Bridgestone EMEA has unveiled a leadership transition, with Laurent Dartoux, Group President of Bridgestone EMEA and Vice President and Senior Officer of Bridgestone Corporation, set to retire.

Dartoux will remain in an advisory role until 31 March 2025 to ensure a seamless handover, the company said in a statement.

Effective 1 February 2025, Mete Ekin will assume the role of Group President of Bridgestone EMEA. Ekin, a nearly 30-year veteran of the tyre industry, joined Bridgestone’s Joint Global COO Office in 2023 after leading sales teams across the Middle East and Africa.

He currently serves as President of Core Tire Europe, a position he took up in 2024.

In his new role, Ekin will lead the Bridgestone EMEA Management Board and report directly to Scott Damon, CEO of Bridgestone West, which oversees operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Dartoux, who joined Bridgestone EMEA in 2014, has been credited with steering the region through the global pandemic and other significant challenges. During his tenure, the company advanced its sustainability goals, though specific details on progress were not disclosed.

"We are deeply grateful for Laurent's contributions and thoughtful leadership throughout his career at Bridgestone," said Scott Damon, CEO of Bridgestone West and Group President of Bridgestone Americas. "We extend our heartfelt thanks to Laurent for his dedication and leadership and wish him all the best in his retirement. We also look forward to Mete's leadership. His extensive experience and strategic vision make him the ideal leader to guide Bridgestone EMEA into its next chapter."

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Laurent for his leadership and for overcoming various important challenges in the EMEA region over the past 10 years,” said Shu Ishibashi, Global CEO of Bridgestone Corporation. “His contributions will serve as our cornerstone for growth as we enter the next chapter under Mete’s leadership.”

Leading tyre-retreading machinery maker Marangoni has unveiled a new strategic sustainability strategy for 2025–2027 that reaffirms its social and environmental pledges.

In order to direct and oversee its ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives during the ensuing three years, the tyre retreading expert has voluntarily created a targeted action framework. The framework is in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN's 2030 Agenda. Marangoni claims that the plan was implemented in accordance with globally accepted standards, such as AccountAbility 1000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, and that it is meant to function as a monitoring tool to periodically assess the company's progress as well as a guide for action.

The company has identified 17 specific initiatives as part of this strategy. These were established after a materiality study that took into account input from external stakeholders as well as internal input. Each of the 17 initiatives is built around three core pillars, namely supporting the ecological transition, integrating ESG principles into corporate governance and ensuring a safe, stimulating and inclusive work environment. The result is a ‘balanced approach’ reflecting management’s priorities and stakeholder expectations, said the company.

Trelleborg Group has finalised the purchase of National Gummi AB from the Swedish industrial group National through its Trelleborg Industrial Solutions business unit.

Extruded rubber profiles and gaskets for specialised industrial, automotive and construction applications make up the company offering. Mostly in Northern Europe, sales in 2024 were little over SEK 150 million. The production facility is situated in Halmstad, Sweden. The acquisition is in line with Trelleborg's plan to establish dominant positions in desirable markets. This deal excludes National's activities outside of extruded rubber profiles and gaskets, which will continue to be a part of the National group.

Jean-Paul Mindermann, Business Area President, Trelleborg Industrial Solutions, said, “This is an exciting addition to our portfolio. National has specialist capabilities and knowhow which will allow us to broaden our value-adding offering to customers across Europe.”

BKT has expanded its AGRIMAX range of agricultural tyres with the launch of AGRIMAX SPARGO SB, a new steel-belted version. The new tyre is aimed at row crop, vineyard and orchard operations to meet the specific challenges of farming environments where steep terrain, narrow row spacing and muddy conditions require precision and reliability.

The new tyre, which builds on the AGRIMAX SPARGO row crop tyre, has VF (Very High Flexion) technology, which enables it to bear the same load at lower inflation pressure. This helps to improve handling and comfort while reducing soil compaction. Steel belts improve the tyre's resilience to punctures, lessening the possibility of downtime and damage from sharp objects. At faster speeds, it also enhances riding accuracy. The polyester casing and steel belts work together to distribute stress evenly throughout the tyre, preventing uneven wear and extending tread life. By reducing vibration, a revised sidewall enhances riding comfort even further, which is especially useful for precise spraying operations.

The tread pattern of the AGRIMAX SPARGO SB is more open and higher than that of its predecessor since it has a deeper tread and smaller lugs. With a D-class speed rating that permits travel at up to 65 kmph, this design seeks to enhance road handling. Smoother transitions between field and road are made possible by the tyre's dual-layer mud ejection mechanism, which rapidly removes debris from the tread.

Dilip Vaidya, Senior President & Director Technology, BKT, said, "In the case of the AGRIMAX SPARGO SB, we have paid special attention to the casing design by using a strong polyester structure that offers greater strength, flexibility and durability than traditional materials. This choice enables the tyre to handle heavy loads while keeping deformation under control, improving the footprint and thus traction, stability and handling."

TBC Corporation, a joint venture between Michelin and Sumitomo Corporation, has entered into an agreement to divest its Midas franchise portfolio to Mavis Tire Express Service Corp., which operates a tyre retail chain across the United States.

The deal is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025, subject to the approval of the competent authorities. This deal is a component of TBC's ongoing reorganisation, which intends to concentrate management resources on its core operations.

According to a statement issued by Michelin, “TBC distributes tyres and provides automotive repair and maintenance services in the US, Mexico and Canada. TBC identifies wholesale, distribution and Big O Tires, tyre retail focused franchise portfolio under TBC, as core businesses, leveraging an industry-leading network and scale, whereas Midas activity mostly relies on retail automotive services. The operation will enable TBC to focus on driving accelerated growth and value in its core businesses. It is also an opportunity for Michelin and Mavis to support and reinforce their commercial agreement.”