Firestone: Helping or Hurting Liberians?
(Editor’s Note: This opinion piece by author Dave Zirin, the response by Dan Adomitis, president of Bridgestone Americas Holding’s Firestone Natural Rubber Co., and Zirin’s response in return were all published in the Los Angles Times and on the L.A. Times’ Web site. Zirin’s original opinion piece appeared on Jan. 20, while Adomitis’ response and Zirin’s retort appeared on Jan. 29)
Manufacturers…Drive the Grey Market
Almost six years to the day after the Levi versus Tesco ruling, Kumho UK managing director Steve Tidmarsh used his speech to address the subject of grey importing in a refreshingly direct fashion.
Special Session Called on Goodyear Bill Override
(Akron/Tire Review – Fayetteville Observer) North Carolina lawmakers will convene Monday for a special session to consider overriding the governor’s veto of a bill that would provide $40 million in public money to Fayetteville’s Goodyear plant.
Raw (Materials) Deal: Strapped By Rising Costs, Tiremakers Look at Fresh Alternatives
The volatility of the world’s political climate, the unpredictable weather in North America and El NiÑo in the Pacific Ocean are having very expected outcomes in terms of the cost of raw materials for the tire industry. Oh yes, and then there’s China. The economy of the world’s most-populous country continues to grow faster than
Shops in Crisis? The Tech Shortage
You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. Perhaps you’ve experienced it. It’s ‘The Tech Shortage,’ the most critical personnel issue facing businesses involved in automotive repair, including tire dealers. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Or is it? Facts are facts. Perception is quite another thing. In this two-part series, we will define the
Globalization: Can We Survive the Onslaught?
(Douglasdale, South Africa/S.A. Treads) Never before has the trend of Globalization been more acutely felt. In the context of the tyre industry, Globalization began almost a century ago, when manufacturing giants such as the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. began establishing operations outside of its home base, the U.S.
RMA Meeting Features Speakers Little and Rothenberg
(Akron/Tire Review) U.S. tire manufacturers and marketers will gather to discuss business, politics and the economy at the 2006 Rubber Manufacturers Association/General Products Group annual meeting, set for Feb. 25-27, at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Chinese to Enter U.S. Auto Market
(Akron/Tire Review – Sam Jose Mercury News) With one humble car, a modest sedan called the Geely CK 1.5, parked Tuesday in the lobby of the North American International Auto Show, a Chinese automaker announced it’s coming to the U.S.
Pushing Rope?: How High Will Another Price Increase Fly With Strapped End-Users?
Rumblings are up about an upcoming round of across-the-board tire price hikes. No one should be surprised. Legacy costs, operating costs and, most especially, raw material costs, are chewing up tiremakers, especially those on these shores. The price increases invoked over the last three years have certainly been warranted, and, for the most part, those
Easy Rider Passes
Bogged down in a war of words and thought to be headed for a Congressional hearing, the American Jobs Creation Act instead breezed through the Senate on Oct. 11 and was expected to be signed by President Bush without delay.