Across the Atlantic they are called tires, while over here we use a “Y” and say tyres. This tag provides the latest tyre business news emanating from the United States of America (USA), whichever way you spell it.
On 16 May, Bridgestone Americas held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of work to expand its Bridgestone Bandag, LLC manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas. The US$60 million project will increase the facility’s floorspace by 50,000 square feet and meet growing demand for the company’s tread rubber products, with operations at the expanded plant scheduled to fun on six and seven-day production schedules.
Michelin is recalling more than half a million all-season light truck tyres in the USA and Canada as they carry the 3PMSF symbol on the sidewall but do not comply with related local legislation. The voluntary recall affects up to 542,110 aftermarket Michelin Agilis CrossClimate C-Metric tyres produced in France and Poland.
Yokohama Corporation of North America (YCNA) has sold the assets of Missouri-based tyre wholesaler Friend Tire Company (FTC) to tyre dealer network and retreader Southern Tire Mart (STM). The agreement was finalised on 1 April 2023.
Nokian Tyres has begun construction work on a finished goods warehouse at the Dayton, Tennessee production site where it is currently doubling production capacity for all-season and all-weather tyres and adding light truck tyres to the product mix. The warehouse will hold as many as 600,000 tyres and should be ready for use by mid-2024.
On 23 March, the 100 millionth Yokohama tyre – Geolandar A/T G015 – rolled off the production line at the company’s Salem, Virginia factory.
Across the Atlantic, Yokohama Tire Corporation, the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has launched the Geolandar A/T XD. The Geolandar A/T XD is engineered for “full-size pickup trucks and commercial vans”. It is severe snow service-rated and moulded for optional studs purportedly offering “outstanding on- and off-road traction all year round”. The A/T XD is initially available in 21 sizes ranging from 16 to 20 inches, with more sizes coming later in the year.
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is the brand’s last V-8 muscle car and the final home for the 6.2 litre Hellcat engine, which is being retired to make way for eMuscle. As the concluding chapter in Dodge’s V-8 muscle story, the SRT Demon 170 will reportedly be the world’s quickest 0-60 mph production car. Mickey Thompson Tires has taken on the important car-to-road remit.
Next Century Ventures (NCV), Nexen Tire’s venture capital arm, has invested in Automotus, a curbside management technology company. Nexen representatives described the investment as a way of meeting “NCV’s goals to revolutionize the mobility industry”. No financial details have been released.
Alongside an exclusive tour of Linglong Tire’s new European production base in Serbia, Tyres & Accessories sat down with chairman Wang Feng in a conversation that covered topics including the company’s plans for its latest factory in Serbia, the location of its next manufacturing investment and the fast-growing tyre manufacturer’s strategic goals.
10 years after Apollo Tyres’ bid to acquire Cooper Tire fell through, vice-chairman and managing director Neeraj Kanwar says the company is putting its emphasis on back on North America and even hinted at the goal of building a tyre production facility there.
In the USA, Vipal Rubber exhibited at the 68th Off-the-Road Tire Conference fair. Running between 22 and 25 February at the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort in the city of Tucson, Arizona and organized by the Tire Industry Association, the OTR Tire Conference presents innovations from the off-road sector.
Pre-Q Galgo Corporation (Galgo) exhibited at the TMC’s 2023 Transportation Technology Exhibition in Orlando, Florida between 27 February and 1 March 2023.
Major German automotive components supplier Schaeffler Group, which like tyre and automotive systems firm Continental counts the Schaeffler family’s IHO Holding as a significant shareholder, is shunning investment at home and in Europe in favour of the USA. In addition to more advantageous energy prices, Schaeffler looks approvingly upon the USA’s more pragmatic approach to climate issues.
Pre-Q Galgo Corporation attended the 2023 OTR Tire Conference in Tucson, Arizona between 22 and 25 February. “We were excited to attend the meeting functions and exhibit at this year’s event. The conference was exciting, and the relaxed atmosphere allowed us to spend quality time with our customers”, said Ron Elliott marketing manager, Pre-Q Galgo Corporation, adding:
The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has reported record sales and earnings in its fiscal 2022 (January to December 2022) figures. Sales revenue increased 28.3 per cent over the previous year, to 860.5 billion yen (£5.338 billion; 6.009 billion euros; US$6.409 billion). Business profit increased 12.8 per cent to 70.1 billion yen (£434.864 million; 489.504 million euros; $522.164 million). Both sales and profit were record figures. However, due to profit from the sale of Yokohama Rubber’s headquarters building in the previous year and other factors operating profit was down 17.7 per cent to 68.9 billion yen.
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