Goodyear expands mixed-service line in USA
Goodyear has broadened its G741 mixed-service tyre line with a new size and retread for applications requiring an extreme traction drive tyre.
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.
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Dunlop Aircraft Tyres to open US retread facility
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres is to establish its first retreading facility in the United States in early 2016. It is reportedly evaluating a number of potential sites in the South East of the USA. The Birmingham, UK-based company says it will use the base to boost its competitiveness across the Americas, particularly on popular narrow and wide-bodied jet airliners and military aircraft.
‘Highly experienced’ R&D team now supporting Giti Tire in North America
When Tyres & Accessories visited Giti Tire’s new European Research and Development Centre last October, it learnt that the facility near Hannover, Germany was one of two new centres the tyre maker was setting up. The other was in the United States. Now, after almost a year in operation, Giti Tire has provided an update on what it calls the Giti Tire R&D Center for North America, an operation located in Uniontown, Ohio, just south of ‘tyre town’ Akron.
Bridgestone begins producing guayule-sourced natural rubber
The ribbon was cut on Bridgestone Americas’ brand new Biorubber Process Research Center on the morning of 22 September, and with the official opening of this Mesa, Arizona-based 10 acre (4 hectare) research and innovation centre, the company moves a further step forward in its efforts to extract natural rubber from guayule.
SEMA awarded federal grant to pursue export market growth
US trade organisation SEMA has been awarded part of a $2.2m federal grant to expand exports of automotive aftermarket products. The organisation, which represents the $33B automotive specialty equipment market, will seek growth in Russia, the United Arab Emirates and China, among others, giving its 6,800-plus members increased opportunity in foreign markets. The grant was awarded under the Market Development Cooperator programme within the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA). The body will assist SEMA with a new yearly fact-finding and sales mission to Russia; seeking regulations to allow US products equal market access by working with government officials; and organizing overseas vehicle measuring sessions in key emerging markets.
Hyundai’s US dealers sell a million tyres
Three and a half years after Hyundai began selling tyres through its dealerships in the US, seven-digit sales have been achieved. Hyundai Motor America has announced that more than a million tyres have been sold through the re-launched Hyundai Authorized Tire Center Program that began on 1 April 2011. And the company says its tyre sales are increasing at an above industry-average rate.
‘Commitment to enterprise excellence’ – Accuride wheel plant awarded
Accuride Corporation’s steel wheel manufacturing plant in Henderson (Kentucky, UK) is one of four companies receiving a 2014 Manufacturing Excellence Award from non-profit enterprise improvement organisation the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). An AME will visit the plant today to present the award, and Accuride will also be honoured during the 2014 AME International Excellence Inside Conference, which will be held in Florida between 10 and 14 November.
Yokohama title sponsor of LPGA Classic golf tournament
For years, Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) has utilised football, basketball and baseball as the backbone for its sports marketing programme. This year, Yokohama Rubber’s US subsidiary has added a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament to its sponsorship portfolio, becoming the title sponsor of the inaugural Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. The event takes place between 18 and 21 September in Prattville, Alabama, will feature many of the top women golfers in the world, including Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel.
Falken wins Chrysler North American OE deal
Sumitomo Rubber Industries has been awarded a contract from Chrysler Group LLC to supply tires for the 2015 Jeep Compass and Patriot BUX (Built-Up Export) models to be sold in Mexico, China, Australia and other countries around the world. The Compass and Patriot are offered in right and left-hand drive configurations and available with gas and […]
Continental helps youngster share love of football with the world
For Continental, supporting football isn’t just about brand exposure in packed stadiums. The company’s US operation has recently donated 1,000 new footballs to a 15-year old who shares his love of the beautiful game in developing countries.
Michelin geocaching contest begins
Last month, Michelin announced that as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations it would conduct a geocaching treasure hunt in the US. The contest began on 8 September and in this first phase, geocachers are voluntarily distributing the nearly 1,500 Bibendum, or Michelin Man, tyre gauge trackables – each has a unique alphanumeric code –throughout the country. When this task commenced, Michelin said all trackables will be hidden and logged “within days”.
Evonik gains additional precipitated silica capacity in the US
A 20,000 tonne expansion to Evonik Corporation’s precipitated silica plant in Chester, Pennsylvania officially opened on 9 September, and has boosted the company’s global capacity for precipitated and fumed silica and matting agents to around 550,000 tonnes per annum.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems outlines route to global agricultural tyre leadership
The agricultural tyre market appears particularly well suited towards specialised manufacturers; Trelleborg Wheel Systems acquired Pirelli’s agricultural business in 1999, with the branding switched between 2006 and 2010. Since acquiring various technologies from Pirelli, the Trelleborg Group has invested heavily in order to make its tyre and wheel operation a premium brand player in the agricultural and forestry tyre market. The Tivoli facility, with its buildings showing a manufacturing history dating back to the 1940s, but also incorporating the latest agricultural tyre building machinery, represents “a history full of innovation for farming professionals,” in president of the Agricultural and Forestry Tyres business unit, Paolo Pompei’s words.
Bridgestone exploring options for larger US headquarters site
It appears Bridgestone Americas is looking for a larger place to call home. The Tennessean reports that Bridgestone’s US subsidiary is looking for a 400,000 square foot (37,000 square metre) premises in downtown Nashville. This is around double the floorspace the company now occupies in the city’s airport area. The lease at Bridgestone Americas’ current headquarters site expires in 2017, and the shortlist for potential new properties is said to include a high-rise office tower that will be built as part of a redevelopment project at the old Nashville Convention Center.
No tyre making comeback for Goodyear’s home town
Goodyear has confirmed what many must have already realised – tyre makers build factories in economically favourable sites. The US doesn’t top any list of low-cost locations, and therefore the bid its home town launched to host a new factory planned for the Americas was always going to be a long shot. Akron City Council nevertheless declared itself “willing to do what it takes” to host the new plant – but its hopes have now been dashed by Goodyear’s chief financial officer, who has sent word that Akron – where Goodyear last produced car tyres in 1977 – is considered too costly.
