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.
Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has named Perry Lease vice president of sales. Lease, who previously served as director of national retail sales, North America Tire Operations for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., will be responsible for driving profitable sales and growing global market share for Mickey Thompson across all segments, including street, strip, racing, off-road and others.
Sumitomo Rubber USA has bought 6.4 acres of brownfield land adjacent to its tyre manufacturing site in Tonawanda. According to the New York State-based Buffalo News, Sumitomo’s new land used to be home to a chemical plant that was destroyed by a fire nearly 30 years ago.
Inspired by the Nitro Circus television phenomenon created by Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus Live is an action sports show featuring the world’s best athletes in FMX, BMX, skate, base jumping and more, and Yokohama has now become the exclusive tyre of Nitro Circus Live Tour in the United States. The 2017 US Nitro Circus Live Tour kick starts on June 3, and the tyre maker states it has taken on its exclusive tyre role in order to spotlight its Geolandar light truck range.
Although Continental has already announced its exit from football engagements in Europe, its sponsorship of the sport in North America continues. Continental Tire the Americas has extended its agreement with Soccer United Marketing (SUM), Major League Soccer’s (MLS) commercial arm, to continue as an official partner and the official tyre of MLS in the United States and Canada. The multi-year extension to the agreement also gives Continental official sponsor and partner designation and names Continental Tire as the official tyre partner of all 22 MLS clubs.
Delphi and The Parts Alliance have launched a promotion that will allow six garage customers enjoy the road trip of a lifetime along Route 66. The ‘Dream Drive’ promotion will run for two months (from 1 March to the end of April) across The Parts Alliance’s South West branches and through members Allparts, CES, GMF, SC Motor Factors, Dingbro, BBC Superfactors and BMS Superfactors. The promotion is being supported by a website, dreamdriveusa.com.
Following the US International Trade Commission (ITC)’s decision not to place import tariffs on China truck tyres, Chinese officials have welcomed the news. The ITC determination was made on 22 February 2017 on the basis that tyres from China “did not materially injure or threaten to damage the US industry”, and that no anti-dumping or countervailing duties would be imposed on those products.
In a 3-2 vote, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) yesterday determined that the US tyre industry hasn’t been materially injured by imports of truck and bus tyres from China, nor is it threatened by these imports. The US Department of Commerce previously determined that these imported tyres are subsidised and are sold in the United States at less than fair value.
The Carson airship base, which Goodyear opened in 1968 to house members of its blimp fleet, is to receive major upgrades in order to accommodate the arrival of a new-generation Goodyear blimp at the site later this year. At the centre of this upgrade programme is a new hangar, the first in Carson. The inflatable hangar will be built out of 73 miles of partially translucent polyester fabric and will be almost nine-stories tall and longer than a football field.
The list of tyre makers intending to implement price increases in the coming time continues to grow. Two further manufacturers have announced price rises in the North American market: On 1 April, Kumho Tire USA will raise the prices for its car, light commercial and truck tyres by up to eight per cent. Toyo Tires USA is looking to lift prices for its car, light commercial and truck tyres by seven per cent.
Spartan Race is billed as the world’s best obstacle race series and is present in over 30 countries, including the UK, where those wishing to test their mettle can compete in three race classes – Sprint, Super and the dauntingly-named Beast. The concept has its origins and greatest presence in the US, and Spartan Race has taken on a new tyre partner in that market. Yokohama Tire Corporation has teamed up with Spartan Race in order to highlight its Geolandar range of light truck tyres.
Yokohama Tire Corporation will increase prices by up to 7 per cent on all of its tyres sold in the US, including consumer, commercial and off-the-road (OTR). The price hike becomes effective 1 April.
A ‘Dream Factory’ solution for end-to-end automated materials handling will be installed in the Giti Tire passenger car tyre plant now under construction in the USA. Cimcorp reports that it and parent company Murata Machinery (Muratec) will supply a complete turnkey system that includes all required automation equipment and offers total system control, project management and seamless integration. The automated handling systems will be delivered and installed in three stages during 2017 and 2019.
Momentive Performance Materials Inc. has acquired the operating assets of Sea Lion Technology, Inc. located in Texas City, Texas. Sea Lion is a contract chemical manufacturer that has manufactured silane products for Momentive for more than a decade, including silanes sold under Momentive’s NXT brand. The Texas City facility will continue to manufacture NXT silane as an integrated part of Momentive’s global supply chain, joining the company’s 24 other manufacturing facilities located around the world.
A tyre warehouse and distribution facility leased by Cooper Tire & Rubber in the USA sustained damage during a tornado just over a week ago, and as a result is currently out of operation. The site in Albany, Georgia was damaged on 22 January, and customer orders are being rerouted to other facilities.
Sailun is increasing prices of its commercial truck, passenger and light truck tyres by between 5 and 8 per cent in North America. The increase went into effect 1 January 2017.
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