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EU Approves Majority Conti Holding in Matador

The EU Commission has given Continental the go-ahead for its acquisition of a majority holding in the Matador Group’s tyre, conveyor belt and rubber machinery operations, paving the way for the acquisition to be carried out once the spin-off of the “Matador Rubber Group” has been completed.

“This is an important step towards our goal of forging a stronger link to our extremely successful joint venture partner,” stated Continental’s executive board chairman, Manfred Wennemer. “At the same time it enables us to expand our production and operations base in Eastern Europe.” Štefan Rosina, CEO of the Matador Group, also expressed his satisfaction: “For us it opens up possibilities to develop further our automotive business in line with our strategy regarding new projects with automotive suppliers.”

11th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

GPX Appoints New Head of Supply Chain

GPX International Tire Corporation has announced the appointment of Glenn D. Booth to the position of global director of supply chain management, a role he commenced on June 4. He joins the company from Coca-Cola Enterprises, where he served as a regional director of logistics.

“GPX is delighted that Glenn has joined our growing team and we look forward to harnessing his supply chain, logistics and consulting experience to foster and enhance our supply chain and logistics operations” stated Bryan S. Ganz, chairman of GPX. “Through Glenn’s extensive background, he will help GPX to facilitate and implement a positive solution to our current and future supply chain management challenges.”

11th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Vietnamese, Indian Tyremakers Sign Supply Agreement

Vietnam’s Southern Rubber Industry Joint Stock Company, who trade under the name Casumina, has signed a cooperation contract with India’s JK Tyre and Industries Ltd. to export truck tyres and tubes. Under the terms of the contract signed on June 7, Casumina will sell 180,000 truck tyres and tubes to JK Tyre and Industries for US$17million. These products will initially be sold under the JK Tyre brand name and later, following consumer feedback on quality, they will be sold as Casumina branded products. As part of the agreement JK Tyre will provide its latest technology to Casumina.

Casumina manufactures tyres and tubes for trucks, passenger cars and two-wheel vehicles, and began production of radials in 2005. At present the company claims to be experiencing annual growth of 38 per cent, with turnover reaching $14 million last year. In 2006 the company signed a contract with Continental to produce light truck and motorcycle tyres and tubes for the Asian market. These products were produced in Malaysia under the Sime Tyres label.

11th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Raises Prices in Canada

(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire Canada Inc. is raising prices up to 5.5% on all Continental, General and associate brand passenger and light truck tyres.

Specific increases will vary by market line and/or size and take effect July 1. The increases are “a result of the escalation of transportation and other related operational expenses,” stated Continental in a release.

7th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Tyres Launch ‘Buy N Fly’ in Qatar

Ali Bin Khalifa Al Hitmi & Company, Qatar’s sole distributors of Yokohama tyres, is running a “Buy ‘N’ Fly” summer promotion that will last until July 31. The promotion, which entitles the end-user to a raffle coupon upon purchase of two passenger car, SUV or light truck tyres, features prizes including air travel packages for six persons, for three nights from Qatar Airways Holidays to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Other prizes include 10 LG slim televisions of 29 inches, 10 LG DVD players, 25 Nokia 1600 mobile phones and 10 Moulinex Blenders. The raffle draw will be held at Al Hitmi’s main showroom on Salwa Road on August 1.

The details of the draw was announced at a gathering held at the main showroom, attended by Yokohama’s general manager (Middle East) Taketoshi Morita, general manager of Ali Bin Khalifa Al Hitmi & Co, Adli Hashim Sourani, and Karun Menon, sales and marketing manager of the group.
Ali Bin Khalifa Al Hitmi & Co has been sole distributor of Yokohama tyres since in Qatar since 1964.

6th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti’s Testing Facility Turns 40

Continental has marked the 40th anniversary of the opening of their main test track in northern Germany. The facility, known as the Contidrom, initially consisted of a high-speed oval circuit with two straight measuring tracks when it opened in 1967. In later years more tracks have been added to the Contidrom in order to meet the higher demands placed upon more modern tyres.

Built in order to provide a sole location for testing that beforehand had been conducted on public roads, at airports and on closed pass roads, the original oval circuit is more than 2.8 kilometres long and features a 58-degree bank, permitting speeds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph) without encountering lateral forces. The maximum speed permitted on the circuit is more than 250km/h, an unimaginable speed for most motorists in 1967 and still sufficient for testing modern road-legal high performance tyres.

6th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Test Production Starts at Amtel-Vredestein Voronezh Plant

(Akron/Tire Review) Russian tyremaker Amtel-Vredestein N.V. announced the beginning of test production at its new facility in Voronezh. Amtel tyres will be the first to be produced there, followed by Vredestein and Maloya tyres after new rubber mixing equipment is installed by December.

The new 44,000-square metre facility was modeled after the tyremaker’s Vredestein Banden plant in Enschede, Holland. Voronezh II will initially produce approximately 2.5 million passenger car and light truck tyres per year, which could be expanded up to 4.1 million tyres per year with additional investment, according to Amtel-Vredestein.

31st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

‘The Acid Test is Quality’

When Peter Gaster is not acting as NTDA chairman, the other hat he wears is as group managing director of Kings Road Tyres (for details of his first speech in this role see this month’s TAFF awards coverage). On this occasion the conversation focused largely on KRT’s product range, the recent influx of OTR products and why many manufacturers failed to turn out at this year’s event.

With more tyres than any other stand at the show, Kings Road Tyres’ Brityrex exhibit marked itself apart from the rest. The majority of what was on show came from the company’s wide range of quality private and exclusive brand commercial vehicle tyres, but KRT also had selections from its passenger 4×4 ranges (including Cooper products) on show.

31st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Marangoni Launches Ringbuilder 3000

For Marangoni Retreading Systems, innovation Ringtread retreading technology is guided by the concept of a “production island”, i.e. a highly automated multi-purpose work centre with input of raw materials (compounds and tyre for retreading) and output of the end product (the retreaded tyre). The result of this philosophy is the new generation of “Ringbuilder” building machines, in version 3000 for large retreading firms and 2500 for medium-sized retreaders. Taking up from where the previous RB2500 left off, the RB 3000 further develops the concept of high-level automation and throughput.

31st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Enjoying Strong European Truck Volumes

Michelin could report a pre-tax profit (EBIT) increase of up to 40 per cent for the first half of 2007, according to Deutsche Bank analysts. The positive performance has been supported by strong truck replacement market sales. Truck replacement markets are reportedly up by a 14 per cent in Europe (+3 per cent year-to-date) and down 7 per cent in North America (-5 per cent year-to-date).

Michelin’s advantage here comes in the fact that it has a better country mix for this scenario with 50 per cent of sales being generated in Europe and only 35 per cent in North America (55 per cent of these are passenger car tyres, with 33 per cent truck tyres). Add to that the fact that selling prices are up to 50 per cent higher in Europe than in North America, and analysts expect strong first half EBIT increases.

30th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Chosen for Green LCV

Coventry based manufacturer of zero emission commercial vehicles, Modec Limited, have chosen to fit Kumho tyres as OE on their range of environmentally friendly vehicles. Kumho will supply freight truck tyres to Modec, who officially opened their Binley factory on March 8. The Modec range of electric light commercial vehicles, which are powered by nickel chloride batteries, reportedly generate 102bhp and can reach a top speed of 50mph with a range of 100mph. The Modec is able to carry a load of up to 2 tons.

Kumho has participated in the development of the Modec from the earliest stages. “I am very honoured to work with Kumho Tires, who have supported this project and process from the beginning,” said Graham Mclntosh, product developer at Modec Limited. “Kumho Tires’ product fits the quality and price of Modec which is in high demand in urban cities.”

29th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Heading from Strength to Strength

Following its purchase by the TYM Group in 2004, TYM International has had a remarkably successful three years, with year on year growth forcing the company to seek new and larger freehold premises in Kings Lynn at the start of 2007. Although under new ownership TYM continued their longstanding relationship with Slovakian tyremaker Matador, and today have supplied the brand to UK wholesalers for more than a decade. It is largely thanks to TYM, in addition to the manufacturer’s links with Germany’s Continental, that Matador has left behind its former image as a budget brand in the UK.

In the last three or so years TYM has added two more key brands to their portfolio, with the company commencing the supply of Triangle Tyres products in 2004, an arrangement further cemented by the signing of a three-year deal in September 2006. “Triangle is a great product with a superb range in passenger, Truck and Earthmover,” commented TYM International general manager Steve Eke. “This complete product range has fitted well into the portfolio of our company.” A further feather in the company’s cap came at the end of 2004 when TYM was appointed as a UK importer of products manufactured by Taiwan-based Kenda Tire.

24th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sibur-Russian Tyres Looks for PCR Production Partner

Be in no doubt – Russian manufacturer Sibur-Russian Tyres has set its sights on the global market. And with annual sales of around $800 million and debts of only $100 million, the company has a good credit rating and is willing to go to great lengths in order to achieve this end. The plan, which is already underway, is to enact a radical restructuring programme that will see Sibur-Russian Tyres focus on high value business (like its currently strong truck tyre operation), and offer itself up to premium international manufacturers as a minority shareholder in a new Greenfield passenger car tyre production joint venture. In an interview with Tyres & Accessories during Brityrex International ‘07, Sibur-Russian Tyres business development director Igor Karavaev explained just how his company planned to achieve this; and what lessons they have learnt from certain other Russian tyre businesses.

23rd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bemenet plc Introduces Tubeless Michelin Tyre to Ethiopia

The authorized dealer for Michelin Tyres for Ethiopia, Bemenet plc, has finished preparations to import tubeless truck tyres for the first time. The Company displayed sample tyres at the fourth International Automotive Fair recently.

Mr. Kishore Namburi, sales manager of Michelin to Ethiopia has been giving explanations about advantages truck owners can obtain using the tubeless tyre: “There is a refusal to accept new technology by Ethiopian customers. In Kenya, almost 80 per cent of the trucks use the tubeless tyre. Cost per kilometre is cheaper than tube tyres and consumes from 6-8 per cent less fuel, because it has the ability to travel longer. The tubeless tyre has a low profile, which defines the relation between the tyres section width and cross section height and expressed in percentage, the lowest is the preferable profile.”

“It is easy to fit and remove,” said Woizero Hirut Alamerew, managing director of Bemenet plc. It takes only two minutes to fit and remove the tyre during travel, and if some thing punctures the tyre, it does not need a professional. The driver can fix it with a glue like product Michelin Tyres provided, added Hirut.

23rd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Techking Tires Becomes 100th Exhibitor at Tyrexpo Asia’07

China’s Techking Tires has become the one hundredth exhibitor to sign up for September’s TyrexpoAsia exhibition in Singapore, breaking all records for the show as it approaches its 10th anniversary. The OTR specialist is one of more than 20 Chinese companies who have helped swell exhibitor numbers, which have also been supported by increased interest from India and host nation, Singapore.

Newera Equipment and its subsidiary, Kayel Rubber Products, is one Singaporean business that will be making a major statement of intent. Working with its supplier partners from around the world, Newera will be exhibiting on no-less than five stands.

The company is Asia’s largest supplier of tyre-related equipment and will be displaying the latest computerised buffing machine from Matteuzzi. It will also be showcasing the Double Envelope System from Italian supplier MAE and another highlight will be the advanced Shearography Non Destructive Testing technology from German company, Steinbichler.

21st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors