Show Time
Despitethe economy, those of you planning to visit the SEMA Show in Las Vegasthis year will still see a number of tire producers (or producer reps)in the South Hall – the Tires, Wheels & Equipment section. On the exhibitor list, as of Aug. 5, were: AchievaRubber Corp., API Inc., Balkrishna Tyres, Chadha Rubber, CMA, Cooper,Deestone,
Lanxess’s Organic Nanoparticles Ready for Tyre Applications
Nanoprene, the trade name of Lanxess AG’s latest organic nanoparticle polymer additive, is reportedly ready for use in the tyre industry.
Elemica and RubberNetwork Merge
Rubber industry supply chain providers Elemica and RubberNetwork have merged.
Continental AG Cap Hike Passes, CEO Under Fire
(Reuters and other reports) The soap opera that has been Schaeffler Group’s ownership of Continental AG continues to take new turns, with Reuters now reporting that Conti’s CEO is being forced out and Schaeffler wants to unload the company’s rubber group.
Red, White & Gray
The International Trade Commission’s desire to slap a series of escalating tariffs on Chinese-made passenger tires has backed the Obama Administration into a tight corner.
Hankook, Lanxess Sign Butyl Rubber Supply Agreement
German specialty chemicals company Lanxess AG and South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook Tire have further strengthened their collaboration by signing a five-year supply agreement whereby Lanxess will supply large volumes of butyl rubber to Hankook from 2010 to 2014.
And Now, for Some Serious Belt-Tightening
(New York Times) Given that is was designed to be the world’s cheapest car, should it matter whether the Tata Nano is any fun to drive?
Will It Go Round in Circles?
Now that NHTSA has set out its 177-page proposal on testing and grading tires for fuel efficiency – not to mention a consumer tire care education program – one can’t help but look back fondly at the early days of Uniform Tire Quality Grading, NHTSA’s first attempt at testing and grading.
Reaction to ITC Ruling: Wait and See
While no one appeared to be surprised by the U.S. International Trade Commission ruling yesterday on the USW’s petition to limit the importation of “Made in China” tires, most took a wait and see attitude about the ruling.
King Harvest Has Surely Come
No doubt that within days I will get news releases from Bridgestone and Goodyear and Michelin and Cooper – everybody – announcing plans to build new plants in the U.S. to produce low-value broadline tires.