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.
Following the return of the most successful Fulda Challenge UK team ever, organisers of the extreme arctic adventure are now accepting applications for the 2007 event.
The Fulda Challenge takes place early each year, in the Yukon Territory of Canada. After touching down in the Yukon’s capital of Whitehorse, the demanding schedule for the weeklong event will see the teams cover over 2,000km surrounded by spectacular frozen scenery.
The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York has given its Diamond Award – the highest award at State level – to Shumaker Consulting and Land Surveying for their design of a tyre-shredding facility at New York State’s biggest stockpile of tyres. The stockpile contains an estimated 10 million tyres.
In the USA, Hayes Lemmerz is to close its cast aluminium wheel factory at Huntington, Indiana by the end of its financial year’s second quarter. Closure of the plant, which employs 185 people, is part of Hayes Lemmerz’s on-going programme of rationalisation.
Michelin has increased its financial stake in Hankook, purchasing an additional two million shares – equivalent to 1.3 per cent of the Korean manufacturer’s share capital – for US$26 million.
At the beginning of March 2006 Amsterdam-based Granuband BV Finalised its takeover of Dash Recycled Rubber Inc. (DRRI) in Macon, Missouri, USA. The new company will be named Granuband Macon, LLC. The company will continue the same activities with the personnel who are already employed at DRRI. Following the takeover Granuband will increase production to 24 hours a day. The Missouri factory will produce several sizes of rubber for use things like artificial pitches and as rubber mulch.
Jay H Lutz has been named vice president and chief operating officer of Smithers Scientific Services Inc., responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s independent testing, research and consulting activities. He replaces Raymond B Farmer, who has left the company.
Mr Lutz brings to Smithers 30 years of experience in operations management, R&D and engineering. He has held management positions with Kelsey Hayes and Allied Signal and most recently was director of research and development at Raybestos Products Co. in Crawfordsville, Ind. Prior to that, he served as vice president of operations and general manager within a unit of Kett Engineering in Brighton, Michigan.
Superior Industries International, Inc has announced that it has awarded new contracts from General Motors to supply large-diameter aluminum wheels for passenger vehicles and SUVs. The programmes are said to represent a combination of new and replacement business.
(Akron/Tire Review) The RMA has adjusted its projections for 2006, and now expects total US tyre shipments to increase just 1 per cent compared to 2005, instead of the 2 per cent it had predicted back in December. The RMA said that 2006 should show “steady economic growth in the consumer and commercial sectors,” it has downgraded its shipment prediction because of decreases in OE markets. RMA projects continued annualized growth of about 1.7 per cent for total tyre shipments through 2011. Combined 2006 OE and replacement market shipments – passenger and commercial – should increase by 3.8 million units to nearly 325 million tires, up from 2005’s 320.8 million total units, RMA said. By 2011, shipments should reach 352 million tyres.
Dunlop Motorsport will welcome more than 70 of the top motorcycle riders from 14 countries to test their new 2006 race tyres on the Spanish circuits of Albacete and Valencia, over five days in March.
This is the third year that Dunlop has organised such a pre-season test: “We are strongly committed to winning the national championships in all major markets. In 2005 we supplied the winning tyres for the national champions in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and USA“, said Steve Male, Dunlop’s European Motorcycle Motorsport Manager.
Bridgestone’s premium high-performance and touring tyres have received praise from Which?, the UK’s leading consumer watchdog magazine. Which? magazine tested 30 tyres in varying sizes from mainstream manufacturers, with Bridgestone’s Turanza ER300 rated the top tyre in the 14-inch class, and its high-performance Potenza RE050A tyre named as ‘Best buy’ in the 17-inch category.
(Akron/Tire Review) Maxxis International will sponsor a Time Attack series in the US beginning this year. Time Attack is a form of track racing, originating in Japan, in which participants drive street tuned cars on DOT tires and try to post the best laps times. Maxxis is offering a contingency for the top three finishers in each of the seven race classes. The series kicks off 6-7 May at Phoenix International Raceway, then continues 29-30 July at Virginia International Raceway; 12-13 August at Road Atlanta; and 14-15 October at Buttonwillow in California. East Coast finals will be held at Mid-Ohio in September, and the West Coast finals will be at Buttonwillow on 8 November.
Maywood Equipment Group has announced that it will be exhibiting at The Automotive Trade Show (25 to 27 April inclusive) at the NEC in Birmingham as well as at the Commercial Motor Show, which takes place at the same time. Maywood is a leading supplier of lifts in The UK and will take the opportunity to show visitors a selection of lifts from their total range of over 50 models.
The Office of Defect Investigations at the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating consumer complaints that the 2004 and 2005 Toyota Sienna’s tyre pressure monitoring/regulation system can fail.
In one incident, a consumer reported that by the time he pulled his Toyota Sienna to the side of the road the tyre was smoking and had burst into flame but the warning light failed to come on, according to consumeraffairs.com.
(Akron/Tire Review) Travis Roffler has left his marketing post with Toyo Tire USA Corp. to join Continental Tire North America (CTNA) as marketing director for replacement passenger tyres. In his new position, Roffler will be responsible for product planning, brand management, pricing, promotion, public relations and advertising. He will report to Andreas Gerstenberger, CTNA vice president of sales and marketing. Most recently, Roffler served as Toyo’s senior director of marketing.
(Akron/Tire Review) Vredestein Tyre North America has moved to larger offices in New Jersey. The company said the previous office space “became too small,” and the larger quarters will give it ample to grow. Vredestein’s new US address is: 13 Bridge St., Metuchen, NJ 08840. Phone and fax numbers remain the same.
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