(Akron/Tire Review) Stamford Tires & Wheels Inc. wheel manufacturing plant in Thailand earned TÜV CERT for process quality, and accreditation from the Vehicle Inspection Association (VIA) Japan for its in-house laboratory.
Tyre output in Japan rose 0.3 per cent year on year in February for the first time in three months, with domestic demand rising 0.5 per cent. Export volumes declined 5.2 per cent YoY in February (which fell for the first time in 20 months in January). Analysts attribute the decline to three main factors; firstly, unusual demand for studless tires, which they believe has led makers to divert output to domestic demand, and which they also believe has now run its course.
2005 was another record year for B-Quik, the Thailand based tyre and car services retailer. The company serviced over 200,000 customers through its total of 42 centres, four of which were new stores, opened during 2005. Despite the slightly declining aftermarket for passenger car tyres in Thailand (-1.2 per cent), B-Quik posted a 16 per cent increase in tyre unit sales. Total revenue increased by 19 per cent to a record amount of 826 million baht (£11.97 million or 17.5 million euros).
For Stamford Tyres the Chinese market is not new. There they have a local partner that produces some of Stamford’s private brands such as the Sumo truck tyre. Also, the new PCR private brand “Sumo Akina”, which will be launched by the end of this year, will be manufactured in China. China is becoming more interesting not only as a production base, but also as a potential sales market. China the giant is taking centre-stage for many wholesalers, including Stamford Tyres from Singapore.
India has initiated anti-dumping investigations against imports of bus and truck tyres from China and Thailand, The Hindu newspaper has reported. The announcement follows a complaint filed by the industry tyre industry association ATMA alleging market “dumping.” The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties will the investigate the period between 1 April 2004 to 30 June 30 2005, it said.
Michelin has put its planned collaboration with Apollo Tyres on hold while the businesses wait for the national radialisation rate to gather speed. The companies maintained that their working relationship was on track, but that demand has to increase before manufacturing work gets underway.
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc today announced that it has increased its ownership stake in its Turkish aluminium wheel joint venture, Jantas Aluminyum Jant Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (aka Jantas Aluminum Wheels), to 60 per cent.
Here’s a question for you – which tyre retailer has 42 outlets in the capital and in November opened the 43rd on a Tesco hypermarket, making this the 10th centre on a Tesco forecourt?
The answer is B-Quik, of Thailand and the capital city is, of course, Bangkok. For many people in Europe, the first they heard of the name was during the period when the Ford Motor Company was going through its “showroom to scrapyard” phase and it bought Kwik-Fit in Europe and B-Quik in Thailand.
Bridgestone Corporation officially opened Bridgestone (Shenyang) Steel Cord Co, Ltd, in Liaoning Province, China. Bridgestone invested US$94.3 million in the construction of the plant, which began producing steel cord for truck and bus radial tyres in August this year. Production capacity is projected to reach 70 tons per day by the end of 2007.
About 100 people attended the opening ceremony, including Chinese government and municipal officials such as Song Qi, deputy mayor of Shenyang. Heading the Bridgestone contingent were Masaharu Oku, the board of directors, vice president and senior officer responsible for tyre production and distribution, Hiromichi Odagiri, vice president and senior officer, chief representative of Bridgestone tyre operations in China, Kaoru Fujioka, vice president and officer in charge of steel cord, and various other plant officials.
The first Automechanika Thailand will be held from 10 13 May 2006 at the Impact Centre in Bangkok. Thailand is already the largest manufacturer of vehicles in south east Asia, and some commentators point towards sustained and rapid growth. According to show organisers, Messe Frankfurt, the supply and demand sides of the auto industry are calling for a professional platform such as Automechanika to facilitate trade and maximize the huge market potential.
Continental AG is to spend RM200 million (£30 million/44 million euros) on expanding its Malaysian units’ Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and Alor Star, Kedah, factories. According to reports, the plan is for these facilities to double output. Furthermore, Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dieter Saar said the company plans to export 30 to 40 per cent of its output beyond 2006, up from less than 15 per cent now.
Jussi Valimaki (Finland), of Team MRF Tyres, won the Indonesian round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship at Makassar during the September 10/11, 2005 Gudang Garam International Rally 2005.
Driving a Mitsubishi Evo 8, the Indonesian victory also confirmed the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship Drivers’ title for Valimaki, the 31-year old MRF Team driver, who collected 15 points and reached a total of 70 points in the Drivers’ Championship – a lead that no APRC driver can match this year. Valimaki wins both the overall and the Group N categories.
Supply Direct has recently installed the UK’s first robotic wheel aligner. The Nussbaum manufactured ‘WAB01’ is one of less than 30 worldwide and is located in Hodgsons-Toyota in Newcastle, which opens in early October.
According to Supply Direct, the installation of robotic equipment is not only a turning point for the company but also a turning point for the UK motor industry. It has revolutionised wheel alignment, saving time for workshop engineers therefore providing customers with a much faster and accurate service, the company says.
The Chinese market seems to favour Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) and is attracting increased interest from players in the Malaysian rubber products industry, according to the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB). The MRB recently organised a trade delegation visit to China and revealed details about business between the two far eastern countries.
The MRB explained that Malaysian rubber was well-known in China for its good quality. China imports about 1.4 million tonnes of NR per year, and this year, Malaysia’s NR exports to China are projected to increase to 350,000 tonnes from 290,000 last year.
Natural rubber prices will continue to rise next year even though output from the world’s leading producing countries is expected to increase, according to an expert from the London-based International Rubber Study Group (IRSG).
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