BMW chooses Bridgestone Run-Flats for New 3-Series
Michelin Defends Safety Stance at US Grand Prix
Lesjöfors UK Growth Spurs Expansion
Entyrety to Support Training Excellence Award
5,000 European Specialist Tyre Dealers Certified for SSR Fitting by Continental
Ed's Treads Wins Second Major Taxi Contract
Jiang Xi Federal Tire Increases Capacity
Discovery Michelin Exhibition at Ecos Centre Ballymena
Yokohama to Manufacture Passenger Car and Light Truck Tyres in Thailand
Bridgestone Europe's Tyre Education Centre Opens in Rome
BF Goodrich Involvement in World Rally Championship
Pirelli Sells Energy and Telecoms Cables and Systems Business to Goldman Sachs

BMW chooses Bridgestone Run-Flats for New 3-Series

BMW has launched the latest version of its most popular range of vehicles in the UK - the 3-Series. And like the new 6-Series, 5-Series, and 1-Series before it, the 3-Series will come with Bridgestone run-flat tyres as a standard fitment.

Key safety features have been introduced into the 3-Series, such as BMW's Active Steering. The system, which corrects the car if it detects oversteer, will be available as an optional extra, while its Brake Force Display, which varies the intensity of the car's brake lights depending on the brake force applied, will come as standard on the 3-Series. The inclusion of Bridgestone's run-flat tyres adds an extra level of safety.

"We are delighted BMW has chosen to fit Bridgestone run-flat tyres as original equipment on the new 3-Series," said Andy Lane, marketing manager at Bridgestone UK. "With a choice of the high-performance Bridgestone Potenza RE050 RFT tyre for the more powerful models, or the comfort-orientated Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFT tyre, drivers of the new 3-Series can experience the smooth ride and performance levels expected of a market-leading small executive car, with the added benefits provided by run-flat tyres".

Michelin Defends Safety Stance at US Grand Prix

Following the debacle at the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis yesterday (19 June) Michelin has issued a statement defending its safety stance at the Grand Prix following the withdrawal of all Michelin-shod vehicles after the warm-up lap leaving only the Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi teams to contest the race.

In its statement Michelin expresses regret that the tyres it ran in free practice and qualifying were not suitable for use in racing conditions, but emphasised that driver safety is always a priority. "It is regrettable", reads the statement, "that our pre-race suggestions, agreed in conjunction with our partner teams, were not adopted. Had our ideas been followed, we could have guaranteed driver safety, the participation of our teams and added interest for the public".

Michelin goes on to thank its seven partner teams for their close collaboration, for having made propositions to the FIA and for having respected their advice on safety issues. The company says it will continue to investigate the technical reasons for the tyre-related incidents that affected Toyota during last Friday's free practice.

Lesjöfors UK Growth Spurs Expansion

Spring manufacturer Lesjöfors, has announced a major expansion following a period of sustained growth in the UK automotive aftermarket. The company, which supplies a complete package of Coil, Leaf, Sport and Gas springs, has grown extensively in the past year with independent distributors, a key buying group and through a new business agreement with the UK's largest warehouse distributor.

According to Managing Director Robert Glynn, this growth has meant the appointment of new staff, investment in aftermarket customer support and, relocation to a new purpose built 25,000sqft premises, which will house more than 200,000 units at any one time. Lesjöfors is scheduled to move to the new facility in September.

Entyrety to Support Training Excellence Award

Entyrety, the independent provider of technical services to the tyre and automotive industries, has decided to extend its support for the safety award scheme organised by the Tyre Industry Council to include an award for training excellence.

The Tyre Industry Council Tyre Safety Awards are in their third year and were instigated to reward those individuals or organisations that make a valuable commitment to the promotion of tyre safety both inside and outside the tyre industry. Award winners over the last two years have included Kwik-Fit, National Tyres and Autocare and from outside the industry Strathclyde and Derbyshire police forces.

The three TIC awards, the TIC Industry Award, the TIC Safety Professionals Award and the new TIC Training Award will be presented at the popular Rubber Industry Dinner to be held again this year at the Hanover International Hotel in Hinckley on Friday, 14th October.

5,000 European Specialist Tyre Dealers Certified for SSR Fitting by Continental

Continental have announced that over 5,000 employees working in specialist tyre outlets across Europe have completed a self-certification for fitting Continental Self Supporting Run flat (SSR) tyres by learning online.

The fitting of SSR tyres is becoming increasingly important as the number of vehicles fitted with SSR tyres increases. BMW alone has recently equipped two of its model ranges with SSR tyres as standard - with Continental being one of the major approved suppliers. Continental is using the Internet, seminars, training sessions and training CD-ROMs to educate tyre retailers and their staff about the specific characteristics of SSR tyres and their fitting.

The company has launched dedicated websites in the UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Spain to help with the training. The UK version of the online training module is available at www.conti-ssr.co.uk and provides information about the tyres, answers questions and describes the fitting process in detail. There are currently six teaching modules available and videos are also used to demonstrate fitting situations.

"Whilst no specific fitting equipment is required for SSR tyres, we encourage all personnel coming into contact with the product undertake a self-certification process. The online training module is a fast and efficient way to learn, yet we can also provide an interactive CD-ROM or printed material for any dealers without access to the Internet" said Roger Sanders, General Manager Technical Services, Continental.

He continued "Five thousand staff working in trade outlets throughout Europe have already taken advantage of our online SSR self-certification process. This has enabled them to learn all about our new tyres - as quickly and easily as possible, so that they in turn can provide the best possible service to their customers."

Ed's Treads Wins Second Major Taxi Contract

First Stop tyre dealership Ed's Treads is celebrating being awarded a lucrative three-year contract to carry out MOT tests on Hackney carriages and private hire cars in Hemel Hempstead - just 12 months after being awarded a similar contract at its Watford depot. The tyre dealership and MOT specialist now has the exclusive licence to give private hire vehicles in the town their annual inspections.

"Being responsible for the testing of all the taxis in Hemel Hempstead is an excellent endorsement of the thoroughness and quality of our work," said Ed Callan, owner of Ed's Treads. More than 500 private hire cars and Hackney carriages operate in the town, all of which are covered in a scheme designed by the council to provide quality control for public service vehicles.

Jiang Xi Federal Tire Increases Capacity

It has been reported that Federal Tire's Chinese subsidiary in Jiang Xi is to invest US $30 million in a programme to double production capacity to 5 million units a year, by the end of 2005. Most of the investment will be targeted at the purchase of new machinery including curing presses, tyre builders, uniformity inspection equipment and mixers as part of a plan to expand the company's product line. The company manufactures car and light truck tyres under the Federal and Hero brand names.

Discovery Michelin Exhibition at Ecos Centre Ballymena

A major exhibition featuring Michelin and the relationship it has with the countries in which it manufactures and markets its products, will open at the Ecos Centre in Ballymena on Monday June 20. The exhibition, entitled "Discovery Michelin", has been created specifically to feature the inter-relationships across the world of resources, manufacture and the demands of the consumer.

Michelin has established an internal communications project entitled "Performance and Responsibility Michelin (PRM)" that reaffirms the Company's responsible philosophy to employees, customers, suppliers and the environment. Discovery Michelin illustrates the practical applications of this broad based charter.

Employees of the Michelin manufacturing plant in Ballymena will have a selected preview of the exhibition during the week commencing June 13th. The complete exhibition will then be staged at the Ecos Centre, following a launch event on the evening of June 21. From that date employees and their families will have the opportunity to view the entire exhibition as part of a wider community event.

Yokohama to Manufacture Passenger Car and Light Truck Tyres in Thailand

Yokohama has announced that it is to manufacture passenger car and light truck tyres in Thailand. In order to do so the company plans to construct a small plant that integrates everything from moulding to vulcanizing at the site of Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co; Ltd in October this year. Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) was established in January 2004 to manufacture and market truck and bus radials. Current annual capacity is 350,000 units.

In order to accommodate the expansion, the property's size has been doubled by acquiring adjacent land on which the new property will be built. The new plant will have an annual capacity of 1.4 million units when production starts in November 2006. Total investment will be 11.5 billion yen. The new facility will be a first-phase operation, allowing for expansion to second and third phases if needed.

The new facility is part of Yokohama's efforts to boost production capacity in Japan, the Philippines and Thailand in response to rising global tyre demand. In particular, the company aims to increase production capacity for tyres for sport utility vehicles and light trucks.

Bridgestone Europe's Tyre Education Centre Opens in Rome

The inauguration of Bridgestone Europe's state-of-the-art European Education Centre (EUEC), housed within the tyre manufacturer's recently opened European Proving Ground at Aprilia near Rome, took place on 30 May 2005. BSEU Chairman, CEO and President Minekazu Fujimura, unveiled a commemorative plaque at a launch meeting attended by senior managers from around Europe.

On this milestone occasion, he was joined by Shoshi Arakawa, his BSEU predecessor and currently Senior Vice President, Member of the Board, Responsible for International Operations who was the originator of the concept underlying Bridgestone's global network of comprehensive education and training centres.

Kenichi Takaba, Director of Field Engineering and General Manager, Sales and Technical Training Services at BSEU, gave an introductory presentation on the Centre. He highlighted the key roles of education, information and communication in the overall corporate strategy, and emphasised the importance of collaboration between the EUEC and the regional facilities established in Japan, USA, Middle East, China and Thailand.

Guests then toured the new premises, which cover more than 3,000m² - including a replica First Stop dealership store that will be used to teach merchandising and sales techniques, plus First Stop and TruckPoint garages equipped with the very latest servicing equipment from all the major manufacturers.

BF Goodrich Involvement in World Rally Championship

From 2006, the Michelin Group will pursue itstechnological and sporting involvement in the World Rally Championship withits BFGoodrich Tires brand. This decision strengthens BFGoodrich Tires' current racing involvement inthe Rally Raid World Cup, the Dakar Rally and numerous Northern-American competitions such as the Score Baja 1000. The Michelin Group and Ford intend to continue their partnership in WRC for the foreseeable future.

Pirelli Sells Energy and Telecoms Cables and Systems Business to Goldman Sachs

Pirelli & C. SpA and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners have announced that they have reached an agreement for the sale of Pirelli's Energy and Telecom Cables and Systems business to Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Pirelli will sell to Goldman Sachs Capital Partners activities that had in 2004 sales of € 3,208 million, with an operating income (EBIT) of more than € 110 million. The business has 12,000 employees and 52 plants around the world.

The transaction has a value of € 1.3 billion, including intellectual property rights and Pirelli brand licensing for two years. As previously announced, net proceeds of the operation will be invested in strategic activities of the Pirelli Group, in particular on the development of higher value-added businesses such as telecommunications and tyres.