An announcement made by Shandong Linglong Tire at the Auto Shanghai show marks the introduction of a long-established US tyre brand into the Chinese market. At a press conference held on 22 April, company chairman and president Wang Feng welcomed the Atlas brand to China. The launch portfolio consists of seven passenger car and SUV product lines.
On 25 March 2017, Linglong International Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd. entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with India’s Aditya Birla Group. At a signing ceremony attended by Dr Santrupt Misra, chief executive officer of Aditya Birla Group’s carbon black business, Sanjeev Sood, president of Birla Carbon in Thailand, and Wang Feng, chairman and president of Linglong Tire, the two parties committed to a strategic cooperation that will see Aditya Birla Group become Linglong Tire’s carbon black supplier.
As of 1 January, Shandong Linglong Tire has been elevated to the status of Club of Champions partner with German football club VfL Wolfsburg. The tyre maker had served as a VfL-TopPartner since the start of 2015, and Wang Feng, founder and chief executive officer of Linglong Tire, signed the new, extended deal at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg on 14 December together with club managers Thomas Röttgermann and Dr Tim Schumacher. The company is one of three Club of Champions partners, holding this status alongside Nike and logistics specialist Grupo Sesé.
Linglong Tire is promoting its winter weather products by associating them with two of the coldest places in the world. On 21 August, the tyre maker held a ceremony titled the “Launching ceremony of Linglong Tire reaching Arctic & Antarctic” together with Chinese photographer and polar explorer Ju Chang.
During a visit to China last week, Thailand’s Minister of Industry, Atchaka Sibunruang, and representatives from the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand visited the Zhaoyuan headquarters of Shangdong Linglong Tire and the tyre maker’s exhibition space at the China Qingdao International Tire Fair. A meeting also took place on 8 April between the Authority and Shandong Linglong chairman Wang Feng; this resulted in the signing of a letter of intent that will see the tyre maker increase its investment in Thailand through initiating the third phase of its Linglong International Tire (Thailand) plant project, the installation of a rubber compounding facility at the Rayong province site.
Aeolus Tyre Co. Ltd. has reported the resignation of its chairman Wang Feng. In a Chinese-language statement issued on 15 March, the tyre maker shared that Mr Wang has resigned due to “job changes.”
Speaking at the signing ceremony of Shandong Linglong Tire’s agreement with German football club VfL Wolfsburg, the tyre maker’s CEO spoke of the “first class exposure” and substantially increased brand awareness the partnership will bring. He also discussed Linglong Tire’s growth ambitions and the role Europe will play in achieving these.
As of 1 January 2015, Shandong Linglong Tire will become an international partner to German Bundesliga and Europa League football club VfL Wolfsburg. The multi-year deal sees the tyre maker become a sponsorship partner to the Wolfsburg men’s team in markets outside of Germany. The partnership includes a commitment with Wolfsburg United, the international sporting project from VfL Wolfsburg, and will subsequently support respective Unicef projects and the VfL football school.
Even today the number of Chinese tyre makers, and tyre brands, remains exceptionally high. The necessity for consolidation is obvious and something China’s authorities are well aware of. And in the People’s Republic of China, where the state has a closer relationship to the market than in the West, how a firm appears to measure up can be crucial. Tyre makers who fail to meet targets set for them fall by the wayside while those who establish a global presence grow in favour and are viewed as strategically significant enterprises. This state-business relationship also means companies can rely upon government support in one form or another – and this certainly applies in the case of Jiaozuo, Henan Province-based Aeolus Tyre Co., Ltd.
During May’s Reifen show in Germany, Chinese tyre manufacturer Aeolus Tyre Co. Ltd placed a focus on direct contact with the tyre trade. Prior to the start of the trade exhibition, the company said “technology, marketing and the latest information on its passenger car, SUV and van tyres” would be key areas of interest, and it brought a brand new product to Essen in the form of its ‘4Seasonace’ all-season tyre. The stand was rounded out with examples of Aeolus’ latest truck and earthmover tyre technologies. Furthermore, chairman of the company’s board, Wang Feng, travelled to Essen, and during his time there he granted Tyres & Accessories an interview.
On 1 July Linglong Group signed a strategic agreement with IDIADA to partner in the construction of a central Asian tyre proving ground. The agreement was signed between Josep-Maria Farran, COO (chief operating officer) of IDIADA, and Wang Feng, vice president of Linglong Group, marking the start of this strategic cooperation.
Aeolus has announced its membership of German tyre dealer association BRV. The Chinese brand says it will cooperate on bilateral work with the association. Wang Feng, general director of Aeolus Tyres said: “As a Chinese tyre manufacturer, we are particularly proud to become a sustaining member of the German association. We look forward to providing support for the regulations and the major tasks in this very important branch of the specialised trade within the scope of our capabilities.”
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