The unprecedented lockdown imposed in March last year turned the supply chain of companies upside down, and the tyre companies were no exception. However, the intensity of disturbance was relatively high for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT), which exports more than 90 percent of its production. According to Padmakumar G, Executive Vice President – SCM at YOHT, unprecedented lockdown led to unprecedented initiatives for YOHT. “Most importantly, we learned the importance of being able to react, adapt and set up crisis management mechanisms to weather situations of uncertainty,” says Padmakumar G.

Q) Was Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT) ready for the unprecedented lockdown?

Padmakumar G: The whole of 2020 was an extraordinary time when ‘business as usual’ was not an option. From the beginning of the year, it was clear that we were braced for a marathon and not a sprint.

At work, we had a unique period of simultaneous supply and demand shocks. Our plants in India were closed for a couple of weeks. As they (plants) were finally allowed to operate, we faced government-mandated operating restrictions and labour shortages that prevented us from running the plants at total capacity.

On the positive side, our plant in Israel was running at full capacity and continued shipments as planned. All sales and administrative employees at global locations were working from home and were doing their best to be accessible at all times. In North America, our network of national warehouses was open, stocked at historically high inventory levels and operating at full local, regional, and national distribution capacity to ensure continued deliveries to locations.

Our competitive position, market share, brand and diversification of our businesses in products and regions helped us see some all-time highs during these challenging times.

Q) Vendors and customers got panicked because of the uncertainties instilled by the lockdowns. How did you keep their morale and confidence intact in those tough times?

Padmakumar G: Unprecedented lockdown led to unprecedented initiatives for YOHT. The acute restrictions and lockdowns created many urgent situations that required immediate attention in the early days of the pandemic. At YOHT, we believe that no crisis should go to waste.

Adaptability, inventiveness and tenacity of our team paved the way to a ‘recovery mode’, and we started planning for the longer-term proactively. We did not face substantial business and operational disruptions – from mitigating the effects of reduced supply to managing disruptions to logistics suppliers and hurdles in meeting their contractual obligations to customers.

YOHT has an agile team that quickly reprioritised the customers’ requirement and ensured critical supply continuation through our multiple sourcing locations. We closely integrated with suppliers, vendors and customers to have better visibility. Consistent communication and streamlining the complexity helped us keep our commitments while keeping the morale and confidence in the most challenging times.

Q) YOHT is mainly into export of products and imports of raw materials? How did you cope up with the supply-demand situation?

Padmakumar G: Prioritisation of critical supply with effective utilisation of available inventories of finished goods, raw materials, and production capacities were the immediate focus in the lockdown situation. What also helped is that we have a wide base of sourcing raw material from multiple sources. We were able to keep our facility running at full efficiency to meet market requirement. We stepped up all measures to ensure that our customers get our products in the earliest shipments.

Q) ATG is now a part of Yokohama, a global giant in the tyre industry. What changes has Yokohama brought in the supply chain?

Padmakumar G: Yokohama has a strong legacy of quality, and its manufacturing and supply chain is very process-driven. The Kaizen processes and digitalisation of our daily supply chain activities helped us improve our process and culture. 

Q) What did you learn from the pandemic?

Padmakumar G: The importance of supply chain resilience and risk management is more apparent than ever. Most importantly, we learned the importance of being able to react, adapt and set up crisis management mechanisms to weather situations of uncertainty. 

Q) There has always been pressure to reduce cost and improve efficiency by shortening the order-to-delivery period. Could you share a couple of examples highlighting the company’s efforts that reduced the cost and enhanced supply chain efficiency?

 Padmakumar G: To shorten the order to delivery, YOHT has initiated Strategic Inventory build-up through S&CP (Sales & Capacity Planning) and effective cost management through strategic buying of raw materials. We have also increased the manufacturing flexibility to reduce delivery in our business of handling 3500+SKU’s.

Q) What new ideas will the company implement at the Visakhapatnam plant to have better supply chain management?

Padmakumar G: Investment in technology that will gain data insights like MES & digitalisation, improving transparency and considerations on sustainability in the supply chain will be key focus areas of our SCM processes in the Visakhapatnam plant. 

Q) What are the current challenges in the business?

Padmakumar G: Current situation of increased raw material cost, an aggressive demand for containers and increased shipping cost are some of the major challenges in SCM across industries. 

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Bridgestone Americas has entered a three-year partnership with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), becoming the organisation’s Official Tyre and the exclusive tyre supplier for the SCCA Club Spec programme. The agreement deepens Bridgestone’s presence in grassroots motorsports, spanning autocross, track days and time trials while reinforcing its commitment to accessible competition.

Under the arrangement, Bridgestone will equip vehicle platforms intended to reduce the technical and financial obstacles facing newcomers to motorsports. The company’s championship-winning Potenza RE-71RZ tyre will support established categories such as Solo Spec Coupe, Club Spec MX-5 and Club Spec Mustang. It will also serve as the spec tyre for the Club Spec Cayman class, scheduled to debut in 2027.

The Potenza RE-71RZ, an extreme 200TW summer performance tyre, was engineered specifically for grassroots racing, delivering rapid lap times and responsive control. Bridgestone performance tyres, including the new model and its predecessor, the Potenza RE-71RS, posted strong 2026 results. They captured 75 percent of class wins, more than 350, and 70 percent of class podiums across 21 of 24 national SCCA Solo events, while accounting for 70 percent of eligible entries, surpassing 3,300 competitors. At the SCCA Solo National Championships, the tyres represented 55 percent of total event entries and 80 percent of eligible street tyre classes. They won 36 of 41 classes, earned 103 trophies and set the event’s fastest overall index time by 0.7 seconds. In SCCA time trials, they claimed 97 percent of podium finishes and set 19 class lap records.

Looking forward, the two organisations plan to collaborate on educational programmes, trackside support and member experiences. The partnership will back initiatives including Track Night in America and SCCA Women on Track, underscoring Bridgestone’s aim to combine innovative tyre technology with broader access to high-performance driving.

David Colletti, President of Consumer Original Equipment Tires, North America, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, said, “Bridgestone and the SCCA share a core commitment to making motorsports accessible, educational and fun. Partnering as the Official Tire of the SCCA and SCCA Club Spec furthers our investment in the heart of the racing community while enabling us to deliver peak Potenza performance every single weekend.”

Heyward Wagner, Vice President of Rally, Solo and Experiential Programs, said, “SCCA is honoured to partner with Bridgestone and welcome the brand back into our community. Bridgestone was a tremendous supporter of SCCA Solo competitors 20 years ago, and many of our members still remember the impact the brand made. That history has paved the way for genuine excitement across SCCA to reunite with Bridgestone, celebrate that shared history and build on it through programmes that support accessible, competitive and fun motorsports experiences for drivers at every level.”

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Continental has announced the sale of mycar Tyre & Auto, its Australian tyre and automotive servicing subsidiary, to Chinese automotive service platform Tuhu. The enterprise value of the deal stands at AUD 403 million (approximately USD 283 million), and closing depends on regulatory clearances.

The move aligns with the German company's broader intention to sharpen its focus on developing and producing tyres. For mycar, the change in ownership brings a parent whose priorities centre squarely on automotive services, giving the chain a stable footing to keep expanding. Roughly 280 outlets and over 1,600 staff fall within the scope of the agreement.

Back in 2018, Continental bought the business as a way to widen its Australian distribution reach and bolster its standing in the global tyre sector. Australia has since matured into a well-established and valuable market for the firm, which has simultaneously assembled a robust local sales operation. Across eight years under Continental, mycar gradually reinforced its Australian market position by adding stores, diversifying its offering and raising its profile.

Once the sale concludes, mycar will keep distributing Continental tyres in Australia and the two sides foresee room for tighter collaboration ahead. The chain's services span routine maintenance, tyres, brakes, suspension, batteries and general mechanical work, and its workforce ranks among the sector's largest in the country.

Dalibor Kalina, head of Continental’s tyre business in the Asia-Pacific region, said, “mycar Tyre & Auto has developed very successfully under the Continental umbrella and is now exceptionally well positioned in the Australian market. In Tuhu, mycar Tyre & Auto is gaining an owner with many years of experience who will actively drive the company’s strategic direction and sustainable long-term development. Tuhu and Continental have a longstanding and strong strategic partnership in China. With our own sales organisation in Australia and the continued distribution of our tyres through the mycar Tyre & Auto network, we will ensure seamless continuity for our customers.”

Min Chen, Founder and CEO, Tuhu, said, “Australia is a highly attractive and promising market for automotive services, and mycar Tyre & Auto is a distinctive business with a strong position in this market. We look forward to working closely with the existing management team and employees while continuing our longstanding partnership with Continental. As a new entrant to the Australian market from China, we are committed to adapting quickly to the local market and building on mycar’s strong foundation established under Continental’s management and its proven track record of responsible and reliable operations. By bringing Tuhu’s capabilities and experience to Australia, we look forward to continuing to deliver value, choice and convenience for Australian vehicle owners.”

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Apollo Tyres Ltd has commissioned a new Passenger Vehicle Testing Caravan, a sophisticated mobile workshop engineered to move tyre assembly preparation directly to the test track. The facility represents a strategic advancement over the company’s prior setup, intended to sharpen testing efficiency, responsiveness and customer alignment while elevating the standard of preparation work.

Purpose-built for on-site operations, the caravan integrates a dedicated assembly workshop with office space for engineers and client meetings. Both the workshop and meeting areas are fully air-conditioned, and an advanced balancing machine has been installed to achieve highly precise wheel and tyre balancing.

The enhanced balancing capability carries particular weight for high-speed comfort performance targets, reinforcing the company’s capacity to produce precise, repeatable testing outcomes. Apollo Tyres describes the investment as another milestone in its ongoing pursuit of continuous improvement, innovation and customer-centricity, further bolstering testing capabilities in support of world-class product delivery.

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WESTLAKE wrapped up its participation at IAA Transportation 2026 in partnership with Interpneu and Pneuhage Fleet Solution, using the event to highlight its newest Gen II commercial truck tyre advances. The brand’s presence at Hall 12, Booth B66 centred on four newly introduced products: the WSL2 steer tyre, WDL2+ drive tyre, WTL2 wide-base trailer tyre and WTR PRO trailer tyre. Each was available to order during the exhibition, underscoring two priorities for European fleets, namely reduced rolling resistance and improved mileage.

Over the course of the show, WESTLAKE representatives engaged with fleet customers, distributors and industry partners on subjects including tyre performance, operating efficiency and shifting fleet requirements. The booth’s theme, ‘Strong Service. Strong Network.’, embodied the company’s intention to collaborate closely with customers and partners so that stronger service support can be delivered throughout Europe. Availability, service and a robust local network were likewise shown to matter alongside tyre performance itself.

Central to the display was the Long Run range, made up of the WSL2, WDL2+ and WTL2 for steer, drive and trailer axle positions in long-haul work. Both the WSL2 and WDL2+ have now secured EU Tyre Label Class A for rolling resistance, sharpening the range’s fuel-efficiency emphasis while preserving mileage and operational capability. The WSL2 targets stable handling and high mileage, the WDL2+ blends mileage, traction and efficiency for drive axles, and the WTL2 wide-base trailer tyre prioritises fuel efficiency, stability and wet-road performance.

The newly launched WTR PRO trailer tyre was also featured, signalling the high-mileage direction of the PRO series for applications where mileage and wear matter most. It employs a wider tread, greater pattern saturation and a wear-resistant tread compound to encourage longer mileage and more even wear. Beyond the four new products, WESTLAKE exhibited selected Gen II commercial tyres and outlined its ‘Our Green Way’ approach, offering a wider view of the portfolio and its efficiency and sustainable transport aims. The company will keep developing its Gen II portfolio around practical fleet needs while reinforcing its regional product and service offering.

Leo Liao, General Manager, ZC Rubber Europe, said, “IAA Transportation is always an important opportunity for us to meet customers and partners across Europe and understand what is changing in their daily operations. This year, many of the conversations came back to the same priorities: fuel efficiency, mileage and operating costs. Our new Long Run and PRO products are developed around these needs, with each range focusing on different priorities while still delivering balanced overall performance. We will continue working with our partners to strengthen the WESTLAKE offering in Europe.”

Robin Brucke, Head – Commercial Product Group Management, Pneuhage Management GmbH & Co. KG, said, “For fleets, tyre performance is the foundation of efficient operation, but long-term value also depends on availability, service and a reliable network behind the product. Our cooperation with ZC Rubber and WESTLAKE has developed over many years, with products and services evolving together around the needs of the market. The new Gen II range continues that journey and gives us a strong platform to support fleets across Europe.”

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