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Bridgestone Bulldog Held 7.5% UK Retread Market Share in 2007

Bridgestone first started working with Bulldog remoulds as its preferred retreading partner in the 1990’s Everything changed in April 2005 when Bridgestone bought the Bourne, Lincolnshire-based retreader, bringing with it plans to more than double the site’s previous annual output and radically overhaul the operation. Tyres & Accessories gained an exclusive insight into what has happened at Bulldog during a recent visit to Bridgestone UK’s newly updated retread production headquarters.

28th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Poland Expansion to Create 400 New Jobs

As reported on February 26, Goodyear has requested that Poland’s TC Debica, in which it holds the major shareholding, triple its production of commercial vehicle tyres from 1,700 to 5,000 units a day. This increase output is needed, says Goodyear, to meet European demand for high quality truck tyres.

Goodyear has had a majority ownership interest in TC Debica, Poland’s largest tyremaker, since 1995, and the Polish company’s management board will decide whether to go ahead with making the necessary investment to expand production there. Goodyear estimates the expansion will require an investment of more than US$200 million. Such an investment, which would likely involve assistance from Polish national and regional authorities, would create 350 to 400 new jobs at TC Debica.

27th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Chinese Court Enforces Bridgestone Patent Infringement Ruling

On February 27 Bridgestone publicly released details of a recent patent infringement case in China. A Beijing court has ruled in favour of Bridgestone Corporation in a patent infringement case against Chaoyang Long March Tyre Co., Ltd, the Liaoning Province based manufacturer of the Long March brand of truck tyres.

After it came to Bridgestone’s attention that the design of certain Long March truck and bus radials may infringe the tyre major’s patented intellectual property, the company commenced legal action against Long March in December 2006. The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court presided over the proceedings, and upon deliberation, ruled in favour of Bridgestone in March 2007. Long March Tyre was ordered to stop manufacturing and selling the infringing products, and to pay damages to Bridgestone. As Long March Tyre did not file an appeal, the ruling became effective.

27th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Settles Minority Shareholder Unease in Poland

A disagreement between Goodyear and the largest minority shareholder in its Polish TC Debica operation has been resolved. On February 26 the US tyre major agreed with Polish investment fund PZU Asset Management that it would increase its stake in and significantly increase its production of commercial vehicle tyres.

The dispute originated in allegations from minority shareholders that Goodyear was harming their interests through intra-group transactions that diminished TC Debica’s results in favour of those of the parent company. After disappointing third-quarter results PZU Asset Management, which holds about 15 per cent of TC Debica shares, and other investors called for a shareholders meeting to appoint an independent auditor to investigate the relationship between Debica and Goodyear.

26th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Signs Research Agreement

On February 22 the Pirelli Group signed an agreement to collaborate with Italy’s Piedmont Region, Turin Province, the Municipality of Settimo Torinese and the Politecnico di Torino University in the development of programmes for research and innovation; specifically, the agreement covered the building of a new Pirelli industrial complex in the territory of Settimo Torinese.

The agreement includes the introduction of cutting edge technologies in Pirelli’s industrial facilities in Settimo Torinese, where the company’s tyre sector research is focused. These technologies include: next generation MIRS, which Pirelli refers to as “a significant evolution” in the automated process of tyre manufacturing and guarantees product quality and uniformity; the Cyber Tyre, an “intelligent” tyre containing sensors that will be able to transmit information pertinent to driving and control of the vehicle; and TSM, a new process for mixing materials that offers high levels of quality and reliability.

25th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear to Give Max Technology UK launch at CV Show

Goodyear Dunlop will be using the 2008 Commercial Vehicle Show (15-17 April) to launch its innovative Goodyear Max Technology ranges to the UK market. According to the company, Max Technology benefits are said to include improvements to fuel consumption, shorter wet braking, greater load capacity and longer tyre life. To prove their performance, Goodyear’s new regional and long haul truck tyres have been independently tested and successfully compared with not only their predecessors but also their competition. Max Technology includes new high silica content tread compounds, new tread designs, new carcass construction and new sizes.

25th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNT Extends Warranty For Bridgestone, Bandag Products

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT) has introduced an extended warranty for its premium truck tyres and casings, increasing the coverage period for seven years and three retreads. The new limited warranty covers the Bridgestone brand commercial tyres sold in North America and casings when retreaded with the Bandag process.

Bridgestone offers to replace Bridgestone brand medium commercial truck tyres if they become unusable before wearing to 2/32˝ remaining tread depth within seven years from the date of manufacture; BFNT will credit the owner $130.00 ($160.00 in Canada). If a Bridgestone-brand casing becomes unusable before three Bandag retreads, the owner will be credited $100.00 ($125.00 in Canada).

21st February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

2007 a Strong Year For Bridgestone, 2008 to be Tougher

Full year 2007 financial results for Bridgestone Corporation were released on January 19, and these figures paint a picture of a healthy year’s trading. Net sales increased 13 per cent to 3,390.2 billion yen (£16.118 billion), and operating income jumped 31 per cent, or 59 billion yen (£280.5 million), to 249.9 billion yen (£1.19 billion). Net income, at 131.6 billion yen (£625.65 million), showed a 55 per cent increase on 2006 results.

Bridgestone reports that, amidst an environment of increasing raw material costs, a slowing US economy, recovering Japanese and European economies and economic growth in Asia, Bridgestone group companies managed to increase production capacity in strategic product lines while benefiting from strengths in research and development. Furthermore, Bridgestone adds the companies “also maintained group-wide efforts to enhance their portfolio of highly competitive products and businesses despite an increasingly difficult business environment caused by changes in the global structure of demand and competition.”

20th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Shown the Door at Speedco

US truck fast fit chain Speedco, majority owned by Bridgestone Bandag LLC, announced on February 15 that it would phase out Michelin as the premium tyre brand offered at its outlets, replacing the range with products from Bridgestone and Firestone. The company reports that truck tyres from the Bridgestone family will join Bandag retreads at the 51 Speedco locations throughout the US.

“Our customers appreciate the speed in which we return them to the road, and they come back for the value and the quality,” commented Speedco president Mark Clark. “The addition of the Bridgestone and Firestone brands enhances our offering with best-in-class tyres in the popular sizes our customers are looking for.”

19th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Double Coin Joins TRIB

Double Coin has joined the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB), bringing TRIB’s membership to 480 members in 48 countries. Double Coin has joined under the banner of China Manufacturer’s Alliance (CMA), the US cooperative that names a number of Chinese brands within its ranks.

“TRIB continues to grow internationally as more and more companies in the new tyre and retread industries throughout the world realize that TRIB is the only international retread industry association representing new tire manufacturers, retreaders and tyre repair companies,” said Harvey Brodsky, TRIB’s Managing Director.

15th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

North American Retreading Conference Grows in 2008

According to statistics released by TRIB, approximately 18.6 million retreaded tyres were sold in the North America region (US, Canada & Mexico) in 2006, generating sales exceeding US$3 billion. Other sources indicate that the US retreading market alone generated revenues of $1.25 billion in 2006, growing to $1.5 billion the following year. The majority of these were medium truck tyres, and in this market nearly half of all replacement truck tyres fitted to vehicles are now retreads. To keep abreast of developments in this lucrative industry – 2007 gross profit in the US retreading market was estimated at 13 per cent of sales – a number of those associated with the 900 or so retreading facilities operating in North America attended this year’s Commercial Tire, Retread & Recycling Conference (CTRRC) in Florida between February 5 and 8.

14th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Parker Hannifin Releases New Gen Nitrogen Inflator

The Process Filtration division of Parker Hannifin, the world’s largest manufacturer of motion and control technologies, has launched the latest version of its TyreSaver self-contained nitrogen generation system. The benefits of substituting air with nitrogen within a vehicle’s tyre are well known and use of the gas can improve both vehicle safety and efficiency. The TyreSaver system works by separating nitrogen and oxygen from the atmosphere by means of a compressor and specially developed hollow fibre membrane filters. The system is compact, simple to use and energy efficient as it needs only a low operating pressure for the membrane filters to function effectively. Furthermore, as there are no moving parts TyreSaver is said to be extremely reliable and requires only minimal maintenance.

13th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

RMA Sees Truck Tyre Safety Regulations Coming

The US Rubber Manufacturers Association expects the NHTSA to outline its new tyre safety regulations covering medium/heavy truck tyres later this year, according to Dan Zielinski, vice president of communications, who made a presentation during last week’s TIA Commercial Tire, Retread & Recycling Conference. The conference was held in conjunction with ATA’s TMC Show in Orlando.

Zielinski said NHTSA intends to update FMVSS 119, but retreaded truck tyres are not expected to be part of that update. Retreads, instead, may be dealt with separately in the future. (Tire Review/Akron)

12th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

The Nominations Are In…

Chris Anthony
Editor, Tyrepress.com/Tyres & Accessories

Tyre Industry Publications, Federation House, Station Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2SA, United Kingdom
+44 (0)1782 969860

The content herein is expressly intended for the person(s) addressed, and for business purposes. Any other communication is the sole opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of Tyre Industry Publications Ltd.

8th February 2008/by Chris

MMH Supplying Eldan Equipment at Home and Abroad

West Sussex based marketer and distributor of recycling equipment, MMH Recycling Systems, reports it is continuing to supply top quality equipment for the tyre recycling industry through its partnership with Danish manufacturer Eldan Recycling A/S. During 2007 MMH supplied new equipment to four recycling facilities, and in the coming few months several more plants, currently under production, will be delivered to UK customers.

The company provides a complete service to its customers, which can include designing, building and commissioning everything from a single machine to a complete, highly automated, tyre recycling plant. Equipment supplied by MMH Recycling Systems and used by many successful tyre recyclers employs a simple, reliable and cost effective method of shredding & granulating tyres and separating the resultant rubber, steel and fibres.

7th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors