The Loss Control Imperative
Profitability increases the value of your company and provides the capital you need to invest in growing your operations. It should be your most critical point of focus. But perhaps an even more critical focus for a viable business goes beyond making profits to retaining profits. Far too many tire dealerships end up operating
‘Well Placed’ Alliance Ready to Grow
Between establishing a new factory in India and acquiring assets from GPX in North America, the Alliance Tire Group (ATG) has been busy in the last couple of years. And in terms of new products, this momentum is continuing. At the Reifen 2010 show Tyres & Accessories learned the company originally intended to bring along
New VP Sees Numerous Opportunities for Conti to Score
Just over a year ago, Bill Caldwell was named vice president of sales and marketing for Continental Tire the Americas passenger and light truck tire unit. He was moving over from the tiremaker’s OE side of the business to replace Andreas Gerstenberger, who during his six-year tenure helped bring Conti’s U.S. consumer tire unit back
Reports: U.K.’s Largest Tire Retailer Back on Blocks
Kwik-Fit, the U.K.’s leading tire retailer, has reportedly been put up for auction by its owners PAI Partners. PAI, a French private equity group, bought Kwik-Fit from CVC Capital Partners for roughly £800 million in 2005 after seeing off competing bids from suitors including global tiremaker Bridgestone Corp. Newspaper reports suggest that Kwik-Fit has once
Content is King: We’re Delivering Every Possible Flavor
At a recent seminar on digital media, one of the panel experts uttered this phrase: “It’s the content, stupid.” That brusque Clintonesque sound bite was meant to rattle. Until that point, the room was fixated on delivery methods. The panelist’s sharp comment snapped everyone’s attention back to the most important element of any publication –
Bridgestone Opens G-MEC Training Building
Bridgestone held an opening ceremony April 28 for its Global Manufacturing Education Center (G-MEC), a training building established in Kodaira City, Tokyo. The ceremony, held at the newly opened G-MEC Building, marked the official launch of the new G-MEC training and education program. G-MEC was set up in 2007 to train members of Bridgestone’s global
Tire Technologies Congress Set for May
Based on the theme of “Interpreting Industry Legislation and Regulations, Exploring Cutting-edge Technologies and Trends,” event organizers are publicizing plans for the second annual Tire Technologies Congress in Shanghai, China. As you might expect, the conference will focus on the most controversial legislation and trade issues, but there will also be technology sessions. Organizers JFPS
New Products Set to Fuel Growth as Hankook Nears $1 Billion Mark
Expect the unexpected…Embrace new ideas…Keep forging ahead. Those were the key phrases used by Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications, in his opening remarks at Hankook Tire America Corp.’s recent dealer meeting. Some 100 tire dealers from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico couldn’t have asked for a better location than the Ritz Carlton in
European Wheel Dumping Investigation Could Mean 30% Duty
While everyone has been focusing on the U.S.-initiated anti-dumping tariffs against Chinese-made passenger car tires, another anti-dumping investigation has escaped widespread coverage. In August 2009, the European Commission began an investigation into dumping allegations made against Chinese wheel makers who allegedly sold products into the European markets beneath cost price. At the time, 60 Chinese
Grab That Wheel: Create an Employee Handbook to Take Control
When most owners of tire businesses see the term “employee handbook,” they are likely to have one of several thoughts – usually all negative. You might be thinking that you simply don’t have time for that now, feeling that business is simply too tough to mess with minor details. “I’ll get to it when…”