J.J.M. Baudoin Leaves Vredestein
The Supervisory Board of Vredestein NV has accepted the wish of J.J.M. Baudoin to leave the company on 1 June 2000. Rob Oudshoorn will be the sole Managing Director of the Dutch tyre maker.
The Supervisory Board of Vredestein NV has accepted the wish of J.J.M. Baudoin to leave the company on 1 June 2000. Rob Oudshoorn will be the sole Managing Director of the Dutch tyre maker.
After working for Vredestein for 30 years, Manfred Riemer – responsible for agricultural tyre sales for the past 15 years – has retired. His successor is Olaf Papke, who was already engaged in the agricultural tyre business at Trelleborg before joining Vredestein.
After good a result for 1999, Vredestein NV has reported losses for the first half year in spite of satisfying results in the tyre business sector. The main reason for the bad figures was given as the consequences of an acquisition by subsidiary company Hevea, a producer of boots.
The UK consumer motoring magazine Auto Express recently put ten tyre brands through a series of wet and dry braking and handling tests. Continental’s PremiumContact came out on top, followed by the Vredestein Sportrac and Goodyear’s Eagle Ventura.
Achim Saurer, who worked for Bridgestone, joins Vredestein Germany from 1st January as successor to Günter Nohr who is taking early retirement early in 2000.
The Vredestein NV group consists of five companies with activities in car, transporter, agricultural and industrial as well as bicycle tyres, boots for consumer markets and industrial applications, recycled rubber, compounds and sealing extrusions. The company employs about 2,200 people in total. The first half of 1999 developed according to forecast, with net profits increased to 600,000 euros – 200,000 euros more than in the first half of 1998. Consolidated net turnover yields rose by ten per cent from 98.1 million euros to 108 million euros, and during the period in question cash-flow was up by 1.1 million to 9.9 million euros. Vredestein Banden’s turnover increased during the first quarter due to the long winter and the resulting good opportunities for selling winter tyres. The first half year was characterised by the “Sportrac” introduction, a new tyre for the high speed sector (up to 240 km/h) developed in close conjunction with Guigiaro Design, the renowned Italian designer firm. Sales of the new Sportrac have exceeded expectations, according to the manufacturer. Several sizes are not yet available, so the impact of its introduction should be felt in full during the second half of 1999. In the agricultural tyre sector the recently launched AS radial (Traxion+) was well received. Industrial tyre sales developed positively. An important part of the Vredestein group’s annual result is traditionally achieved in the second half of the year, mainly due to the strong influence of Vredestein Banden’s winter tyre sales. Assuming that economic conditions remain stable in the most important European markets, the company is optimistic that it will once again be able to increase last year’s profit.
In order to return to profitability, Vredestein Fietsbanden BV says that it will phase out production of bicycle tyres in Doetinchem, The Netherlands and gradually start up production in countries where the wages are lower. A period of two years has been planned for this and around 125 jobs will be lost in Doetinchem, most of them in the year 2001. The sales and marketing operations will continue to be run from The Netherlands.
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