Toyo Tire USA Corp. has expanded its online fitment guide with the release of a mobile version for Android phones, reports Tire Review. The Tire Finder now works with Apple iPhones, iTouches and Google Android operating system handheld devices.
Following a career with Toyo Tire U.S.A spanning 28 years, Steve Weinger has announced his retirement. Weinger joined Toyo in 1982 after more than nine years with Michelin, and was initially employed in the commercial product side of the company as Fleet Promotions sales manager. Later he became the national director of Truck Tire Sales and progressed to ultimately take on the position of senior vice president of Sales & Marketing. Toyo comments that, while serving in that capacity, he implemented programmes which resulted in record increases in overall sales.
Toyo Tires has announced it will again join Micheldever and Protyre at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which the manufacturer describes as a “key event in the motorsport calendar”. Toyo declared itself proud to be associated with its partners at Goodwaood, since “Micheldever is one of the UK’s leading tyre distributors, which also has its own very successful and ever-expanding retail chain, Protyre”.
The world’s top 10 tyre makers now have a new addition in the form of Taiwanese manufacturer Cheng Shin Rubber. Now that almost all the major tyre manufacturers’ sales figures are in, the numbers show that Cheng Shin Rubber – producer of the Maxxis brand – leapfrogged Toyo and Giti Tire into 10th place in 2009. Last year the company ranked 12th on the Tyres & Accessories leaderboard.
Toyo Tire & Rubber has announced a return to the black with a net income of 2,957 million yen (₤21.5 million) for the 2009 fiscal year. The Japanese company, which made a 10,722 million yen loss during the 2008 financial year, earned a profit in the 12 months to March 31, 2010 despite a 12.4 per cent decline in net sales to 287,726 million yen (₤2.1 billion). Operating income during the recent financial year amounted to 8,664 million yen (₤62.9 million). The company’s tyre business unit posted net sales of 214,291 million yen (₤1.6 billion), accounting for 74.5 per cent of total net sales and a 11.5 per cent drop from 2008 sales. Ordinary income for the 2009 financial year was 6,933 million yen (₤50.3 million); a year earlier an ordinary loss of 1,395 million yen was recorded.
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. has obtained local government authorization for its wholly-owned subsidiary in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, China to proceed with manufacturing passenger and light truck tyres. The company announced its decision to establish Toyo Tires Zhangjiagang Co., Ltd., on 28 January 2010. Operations are expected to commence by the end of 2011. Initial production capacity during the first phase will be 2 million passenger car/light truck tyres a year.
Toyo Tire USA said it would again increase prices on its Toyo brand passenger, light truck/SUV, medium truck and OTR tyres, says Tire Review. The 1 June increase will be up to 8 per cent, with in-line adjustments. This is Toyo’s second price hike of the year, having taken increases of up to 7 per cent bump on medium truck tyres and up to 6 per cent on consumer tyres earlier this year.
Toyo Tire & Rubber states its Board of Directors has approved the company’s decision to waive a US$35.8 million inter-company debt owed by Toyo Automotive Parts. By writing-off this debt, Toyo says it seeks to enable this wholly-owned North American automotive parts manufacturing subsidiary to proceed with the restructuring of its business operations.
Toyo Tire Europe has announced the Spring 2010 European launch for two of the company’s tyre ranges. The Proxes C1S and Proxes T1 Sport are both scheduled for release in this region, thereby strengthening Toyo’s high performance offering here. The Proxes C1S is described as a UHP comfort tyre designed for powerful executive cars. Toyo states that the Proxes C1S blends a refined, quiet ride with outstanding high speed manoeuvrability plus reduced rolling resistance.
Toyo Tire USA has announced the hiring of Anne Holland as the company’s sales operations manager. Holland will report to John Hagan, senior director of sales operations. “We would like to welcome Ms Holland to the Toyo Tires team,” said Yasushi Takagi, president & CEO, Toyo Tire USA. “She brings valuable experience to her department and will be a great asset to the company.”
Toyo Tires reports the SmartWay certification of a fourth commercial vehicle tyre in its US range. The US Environmental Protection Agency has certified the M154 steer tyre as meeting the SmartWay criteria when used in a set on a rig equipped with Toyo’s M657 drive tyre and M127 free-rolling tyre for trailer axles. Owners and fleet operators can now choose between two Toyo products for the steer position, the M154 for regional trucking and the M137 for long-haul applications.
Escalating raw material costs have prompted Toyo Tire Europe to raise its tyre prices. As of May 1, prices for tyres in all product categories sold throughout Europe will increase by an average of five per cent. The company states that increases in individual sizes may vary by market, however.
Tire Review reports the appointment of two new chiefs at Goodyear and Toyo in the US. Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing has promoted Allan Huggins to CFO and senior director of finance and accounting. Huggins joined Toyo in 2005 most recently served as director of finance and purchasing. Meanwhile, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co has promoted Jim McKinnon to vice president and chief information officer.
Following the 2009 completion of an expansion project that doubled Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing’s White, Georgia facility’s physical size to approximately 160,000 square metres, the plant is operating at an annual capacity of 2.5 million tyres. However Toyo says that plans are already in place to install new machinery and expand production capabilities as early as this summer. Output is projected to reach four million tyres by 2012, and Toyo has indicated it will increase the plant’s workforce to accommodate this higher level of production.
Toyo Tires has launched its latest addition to the Versado range in the US. The Versado CUV, designed for crossover vehicles, is promoted as being Toyo Tires’ “most efficient tyre yet” thanks to the low rolling resistance compound utilised. The tyre features an asymmetrical, non-directional tread, and Toyo reports the Versado’s four circumferential tread grooves contain the company’s trademarked ‘Silent Wall’ technology, which it explains as thousands of vertical serrations along the grooves’ walls that help to significantly reduce “pipe resonance”, a whistling noise audible to the human ear.
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