European Rubber Journal articles from June 2001

European Rubber Journal archives from June 2001

Toyoda Gosei initiates European expansion plan.(plans plant expansion)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd's automotive seals division plans to grow its customer base in Europe, with its new plant in Rotherham, south Yorkshire, serving as the core of this strategy. "Central England is a very convenient location to supply...

Bando pays $41 million to end Gates row.(Bando Chemical Industries, Gates Rubber)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] London--Bando Chemical Industries Ltd has agreed to pay $41 million to Gates Rubber Co. to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit between the firms, Gates Rubber's parent Tomkins plc has confirmed. The agreement settles a dispute dating...

Profile maker's founder sets up new firm.(David Jones forms DJ Polymers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... [] Telford, UK--DJ Profiles' founder David Jones is setting up a new company, DJ Polymers, in Market Drayton. Since he founded DJ Profiles in 1980, the extrusion firm has become a developer and manufacturer of rubber profiles, tubing and cords...

Phoenix to open Romanian hose plant.(Phoenix AG)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Budapest--Phoenix AG has scheduled an opening ceremony for its new automotive coolant hose plant at Satu Mare, Romania, for June. The plant has been in pilot operation since early April, and currently employs around 70 people, according to...

Germany under fire over tank track contracts.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Brussels--German procedures for procuring rubber protection pads on tracked military vehicles such as tanks have fallen foul of the European Commission's internal trade rules. Germany's Federal Office for military technology and public...

Phoenix's sales increase in all areas.(Phoenix AG)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... "Germany's strong automobile industry continues to deliver surprising performance, said major German rubber processor Phoenix AG, announcing its first quarter results for 2001. The unexpectedly good performance of the auto sector, which Phoenix...

Acushnet picks BWD as first European agent.(Acushnet Rubber, BWD Automotive)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Acushnet Rubber Co. Inc. has contracted BWD Automotive GmbH of Hamburg, Germany, to handle its sales, marketing and engineering in Europe. "Historically, we've covered Europe with personnel out of the (US). Now we've actually got...

Phoenix to re-brand Hungarian units.(retains Taurus brand but renames companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Budapest--Following successful integration of the Taurus non-tyre product manufacturing facilities into group operations Phoenix AG expects to rename the companies to adopt the Phoenix name according to Hans-Joachim Zwarg, the group's chief...

ITEC Asia details finalised.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] London--New developments in all the key tyre technologies will feature at ITEC Asia 2001, to be held in Busan, Korea, September 18-20, says Crain Communications Ltd, organiser of the international tyre exhibition and conference. The...

Eaton cuts jobs to meet slowing orders.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Eaton Corp. will cut 600 jobs across its Fluid Power business over the next three months to compensate for declines in hydraulic orders and to further integrate the former Aeroquip-Vickers Inc. operations. The salaried cuts will take place...

Madison adds European presence with deal.(Madison Capital Partners acquires Industrie Ilpea S.p.A.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Madison Capital Partners has gained a foothold in Europe with its purchase of Italian firm Industrie Ilpea SpA. Headquartered in Malgesso, Italy, Ilpea generates annual sales of $250 million to $270 million from 25 plants in Europe, India,...

Metro uses rubber mounts.(Sao Paulo, Brazo; Trelleborg Industrial AVS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Leicester, UK--Rubber-metal laminated chevron springs for rolling stock are part of the current refurbishment process which major Brazilian city Silo Paulo is carrying out for its heavily used 47-km metro system. The springs, from...

Rollers return after UK buyout from Voith.(management buys Scapa Rolls UK, changes name)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Following a management buy out, Scapa Rolls UK plc has left German paper group JM Voith AG, and will now trade as Just Rollers plc, the UK roll-covering company announced 1 May. Located in Cwmbran, near Newport in south Wales, the operation...

Goodyear seeks to advance through new OE group.(led by Stephen Roth)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Goodyear has recruited a Tenneco Automotive Inc. veteran to help it find ideas and partners to integrate its core products into corner modules--suspension components, the braking system and the tyre/wheel assembly. "Our core expertise is...

UK polymer groups issue survival plea.(trade associations seek discussion with UK Trade and Industry secretary Stephen Byers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Polymer processors and their suppliers join to lobby for government aid as strong pound and rising taxes add to declining UK manufacturing sector's problems. Seven trade associations representing the UK's plastics, rubber, packaging and...

New Bridgestone boss in Europe.(Bridgestone/Firestone Europe appoints chairmand and chief executive officer Shoshi Arakawa)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Brussels--Bridgestone/Firestone Europe (BFE) has a new chairman and chief executive officer, Shoshi Arakawa, who took up the position on 2 April. The appointment is the first European posting for Arakawa, who has previously managed the...

Goodyear reshuffle in Europe.(Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. hires Michael Roney as president of European Union business unit)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Akron, Ohio--Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s European-based tyre businesses are under new leadership, with the appointment of Michael Roney, as president of the company's European Union business unit. He replaces Sylvain Valensi, who has moved to...

Jasinowski becomes Goodyear corporate officer.(Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. appoints Isabel Jasinowski)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Akron, Ohio--Isabel Jasinowski, vice president, government relations for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., has been made a corporate officer. "Elevating our senior official in Washington, DC, to corporate officer demonstrates Goodyear's...

RubberNetwork.com appoints business development leader.(Ron Wells)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Atlanta, Georgia--Electronic-purchasing marketplace RubberNetwork.com has made Ron Wells vice president of business development. Wells will be responsible for the firm's global development efforts, in customer interface areas, product...

New Goodyear production boss at Wolves.(Goodyear Great Britain appoints Hugh Thompson production director)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Wolverhampton, UK--Goodyear Great Britain has appointed Hugh Thompson as production director for its Wolverhampton tyre plant, in the English Midlands. He was previously vice president of manufacturing for Dunlop Tyres in North America. ...

Haartz tops up network with German acquisition.(Haartz Corp. acquires Rode and Schwalenberg GmbH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... US convertible tops specialist establishes European presence through acquisition. Haartz Corp., a maker of material for convertible tops, has acquired a European presence and access to new customers through its purchase of competitor Rode...

Fenner first-half profits rise sharply.(Fenner PLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Strong sales of conveyor belts to the mining sector enables UK group to buck prevailing trends. UK group Fenner plc has posted a big improvement in first-half profitability helped by strong demand in the global coal industry for its...

Dana to divest Dallas fluid systems unit.(Dana Corp. to sell Fluid Systems unit to Maxair division of Standard Motor Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Toledo, Ohio--Dana Corp. has agreed to sell its Fluid Systems operation in Dallas to the Maxair division of Standard Motor Products Inc. Terms of the agreement weren't released. The Dallas operation primarily supplies aluminium...

Michelin goes cold on Swedish C3M plant.(Groupe Michelin will close Swiss plant)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... French tyre group to close C3M plant in Sweden after less than four years of operation. Groupe Michelin is to close its radial tyre manufacturing plant at Kungalv, Sweden, with the loss of around 100 jobs. The French group currently...

Kumho Tire opens technical centre in Akron.(Kumho Tires U.S.A. Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Korean tyre maker hopes to tap business in North America with new R&D location. Kumho Tire USA Inc. has opened its 2040-[m.sup.2] Akron Technical Center, a project deigned to help the subsidiary of South Korean tyre maker Kumho Industrial...

Cement industry offered new scrap tyre plan.(United Kingdom, Environment Agency)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... UK government proposals could speed up approvals process for tyre burning in cement kilns, claims Agency. The UK's Environment Agency (EA) wants to change the way it approves schemes to burn scrap tyres as a fuel in cement kilns, by making...

Hankook to be ninth member of RubberNetwork. com.(Hankook Tire Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Atlanta, Georgia--The global e-business marketplace created by the tyre and rubber sector for buying materials, RubberNetwork.com IIc, has added a ninth member--Korean tyre maker Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. RubberNetwork also said it has gained...

Tyre chief seeks new industry approach to R&D.
June 1, 2001... Akron, Ohio--Goodyear chairman Samir Gibara is urging tyre companies to make their research and development resources to joint ventures available to increase the speed of technological advancements. Speaking 3 May at the spring symposium of the...

Yaroslavl talking to Goodyear.(Yaroslavl Tyre Co.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Birmingham, UK--Yaroslavl Tyre Co. is talking to Goodyear about an off-take agreement. "The process is in progress" said a spokesman for Yaroslavl, speaking at the InterTyre event in Birmingham. "We are waiting for moulds from them and to...

Michelin to cut costs in North America.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Clermont-Ferrand, France--Groupe Michelin has implemented a structural cost reduction plan in North America aimed at saving $125 million annually and taken other steps to maintain its global competitiveness. The company cited 2001 economic...

Sika offers new damping material.(rubber-based SikaDamp 607)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Madison Heights, Michigan--Sika Industry's appliance group has introduced a rubber-based acoustic damping material designed specifically for the polypropylene enclosures used in appliances such as washing machines. SikaDamp 607 is a...

Lear, BERU in tyre monitor venture.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... US-based Lear Corp. and BERU Group of Germany plan to jointly develop tyre-pressure-monitoring systems, the companies announced 7 May. The partnership will combine Lear's capabilities in remote keyless entry systems with BERU's tyre pressure...

Goodyear makes first quarter loss.(Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... [] Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. posted a $46.7-million net loss in the first quarter ended 31 March, the firm announced 24 April. The tyre-maker posted earnings of $48.2 million in the same period of 2000. Net sales at Goodyear felt 6.8...

Mexican workers seek reprieve.(Goodyear closes Compania Hulera Goodyear Oxo S.A. de C.V)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... [] Mexico City--Goodyear shut down its only tyre plant in Mexico last month, but the unionised work force that staffed the facility wants the company to change its mind. On April 6, the Akron tyre maker announced it was closing its...

Slow conditions affect Bandag's results.(Bandag Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... As well as low demand, high energy prices caused problems for tyre retreader. "Sluggish business conditions and more intense competition throughout the truck tyre industry worldwide," are factors which contributed to lower sales and...

Recycler invests 250 000 [pounds sterling] in new line.(Charles Lawrence Recycling Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Newark, UK--Tyre recycler Charles Lawrence Recycling Ltd has invested 250 000 [pounds sterling] ($400 000) in a new line at its Newark, Nottinghamshire plant, expanding current capacity by around 35 percent. The cash has been spent on a...

Michelin F1 team takes chequered flag.(Formula One)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] San Marino--Groupe Michelin has chalked up its first win of the Formula One season, which marks the tyre maker's return to Grand Prix racing after a 16-year absence. Williams-BMW's victory at San Marino, on Michelin tyres, also marked the...

Michelin truck tyre recall in Japan.(Michelin Tire Sales Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Tokyo--Michelin Tire Sales Co. Ltd (MTSC) is recalling 55 000 Italian-made truck tyres, sold in Japan in the 18 months to March 2001, due to a design flaw, Tokyo-based MTSC announced 11 April. The tyres from Michelin's Alessandria truck...

Degussa pulls out of Ameripol Synpol buy.(Engineered Carbon Inc. acquisition off)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Port Neches, Texas--Negotiations concerning the sale of Engineered Carbon Inc. to Degussa AG by Ameripol Synpol Corp. have ended without a deal being struck. While neither company will discuss the turn of events officially, sources within...

Columbian no longer for sale.(Phelps Dodge takes subsidiaries off market)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Phoenix, Arizona--Phelps Dodge Corp. has pulled two businesses--Columbian Chemicals Co. and PD Wire & Cable Group--off the market because of poor economic conditions. The move follows several months of discussions with interested parties,...

Polymers reverse for Bayer.(Bayer AG earnings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... [] Cologne, Germany--Bayer AG is targeting significant improvement in the profitability of its polymers division in the near-term, its chairman, Manfred Schneider said at the group's 27 April annual shareholders' meeting in Cologne. ...

Phone mount uses Alcryn MPR.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] A `hands-free' car mounting for mobile phones relies on the good coefficient of friction of a novel type of thermoplastic elastomer. Alcryn from Advanced Polymer Alloys is described as a melt-processible rubber. It was chosen for the mount...

Pirelli buys BMH Chronos Richardson equipment.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Materials handling equipment maker wins deal to supply Pirelli in the UK. BMH Chronos Richardson has won a 1.2million [pounds sterling] ($1.8-million) contract with the Pirelli Group to supply materials handling equipment for the Italian...

France seals European Court victory.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Luxembourg--France has successfully defended its laws governing which monomers, polymers and additives can be used in rubber articles used in food-contact applications in the European Court of Justice. The European Commission had...

Great Lakes seeks savings after profits dip.(Great Lakes Chemical Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... [] Indianapolis, Indiana--Great Lakes Chemical Corp is reviewing its structural costs and business activities to identify new cost saving opportunities, the company said in a first quarter results statement. Net income for the quarter to 31...

AES nears cut off point for alliance strategy.(Advanced Elastomer Systems)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A few more deals in Asia and US will complete AES plan to penetrate regional and product markets. Advanced Elastomer Systems is close to completing its alliance programme, which AES initiated to increase penetration of its thermoplastic...

World carbon black consumption to rise.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Cleveland, Ohio--World consumption of carbon black is expected to rise 3 percent yearly to 8200 kilotonnes in 2004, according to data presented by Cleveland-based Freedonia Group Inc. According to the industrial marketing firm's "World...

Albemarle to buy German flame retardant firm.(Martinswerk GmbH acquisition)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Richmond, Virginia--Albemarle Corp. is to acquire Martinswerk GmbH, a Bergheim, Germany-based flame retardant and speciality chemicals firm, for about $44 million. The deal, which adds halogen-free products to Albemarle's mainly...

Bayer research deal in China.(Chinese Academy of Sciences agreement)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Beijing--Bayer AG has signed an agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) "to promote greater cooperation in research in China over the next five years," Bayer announced 19 April. Under the deal, Bayer will fund joint...

Techint president killed in plane crash.(Agostino Rocca)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Buenos Aires, Argentina--Agostino Rocca, president and chief executive officer of the Buenos Aires-based contraction and engineering group Techint, was killed on 29 April in a plane crash in southern Argentina. The small plane crashed in...

Mackey Bowley to sell Taiwanese equipment.(Tung Yu Hydraulic Industries contract)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Gravesend, UK--Tung Yu Hydraulic Industries, a leading Taiwanese maker of rubber moulding presses, has appointed UK press maker Mackey Bowley Ltd to sell its equipment in the UK and Europe. The Taiwanese firm designs and makes a wide...

Latexia expands paper latex capacity.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... [] Brussels--Latexia, a joint company of Raisio Chemicals and Rhodia since mid-2000, is this month raising its paper latex emulsion capacity by 100 kilotonnes per annum, the Brussels-based firm said 19 April. The expansion, involving three...

Daikin to establish fluoropolymer unit in China.(Daikin Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Tokyo--Daikin Industries Ltd is to construct a [Yen] 20 000-million ($164-million) fluorine elastomer and resins facility in the Jiangsu province of China, the company has announced. Due to come on stream in 2003, the plant will source...

Japan's first silica plant for "green" tyre market.(Nippon Silica Industrial Co. Ltd. adds plant)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... [] Tokyo--Nippon Silica Industrial Co. Ltd (NSI), a Tosoh Corp. subsidiary, has officially started operations at what, it says, is Japan's first plant dedicated solely to the production of silica for fuel-efficient tyres. Inaugurated on 17...

SR use flat in 2000, to rise 3% yearly to 2005.(synthetic rubber)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... China to show nearly double digit SR growth to 2005, predicts IISRP, but global growth in 2001 will rise by only 1.1 percent, following a drop in 2000. Worldwide use of synthetic rubber is expected to increase by 3.0 percent per year over...

Just-auto publishes tyre report.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Just-Auto has published an 82-page report on the world tyre industry. The report, written and research by Neil Mullineux, covers the business in 12 chapters. The early chapters provide a solid introduction to the industry, covering marketing,...

Hungarian rubber industry prepares for next stage of integration.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2001... Following the privatisation of the huge Taurus conglomerate live years ago, the new owners of the Taurus factories are preparing the final stages of the process of integration with their wider, global manufacturing systems. Officially, the...

Danube speakers track changes in Hungary.
June 1, 2001... A series of speakers at a conference in Budapest examined the changes which have taken place in the former communist countries of central Europe in the ten years since the fall of communism in the region. Budapest was the venue for a...

Automakers choose TPVs.(thermoplastic vulcanisates)
June 1, 2001... Advanced Hastomer systems expects sales of TPVs in automotive profiles to show growth of over 40 percent per year. After 15 years, has Advanced Elastomer Systems NV/SA persuaded most thermoset rubber firms to invest in equipment to convert...

Hose offers a challenge, says VW.(Volkswagen)
June 1, 2001... Fluoroplastic veneers and flexible polyamide layers have replaced highly fluorinated elastomers in fuel and aircon hose as the barrier material for better dynamic performance. "Dynamically stressed hoses continue to represent a challenge...

Rubber under threat, say Scandinavian speakers.
June 1, 2001... The Nordic Rubber Conference took place in Boras, Sweden in April, and generated a series of papers on the future of the rubber industry in the region. Automotive OEMs will replace rubber with other systems if the rubber industry continues...

Black arts and process control.(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2001... A few years ago, I remember a long conversation about extruding automotive profiles. The engineer who was speaking insisted that the only way to achieve minimum total lifetime cost was to set up the system, optimise it, and then leave it alone....