Previously a regular visitor to the Essen Show, contract tyre distributor Enjoy Tyre supported the new The Tire Cologne in order to expand the firm’s corporate influence in Europe especially with respect to the company’s private brands – Rotalla and Routeway.
Between 29 May and 1 June Vipal Rubber attended The Tire Cologne, in Germany. On the trade show’s first day, Vipal Rubber representatives were among the featured speakers at the “Global Retreading Conference”. Specifically, Vipal Rubber’s Head of International Business, Leandro Rigon, was invited to talk about the tyre retreading situation in Latin America, also representing ALARNEU (Latin American Association of Tire Retread).
TRM, the Tyre Retreading Machinery division of Marangoni, is aiming to grow its business in South America, specifically the Brazilian market, the company said.
Pneumatic Components (PCL), the Sheffield-based manufacturer and distributor of pneumatic and tyre inflation systems, has launched a new and improved mobile nitrogen generation and inflation cart range.
Verona-based supplier of large OTR tyres, Maitech Tire was one of the 530 exhibitors at the recent The Tire Cologne exhibition, held between 29 May and 1 June. Stars of the 84 square metre Maitech stand were two examples of the company’s new range of premium, all-steel radial OTR tyres; the MT111, making their exhibition debuts.
A highlight at The Tire Cologne for Schrader Performance Sensors, the automotive aftermarket brand of Sensata Technologies, was presenting its patented, programmable TPMS EZ-sensor 2.0. Schrader calls the EZ-sensor 2.0 its “preferred system” and says that in terms of flexibility and future viability, programmable sensors like the EZ-sensor 2.0 are “clearly superior” to other universal sensors (configurable sensors or sensors with pre-programmed app codes) available on the market. The recently-released black aluminium valve version of the EZ-sensor 2.0 was also on display.
When we compared the visitor headcount at last week’s The Tire Cologne exhibition with those at Reifen 2016 two years earlier, we noted visitor numbers were down around 20 per cent this year – a figure we reached by examining the official post-show reports released after each respective event. But did attendance drop so sharply from the one show to the next, or were the published visitor numbers for Reifen 2016 incorrect? The former industry association partner to Reifen and current partner to The Tire Cologne says the figure for Reifen 2016 was a case of over-inflation, and points to statistics supporting this.
Back in 1994, a little-known tyre brand called Hankook entered the all-season market in Europe with the Optisuper. A lot has changed for the tyre maker since then, but it is still firmly in the all-season tyre business – and has now introduced its fifth-generation tyre, the Hankook Kinergy 4S².
With the introduction of the Wintrac Pro at The Tire Cologne, Vredestein has an ultra-high-performance winter tyre that meets growing demand within the UHP segment in general and 17-inch rim diameter size bracket in particular. This successor to the Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S is currently available in 30 sizes; a further five will soon follow, and the range will eventually be extended to more than 100 sizes.
Many consider it successor to the Reifen tyre fair, therefore comparisons are inevitable. For this reason, the organiser of The Tire Cologne may be nervous about visitor and exhibitor numbers. But should this be the case, Koelnmesse isn’t showing it.
It’s been dormant for a long while, but now Armstrong is back: Partnering with Netherlands-based tyre wholesaler Van den Ban, this week Zafco launched the next generation of Armstrong tyres at The Tire Cologne.
Giti Tire has given its first indication of the measures it is taking to shore up its European position in light of the EU tariffs introduced on commercial vehicle tyre produced in China. Presenting two of its most popular tyres, including the Giti GTR955 Combi Road, with “Made in Indonesia” highlighted on their sidewalls, the manufacturer is showing it is capable of shifting European truck tyre production to its Tangerang manufacturing complex in Jakarta, following a development completed in late 2016.
South Korea-based tyre manufacturer Hankook, which is a leading player in the UK truck tyre market in terms of unit volumes, has stated that it is not affected by the recently introduced European anti-Chinese truck tyre import tariffs. Commenting as part of a statement on the company’s current and ongoing exhibition plans, Tony Lee, Hankook Tire Europe vice president for marketing and sales said:
Wheel manufacturer Borbet is bringing an alphabet soup of new products with it to The Tire Cologne, including the BY, W and A.
Aeolus Tyre Co., Ltd. has emphasised its continued commitment to European markets. In a statement, the Chinese tyre maker describes its progress with the Aeolus brand within Europe as a “remarkable” achievement and stresses that the “unique position” it has claimed within the market will continue despite the introduction of anti-dumping duties. To facilitate this, some Aeolus tyre production will be relocated outside of China.
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