European Rubber Journal articles from September 2005

European Rubber Journal archives from September 2005

On the ERJ web site ... www.europeanrubberjournal.com.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... You can find all the news we can't fit into the magazine, including... Bridgestone sees 9 % sales rise in H1, but no rise in income... Conti has 'record-breaking" H1: still losing money in US... Goodyear has record $5 billion sales,...

NuVasive buys UK maker of cervical replacement device.(Pearsalls Ltd)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... US medical device maker NuVasive Inc. has bought the technology and assets of Pearsalls Ltd, a privately owned UK firm which makes a replacement device for spinal surgery called Neodisc. Based on a silicone rubber core-in an 'embroidered'...

Allweiler adds stator lining plant in Hamburg; Pump maker buys former stator lining supplier and modernises plant. It can now offer better service. and even unusual lining types with rapid turnaround.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White, ERJ staff German pump maker Allweiler AG has taken production of rubber-lined stators for its progressing cavity pumps in house. Allweiler bought its former supplier of these parts in March and modernised the plant-now...

newsbriefs.(Cellular Developments Limited acquires Roulunds Codan)(Hexagon AB acquires Trostel SEG)(Cooper-Standard Automotive Group acuires Gates Corp.)
September 1, 2005... CDL buys assets of Roulunds Codan (Wales) Ystrad Mynach, Wales-Hampshire-based rubber manufacturer, Cellular Developments Limited (CDL), has bought the assets of the former Roulunds Codan (Wales) operation on the Penallta Industrial Estate,...

Chinese firm buys US NVH firm to extend global network; Asimco aims to be the first Chinese-based automotive supplier with global supply capability.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Chinese automotive parts supplier Asimco Technologies Ltd has acquired a US maker of rubber-based bushings, engine mounts and body mounts for the automotive industry. The move is part of a strategy by Asimco to become...

newsbriefs.(Carlisle Companies Inc. acquires Zhejiang Kete)(Yokohama Rubber Company Ltd. opens a plant)(ContiTech Group AG)
September 1, 2005... Carlisle confirms acquisition of Zhejiang Kete Charlotte, North Carolina-Carlisle Cos Inc. has announced that it will acquire the heavy-duty brake lining and brake shoe assets of Zhejiang Kete, located in Hangzhou, China for approximately...

Icon spends [pounds sterling]1 million on new Silvertown plant in Burton; UK group decides on leased site in Burton to house production of Silentbloc antivibration products. Most other Silvertown products will move to Retford, but some will move offshore or be sold.(Icon Polymer)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Icon Polymer Group has restructured following its acquisition of the Silvertown Group in late 2004. The UK group announced 22 Aug that it will invest [pounds sterling]1 million (z1.46 million) in a new vibration-control...

More rubber stories on the web.(News)
September 1, 2005... Don't miss out on the news. We don't have room in the magazine for all the news that goes on the ERJ website, day in, day out. So make sure you get full value out of your subscription. Go to www.europeanrubberjournal.com to see these stories....

Michelin remains the world's biggest tyre maker; Our annual listing of the world's top tyre makers reveals small, but subtle changes.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron bureau After years of steady but unspectacular growth, the global tyre industry's sales revenues shot up nearly 15 percent in 2004, on a combination of higher volume, higher prices and currency exchange...

Mixed results: tyre makers show sales gains for first half; Half-year results show strong gains, but not for all tyre makers.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron bureau Escalating raw material costs continue to plague global tyre makers' bottom lines, but a host of other factors have also affected performance so far this year. Though profitability was mixed among...

ContiTech sells profiles unit to SG Sealing.(Venture Partners)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White ContiTech AG is to sell its automotive sealing systems business to Special Situations Venture Partners LP, by 1 Oct 2005. ContiTech decided to sell because it lacks sufficient "strategic clout" to compete effectively...

Vredestein tyres made by Amtel in Russia: the new black; Amtel will make Vredestein-brand tyres in Russia.(Special Report)(Vredestein Banden B.V.)(Amtel Holdings B.V.)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Russian tyre maker Amtel Holdings Holland NV has finally got the expert tyre partner it has wanted for some time. Amtel, arguably the most commercially savvy and successful of the home-bred Russian tyre producers, has...

'We had what they wanted, they had what we wanted'-Oudshoorn of Vredestein.(Amtel Co.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... While not all commentators are totally optimistic about the Dutch-Russian tie up, the inside track from Moscow would seem to confound this. "It is definitely a win-win-win situation," reiterated Oudshoorn-a happy man with a big smile on his...

Vredestein: size into strength.(Special Report)(production of tyres )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... At the beginning of the 90s, Vredestein had a grey image and "had to turn its relatively small size into a strength," according to ceo Oudshoorn. He pointed out that it achieved this by being "mean, lean and effective, with short lines of...

Bridgestone planning 2nd Chinese steel tyre cord plant; New steelcord plant in China's Guangdong Province, will "serve the surging demand for tyres in China," says Bridgestone.(Special Report)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Bridgestone Corp. is to spend about $100 million ([euro]82 million) to build a second plant in China making steel cord for radial truck and bus tyres. The copany is also increasing steelcord capacity in Thailand (see...

Pirelli to invest [euro]60 million in Chinese tyre joint-venture.(Special Report)
September 1, 2005... Pirelli has finalised its joint-venture agreement in China with Roadone Tyre Co. Ltd, announced 16 June. The partners have gained appropriate regulatory approvals for the JV, which is to be majority owned by Pirelli, with some 60 percent of the...

Goodyear to make runflats in Dalian, China.(Special Report)(Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has announced that it aims to become the first tyre company to manufacture runflat tyres in China, directing a $18 million ([euro]14.3 million) investment in its Dalian tyre plant toward run-flat manufacturing...

Bridgestone to raise capacity in Thailand.(Special Report)
September 1, 2005... Bridgestone Corp. plans to invest about [yen]17 500 million ([euro]127 million) in expanding its Thai truck and bus tyre plant, in a project that includes simultaneous expansion of its steel cord plant at Rayong in Thailand. In a 9 August...

Rhein Chemie investing [euro]3 m in Mannheim, [euro]2.8 m in China; Chemicals supplier adds 3ktpa to Batch-Ready unit at Mannheim, doubles size of facility for polymer bound chemicals at Qingdao to nearly 5 ktpa.(Suppliers)(Rhein-Chemie Rheinau GmbH)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH is building a [euro]3 million plant for its Batch-Ready products at the group's headquarters site in Mannheim-Rheinau, and is also investing [euro]2.8 million in doubling capacity at a new...

Lanxess warns on profitability as it restructures NBR unit.(Suppliers)(nitrile rubber)(Lanxess AG)
September 1, 2005... Lanxess AG is to restructure its nitrile rubber operations, the group announced, as it reported second quarter sales in performance rubber 17 percent ahead of the same period last year, at [euro]432 million (Q2, 2004: [euro]368 million). ...

More stories on the web.(News)
September 1, 2005... Make sure you get full value out of your subscription. Go to www.europeanrubberjournal.com to see these stories. Okamoto buys outstanding shares in Ichijiku... Avon issues profits warning, restructures management... Jorg Sost Joins...

Reiff group invests in new plant for RET subsidiary; German rubber group Reiff is building new facilities for automotive supply unit RET and aims to raise its turnover to [euro]0 million by 2010.(News)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Reiff Group subsidiary RET is to set up a new 8000-m[sup.2] production site in the Mark-West industrial area of Reutlingen, with the potential to create 60 new jobs. The new plant, to be complete by late summer 2006,...

newsbriefs.(Briefs)
September 1, 2005... Cabot adds yet more carbon black at Tianjin Tianjin, China - Cabot Corp. will build a new speciality carbon black unit at its plant in the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA). Cabot Performance Products (Tianjin) Co....

More supplier stories on the web.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... See them on www.europeanrubberjournal.com... Chemtura suspending EPDM production for 6 weeks Rep adopts independent agent in UK... Wacker makes Jointec Italian-wide distributor for silicone elastomers... Comerio Ercole to make Kobe...

Hutchinson continues to head rubber processor listing; It's a close call at the top of the non-tyre rubber league-and getting closer. Next year several contenders will vie for top spot with around $3000 million annual sales.(News)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Bruce Davis ERJ Akron bureau Mergers, acquisitions and reorganisations among the world's leading non-tyre rubber companies continue to shuffle the global rankings for these firms, although France's Hutchinson SA has maintained the...

Pirelli opens steelcord factory in Romania; Pirelli's new steelcord plant in Romania is the first step toward a new factory for high performance tyres.(Suppliers)(Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corp.)
September 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw Pirelli and Continental have opened the steelcord production plant of Cord Romania, a joint venture for making steelcord for use in tyres. The company is an 80-20 joint venture between the two companies, with Pirelli...

Customer needs.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Pirondini said Pirelli is especially good at understanding the tyre manufacturing process. He said that one simple example might be that a compound which bonded well to a steelcord in the laboratory in a cool climate does not necessarily bond...

Seal maker is Superior-in rapid response & technology; Automated high volume seal production is Superior's speciality.(News)(Superior Seals Ltd.)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White UK firm Superior Seals Ltd in Dorset gave itself a name to live up to-and seems to have little trouble doing so. In fact, so successful has the small, highly automated technical seals producer been that its turnover has...

Plans in China, logistics.(News)(tire industry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Discussing Asia, Brown said the firm is "fairly well ahead in plans for 2006, to support customers with manufacturing bases out there, especially China." While the firm has not yet decided whether to lease or buy, Brown said he, "expects...

Oil prices rocket after Katrina, as NR prices hit record highs.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... 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)
September 1, 2005... 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/ * Tyrexpo Asia 2005, conference. 13-15...

No gain without pain in automotive supply.(Column)
September 1, 2005... Byline: David Shaw Over the last few months, we have seen oil prices climbing to record highs, while demand for rubber continues to increase. This has led to shortages of some materials. Speaking personally, I think the shortages are...

CF Gomma to make airsprings in JV with Fukoku in China; New Chinese plant for Italian/Japanese Chinese alliance aims to meet rising local demand for automotive airsprings.(News)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Italian automotive supplier CF Gomma Group has set up a joint venture, CFA Gomma, with its long term technology partner Fukoku Rubber Co. Ltd of Japan to make airsprings in Guiyang in the south of China. Use of airsprings...

Conti agrees scheme for 860 job losses in Hamburg.(News)(Continental AG)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Continental AG's management together with the works council and the IGBCE trade union has agreed a severance scheme for 860 workers at the former Phoenix AG headquarters in Hamburg-now about to be integrated into the ContiTech rubber processing...

Skellmax spending NZ$20 m on four acquisitions; New Zealand maker of dairy rubber parts and pumps moves into roller covering with two domestic additions. And it adds to its Australian plumbing products unit, and buys a UK maker of dairy hygiene products.(News)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Skellmax Industries Ltd in New Zealand has been actively pursuing its expansion strategy. The Auckland-based manufacturer of rubber dairy equipment, footwear and vacuum pumps announced 1 Aug that it is adding two rubber...

SKF closing US seal, bearing plants.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Swedish engineering group SKF said took a charge in the second quarter of SKr 190 million ([euro]20.5 million) for the closure of two factories in the US making automotive parts. This consolidation is designed to help SKF reduce costs and...

Primasil moving part of operation to Czech Republic; Making standard rubber parts in the UK is too expensive, says silicone moulder Primasil, as it sets up new unit in lower-cost central Europe.(News)(Primasil Silicones Ltd.)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Liz White Primasil Silicones Ltd is moving its organic rubber unit to the Czech Republic by the end of this year, to cut costs. This business, acquired in May 2004 from Ross-on-Wye-based Nicholson Ltd, accounts for nearly 10...

Semperit to build three Asian plants, announces record H1; Austrian group to add hose and handrail plants in Shanghai and exam glove plant in Thailand.(News)
September 1, 2005... Austrian rubber processor Semperit AG Holding plans to build three new factories in Asia. The industrial rubber goods producer revealed record results for the first half of 2005, and at the same time announce that it is adding a factory...