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.
Prices for Lanxess’ Vulkanox (antidegradant) and Vulkacit (accelerator) rubber chemicals, two products used in tyre manufacture, will increase as of 1 July. Lanxess says the new pricing is required to offset higher production costs. The price increases will range between 0.05 Euro/kg and 0.20 Euro/kg (0.10 US$ and 0.30 US$), depending on the product and region.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) is set to launch its onsite diagnostic training later this year. Following on from the success of their hybrid training which has so far seen the IGA deliver free training to over 1,250 technicians at more than 500 individual member garages, they are positioned to launch diagnostics training later in 2013.
The unique model will involve IGA staff visiting garages and training technicians to make the best use of their own equipment in "real world" diagnostic situations on customer's cars.
Bartec USA, LLC has released the R50 software update, which adds the ability to program popular aftermarket sensor solutions from Alligator and Orange in addition to the Schrader EZ-sensor range to the Tech400SD.
Bartec reports that it first developed and created the process of using a TPMS scan tool to program these sensors. It was also said to have been the Bartec range of TPMS tools that first programmed the Schrader EZ-sensor and according to Scot Holloway, Bartec CEO, “Bartec’s experience and expertise in sensor programming keeps us at the forefront of TPMS innovation; now you can add the Alligator Sens.it and the Orange Electronic ID Clonable sensors to a growing and distinguished list of programmable sensors our tool covers.”
European retreading industry organisation Bipaver is one of the five latest entities to join the Retread Tire Association. Membership in the US-based retreading association has now passed the 300-mark and, upon announcing the latest additions, Retread Tire Association managing director Harvey Brodsky commented that “we continue to be very pleased and gratified at the amount of support our exciting new association continues to receive from retreaders and others in the retread and tyre industries.
How time flies. It seems like just the other day that William Harley and the Davidson brothers were tinkering about in a machine shop in Milwaukee, but the motorcycle brand that bears their names has now reached the ripe old age of 110. Harley-Davidson intends to celebrate this milestone throughout the year, and Dunlop has been chosen as the official tyre sponsor of the company’s global anniversary events.
On 10 June, Exide Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US. This is the second time it has done so since the Millennium; in April 2002 the stored electrical solutions company also submitted a Chapter 11 application in the District of Delaware. Exide says it took this step to “facilitate the financial and operational restructuring necessary to strengthen its balance sheet and its business to position the company for future success.” It also says it intends to “become more aggressive in reducing costs, taking actions with respect to underperforming business segments and focusing on the most attractive areas for future growth.” Only the company’s operations in the United States are affected by the filing, and Exide Technologies confirms that it plans to “operate globally without interruption during the reorganisation.”
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has announced the realignment of three business areas, Technology, Manufacturing and Procurement. It says this realignment will create a “more integrated team equipped to deliver on the company’s brand promise more fully.”
A report in French financial magazine Les Echos suggests that the Chinese Government is considering imposing an additional tariff on cars imported from the EU. The report was picked up by analysts Morgan Stanley, who suggest that the new tariff could be in response to the recently-announced 11 per cent tariff by the EU on Chinese-made solar panels. ACEA, the EU car association, says that the car tariff could be in place as early as September.
Total CV registrations dipped 4.7 per cent in May to 24,149 units, but market remains up 8.3 per cent for the year-to-date. Van registrations were 3.8 per cent behind May 2012 at 20,503 units; the January-May volumes remain strong; up 13 per cent to 110,136 units. Truck demand fell 9.4 per cent to 3,646 units in the month and declined 14.3 per cent during the first five months of 2013.
The management and employees of Firestone-Liberia signed a new three-year collective bargaining agreement aimed at “increasing productivity and promoting working relationship between the management and employees of the company,” reported allafrica.com.
Equipment manufacturer and supplier Snap-on Incorporated has acquired Challenger Lifts for approximately US$38 million in cash. Reporting the purchase, Snap-on chairman and chief executive officer Nick Pinchuk stated “Challenger is an important addition to our Repair Systems & Information Group. The Challenger vehicle lift product line complements and increases Snap-on’s existing undercar equipment offering, broadening our established capabilities in serving vehicle repair facilities. We believe this acquisition will further Snap-on’s progress along its strategic and coherent growth runway of expanding with repair shop owners and managers. We look forward to welcoming Challenger associates to the Snap-on family.”
Continental’s increased specialisation in the commercial tyre segment was discussed at the launch of its latest “third generation” coach and bus tyres, but this reorganisation, begun from 1 January, has wider implications for applications beyond TBR products. The managing director of Continental Commercial Specialty Tires (CST), Dr Michael Maertens explained that the manufacturer’s new business strategy, indicated by the restructuring of this business unit, contains initiatives for future growth with particular focus on industrial and off the road material handling, underground mining and tyres for a specialised application you may not have expected to have swift growth potential.
Johnson Controls, whose product portfolio includes the Varta, Optima, LTH and Helia battery brands, has appointed Kim Metcalf-Kupres to the newly-created position of vice-president and chief marketing officer (CMO). In this role she will report to vice-chairman Alex Molinaroli.
Following Kumho Tire USA’s second recall of thousands of tyres in the US, Liberty Tire Recycling released a statement claiming it was unaware the tyres it received from Kumho had previously been recalled in August 2012 and were slated for destruction. “We were not made aware of any NHTSA safety recall that applied to these tyres when we received them last summer,” the company said, adding that the tyres were “not properly incapacitated by Kumho and were not under a 'destroy-only' contractual agreement.”
Bridgestone Americas is to break ground on construction of its Biorubber Process Research Center on 16 May. The research and development project in Mesa, Arizona, will investigate the use of the guayule plant as an alternative natural rubber source. Natural rubber from guayule has almost identical qualities to that harvested from the hevea tree, which currently is the primary source for the natural rubber used in tyre production.
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