Goodyear Dunlop Launches Contact Centre
TIC Technical Support Line
Klien cleans up at Masters
Goodyear Reports Loss in Second Quarter
Improvement in Defective Tyres in Derbyshire
BF Goodrich Specified on New Hyundai Terracan
Bridgestone to Expand Plants in Japan and Thailand
New Vans for Stapletons
Hub Stocking Programme Unveiled by AA Tyrefit
GT Global Lights Go Quicker on Avons
Michelin Operating Profits Up
Bridgestone Opens Extension to European Distribution Centre
Continental Presents First-Half 2003 Figures
Ted Simon Pays Tribute to Avon

Goodyear Dunlop Launches Contact Centre

Goodyear Dunlop is continuing the development of its sales operations with the launch of a new facility, the Contact Centre. Based at the company's Tyrefort headquarters in Birmingham, the new Contact Centre replaces the old Tyreline and sales office operations and will act as a 'one stop-shop' for tyre dealers. A team of 26 including specialists in wholesale, farm, police, motorcycle, 4x4 and earthmover, will now be able to take orders, and provide full availability and delivery times, across both the Goodyear and Dunlop brands. Tyre dealers can call the Contact Centre on 08453 453453 or fax 0845 3459322.

TIC Technical Support Line

The Tyre Industry Council has established a technical support telephone hotline to deal with the increasing number of tyre related enquiries from motorists, enforcement agencies and industry. the dedicated telephone facility will be staffed by tyre industry technical experts capable of dealing quickly and efficiently with the full range of enquiries being received by the TIC, either by telephone or e-mail via the TIC's website.

The hotline number for enquiries in 0906 302 0216 and will be operated Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 17.00 by Entyrety, a tyre industry service organisation providing technical and non-technical support for all sections of the industry. The type of enquiries being received by the TIC range from information on tyre pressures to fitment queries and tyre legislation to more detailed questions on scrap tyre disposal.

Klien Cleans Up at Masters

Austria's Christian Klien took a lights to flag victory at the 2003 Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 race at Zandvoort on Sunday 10th August, beating hot favourite Nelson Angelo Piquet and F3 Euroseries title contender Ryan Briscoe into second and third places on the podium.

Klien had already made the best use of his Kumho ECSTA racing tyres to pull out a healthy gap between himself and the chasing pack before the safety car was called out for several laps to allow a damaged car to be removed. Once back up to racing speed he continued where he had left off but as the race drew to a close he was being steadily reeled in by a fast charging Piquet who had reduced the deficit to some 0.32 seconds by the time the chequered flag fell.

Klien and his team, ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg/Muecke Motorsport, were delighted with the performance of his Kumho tyres and praised their consistency throughout the race. His trophy was presented by J H Kim, Kumho Tyres' executive vice president of sales and marketing, together with a cheque for 1,000 Euros.

Kumho became the Official Tyre Supplier to the Marlboro Masters of F3 last year under a five-year contract with Zandvoort race circuit. This year Kumho was chosen to supply the control tyres for the new F3 Euroseries and is also the Official Tyre Supplier to the international F3 races at Changwon in Korea and Pau in France.

Goodyear Reports Loss in Second Quarter

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has reported a net loss of $73.6 million for the second quarter of 2003, compared with net income of $28.9 million in the second quarter of 2002. The company reported second quarter sales of $3.8 billion for 2003, up 8 percent from $3.5 billion during the prior-year period. Tyre unit volume in the second quarter of 2003 was 52.8 million units, compared to 53.3 million units in the 2002 period.

"We are disappointed in our financial results for the second quarter, but we are encouraged by the numerous positive trends in our company and we are optimistic about our turnaround," said Robert J. Keegan, Goodyear chairman and chief executive officer. "Our international tyre businesses, as well as our Engineered Products and Chemicals units, continue to perform well, and five of our businesses have recorded improved year-over-year segment operating income for five consecutive quarters," Keegan said.

"In North America, our Goodyear brand gained market share in both the consumer and commercial replacement tyre markets during the quarter, and we continue to implement our cost-cutting and turnaround strategies," he said. "We have numerous obstacles to overcome, including continued weakness in the U.S. economy, but we remain confident that our strategies are solid."

Improvement in Defective Tyres in Derbyshire

A series of roadside tyre checks arranged by Derbyshire Constabulary and supported by the Tyre Industry Council has revealed a 3% improvement in the number of defective tyres compared with checks a year ago. The improvement from 13% in 2002 to 10% this year is a welcome development and brings the figure in Derbyshire below the national average of 11%. The reduction in the number of defective tyres is an indication that the motoring public are taking heed of the high profile police campaign and tyre industry warnings.

Chief Inspector Paul Berry, head of the force's Road Policing Unit said, "It is encouraging to note that the percentage of worn tyres discovered during these checks has reduced since last year but the fact that one in ten vehicles checked had at least one illegal tyre is a cause for continuing concern".

BF Goodrich Specified on New Hyundai Terracan

BF Goodrich Tires' Macadam T/A 4x4 tyres are to be fitted as original equipment to Hyundai's new 4WD model, the Terracan. According to BF Goodrich, the assured handling and quick response of the Macadam T/A is ideally matched to the demands of the Hyundai Terracan, with its off-road potential and on-road ability. The tyre offers drivers exceptional grip on both wet and dry surfaces.

Mark Hopkins, Brand Manager for BF Goodrich in the UK and Ireland commented; "The specification of BF Goodrich's Macadam T/A on the Hyundai Terracan clearly demonstrates the outstanding performance it offers 4x4 drivers. The fact that the tyre is adaptable to the demands of both off road and on-road driving highlights its versatility and assured handling.

James Carrington, Hyundai Terracan Product Manager adds: "The Hyundai Terracan is a true 4x4 which needed a strong tyre brand to complement its impressive performance. We felt that BF Goodrich fitted the bill perfectly, being one of the best brands in off-roading culture".

Bridgestone to Expand Plants in Japan and Thailand

Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it is to expand production capacity for truck and bus radial tyres at three plants in Japan and at one in Thailand.

In Japan, Bridgestone is to invest ¥2.0 billion in expanding capacity to total of about 1,300 tyres a day at its Amagi, Tochigi and Tokyo plants. Work on this project is expected to be completed by the end of 2004. Meanwhile, Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co Ltd., has doubled the capacity originally planned for the plant it is building in Chonburi, Thailand. Work on the Chonburi plant began in February and management expects the plant to begin operations in the second half of 2004 with an initial production capacity of 2,500 tyres a day. The new expansion announced will double the plant's eventual production capacity to 5,000 tyres a day by the end of 2006. Investment in the expansion will total about ¥7.0 billion and will increase total investment in the plant to about ¥24.0 billion.

The new expansion projects are part of an ongoing, global programme for expanding the Bridgestone Group's production capacity in radial truck, bus and passenger tyres, which is worth about ¥90.0 billion between now and the end of of 2006. In the passenger tyre sector, the investment addresses the shift in demand toward larger sizes and high-performance specifications in North America, Europe and Japan. It also addresses the growing demand for standard tyres in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

New Vans for Stapletons

Stapletons Tyre Services has invested in a number of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles for its delivery fleet. The company has purchased eight 3.5 tonne Sprinter 311CDIs, seven panel vans and a dropside-bodied chassis cab from Hatfield dealer S&B Commercials for its commercial and agricultural tyre fitting division.

Stapletons runs an all-Mercedes fleet of some 200 vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, the majority of which are Sprinter breakdown vans. However, the line-up also includes six-tonne Sprinters, Vario and Atego 7.5 tonners, 17 tonners and 4x2 Actro and Axor tractor units.

Hub Stocking Programme Unveiled by AA Tyrefit

AA Tyrefit has unveiled plans for 10 tyre hubs to be opened at critical points across the country. These will have their own feeder vans acting as a tyre stocking service for AA Tyre Fit mobile vans. A further 18 smaller unmanned mini-hubs will also be created in more remote areas, which mobile fitters will be able to access any time of day or night.

The first distribution point is currently being piloted in partnership with TNT at a site in Hackney. It services 16 mobile units but will increase capacity to more than 30 within two months. Like all the major hubs, it will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

AA Tyre Fit General Manager David Goodyear said: "At present, we are able to meet our mobile tyre stock need from a variety of sources such as the national network of AA Service centres and local wholesalers. However, as we grow, it is essential that we have a major infrastructure in place to provide the stock our mobile units need. the stocking hub programme is the solution.

"It is envisaged that we will meet something like three quarters of our needs from these hubs and that a minimum of two deliveries of tyres will reach the mobile unit each day".

GT Global Lights Go Quicker on Avons

Avon Tyres Racing is the new Official tyre supplier to the UK GT Global Lights championship for the 2003 season. GT Global Lights resemble scaled-down Group C endurance racers and despite their comparatively small engine size are capable of speeds of up to 130 mph. In terms of their overall performance they're comparable to British touring Cars or Formula Ford single-seaters.

Avon Tyres Racing will be providing fitting facilities and technical support at all UK GT Global Lights events. According to Avon, the tyres to be used of the GT Global Lights, have provided dry lap time improvements of between 0.5 and 0.75 seconds per lap compared with last year's supplier.

Michelin Operating Profits Up

The Michelin Group has reported an overall rise in operating profits in the company's half year results thanks to slightly stronger demand and higher prices. Despite this, the company also recorded a slide in first-half net profit due to restructuring costs. First half net income excluding minorities fell to 157.5 million Euros from 229.4 million Euros the year before because of a one time 178 million Euro loss due largely to restructuring costs in the group's Spanish and French operations. First half operating profits rose by 1.5%, however, to a forecast-beating 578.3 million Euros on a 6.1% decline in sales to 7.35 billion Euros. First half operating margins improved from 7.3% to 7.9% due to higher unit sales, an improvement in average prices and a better product mix.

According to Michelin, the increase in sales volume was due largely to the rebuilding of stocks by dealers rather than an actual increase in demand. Sales were hit by the strong Euro and, excluding currency fluctuations, net sales would have increased by 4.4%, it was announced. Michelin gave no firm forecasts for 2003 but said it aimed to continue to boost performance, predicting an unchanged tyre market with a risk of decline and assuming raw material prices would remain high.

Bridgestone Opens Extension to European Distribution Centre

Bridgestone Europe has officially opened the extension to its European Distribution Centre, situated in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium. Mr Joachim Coens, Chairman and Managing Director of MBZ (Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeevaartinrichtignen) joined BSEU Chairman and CEO, Mr Shoshi Arakawa in a cherry tree-planting ceremony alongside the new premises.

As announced at the end of year 2002, Bridgestone Europe NV/SA has doubled the size of its European Distribution Centre from 28,000m2 to the current 56,000m2. This increase in area allows the Centre to hold a much wider range for shipping throughout Europe. Up to 800,000 passenger cars tyres, as well as those for commercial vehicles, agricultural machinery and off-road plant will be stocked alongside the 110,000 truck and bus tyres already housed at the site.

Continental Presents First-Half 2003 Figures

Despite difficult conditions in the automotive business during the first half of 2003, Continental AG has maintained its sales and earnings growth. After adjustment for exchange rate effects, sales rose 6.2% over the first six months of last year. Owing to currency rate developments, however, actual sales for the period were €5,647 million, slightly down from the previous year's high of €5,659 million.

EBITA jumped 14.9% from €347 million to €399 million. The return on sales thus went up from 6.1% at mid 2002 to 7.1%. Consolidated net income after taxes increased considerably by 19.7% from €163 million to €195 million, and earnings per share from €1.26 to €1.50.

In the UK and Irish markets, Continental Tyre Group achieved a year on year sterling sales revenue growth of over 10%. In the same period profit increased by 15%, reflecting the company's wider customer base, and success of its brands in the high performance tyre sector.

Ted Simon Pays Tribute to Avon

Ted Simon returned to Melksham on 4th July to thank staff at Cooper-Avon for their support during his latest round-the-world motorcycle trip. His epic journey began in January 2001 when he set out from England on a hand-built BMW R80 GS, equipped with a 1,000 cc engine, long-range fuel tanks, uprated suspension, and Avon Distanzias.

The trip saw Ted retrace the steps of his original 1973 biking epic, as told in his bestselling book 'Jupiter's Travels', the Penguin Classic that inspired thousands of travelers to emulate the man who has become known as the father of motorcycle adventure. Ted was supplied with new Avon Distanzias en route through Africa, South America and India.

Initially the bike was fitted with 90/90H21 54H and 130/80R17 65H AM44 Distanzias, featuring Avon's Advanced Variable Belt Density [A-VBD] technology. These tyres incorporate many of the features and handling characteristics normally associated with sport touring tyres. The A-VBD system works in harmony with a thick tread underlay to give unrivalled comfort, mileage and high speed stability making them ideal for long distance travel across Europe.

As Ted progressed through North Africa however, road surfaces began to deteriorate and he switched to a T-rated crossply pairing which proved more than capable of soaking up the severe punishment meted out by pot hole after pot hole in countries such as Malawi. During his journey Simon Commented: "When you are travelling like this, the last thing you want to deal with is a tyre problem. I'm happy to report that I didn't have a single puncture on the journey or any concern about the tyres at all".