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.
Bridgestone Americas is currently in the process of getting its systems “back online in a safe and secure manner” following what the company called an “information security incident that recently impacted operations” at the end of February. But tyre production is not yet back to normal.
A number of Bridgestone’s tyre factories in North and South America have been hit by cyberattacks resulting in production shutdowns. Some sources have even suggested that the actions are linked to the war in Ukraine.
The Board of Directors at TireHub, the USA-wide tyre distributor jointly founded by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Bridgestone Americas Inc., has named Ted Becker the company’s chief executive officer, effective immediately. This announcement confirms Becker in a role in which he has served in an interim capacity following the departure of Peter Gibbons from the company in October 2021.
Wheel manufacturer Iochpe-Maxion is investing US$5.5 million in Autotech Ventures LLC, a US-based venture capital firm. With this investment, Maxion joins Autotech Fund III as a Limited Partner. The investment aims to foster the development of new start-ups and research in the automotive segment with a focus on connectivity, autonomous vehicles, shared vehicles, electrification, and digitalisation.
In the USA, Heintschel Truck Tire Center has joined the Pre-Q Galgo network of independent retreaders. According to the company, the firm’s retread factory averages a seven-day turnaround and also offers OTR repair, foam fill, and wheel refurbishing.
In the USA, Vee Tyre and Rubber Co Ltd is recalling 1782 Tri-Ace branded tyres due to a defect. Two sizes of the Tri-Ace Pioneer A/T III tyres (LT235/85 R16 and LT245/70 R17) are affected. And the recall covers all production dates of the aforementioned tyres.
Titan International, Inc. has entered into an exclusivity agreement with Kubota Tractor Corporation and Kubota Canada Limited, the Japanese agricultural machinery company’s businesses in North America. The agreement will see Titan Trac Loader II tyres fitted in selected sizes on Kubota products. These tyres will be branded with both the Titan and Kubota names on the sidewall.
Independent US-based marketer of petroleum and petrochemical products Tauber Oil Company has become the exclusive purchaser of BolderOil for the next 20 years under new a strategic marketing agreement. Bolder Industries will annually supply approximately two million barrels of oil recovered from end-of-life tyres.
Bugatti produced just 60 examples of the Chiron Pur Sport and fitted each and every one of these 1,500 hp, 217 mph hypercars with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres. Michelin supplies the semi-slick to Bugatti in the front axle size 285/30 R20 (99Y) and rear size 355/25 R21 (107Y). But after Bugatti observed cracks on the rear tyres fitted to a prototype Pur Sport, it is notifying owners to return their vehicles.
Michelin is presenting a new airless solution for urban mobility and last-mile applications at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Visitors will encounter the prototype Michelin X Tweel airless radial for eCargo trikes fitted to the Coaster Cycles eCargo trike at its stand in the eMobility Experience as well as in the Test Track area.
Curtis Brison is the new president of Hankook Tire North America (formerly Hankook Tire America). He succeeds Sooil Lee, who remains chief executive officer of Hankook Tire & Technology. Additionally, Hankook Tire North America has promoted Robert Williams to senior vice president of Truck, Bus and Radial (TBR) sales and Jong Jin (JJ) Park to vice-president of marketing.
Pennsylvania, USA-based Steve Shannon Tire is now a member of the Pre-Q Galgo network of independent retreaders.
Hankook Tire & Technology is jointly showcasing its ‘i-Flex’ non-pneumatic tyre with Hyundai Motor Company at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, which begins today in Las Vegas. The tyre will appear in Hyundai’s new Plug & Drive (PnD) Module, a modular platform based on robotics technology that enables mobility of traditionally inanimate things. Hankook says its i-Flex maximises the “characteristics and functions of the PnD module.”
Cerebrum Sensor Technologies was a new name to Tyres & Accessories when we came across the company at the end of December. but the company won a breakthrough award at the 2019 SEMA show and is working hard to market itself in the TPMS/smart tyre space.
Last month, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) – a Northeast Ohio-based future mobility business – announced a collaboration to test intelligent tyre sensors and prototype tyres on SARTA’s fleet of diesel and zero emission hydrogen fuel cell-powered (HFC) buses.
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Bridgestone Firestone Americas
Magna Tyres
Cerebrum
SARTA