To expand its retail presence in South India, leading tyre manufacturer Continental Tires has opened a retail shop in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. 

This unique store, Continental Premium Drive, is the first of its kind in the area, redefining the automotive retail experience with cutting-edge products and services. Spreading over 6,000 square feet, the new CPD provides a wide range of high-quality car tyres, branded wheels, and even car washing services. 

“The new image shop in Tamil Nadu is a testament to our strong relationship with our customers from the Southern part of India. Salem is the fifth largest urban agglomeration in the state and a key market for South India. We are dedicated to providing them with the highest quality products and services to our customers in the region. We have a vision to increase our retail footprint in the remaining parts of the state and other states of South India soon,” said Pramod Vasudevan, RE India Market Head of Indirect Sales, Continental India, at the inauguration. 

Expressing his excitement, K S P Sundaravel, owner of Sundar Tyres said, “We are excited to take our partnership with Continental Tires further with the new Branded Continental store. This store will be the 16th branch of Sundar Tyre outlet and the 2nd Continental Premium Drive dealership with Continental Tires. The new store will help strengthen our customer relationships, offering not just products but a haven of knowledge and service.”

Trelleborg Tires hosted the winner of the ‘Win with Trelleborg Premium Care’ contest, Paolo Carlino, an agricultural entrepreneur from Grazzanise (CE; Campania, Italy), at its manufacturing plant in Tivoli. The contest is a component of Trelleborg Tires' Premium Care programme, which was started to provide agricultural professionals with exclusive perks, post-purchase assistance and experience activities aimed at enhancing their bond with the company.

The initiative was launched during EIMA 2024 with an aim to provide an inside look at the technological excellence and daily commitment behind the production of Trelleborg Agricultural Tires. The contest was exclusively aimed at agricultural professionals interested in Trelleborg Tires and presented a chance to win an exclusive weekend in Rome, which included a guided tour of the manufacturing plant in Tivoli (Rome, Italy). Participants who registered for the Premium Care programme during the trade show were eligible for the prize.

Carlino had an interactive tour of the production and technology centre of Trelleborg Tires. Elio Bartoli, the president of Yokohama TWS, greeted him and led him through the whole production process, from the first steps of manufacture to the strict quality control measures, with the assistance of officials from other departments.

Carlino said, “It was impressive to see firsthand the precision and care that go into manufacturing Trelleborg tyres. This experience made me appreciate even more the value of choosing high-quality products and supporting centres of manufacturing excellence in our country.”

Valerio Cacioni, Plant Manager, Trelleborg Tires, said “Those who choose Trelleborg Tires deserve to know the quality behind every product. Opening the doors of our facilities is a sign of transparency and connection: it means sharing with our end users the values that guide us every day – innovation, sustainability and a strong focus on their needs.”

Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) has received the prestigious General Motors 2024 Supplier of the Year Award at GM’s 33rd annual Supplier of the Year event in Phoenix, Arizona. This marks the company's 10th consecutive and 23rd overall recognition from GM.

Global suppliers are honoured with GM's Supplier of the Year awards for their performance in important areas including safety, innovation and resilience. Award nominations are made by a worldwide cross-functional panel that considers an organisation's performance in 2024 as well as how well it aligns with GM's fundamental values and aspirational objectives. This year, 92 vendors from 12 nations were named GM's 2024 Supplier of the Year.

David Colletti, President of Consumer Original Equipment Tires, North America, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, said, "This recognition is not only a testament to the decades of collaboration between Bridgestone and GM across our global operations, but the work we are doing each and every day to continue strengthening our partnership. Our shared values and commitment to innovation and performance remain the foundation for our ongoing success."

Jeff Morrison, Global Chief Procurement Officer at GM, said, "For more than 30 years, General Motors has recognised the company's top global suppliers at our annual event, spotlighting their innovation and resiliency through even the most challenging circumstances. Together, we're helping bring advanced technology and the industry's broadest portfolio of vehicles to market for GM customers."

Eurogrip Tyres, the leading tyre manufacturer in India, showcased its premium two-wheeler tyres at the 17th edition of Feria 2 Ruedas (F2R) International Motorcycle exhibition held at Plaza Mayor, Medellin, Colombia. The dates of this high-profile business event in South America's two-wheeler sector are 15–18 May 2025.

For more than 17 years, the Feria de las 2 Ruedas (F2R) has been the leading motorcycle industry event in Latin America. The expo, which takes place every year in Medellín, Colombia, is a vibrant venue for commerce, innovation and growth in the motorcycling sector. Additionally, it gives aficionados the chance to investigate the most recent developments and trends in the industry. The company showcased its premium lineup at exhibit N24 in the Tented Pavillion, which included a range of sport touring, off-road and trail tyres. High-performance versions including the Roadhound, Protorq Extreme, Trailhound STR, Climber, Bee Connect, Terrabite DB+ and Badhshah LX were on display.

P Madhavan, Executive Vice-President – Marketing & Sales, TVS Srichakra Ltd, said, “Eurogrip is focused to deliver innovative products for the global markets. Latin America is a priority market for us, and F2R Expo is a promising platform to engage with our target audience. We are looking forward to interesting business opportunities arising from this expo. Such specialised industry tradeshows add exceptional value to our quest in becoming a leading global tyre brand delivering world class tyre technology.”

Denka Company Limited announced it would record an extraordinary loss of approximately 16.1 billion yen (£85.8 million) as an impairment on manufacturing facilities at its US subsidiary. It will indefinitely suspend chloroprene rubber production at the Louisiana plant.

The Japanese chemical manufacturer, which holds a 70 percent stake in Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (DPE), cited mounting operational challenges, including unexpectedly high costs for pollution control equipment and declining production volumes at the American facility.

“DPE has faced significant cost, production and other challenges at its facility in the United States,” the company said in a statement. “Rising costs are attributable to, among other factors, identification, design, purchase, installation, and operation of pollution control equipment to reduce chloroprene emissions that DPE did not anticipate being required when it acquired the facility from E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company.”

The subsidiary was established in December 2014 and acquired the chloroprene rubber business from DuPont in November 2015. The Louisiana facility was intended to serve as a second manufacturing site in North America, complementing Denka’s Omi Plant in Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan.

However, according to the company statement, DPE has struggled with multiple operational issues, including “rising energy costs and a shortage of qualified staff necessary to operate new pollution control equipment and implement other emission reduction measures. “

Production volumes have declined partly due to “operational restrictions arising from the pollution reduction measures and unscheduled plant outages associated with supply chain disruptions and severe weather events,” Denka said.

The company noted that these challenges, combined with changes in the global economic environment for chloroprene rubber, have pressured profitability, making near-term improvement difficult.

Denka confirmed that DPE employs 250 people as of December 2024 and will not restart its chloroprene rubber manufacturing facilities following a regular maintenance shutdown. Instead, “all options for the business, including a potential sale of the business or its assets, will be considered,” the statement said.

The company emphasised that “no decision regarding a permanent closure of the facility has been made at this time.”

Customers will continue to be supplied from current inventories and production at the company’s Omi Plant in Japan.

DPE is 70 percent owned by Denka USA LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Denka Company Limited, and 30 percent by Diana Elastomers, Inc., a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd.