Accuride Corporation (North America’s largest manufacturer and supplier of wheels for heavy/medium trucks and trailers) has announced plans to optimise its operations by restructuring the Company’s light steel wheel operations and closing its Columbia, Tennessee, facility. Accuride will consolidate the production of light wheels currently produced in Columbia into its other facilities.
Pirelli P6000 Powergy and PZero Asimmetrico tyres have been approved for five models of Jaguar’s new X-Type compact sport saloon, for the European markets. The tyres chosen are 205/55 R16 91V (Powergy) and 225/45 ZR 17 91Y (PZero Asimmetrico), and the contract continues a relationship that began in 1985. Recently, Pirelli’s Wheel and Tyre Assembly Division, which started operations in 1999 to supply Jaguar’s car plants in Coventry and Castle Bromwich, recently produced its one millionth wheel and tyre assembly during a production run of PZero tyres for X-Type.
Dodge has launched its first 20-inch wheel package on the 2002 Dodge Ram. The Sport-truck models feature 20-inch Eagle touring performance tyres and 20-inch Wrangler light truck tyres. Goodyear’s Doug Calaman said the firm’s engineers had worked closely with Dodge to develop the Eagle LS P275/55R20 touring tyres for the 4×2 truck – P275/60R20 are featured on the 4×4 truck. The 20-inch wheels allow the Dodge trucks to offer the largest-in-class braking system.
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Can you imagine? Hardly three years ago, the share of the world’s biggest wheel manufacturer was worth 30 US Dollar, sometimes it even reached 40 US Dollar. With one US Dollar only on September, 28th 2001, this share has reached is absolute baisse so far. An alarm bell that cannot be ignored. The company is in great danger of collapse. And the terrorist attack against the World Trade Center could have finished the company off. Already before that, the group had replaced its long-term boss “Ron” Cucuz by Curtis J. Clawson, who enjoys the reputation of a fireman within the automotive business.
Late – at least compared with other businesses – but not too late, the tyre industry and trade have realised the importance and the possibilities of e-commerce and for today’s business. But this late “discovery” is not really a surprise because automotive and related companies are naturally not so closely related to the topic as, for example, the electronics or the communications businesses. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that a study by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), carried out in co-operation with KPMG Consulting, reveals a lower interest among companies in the automotive sector – again only in comparison with other businesses – to expand their e-business activities, although in the meantime the internet is becoming more and more accepted in the tyre business. Two or three years ago there were only a few investing in this “new” media. But since last year, the number of tyre and wheel related online shops or portal sites is constantly growing. And even the tyre manufacturers themselves are investing more and more in internet facilities. Details can be found in NEUE REIFENZEITUNG’s e-commerce feature in January.
The cut in production of 60,000 units Explorer and Ranger models by Ford in the second and third quarter could cost aluminium wheel maker Superior $2.5 million in revenue.
Troubled wheel manufacturer Hayes Lemmerz has announced a reorganisation of its North American operations into a single strategic business unit, uniting the Fabricated Wheels and Cast Wheels businesses. The new unit will be known as the North American Wheels Business. The reorganisation also involves a number of management changes and appointments.
A customer survey conducted by US mail order tyre and wheel retailer Tire Rack has placed Goodyear tyres top in two categories. The Aquatred 3 came first in the all-season category and the Regatta was top of the standard touring section. Goodyear said the results were slightly surprising, as the company does not supply Tire Rack directly with tyres.
Aluminium wheel producer BBS has been selected as an innovative medium-size company, by DG Bank, Frankfurt, and weekly newspaper Die Woche, for the second time. The award for the medium-size company went to BBS, ahead of 281 competitors, due to its innovative approach, especially in the field of painting wheels. Patron of this award initiative is Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Werner Müller.
Alloy wheel manufacturer American Racing Equipment is to close down its factory in Warsaw, Kentucky, by the end of the year. Production will be transferred to other plants in California and Mexico and just over 200 workers will lose their jobs. The downturn in the US auto industry was blamed for the closure, particularly cutbacks at DaimlerChrysler. The Warsaw plant supplied wheels for the Chrysler Grand Cherokee, but cutbacks mean that the factory has been running at less than one quarter capacity recently.
The motor industry is under attack from all sides by the green lobby and the car is subject to environmental constraints at all stages of its life cycle. It looks as though yet more restrictions will be imposed on the industry with the likely adoption of the End Of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV); this lays down minimum requirements for the recyclability of cars and also seeks to reduce or eliminate toxic or environmentally-unfriendly materials used in construction. Lead is one such material and it is not only used in car building, but also in wheel balancing weights. If lead is outlawed, what are the alternatives for the automotive industries, and the tyre trade? What alternative materials are available, and what are the likely costs? Coated lead weights do not solve the problem, which leaves steel and tin as the most likely solutions. Tin is easier to work than steel, but it is many times more expensive than lead, and could lead to significant increases in costs for tyre shops, who will have to decide whether or not to pass this on to the customer. The ELV places the responsibility for disposing of vehicles squarely on the shoulders of the manufacturers, and they will put pressure on their suppliers to ensure that levels of toxic materials are kept to a minimum.
North America’s Accuride Corp. (Evansville/Indiana) is an enormously profitable producer of steel and aluminium wheels for trucks and recorded a record jump in sales to more than 500 million US-$ in 1999. Founded by Firestone in 1905, the company was sold in 1986 to Phelps Dodge Corp., cooperated with Goodyear 1992 and was sold again in 1998 to investment group Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts (KKR). Now the automotive supplier has its eyes set on the European market for investments, maybe also in aluminium wheels for cars.
Hayes Lemmerz has appointed Jesus Bonilla-Valdez to the position of Vice President Operations responsible for its six-plant cast wheel operations in North America.
The BMW factory at Spartanburg (South Carolina), in which in addition to the Roadster ever more X5 off-road vehicles are produced, will soon face production capacity problems. A higher vehicle output could also benefit American wheel suppliers such as Superior Industries or Alcoa/Reynolds.
Automotive suppliers Meritor, among other things one of the world’s largest steel wheel producers, and Arvin Industries will merge to form ArvinMeritor. The companies have combined revenues of $ 7.5 bn. The new company will create a premier global supplier of integrated systems, modules and components. Meritor shareholders will receive approximately 65.8 percent.
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