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.
Instead of just approving the use of its technology under license, Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro) intends to introduce its technology worldwide by participating in joint ventures. To facilitate the setting up of such plants in the USA, Enviro’s board of directors has founded a holding company in that market.
With schools soon to be back in session in the US, Cooper Tire’s Tread Wisely programme, a tyre and vehicle safety program for teens and young adults, is encouraging students to check their tyres as part of their back-to-school routine.
Pirelli unveiled a US show sponsorship at Monterey Car Week. Represented at various events throughout the week, Pirelli appeared on both vintage and new cars, sponsoring the Concorso Italiano, which claims to be the world’s largest luxury and exotic Italian car show.
Goodyear has been working with NASCAR on plans to introduce a new 18” tyre in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. Goodyear’s director of racing, Greg Stucker said the move to a larger tyre size from the currently used 15” model is to help make the cars more closely resemble those they would drive off the showroom floor. The change would coincide with the introduction of the Generation-7 NASCAR vehicle.
In February, TPMS and sensor-maker Transense announced it had received an order for 50 of its iTrack II tyre monitoring systems for installation in mines in North America. On Tuesday 13 August the company confirmed that Bridgestone is the cooperation partner.
King Country Retread of Friona, Texas, USA has joined the Marangoni Tire North America (MTNA) family of independent retreaders and will be offering Marangoni’s signature brand Ringtread throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The King Country Retread plant has a capacity of over 30,000 retreads a year.
The likelihood of seeing BKT tyres ‘Made in the USA’ appears even more uncertain following an earnings call held by Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT) on 13 August. Although the tyre maker reported three days earlier that the 20,000 tonne per annum factory project was just “in abeyance”, comments made during the call suggest the pause on work is more than temporary.
Hankook Tire has extended its original equipment supply activities, this time in North America with tyres for the new 2020 Ford Explorer. America’s best-selling SUV will wear Hankook Kinergy GT all-season tyres in size 255/65R18.
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) anticipates that an increase in replacement market passenger car tyre business will drive an overall increase in car tyre shipments in the USA this year. It projects that tyre shipments will increase by 0.76 per cent to 332.9 million units this year.
In the USA, Tire Pros, a subsidiary of large wholesale operation American Tire Distributors (ATD), has added seven new branches in California, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
General Motors has announced that it is equipping the new 2020 Camaro range with its Tire Fill Alert System.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber says its decision to modernise two tyre factories in Germany, and in doing so lay off around 1,100 workers, will cut the tyre maker’s costs by US$60 million to $70 million a year. Chief financial officer Darren Wells anticipates that Goodyear will feel the “full benefit” of these additional earnings by 2022.
Michelin North America says that prices for selected Michelin and BFGoodrich passenger and light truck tyres will increase by up to five per cent from 1 September. Specific details haven’t been publicly announced – Michelin invites its customers to “discuss details concerning the price increase directly with account managers.”
Effective 1 September 2019, Birla Carbon will increase specialty carbon black prices in North America by 9 per cent. All shipments made on or after this date are subject to the price increase.
Bridgestone Americas says it is honoured to be one of FCA’s Supplier of the Year awardees in the North America region. The tyre maker was one of 19 supplier partners acknowledged at the 2019 annual Supplier Conference and Award Ceremony in Detroit.
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