For the first time, Michelin Maps & Guides is publishing a Green Guide to the main tourists sites in and around Rio de Janeiro, a city that is, notes the French firm, celebrated for its music, sun, beaches, Carnival and joie de vivre. The 288-page guide leads the reader through the labyrinth of streets in this city of more than 14 million people, a candidate city to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
In the US, Goodyear has rescheduled an investor conference call to discuss its new, four-year master labour contract with the United Steelworkers union. The conference call, originally set for 28 September as was reported previously on Tyrepress.com, has been moved to 14:00 (GMT-5) on Tuesday, 29 September due to a scheduling conflict. Investors, members of the media and other interested persons may access the conference call on the company’s investor relations website: www.goodyear.com/investor or via telephone by calling (706) 634-5954 before 13:55 that day.
Sentaida Group, a distributor of Chinese-manufactured tyres in the USA, has reacted to President Obama’s Chinese tyre tariffs by increasing its prices across the board by 10 per cent. The Tire Business website reports that the company’s general manager, Brian Chung said that the Miami-based distributor would implement the price increase in two weeks. The company distributes brands such as Sentaida, Linglong, Triangle and Sonny, as well as many other Chinese brands. It operates a factory in Qingdao, which opened as Chenchelyn Tire Co in the summer.
Fresh reports say that Bridgestone Americas and the United Steelworkers have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year master contract. The deal was struck, said reports, early Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky. Neither side made any comment regarding the proposed contract. At four years, the Bridgestone Americas master union deal would match Goodyear’s tentative – but still not ratified – union deal in length. Michelin North America’s new contract with the USW covers three years, as most tyre-maker-union contracts have in the past.
European online passenger car and motorcycle tyre provider, Pneus Online has launched the fourth version of its website (www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk). The company has sold tyres on the internet since 2001 and have used this experience to develop a new optimised platform so that each customer is able to order the desired tyre in a few clicks.
Viking International’s online ordering facility was recently nominated for an NTDA TAFF award. Here the company explains why its service offers dealers a “quick and convenient solution for all tyre, exhaust, cat and battery needs.”
According to company representatives, the site has been designed with the end-user in mind first and foremost. Tyres are clearly displayed by size, speed rating or price according to the user’s preference, with special offers highlighted for ease of use. Exhausts and batteries are easily looked up by the product part / code or simply by the vehicle make and model. All information is updated in real time, so pricing and stock are constantly updated, enabling dealers to offer their customers an immediate quotation. A unique customisation tool also allows dealers to adapt the website for their own use, uploading their own logo, changing the colour-scheme to match their own as well as displaying their own retail prices on-screen.
Amtel-Vredestein N.V. formally changed its name to Amtel N.V. at an Extraordinary General Meeting held in Enschede yesterday (2 September), freeing the newly re-merged Apollo-Vredestein from its previous associations with the Russian company. The execution of the deed of amendment through which the actual name change will take place as well as corresponding changes to the company’s website, corporate materials etc. will reportedly take place “as soon as possible.” The meeting also agreed proposals to dismiss Petr Zolotarev and Vadim Pesochinsky from the executive board and to appoint Alexander Fayn as sole member of the board. According to a statement detailing the meeting, Fayn gave a broad outline of the company’s restructuring plan.
According to the Herald Scotland website, Ayr-based tyre retailer McConechy's Tyre Service has posted pre-tax profits of £485,685 for the year to the end of April, down on the figure of £1.2 million for the previous year.
Bridgestone’s annual US Safety Scholars contest has a 2009 winner, in addition to two runners-up, all of whom will receive $5,000 towards their college studies and a set of Bridgestone or Firestone tyres. The competition highlighted a wealth of creative talent, as entrants took their cue from an eclectic range of inspirations including rap videos, emotional personal stories and important topical issues.
The latest TyreSafe campaign materials are soon to be released on the not-for-profit organisation’s website in time for October’s Tyre Safety Month. Focusing on tread depth, the new resources will encourage drivers to check and replace any illegal tyres on their vehicle by introducing the theme of a ‘life saver in your pocket', which suggests that motorists can check the safety and legality of their tyres using the edge of a 20 pence coin. Materials are provided free of charge to the trade and include a reception poster, a point of sale leaflet, a website banner and a safety advice movie.
With a strong focus in its corporate communications on providing more fuel efficient tyres with reduced rolling resistance, Michelin clearly sees an opportunity for its premium products in the current climate by emphasising its tyres’ abilities in this area.
Continental Tyre Group is highlighting the benefits of using its free online fuel saving calculator to lower operational costs. Continental’s fuel saving calculator is designed to compare all premium competitor products for regional and long distance applications. By entering the fleet size, the number of kilometres travelled per year, the average fuel consumption of the selected tyre brand and the fuel cost in £ per gallon, the tool calculates the annual fuel consumption with the chosen brand and the annual fuel spend.
Goodyear has introduced a new agricultural club for farmers nationwide. The Goodyear AGRI Club has been set up to encourage the sharing of best practice and industry news throughout the UK's farming community. Free to join, the Goodyear AGRI Club offers members regular e-mail and postal newsletters as well as tyre offers and opportunities to join the Goodyear team at farming shows across the country.
Tyres are often the most overlooked part of a vehicle, and in many cases more action is required when it comes to preparing trucks for poor weather conditions. To aid with this, the Industrial Tyre Association (ITA) has shared expert cost saving and safety tips to prepare the industrial sector for winter. ITA vice chair Clive Green has provided these tips as part of the association’s tyre selection standards to help minimise accidents and reduce unnecessary breakdowns:
A report on the Business Standard website suggests that Indian tyre companies are contemplating raising prices. The article says that Apollo Tyres, the country’s second-largest tyre maker (by tonnage) is planning to increase tyre prices four to five per cent on account of a 10 to 15 per cent increase in the prices of natural […]
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