper penetration,” said Harries, adding that there is “a lot of scope for growth.” Group Tyre and its members have achieved some impressive results over the last decade and a half, and recent performance has been no different. Harries is confident that Group turnover (which will reach £234 million this year) will continue to grow. There are also said to be five and 10 year plans in the works, but the new managing director was less willing to give details of those away.

5th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pneu-Logic Signs Supply Agreement with Rema Tip Top

Pneu-Logic, the UK based tyre division of Advanced ID Corporation, has entered into a strategic supply agreement with Rema Tip Top, the world’s largest supplier of tyre maintenance products and equipment, as a global reseller of Pneu-Logic’s line of technology products.

The Pneu-Logic technology has been selected to form a cornerstone of the newly formed Diagnostic Solutions Group within Rema Tip Top’s automotive division. The first products to be commercially launched from this collaboration are Fleet Inspector PRO and Fleet Inspector BASIC. These solutions are aimed at providing a wide range of customers with leading edge technology for fleet and tyre management.

Matthias Rolinski, sales and marketing director for Rema Tip Top, said, “Rema Tip Top always provides the best benefits for its customers. As part of our added-value-chain, we have recognised that the Advanced ID Pneu-Logic Fleet Management System represents a high quality solution that enables a premium application for tyre inspection and maintenance. The products will be available by the end of October, which follows an introduction that received very favourable reviews at the company’s in-house show at our Munich headquarters earlier this month.”

1st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Advanced ID Signs $1.8 Million Contract With Kit Loong

Advanced ID Corporation has signed an exclusive, three year commitment contract with Malaysia’s Kit Loong Tyre Management for Advanced ID’s RFID and Pneu-Logic’s Tire Inspection products.

Kit Loong Holdings, one of Southeast Asia’s largest retreaders and tyre distributors works with Goodyear, Dunlop, Michelin, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, Pirelli, Continental Sime and Cooper. With over 500 employees and revenues exceeding US $40 million, Kit Loong has retreading facilities in Malaysia and China and will install Advanced ID’s RFID tyre tags in their retread operation in Malaysia, with other countries to follow. Kit Loong will purchase Advanced ID RFID readers and Pneu-Logic kits as part of this agreement.

Kit Loong’s territory, covered by this agreement, includes Greater China, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myammar.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Rubber Given OK to Construct Proving Ground in Thailand

Yokohama Rubber announced on August 22 that it has received approval from the Thailand Board of Investment to go ahead with the construction of a large proving ground. The company has already secured a 1.69-million square metre site in Thailand’s Rayong Province. The proving ground, to be built at an estimated cost of 2.5 billion yen (£11 million) should be complete by the end of March 2009.

For the new proving ground, Yokohama Rubber will construct a high-speed circuit with a total road length of 4.1 kilometres and a 1 kilometre section of straight track. The company also plans to construct various test courses for the proving of driving stability, fuel efficiency, durability, noise, vibration and driving comfort. Rayong Province was chosen both due to its close proximity to the facilities of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., and the availability of suitable land in the area.

23rd August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sumitomo Expects Much From China

For Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. –Japan’s second largest tyre manufacturer after Bridgestone – the Chinese tyre market is a market of overwhelming potential. Although the company currently only generates an annual turnover of US$112 million in China out of a market worth $4.59 billion – a share of only 2.5 per cent, China is the market possessing by far the greatest growth rates for the Kobe based manufacturer. Compared with 2005 figures, Sumitomo’s Chinese turnover has doubled. And Sumitomo’s president Tetsuji Mino doesn’t expect less for 2007; an annual turnover of $220 million is the minimum Sumitomo plans to generate this year on the Chinese tyre market. “The growth potential of Asian tyre markets is just enormous,“ Mino stated in an interview.

23rd July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess Investing to Meet Asian Tyremakers’ Needs

Chemical group Lanxess has plans to expand its global position in the butyl rubber market and is pursuing plans to build a new facility in Asia. The company will invest somewhere in the vicinity of 400 million euros in the project and at present three possible sites – Singapore, Kuantan in Malaysia and Map Ta Phut in Thailand – are under consideration. Lanxess has reportedly already analysed a number of sites across Asia to assess their feasibility.

“This would be the largest investment in the history of our company,” said Lanxess management board chairman Axel C. Heitmann during a visit to Singapore. “In the next few months we will hold talks with possible host locations to determine the feasibility of the construction of a new plant. Should we decide upon a location, we will be able to bring the facility on stream in 2010.”

With this new investment Lanxess hopes it can further satisfy the growing demand for butyl rubber in Asia. Tyre production will continue to be the main use of butyl and Lanxess anticipates the continued rapid increase of the manufacturing capacity of Asian tyremakers.

2nd July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Incentives Offered for Michelin to Open Thailand Regional HQ

A working group from Thailand’s Board of Investment has proposed granting Siam Michelin tax incentives to aid the company – a partnership between the Michelin Group and the Siam Cement Group – establish a regional operating headquarters within Thailand. The proposed establishment would cost an estimated Bt88 million (£1.38 million) and would service the far-east region.

Board of Investment deputy secretary general Hiranya Sujinai said the suggested incentives were earmarked for a regional operating headquarters that could supply raw materials and parts for Michelin tyres, conduct research and development, promote regional sales and marketing as well as to provide training programmes for Michelin personnel in a number of countries including China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

20th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ceat to Meet Aftermarket Demand through Outsourcing

When handed lemons, make lemonade…or when OE orders dwindle, produce tyres for the more profitable aftermarket. In spite of reports coming from India that vehicle makers are reducing output, Ceat Tyres – a company that traditionally has obtained about 20 per cent of its revenues from OE supply – is planning to increase its tyre production rather than cut it back.

“The least profitable sector for us has shrunk, giving us the opportunity to sell more to the more profitable ones,” said Arnab Banerjee, the company’s vice-president, sales & marketing. Ceat plans to boost its production in the short term through outsourcing, a necessary move while it awaits the construction of its own new facilities. “Looking at the robust replacement demand, right now we are unable to manufacture enough,” Banerjee added. “My number one priority is to secure supplies through outsourcing, since the two greenfield plants we are planning to set up would come on stream only over the next two-three years,”

11th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear to Supply Tyres for Updated Boeing 737 Line-Up

A six-year contract has been signed between the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Boeing Commercial Airplanes for the OE supply of aviation tyres for the Boeing Next-Generation 737 airliner range. The deal announced by the two companies on May 31 will see Goodyear supply flight leader and flight radial tyres for the Boeing 737 nose gear and flight leader tyres for the main gear.

Pierre Jambon, general manager for Goodyear’s global aviation tyre business, said, “This contract is significant, due to the importance of Boeing 737 aircraft in the world’s airline fleets. Because of Goodyear’s global footprint, this supply arrangement also allows us to expand our position with replacement tyres and tyre services.” He further added “our tyres must withstand the stress of repeated takeoffs and landings and the substantial speeds and loads of large aircraft. Thus, aircraft tyres are a showcase for Goodyear’s substantial technological capabilities.”

Goodyear aviation tyres are manufactured in the US, Thailand and Brazil. Currently the US tyremaker is the world’s largest supplier of tyres for commercial, military and general aviation aircraft.

1st June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama to Increase Production Capacity in Thailand

In addition to its plans to treble capacity at its Shinshiro-Minami factory in Japan, Yokohama has released details of its intention to boost production capacity for passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres in Thailand. Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) will expand capacity in the number two plant at its 420,000 square metre Rayong Province factory, the Yokohama Group’s largest tyremaking facility, to 2.8 million tyres in the 2009 financial year.

As part of this second stage of expansion at their number two plant, Yokohama Rubber will employ a small-scale integrated manufacturing system like that previously introduced in the first stage of expansion. This system will shorten the timeframe between the beginning of plant construction to when operation start-up begins requires a smaller-size investment. This second stage expansion program will take one year and 7 billion yen (£29.3 million) of investment.

11th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Rubber Sales Increase 10.1%

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced on May 10 that its net sales had risen 10.1 per cent to 497.4 billion yen (£2.083 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. This sales total is the company’s highest ever, with sales growth resulting from unit sales gains and from a weaker yen, adding yen value to sales generated outside of Japan. The main increase in sales was seen in the company’s Tire Group and Multiple Business (diversified products) Group.

Operating income dropped by 4 per cent to 21.1 billion yen (£83.4 million), a figure the company has attributed to increases in raw material costs outpacing increases in net sales, and net income declined by 23.7 per cent to 16.4 billion yen (£68.7 million). This drop in net income reflected a tax benefit recorded in the previous year in connection with earlier write-downs of equity in a US subsidiary.

10th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Rubber Prices Bounce Higher as Demand puts Stretch on Reserves

Prices of export rubber from Vietnam are expected to increase on world markets by about 10 per cent throughout the remainder of 2007 as demand continues to outstrip supply. This analyst prediction added that shipments of Vietnam-sourced rubber to global top rubber importer China would experience price rises of 20 per cent, up from the current US$2,000 per ton to $2400. World market prices are tipped to reach $2,200 per ton.

The world produces about nine million tons of natural rubber each year, most of which is already accounted for, leaving a delicate balance between supply and demand. This balance looks in danger of being upset in the near future, as a recent rubber industry conference in Thailand predicted a jump in global demand by more than 6 per cent in the second half of 2007.

9th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Sumitomo Tyre Plant in Thailand to Produce Falken Tyres

(Akron/Tire Review) More than 40 attendees – including tyre dealers and journalists – were invited by Falken Tire Corp. to tour its parent company’s new Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co. (SRT) tyre plant in Rayong, Thailand, southeast of Bangkok.

Established in May 2005 at the Amata City Industrial Estate, the factory officially began production in December 2006.

The plant features the “Sun Production System” (also known as the Taiyo Production System), billed by Sumitomo officials as a breakthrough in automated tyre manufacturing. Three components of the Sun System – jointless process, computer control and process coupling system – result in a rounder, more uniform tyre, according to Yutaka Kuroda, president of SRT.

18th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors