According to ACEA, in May, the demand for new commercial vehicles in the EU resumed its downward trend. The increase in April is thought to have been a calendar effect. The Spanish vehicle market remains stable (+0.4%), while the UK (-4.0%), Germany (-9.6%), France (-11.2%) and Italy (-16.2%) registered fewer vehicles than in May 2012.
Puchov Plant Will Receive €100 Million Investment from Continental
Continental is to expand annual production capacity of its truck and bus tire plant in Puchov (Slovakia). The capacity will increase from around 2.6 million tires to over 3 million over the next couple of years. Continental will invest €100 million into EMEA for this project. Continental says that the expansion is down to an increased demand for their truck tire
Kenda Announces Production Changes at Shareholder’s Meeting
According to Kenda and a report by the Taipei Times, Kenda Rubber Industrial Co is increasing its production capacity for car tires. The company announced at its annual share-holder’s meeting that it would increase its tire capacity by 50% to 38,000 units a day by the end of this year. Kenda plans to raise its
Lanxess Restructures Rubber Chemicals Plant Network
Lanxess is restructuring its plant network and portfolio for its Rubber Chemicals business unit. Two product lines will be ended and one factory closed. Production at two factories will be swapped to rationalise production Production of age inhibitors Vulkanox 3100 and Vulkanox DPPD will be stopped and the plant that creates them, the Isithebe site
Yokohama Releases New OTR Tire Compound and Large-size Radial Tire
A large-size radial tire for dump trucks in the construction and mining field has officially been released by Yokohama. The new tire is a 27.00R49 size model of its “RB42.” The tire is suitable for a wide range of off the road (OTR) surfaces. Yokohama has used an exclusive tread compound, recently developed for large-size
Giti has Been Appointed as Official Tire Supplier for Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima
Giti will be supplying tires for the Pikes Peak hill climb event. The Chinese company has been appointed as tire supplier for defending champion, Nobuhiro Monster Tajima. Giti will supply the tires for the teams’s 1,000 horsepower electric vehicle. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motor sports race in America. The
Hankook UK selects DHL as 3PL logistics supplier for another 3-year contract
DHL has agreed to a three year contract to manage Hankook Tyres’ UK warehousing operations. The company has taken over responsibility for the receipt, check and stock replenishment for Hankook’s facilities in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Hankook’s market share in the UK has increased over the past few years, leading the company to alter its supply chain management. The
IRCo Seeks Tenders for New Rubber Futures Market
Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia have announced that they are seeking tenders to create a regional rubber market. These three countries currently produce 65% of the world’s natural rubber but do not have a futures market. They have had to rely on exchanges such as the Shanghai Future’s Exchange (SHFE), the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and the
Has Apollo Tyres bitten off more than it can chew
Stock markets have punished Apollo Tyres for its audacity in daring to seal the biggest overseas deal in India’s corporate history – the acquisition of US-based Cooper Tire and Rubber. The share price of Apollo has fallen by around one third since the deal was announced. I’m trying to work out if this is justified
Apollo’s acquisition of Cooper demonstrates global vision
Apollo Tyres is to buy Cooper Tire and Rubber. The cash purchase price is around USD2.5 billion (USD 2,500,000,000). That’s about 60 percent of annual sales. Quite a low price for this kind of deal. Apollo statement | Cooper statement My own view is that Apollo has done well to finally negotiate this one. I
