point-S UK recently held its first member only TPMS seminar as a result of recognising the importance of impending legislation and increasing numbers of TPMS equipped cars on the road. TPMS and consumables supply partner Autogem hosted the half-day session at the company’s headquarters in London.
Fast fit network HiQ has achieved a first in June’s round of satisfaction surveys: a 100 per cent rate of satisfaction. During the month more than 750 drivers who took their vehicles into HiQ centres completed “mirror hanger” satisfaction surveys. Since being launched in November 2009, the HiQ Mirror Hanger campaign has targeted thousands of customers and has been replicated at around 4,000 retail outlets across Europe. The latest results follow on from 99, 98 and 99 per cent satisfaction scores in March, April and May 2012 respectively. All these results are independently audited, HiQ says.
Michelin Tyre PLC is celebrating 10 years of its Performance and Responsibility Michelin (PRM) programme, the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility charter. In 2002, the company developed the PRM framework to provide a more strategic approach to the efforts it was already making to improve the support it provides to employees, communities and the environment.
Continental Tire the Americas has begun recruiting employees for its new plant in Sumter, South Carolina. The tyre maker says the staffing process and manufacturing training for the first 150 employees will begin in the first quarter of 2013, and during the first phase of production in late 2013 and early 2014 the Sumter facility will employ around 300 production workers. Around 1,600 people will work at the plant when work is complete and production is in full swing.
French catholic NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire reports that it and two Indian partners, the Tamil Nadu Land Rights Federation and Thervoy Sangam, together with NGOs Sherpa and the CGT, have reported Michelin to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for alleged violation of the OECD Guidelines for multinational enterprises. In a press statement dated 10 July, CCFD-Terre Solidaire accuses the tyre maker of not taking the needs and heritage of the local Dalit people – better known to the world as the Untouchable caste – into adequate consideration while erecting its plant in India’s Tamil Nadu state.
Michelin Training Centre (MTC) has confirmed that it will make its first appearance at a Brityrex exhibition in Manchester this October. For more than 25 years the Stoke-on-Trent based organisation has been considered the reference point for tyre industry training in the UK and Ireland and the decision to attend October’s Brityrex event at Event City in Manchester is being seen as a boost to the tyre exhibition.
A bit of healthy competition enhances performance, and with this in mind Bridgestone held its 2012 Equipment Maintenance Skills Competition on 12 July. A total of 57 Bridgestone employees from the company’s Japanese and overseas operations took part in the challenge, which was held at Bridgestone’s Global Manufacturing Education Center (G-MEC) building in Tokyo.
Driving tests could soon be available from branches of Halfords under plans announced by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning. As well as using traditional driving test centres, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is looking at working with public and private sector partners to provide driving test premises in selected areas that don't already have a local test centre.
Kumho Tires has gained “official recognition” for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 13,339 tons over the past five years. In a press statement, the Korean company’s Australian subsidiary reported that Kumho Tires achieved this reduction through upgrading production facilities and adopting renewable energy strategies while at the same time working to develop and manufacture more efficient fuel saving tyres. Kumho’s CO2 reduction plan was launched in 2005 by Kemco (Korea Energy Management Corporation) and was devised in response to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
On 2 July Superbike teams and riders will be given their first opportunity to experience Pirelli’s new 17-inch Diablo Superbike tyres for themselves. The tyre maker has confirmed a test day will be held at the Aragòn circuit in Spain next Monday for riders to check out prototypes of the tyre size the Superbike World Championship will run on as of next year. As part of the day’s programme, riders will initially ride on the current 16.5-inch tyres for a few laps – the same tyres available for this weekend’s race – before moving on to the 17-inch tyres. Pirelli says four 17-inch front tyres and four rear tyres will be used; in order to make a direct comparison easier, both these and the 16.5-inch tyres will feature the same compound, SC1.
Strathclyde Tyres is promoting apprenticeships as an alternative route to work for young people struggling to gain access to college courses that would have provided them with the vocational qualification to begin their working life.
The latest new motorcycle and scooter figures show last month sales overall were down 1 per cent against May 2011. Under 50cc bike sales were down 7.6 per cent in May, while over 50cc motorcycle sales matched those of last year.
Sue Robinson, director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association which represents motorcycle and franchised car retailers across the UK commented "The motorcycle market remained flat in May, with 100 fewer motorcycles sold than in the same month in 2011.
Careless drivers will be targeted under new proposals announced for consultation by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning. The proposals would make fixed penalty notices available for careless driving, giving the police greater flexibility in dealing with less serious careless driving offences and freeing them from resource intensive enforcement processes. The fixed penalty will also enable the police to offer educational training as an alternative to endorsement. Drivers would still be able to appeal any decision in court.
Southampton based Supertracker, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012, has recently introduced a new alignment-based addition to its extensive product portfolio – a new fully computerised truck aligner, the STR410T. The new aligner has been specifically produced for the commercial vehicle sector and provides many of the Supertracker STR410R car aligner's features as well as incorporating a number of additional data adjustments for the professional alignment of trucks.
Wheel alignment equipment distributor Pro-Align has continued to transmit a message of alignment services’ increased revenue potential, while seeking to raise professional alignment standards by launching a two-day assessed course teaching workshop technicians advanced wheel alignment practice. The company says that it championed the idea of a “speculative wheel alignment check” as a service most recently to highlight the speed of the new Hunter Elite TD. The company says that the check using this equipment lasts 90 seconds, showing the possibility of rapidly measuring all 14 primary alignment angles, identifying cars that were out of alignment quickly and accurately. Measurements using the machinery are carried out to the same high standards that motor manufacturers themselves would measure to and would uncover any important chargeable adjustment work.
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