European Rubber Journal articles from October 2004

European Rubber Journal archives from October 2004

Hexagon buys Italian wheel maker, expands.(GPD Sprl)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Swedish engineering group Hexagon AB has acquired all the operating assets, including the order backlog, of Italian polymeric wheel manufacturer GPD Sprl. The acquired unit, which has sales amounting to some [euro]2...

Sales up, but 1st half loss.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In the first half of 2004, Forbo had higher sales than for the same period of 2003, but made a loss resulting from special charges. Sales of SwFr 827.0 million were 4.4 percent up on the same half year of 2003. Operating profit was SwFr34.2...

New calender advice from UK safety body; UK Health and Safety body revises advice on threading calenders.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Tyre and rubber processors who make use of calenders should make working conditions safer for operators by ensuring they follow new advice issued by the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on threading the equipment....

Helvoet Pharma acquires Seal Line of Italy; IVG sells syringe closure units to Helvoet's pharma division.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Helvoet Pharma, the pharmaceutical packaging division of the Swiss Datwyler Holding, has bought Italian pharmaceutical seal maker Seal Line SpA. The purchase is part of an aggressive strategy of growth by Datwyler...

Datwyler's polymer business in good form; Raw material costs affect profit levels as sales rise on European recovery.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White The Rubber+Plastics Division of Swiss group Datwyler had higher sales in the first half of 2004, with good business in the automotive sector. The division posted a 13.9-percent increase in sales to SwFr68.9 million...

Crompton cuts Flexzone capacity, raises prices; Chemicals supplier cuts capacity and raises prices to restore profitability.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Crompton Corp. announced 20 Aug that it is reducing capacity of Flexzone, an antiozonant used to prevent cracking in tyres. In a related announcement, the company announced global price increases for the Flexzone product...

ERJ newsbrief: Crompton still wants to sell Chinese silanes JV.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Crompton Corp. is still seeking to sell Nanjing Crompton Shuguang Organosilicon Specialties Co. Ltd (NCSOS)-its majority-owned Chinese organosilanes manufacturing joint venture-to General Electric Co. The planned deal is linked to the sale of...

Amtel raises revenue, achieves 64% profit rise; Russian tyre maker continues expansions and improves profits.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Russian tyre producer, Amtel Holdings Holland (AHH) raised its revenue by 19 percent to $383 million ([euro]320 million) in 2003, with year-on-year gross profit up by 64 percent, to $46 million. Net profit after taxes...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
October 1, 2004... Bridgestone restarts plant struck by fire * Tokyo-Production has reportedly resumed at Bridgestone Corp.'s truck and bus tyre plant in Amagi, Japan. A fire broke out in the factory 20 Aug and was extinguished that day. Thirteen people...

Michelin investing in Ireland, Canada; Tyre maker invests [euro]48 million in upgrades for CV production in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and in Bridgewater and Waterville in Novia Scotia.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Groupe Michelin is to carry out a [pounds sterling]14.5-million ([euro]22-million) upgrade of its truck and bus tyre plant manufacturing facility in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland has...

ERJ newsbrief: UK firm raises scrap tyre use.(Briefs)(Charles Lawrence International Ltd.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Groupe Michelin has reported a big increase in demand for scrap tyres from its UK Charles Lawrence International, which granulates truck tyre casings for use in athletics tracks, play surfaces and sports facilities. CLI's sister company,...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)(European Rubber Journal)
October 1, 2004... Trelleborg Industrial AVS names Danish distributor * Leicester, UK-Danish firm P. Otterstrom's Eftf. APS has been made an official distributor for the Trelleborg Industrial AVS range of antivibration and suspension components. ...

Cheng Shin expands again.(Cheng Shin-Toyo Tire and Rubber Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White The Cheng Shin-Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. factory at Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, China, is expanding again and has ordered two masterbatch mixer feed lines from Nottingham, UK-based supplier Chronos Richardson. The...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)(TW Fitting NA llc)
October 1, 2004... Michelin-Conti JV to open US tyre/wheel assembly plant * Vance, Alabama-TW Fitting NA llc, a Groupe Michelin/Continental AG joint venture, is setting up a plant in Vance to supply Mercedes-Benz of America Inc. with mounted tyre/wheel...

Sumitomo invests in new Asian tyre capacity; Six factories in Japan, China, Indonesia to benefit from $45 million investments.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron Bureau Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd is increasing a two-year capital expenditure programme at its tyre plants in Japan, China and Indonesia by 15 percent. The firm also said its first-half operating...

Cooper-Standard plans to make all lines in China; Chinese sealing systems JV is just the start for automotive unit as Cooper plans big investments in hose, AV parts also.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Meyer ERJ Akron Bureau Even with its sealing joint venture in place in China, the Cooper-Standard Automotive unit of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. still has much work to do in the Asian nation. Cooper-Standard is looking to...

Pirelli in upbeat mood as plans for China develop; Pirelli's tyre boss says the company is working on investments beyond its recent new Brazilian plant and its plans for China.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Pirelli & C SpA's tyre chief Francesco Gori is in a bouyant mood about prospects for the group's tyre business. The Italian tyre maker feels it has finally got its approach to the US market right. It is also more than...

Market segments.(News)(Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Pirelli sees the two major tyre segments it serves -consumer and industrial-as having "very different drivers," said Gori, especially for Pirelli with its focus on the ultra-high-performance end of the car tyre sector. "Because we are so...

Motor racing.(News)(Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Pirelli's involvement in motor racing-it now provides tyres for the Peugeot as well as the Subaru teams in the world rally championships-is a useful tool for promoting brand profile and position worldwide, Gori said. It also offers a...

Good attendance at IRC'04 in Moscow; Production demand both increase in Russia, but raw materials are not always available.(News)(International Rubber Conference)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Prof Maya Bukhina NIEMI From 1-4 June 2004, Moscow hosted a 500 strong gathering at the International Rubber Conference-IRC'04. The 500 participants included 400 from Russia and other countries in the region, and nearly 100 from 23...

Alpha bought by plastics testing company; Alpha Technologies has been bought by Dynisco, a maker of instruments and sensors aimed at the plastics sector, with funding from a venture capital organisation.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw Alpha Technologies, a supplier of rheometers and process analysers for the rubber industry, has been bought by Dynisco llc. Neither side revealed the purchase price, but investment company, American Capital Strategies...

Dow Corning lifts capacity as demand soars; Silicones company adds capacity in Wales and plans a Chinese plant by 2010.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Dow Corning Corp. is raising production of silicon-based products and said it will build a Chinese manufacturing plant by the end of the decade. It has already increased production by more than 15 percent during the first...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)(European Rubber Journal)
October 1, 2004... China in EPDM dumping probe * Beijing-China has started an investigation into alleged dumping of EPDM rubber from the US, South Korea and The Netherlands, the country's Ministry of Commerce announced 10 Aug. The investigation should be...

Manuli sells automotive business to equity group.(News)(Italian Lifestyle Partners )
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Italian hose specialist Manuli Rubber Industries SpA has sold its Automotive Business Group to a private equity group, Italian Lifestyle Partners (ILP) for an undisclosed amount. The business sold represents roughly...

Top tyre makers led by Michelin; A falling dollar saw the the world tyre industry increase in value by over 10 percent last year. Michelin remains the world's biggest, followed by Bridgestone and Goodyear.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron bureau A weak dollar and growth by new companies in China sparked a 12-percent increase in the apparent size of the global tyre market in 2003, to about $80000 million ([euro]66 400 million). Most of the...

Profits return in first half; Tyre shortages and rising raw material prices have led to some price increases.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron bureau The financial health of the tyre industry took a marked turn upward in the first half of 2004, with all of the major multinational tyre firms reporting improved earnings. Goodyear returned to the black...

Bandag aims to be a leader in tyre replacement; Fleet operators in Europe can put all their tyre needs into the hands of one organisation. Bandag's Eurofleet unit will take over their total truck tyre management, so operators can focus on core transport operations.(News)(Bandag Europe N.V.)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White "We believe retreading in Europe has a great future-but only as part of total tyre management solutions aimed at reducing total costs for fleet users," said Danny van Essche, head of European marketing with retread system...

A global set up...(News)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
October 1, 2004... Bandag's retread approach, introduced in Germany in the 1950s, "revolutionised tyre retreading by using precured tread rubber," the company claims. This replaced camelback rubber, applied to a carcass and then cured in moulds. Globally,...

The Bandag set-up in Europe.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In Europe, Bandag operates a tread rubber manufacturing unit at Bandag Europe NV in Lanklaar, Belgium, plus a central Bandag BV European distribution and warehouse operation in Born, The Netherlands, to serve the European, Middle East and...

Fleets are changing.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Local fleets want local solutions from local partners. But consolidation of the business means local fleets are increasingly being bought by national fleets. "We need then to be ready to meet those national needs," said Peter de Cabooter,...

Noise a major issue.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... "Future regulations on noise and wet traction, will also hit us hard," warned Lindstrom (pictured right) . Retreads will soon have to meet the noise regulations that new tyres have had to meet for two years, he said. This is a major...

Minivan made with no spare tyre; Honda to fit Michelin PAX system as standard on North American minivan, which is designed without a spare tyre. The runflat tyre will include a new low-weight support ring based on polyurethane.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Honda Motor Co. will fit Groupe Michelin's PAX system as standard on the top-end touring version of its 2005 Odyssey minivan in North America. The minivan is the first volume model to be designed specifically for...

K2004 preview; Further to our preview in last month's edition, more companies have told us what they intend to show at the big rubber and plastics fair in Dusseldorf.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In just a few weeks' time, K 2004, the 16th International Trade Fair for Plastics + Rubber, will throw open its doors in Dusseldorf. With 2900 exhibitors from 53 countries and 200 000 international trade visitors expected, the fair will...

Recent MRI expansions.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... During 2003, Manuli relocated its Brazilian automotive unit to a larger site to keep pace with growth in sales. It also expanded its Polish automotive operation, which doubled manufacturing capacity in 2003 and saw sales rise by 109...

K 2004 exhibitors.(News)
October 1, 2004... Prodicon International Srl hall 9 / E29 Prodicon of Milan, Italy specialises in strip-handling systems, designed to store rubber compounds and other material in strip form. Prodicon specialises in equipment for intermedate products...

Oil prices continue to rise, as rubber cools.(News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Information We present here a series of charts and tables which are meant to give a snapshot of how the rubber industry is performing. The price of rubber on the Singapore commodity exchange is possibly the most important price in the...

Diary.(Calendar)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... Readers are strongly advised to confirm details with organisers before making any travel arrangements. An updated list of industry events is available on the ERJ website at http://www.crain.co.uk/ September * ITEC 2004, international...

Price rises mark a new development in supply.(Column)(Column)
October 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw I have been watching recent announcements of price increases with some interest. Right now, for almost the first time that I can remember in 15 years or more of following this industry, supply is tight. That's not just...

Trelleborg's Telford unit saved in reduced form; Conglomerate pulls back from decision to close DJ Profiles plant, following talks with workers.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Trelleborg Industrial Profiles UK has retreated from a plan to close its Telford unit and consolidate all UK manufacture of industrial profiles at its plant at Minworth, near Birmingham. After discussions with...

ERJ newsbrief: Metzeler adds TPV mixing.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Metzeler Automotive Profiles Systems has installed a new mixing line for thermoplastic elastomers at its plant in Keokuk, Iowa. With this new line, the team at Keokuk is making samples of thermoplastic vulcanisate material available for...

RAG sells SaarGummi to German equity fund; Equity fund managers will continue to operate SaarGummi with few changes, following divestment.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White RAG Saarberg AG sold its wholly owned SaarGummi GmbH unit to a private equity group advised by Munich-based Orlando Management GmbH. Details of the purchase price were not revealed. The sale of the Buschfeld,...

ERJ newbriefs.(Briefs)
October 1, 2004... GDX sale complete * Sacramento, California-GenCorp Inc. has completed the sale of its GDX Automotive business to New York-based investment firm Cerberus Capital Management LP. GenCorp will receive $147 million ([euro]121 million) in cash...

Forbo assesses flooring future in strategy rethink; Belting and adhesives are to be focus of development for Swiss group.(News)
October 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Swiss group Forbo is considering future options for its flooring division, including a possible divestment, following a review of strategy and operations over the past five months. This review, said the group, "has...