The Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd has entered into a share purchase agreement with the Swedish-based Trelleborg AB to acquire all outstanding shares of Trelleborg Wheel Systems Holding AB (TWS), a company engaged in the manufacture and sale of off-highway tyres (OHT) for agricultural and industrial machinery. TWS’s enterprise value is EUR 2,040 million. 

Yokohama Rubber said in a statement that the acquisition is scheduled to be completed in the latter half of 2022. The acquisition’s impact on Yokohama Rubber’s consolidated financial results is currently under examination, it said. 

Yokohama Rubber is currently implementing its Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023) medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2021–2023.  

The TWS acquisition will contribute to the expansion of Yokohama Rubber’s OHT business, which YX2023 has positioned as a future growth driver for the company’s commercial tyre business. The ratio of consumer tyres to commercial tyres in today’s global tyre market is 1:1, but Yokohama Rubber’s tyre business sales are more heavily weighted toward consumer tyres, with a 2:1 ratio versus commercial tyres, the release pointed out. To bring the sales composition of its tyre business more in line with the overall market and secure the business’ stability and earnings growth, one of the key challenges facing Yokohama Rubber’s commercial tyre business is the growth of an OHT business capable of securing stably high earnings. The TWS acquisition will not only help Yokohama Rubber’s tyre business achieve a more optimal sales composition, but it will also strengthen the company’s commercial tyre business in each of the four thematic areas set forth in YX2023—product lineup, cost, service, and DX, the company said. 

TWS sales in fiscal 2021 totalled about YEN 129.0 billion, accounting for about 30 per cent of Trelleborg AB’s consolidated sales. Over the past 10 years, TWS has expanded its sales by 2.6 times and more than tripled EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes). While expanding sales it has sustained stably high profitability, with its EBIT ratio continuously above 10 per cent, the release said. 

Of tyres manufactured and sold by TWS, agricultural tyres account for about 60 per cent and industrial tyres about 20 per cent, with the remainder being tyres for construction machinery and motorcycles. TWS has 14 manufacturing plants in nine countries — seven in Europe (Italy, Latvia, Serbia, Slovenia, and three in the Czech Republic), two in the United States, one in Brazil, and four in Asia (two in China and two in Sri Lanka). About 70 per cent of its sales are in Europe. (TT)

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Sri Trang Group has been recognised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its efforts to promote financial and investment literacy among employees. Pacharin Anuwongwattanachai, Company Secretary of Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited (STA), and Thanawan Sa-ngiamsak, Chief Financial Officer of Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) Public Company Limited (STGT), accepted the ‘Organization Promoting Financial and Investment Literacy for Employees’ certificates on behalf of their respective companies. The ceremony, held under the SEC's Financial Well-being in Workplace project, took place at the Royal Thai Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok on 9 October 2026.

The SEC accolade underscores Sri Trang Group's dedication to sustainable business practices, especially the social pillar of sustainability that prioritises comprehensive care for employees' quality of life and well-being. STA advances financial, investment and savings literacy through structured and ongoing financial education programmes. All eight categories of the SEC's online financial and investment lessons have been integrated into the companies' self-learning platforms, allowing staff to build skills independently. Training sessions with SEC experts cover financial and investment planning for salaried employees as well as retirement planning for those aged 50 and above and investment planning tailored to individual needs.

Disciplined saving is further encouraged through income and expense tracking, financial health check-ups and discussion groups in which employees exchange insights on managing provident fund investments with expert guidance. These measures help staff strengthen financial security, ease financial worries and sustainably improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. The approach reflects the Group's care for its people alongside its commitment to good corporate governance, aligning with annual reporting disclosures and the corporate governance assessment criteria for Thai listed companies.

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Pirelli's 23-season run as sole official tyre supplier to the FIM Superbike World Championship ended at Jerez de la Frontera during the Pirelli Spanish Round. The Italian manufacturer helped shape the technical identity of the premier production-derived series through continuous product development and innovation while emphasising tyre safety and reliability and cooperating closely with organisers, the federation, manufacturers and teams.

The firm's connection to production-based motorcycle world championship racing dates back to 1989, when it debuted with the Rumi team's Honda RC30 ridden by reigning world champion Fred Merkel. The American narrowly missed the podium at Donington Park but took pole and won both Hungaroring rounds, putting him on course to defend his crown. After withdrawing from major motorcycle racing championships in the 1990s, Pirelli returned in 2004, when the WorldSBK promoter chose it as sole official tyre supplier under an arrangement that marked a turning point in international motorsport.

The company's strategy was straightforward: turning racing into a genuine development laboratory for motorcyclists. In a championship built on production-derived machines, that meant supplying tyres closely resembling products available to the public rather than solutions created exclusively for competition. Pirelli pursued innovation that progressively redefined racing tyre performance and then fed track knowledge back into its road products.

The DIABLO Superbike, launched in 2005, became a benchmark in the racing slick range, and the DIABLO Supercorsa followed in 2007 for support classes, leading in 2008 to the DIABLO Supercorsa SP road tyre. The SC0 compound arrived for the DIABLO Superbike in 2012 and reached the road range a year later. Rims changed from 16.5 to 17 inches in 2013, and 125/70 front and 200/65 rear sizes were introduced in 2018, followed by the SCX supersoft compound in 2019 and the SCQ extrasoft compound in 2022. From 2020, every class ran on slicks.

Across those 23 seasons, Pirelli's role grew into a proactive partnership supporting the championship's development, producing close relationships first with Infront and later with Dorna that extended to marketing and communication. Initiatives originally conceived for Pirelli's guests were gradually opened to the entire paddock, making the championship more attractive for supporters and a wider audience.

The 2026 season underlined that approach, with Pirelli offering riders 17 front and rear solutions combining standard range products with development specifications. The effort brought constant performance gains and fresh milestones, including 10 all-time lap records and 11 race lap records alongside significant race distance improvements. The journey spanned from James Toseland, the first world champion of the Pirelli era in 2004 aboard the Ducati 999 F04, to Nicolò Bulega, who dominated 2026 on the Ducati Panigale V4 R with wins in 36 races. As this chapter closes, the accumulated knowledge will continue to drive Pirelli's tyre development and its commitment to the highest racing levels.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “We have developed racing and road tyres for more than two decades. Although our journey in WorldSBK is coming to an end, we will continue to innovate our racing products to boost on-the-road technology and performance. For more than two decades, we turned WorldSBK into an innovation lab and helped organisers, the federation, manufacturers and teams in its evolution. By constantly creating and fine-tuning new compounds, structures and solutions, we have boosted performance and set new records year after year while also generating technology and expertise that went on to be transferred to road tyres. We pursued this quest right through the final season, and it does not end here: the experience gained in WorldSBK will continue to drive Pirelli's leading edge both in motorsport and on the road.

“Despite operating under a single-tyre supplier system and always providing competitive products, our goal has consistently been to improve our game, year after year, by offering state-of-the-art products while paying extremely close attention to market demands. This was especially true in the early years, when end users wanted and needed a pure racing product they could use on the track. We recognised that need, by continuing to develop increasingly better products, and, most of all, by introducing new race-to-road sizes, which became the new benchmark for the sports motorcycles on the market.”

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Birla Carbon has released its 14th annual Sustainability Report, titled ‘Sustainable – Work in Progress’, highlighting ongoing advancements under its ‘Share the Future’ strategy and its ambition to lead the industry.

The company secured an EcoVadis Platinum rating, ranking within the top one percent of over 150,000 assessed firms globally, and achieved a B score in both Climate and Water from CDP – the highest possible for a privately disclosing company. Its Continua SCM reached industrial scale at facilities in Europe and Asia, expanding access to circular material solutions with consistent quality and a quantified carbon footprint reduction.

Additionally, Birla Carbon’s supplier due diligence now spans all 18,171 active vendors, with continuous screening via the NAVEX RiskRate platform and no labour incidents reported to date. The company continues prioritising innovation, operational efficiency, carbon footprint reduction and stakeholder collaboration.

John Loudermilk, President and Chief Executive Officer, Birla Carbon, said, “The transition to a more sustainable future will require our industry to continually rethink how we operate, innovate and collaborate across the value chain. At Birla Carbon, we have remained steadfast in our sustainability aspirations and in supporting our customers as they advance their own sustainability goals. Even amid a year of heightened supply chain disruption and global uncertainty, we continued to move forward with our vision to ‘be the clear leader in the industry’, particularly in sustainability. Sustainability is central to how we grow and create long-term value. This is a journey of continuous progress, and while we are encouraged by how far we have come, we remain equally focused on the work still ahead.”

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Prinx Chengshan took part in the SHACMAN Group Worldwide Partnership Conference in Xi'an on 15–16 October, where dealers, key accounts and industry partners from across the globe gathered. The company attended as a core strategic partner of SHACMAN and acted as exclusive tyre sponsor of the vehicle stunt show, joining domestic and international customers to examine fresh opportunities in the global commercial vehicle sector and help shape a new model of collaborative industry growth.

Cooperation between the two firms has deepened since 2024, centring on original equipment fitment for flagship high-end models including the Delong X5000 and X6000, with products offered domestically and overseas. Dependable product quality and supply chain assurance have enabled Prinx Chengshan to grow into a core tyre supplier to SHACMAN, consistently furnishing tyre solutions for its flagship ranges.

A dedicated stunt driving segment formed part of the conference, with Prinx Chengshan as sole tyre exhibitor backing the performance vehicles. Cars fitted with Chengshan XSTANCE PRO S10 and CDR621 tyres carried out sustained drifts, high-speed turns and other demanding manoeuvres, remaining stable even under extreme conditions such as tyre burnouts and showing strong wear resistance.

Li Wenli, a three-time national truck racing annual finals champion known as China's top heavy truck driver, rated the tyres highly for grip, durability and handling stability. Live demonstration in place of specification presentations made technical strengths tangible, letting partners observe stability under extreme friction and high-torque loads.

The conference allowed the company to strengthen mutual trust and communication with SHACMAN and to showcase its commercial vehicle tyre capabilities; at its 50th anniversary milestone, Prinx Chengshan reiterated its commitment to keep improving its global service network, advance alongside SHACMAN on a new globalisation journey and help build an industrial ecosystem defined by mutual benefit and collaborative development.

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