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Bridgestone Americas Officially Opens New Manufacturing Facility

November 7 marks the official grand opening of the first tyre manufacturing facility outside of Japan to utilise Bridgestone’s “BIRD” technology. National, state and regional officials from the Republic of Mexico will join representatives from Bridgestone Corporation, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire and Bridgestone Neumáticos de Monterrey (BSMR) at the company’s new plant in Monterrey, in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, to commemorate the occasion.

With a production capacity of about 8,000 tyres a day, the Monterrey plant has generated more than US$200 million in investment to date. As previously mentioned, the facility employs Bridgestone’s new BIRD tyre production system, which stands for “Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development.” According to Bridgestone, BIRD is the world’s first production system for tyres that completely automates all stages of tyre manufacturing, from the initial processing of materials to final inspection of the finished product. Additionally, the manufacturer reports that the BIRD system allows for greater flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs because of its capacity to make several different types and sizes of tyre simultaneously.

7th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Nokian Reports Strong Q3 Sales Growth

Nokian Tyres has reported a 27.9 per cent increase in third quarter net sales, having earned a total of 236 million euros during the three-month period. This gives the company a year to date net sales increase of 25.2 per cent, up from 533.9 million to 668.9 million euros. Operating profit for the quarter was 51.6 million euros, a 39.5 per cent increase on the same period last year. For the nine months of 2007 operating profit is recorded as 140.8 million euros, a sizeable 64.5 per cent rise from last year’s January to September operating profit of 85.6 million euros. Quarterly net profit was 37.4 million euros, a 36 per cent increase on the July-September 2006 profit of 27.5 million euros, and net profit for the nine-month period stands at 107.5 million euros, 81.2 per cent higher than during the same period last year.

Nokian Tyres’ president and CEO Kim Gran commented “the third quarter, in line with the earlier part of the year, was a success for Nokian Tyres. Net sales grew in all profit centres, and the operating profit improved from the previous year both during the third quarter and the period January-September. Sales grew in all key markets, particularly in Russia.

2nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Stamford Keeps Moving With Wheel Production

For the Stamford group Tyrexpo Asia has been a fixed event from the start, with both the company and exhibition being based in Singapore. Stamford, which is also listed on the Singapore stock exchange, is not only known within the tyre industry for its global wholesaling business; during the last three years it has also become very well known through its own wheel production activities. In 2004 Stamford Tyres began operating its Thai subsidiary Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW), which produces light alloy wheels in a low-pressure casting process. But because the new factory is already operating up to its capacity limits, the company is currently investing another 20 million US dollars in order to establish a second wheel factory on the same site near Thailand’s capital Bangkok, says Roger Chang, CEO of Stamford Sport Wheels Co. Ltd.

The initial plans to build its own factory arose when demand for Stamford’s private brand was growing ever stronger at a time when suitable offtake partners possessing additional capacities in the region were becoming more and more difficult to find. This led to the decision to trust in its own capabilities to install and operate a wheel factory rather than continuously exist in a state of uncertainty with regards to the supply situation, the CEO told Tyres & Accessories during an interview at Tyrexpo Asia in Singapore: “The supply situation with light alloy wheels had become an issue.” Consequently, the wholesaler and retailer decided to also become a manufacturer. Thus, since the beginning of 2004 Stamford has operated its SSW factory in Thailand and maintains about 300 employees there. These staff produce about 400,000 light alloy wheels in sizes up to 24 inches per year.

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Reports Improved Third Quarter Sales & Net Income

Bridgestone announced its third quarter results on November 1, along with combined results for the first three quarters of the year. These figures revealed a 303.7 billion (£1.28 billion) or 14 per cent increase in net sales for the first nine months of the year, with sales for Q1 to Q3 2007 recorded as 2,466.7 billion yen (£10.36 billion). Operating income increased 32 per cent during the same period, rising to 162.8 billion yen (£683 million), with net income jumping 64 per cent to 82.3 billion yen (£345.6 million).

The company received 1,993 billion yen (£8.37 billion) through the sale of tyres during the first nine months of the year, 16 per cent more than for the same period of 2006. Operating income for Bridgestone’s tyre operation was 123.1 billion yen (£516.9 million), an increase of 44 per cent over 2006. Bridgestone reports that it worked to “maximise sales momentum by introducing appealing new products worldwide, while at the same time improving and expanding strategic production sites around the world in support of those products that have been identified as strategic and important to the company’s future growth.”

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Samson Machinery – Designed to Last

Taiwan’s Samson Machinery Inc., has enjoyed steady growth since its establishment in 1975 by Mr. Lin Kun-Te. During this time the company has acquired a high level of knowledge in the area of tyre manufacturing equipment. This knowledge, along with the experience gained through 32 years in the business, has been instrumental in facilitating the company’s expansion, especially during the last few years. In order to keep pace with customer demand Samson moved into a newer and larger premises in September 2006, and from this new location it continues to provide equipment to customers worldwide.

Today Samson supplies a full range of tyre building machinery suitable for large or small tyre manufacturers engaged in a range of market segments. The company’s main products include: Tyre building machines, band building machines, ply servicers, building drums & related accessories, tyre trimming machinery, green tyre splicing machines, curing presses, and horizontal ply auto cutting & splicing machines. Machinery that is suited to the production of most tyres, including bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, passenger car radial, light truck radial, SUV, truck & bus, industrial and OTR, even aircraft tyres and radial truck tyres can be ordered. Customers can order machinery for bias and radial, semi-steel or all-steel, small and large sizes.

31st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Starco Group Bound for Growth in Asia

Known in Europe as the market leader for small tyres, Denmark’s Starco group is currently taking steps to also secure a foothold in Asia. One such step, for example, is Starco’s first time presence at this year’s Tyrexpo Asia, explained Brian Lorentzen. Evidence that the Danish company is pursuing a strong growth strategy can be seen from even a brief look at the company’s annual reports and the development of Starco’s turnover. For example, last year Starco generated a turnover of US$100 million, this year the figure will very likely be 100 million euros. This means that the leading company in the European market for small tyres will experience about 30 per cent growth within just 12 months. Over the last ten years the Starco group has even achieved an increase in its annual turnover by a factor of ten.

31st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Makes Energy Saving Big News

Michelin wants the world to know that its energy saving tyres reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – and on October 30 the French tyre major launched a novel new method of getting its message across. Every evening at 7pm the company will project “Green” meters onto prominent landmarks in four major world cities. These meters will display the estimated fuel savings and reductions in CO2 emissions achieved since 1992, the year Michelin first released low rolling resistance tyres with silica used in part as a substitute for carbon black.

Featuring Bibendum, the iconic Michelin Man, the meters will be projected onto the façade of the Park Inn Hotel in Berlin, the NASDAQ and Reuters boards in New York’s Times Square, the Port de Suffren at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, and on the City Group Mansion tower, across from the Bund, in Shanghai – four cities, says Michelin, whose growth has been driven by the mobility of the goods and people who come and go every day.

31st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Q1-3 Sales up 4%

Michelin has announced that its consolidated net sales for the first nine months of 2007 have risen 4.0 per cent to almost 12.6 billion euros, an increase of 7.2 per cent (at constant exchange rates). Third quarter sales were slightly under 4.2 billion euros, a 2.5 per cent increase at constant exchange rates that Deutsche Bank analysts report is “in line” with its estimate of 4.3 billion euros. The German bank’s Equity Research division further commented that the key positive factors driving earnings in the third quarter, a period it has described as “uneventful”, were Michelin’s price/mix, up 3.7 per cent or 153 million euros, and volume, which showed a 1.4 per cent or 59 million euro rise.

Over this same quarterly period the company’s sales volumes posted a year-on-year growth of almost 3.0 per cent. During the first six months of the year this increase was at a rate of 3.6 per cent, but during the third quarter growth slowed to 1.4 per cent; Michelin’s replacement passenger and light truck tyre business was impacted by what the company has called “less supportive European and North American markets” during the quarter, while in the US Michelin’s sales of truck tyres dropped by 39.2 per cent as a result of a sharp decline in truck OEM activity.

30th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Information on Hankook Tyre Theft Sought

A container of truck tyres were stolen from Hankook Tyre early on Thursday morning. The company is any seeking information regarding this occurrence. The sizes of the tyres stolen are 315/80R22.5 AH11, 275/70R22.5 AU02W and 295/80R22.5 AH11. The contact number should anyone have any information is 01327 304100.

29th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Retreaders Work on Their Contacts in Singapore

Tyrexpo Asia is not only a very interesting show for wholesalers, dealers and manufacturers of new tyres. In parallel with the increasing “Westernisation” of many markets in the region, suppliers of treads and tread rubber as well as equipment for the retreading business play an increasingly important role for Tyrexpo Asia, and this has not only been the case for this year’s show. Despite this, it has to be admitted that in previous years more companies from the retreading industry were present during the Singapore show, such as, for example, Goodway from Malaysia or Vipal from Brazil. So, this year’s exhibition appeared to lack some important market players. However, many others, including several companies from Europe and Northern America came or returned to exhibit at Tyrexpo Asia and thus benefited from it.

29th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Information on Hankook Tyre Theft Sought

A container of truck tyres were stolen from Hankook Tyre early on Thursday morning. The company is any seeking information regarding this occurrence. The sizes of the tyres stolen are 315/80R22.5 AH11, 275/70R22.5 AU02W and 295/80R22.5 AH11. The contact number should anyone have any information is 01327 304100.

29th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrexpo Asia: Wholesalers Keep a Strong Presence

It appears that Tyrexpo Asia – like other leading international tyre shows – represents a must-do for wholesalers from Europe. At a minimum members of these companies’ top management come to Tyrexpo Asia as visitors, but many companies each year book floor space in the Singapore Expo Centre for Tyrexpo Asia. Counted amongst the latter is the commercial tyre specialist Heuver Banden from the Netherlands, which displayed its products together with the manufacturer of the new “Maitech“ OTR tyre brand. The distribution rights of this brand have been granted to Heuver Banden for major parts of Europe by Uzmai International from Verona, Italy – however, the tyres are produced in Turkey, as Oskar Snijders, director wholesale with the Dutch distributor, explained.

26th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Apollo Results Show Growing Profits & EU Presence

The board of directors at Apollo Tyres made public details of the company’s unaudited second quarter and half-year results on October 26, figures that indicate strong profits. Combined India and South Africa net sales for the quarter between 1 July and 30 September were recorded as Rs 10,848.97 million (£134 million), slightly lower than the same period a year earlier (Rs 10,903.43 million). However, profits trebled: The Rs 182.18 million (£2.25 million) profit gained in second quarter 2006 swelled to Rs 576.09 million (£7.11 million) this year. Half year profits for the six months ended September 30 showed a similar trend, growing from Rs 298.69 million (£3.69 million) to Rs 1,122.5 million (£13.86 million).

26th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kargro Group Takes Rumal to Asia

Asian tyre markets are perhaps not the easiest markets for a company focusing on the buying and selling of casings and used tyres. However, said Ko van der Heijden, director of the Dutch Kargro group, the Tyrexpo Asia show always has been and still is “a good show for us.” This is true in particular because the Kargro group has put much effort into the development of its subsidiary, Rubber Maalindustrie Limburg, known in short as Rumal. As a recycler of scrap tyres Rumal has been among the leading European tyre market players for two decades now, Mr van der Heijden said. In Rumal’s recycling facility in the Netherlands’ south about 35,000 tonnes of scrap tyres are processed every year and are shredded to become tyre granulates or rubber crumb. These recycled products are then employed as a new raw material for the production of flooring material or shoe soles. While to date Rumal has mostly served customers in Europe, according to the company’s director the Kargro group is now also trying to obtain a foothold in Asian tyre markets– Rumal is actively looking for new customers in Asia.

25th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

TRIB Publishes Retreading Statistics

North American based member supported industry association the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB) reports that approximately 18.6 million retreaded tyres were sold in North America during 2006, with sales exceeding US$3 billion. The majority of these were medium truck tyres. TRIB further reports that currently there are approximately 900 independent and manufacturer linked retreading plants operating in North America.

24th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors