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.
Giti Tire has become a member of the US Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), and Enki Tan, president and chief executive officer of Giti Tire, has been elected to the organisation’s Board of Directors. The tyre maker’s entry into the association was unanimously approved at the USTMA annual spring meeting earlier this month.
The results of the JD Power 2018 US Original Equipment Tire Satisfaction Study have been released, and the winner is…Michelin. The tyre maker received top customer satisfaction scores in all four segments of the study for the second consecutive year. Michelin’s total tally since the study began in 1989 is 88 awards, more than the number received by any other tyre manufacturer.
Aftermarket wheel designer, marketer and distributor Wheel Pros has a new owner. The US-based company, previously the property of Audax Private Equity, has been sold to Clearlake Capital Group for an undisclosed sum. With its acquisition of Wheel Pros Holdings, LLC, Clearlake Capital Group takes on a company that serves over 10,000 retailers through its network of 33 distribution centres in North America and Australia, supplying them a portfolio of 12 proprietary brands and more than 300 custom wheel styles.
The US Court of International Trade (CIT) has remanded five Chinese OTR tyre importers to the Department of Commerce (DOC). This means an antidumping duty determination against the five firms and has been made and DOC has been ordered to recalculate the antidumping margins it issued against them in a 2016 administrative review.
A court in the US state of Arizona ruled on 3 April that Goodyear Tire & rubber cannot continue to keep court documents relating to an alleged defect in a Goodyear tyre secret. The ruling from the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County, comes in the Haeger v. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company personal injury case and follows a motion from non-profit organisation the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) to unseal court records and remove a protective order.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has announced the planned retirement as a full-time executive of Ginger Jones, senior vice president and chief financial officer. Jones intends to focus on serving on public company boards of directors.
Westlake tyre has struck a sponsorship deal with Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres for the 2018 and 2019 seasons together with its US distributor, Tireco Inc. The sponsorship includes a signage package, on-site activation and hospitality opportunities for dealers and VIPs, aiming to improve the brand image and brand influence in the local market.
Falken drift driver and 2017 Formula Drift champion James Deane returns to the defend his title crown this week at the opening round of Formula Drift (6-7 April 2018, Long Beach, California). The Irish driver will race for the Worthouse Drift Team in his Falken Tire Nissan S15 drift car. He steered the car to four victories during the 2017 season, which led to his championship title and Falken being named Tire Manufacturer Champion for the second consecutive year.
Yokohama Tire Corporation’s sponsorship of US Major League Baseball team the Los Angeles Angels extends to a full decade with the signing of a further agreement covering the 2018 to 2020 seasons. The new three-year agreement continues a partnership that began in 2011. Under the agreement, the Yokohama logo will be displayed at the Angels’ home stadium.
While US President Donald Trump may be talking up the benefits of a trade way, after reviewing certain tariffs on passenger and light truck (PLT) tyres imported from China, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) has adjusted some of its antidumping and countervailing rates. Reductions in the antidumping tariffs for the period from 27 January 2015 through 31 July 2016 include the rate for Giti Tire dropping from 30.74 per cent to 1.5 per cent and Qingdao Sentury Tire dropping from 25.84 per cent to 4.41 per cent.
Christopher Ball has been named senior vice president of Cooper Tire and Rubber and president of North America Tire Operations (NATO) effective March 19. He reports to company president and CEO Brad Hughes.
After a more than 10-year market absence, Cooper Tire and Rubber is relaunching the Cooper brand of truck and bus radial (TBR) tyres in the USA. The range debuted at the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition, which runs through 8 March in Atlanta, Georgia.
Members of the US Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA – and other leading executives – have sent a letter to President Trump urging him to rethink the proposed 25 percent tariffs on imported steel. The letter cites significant, negative impacts to US manufacturers with cascading detriments to US commerce and the economy.
In the USA, Bridgestone and Firestone-branded tyres have been specified as original equipment for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, Bridgestone Americas has announced.
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus tyre will be supplied as standard equipment on 2019 Jeep Cherokee Overland models in size 235/50 R19.
In the USA Audi has recalled 3,500 of its RS 7 models due to incorrect information on the tyre label. The vehicles covering model years 2014-2018 have tyre information labels that are printed with incorrect maximum weight ratings, the company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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