Yves Kerstens has been appointed as chief executive officer at Bekaert, effective 1 September 2023. 

Kerstens was already a member of the Bekaert group executive and was divisional CEO of Bekaert’s specialty businesses. The appointment takes effect on 1 September 2023. The Board of Directors will coopt Kerstens as director until the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held in May 2024.

Oswald Schmid, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Bekaert, will retire on 31 August 2023 after having led the company successfully over the past three years. He also will step down as Director on the same date.

Jürgen Tinggren, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented: “On behalf of the Board and the entire Bekaert team, I extend our sincere gratitude to Oswald for his dedication, leadership, and contributions during a very challenging period. We wish him the very best on his well-deserved retirement. Today's leadership transition is the culmination of a well-prepared succession planning process. I am proud to announce the appointment of Yves Kerstens as CEO of Bekaert. The Board is convinced that Yves is the right person at the helm of the company. His leadership capabilities as Divisional CEO and Chief Operations Officer have been critically important in recent years and will be a key enabler to achieve Bekaert’s high ambitions for the future.”

Oswald Schmid added: "It has been a privilege and an honor to lead Bekaert over the past years and reposition the company as a technology leader driving the energy shift, new mobility, and low-carbon construction solutions provider. I am confident that Yves Kerstens will further build on this and make Bekaert even stronger in the future, so that it can truly establish the new possible. I am extremely proud of our employees around the world and will miss their enthusiasm and unwavering commitment."

Yves Kerstens stated: “I am honored to take up the role as CEO of Bekaert. It’s a responsibility I aim to take on with a passion for what Bekaert can achieve, as well as for the Bekaert culture that I believe is one of our important differentiators. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Board, the BGE leadership team and all colleagues around the world, to position Bekaert for the future and create value for all our stakeholders.”

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Zeon has been recognised as a Supplier Engagement Leader in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) conducted by CDP, a United Kingdom-based international environmental nonprofit organisation. This achievement represents the first time the company has received the highest possible rating in this assessment.

The evaluation measures how corporations address climate change within their supply chains, focusing on responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire across five critical areas. These include governance, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions management, risk management and overall supplier engagement strategies.

Zeon earned the top rating for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through supplier collaboration, a group-wide initiative, alongside continuous dialogue maintained via procurement activities. Guided by its philosophy of contributing to planetary preservation and human prosperity, Zeon remains committed to sustainable management. The company reaffirmed that it will continue working with suppliers and other stakeholders to tackle climate change and meet societal expectations.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price increase of up to 15 percent for its resins, dispersions and dispersible polymer powders produced at its European and US facilities. The adjustment takes effect on 1 June 2026, or as existing customer contracts permit. The move is designed to allow the company’s Polymers division to maintain high product quality, deliver technological innovations and provide superior customer service and technical support. It will also support investments aimed at securing future growth in key markets.

Rising costs for raw materials and logistics have forced the pricing measure, with the Polymers division being particularly affected. The recent conflict in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions across global commodity markets. As a direct result, prices for energy, raw materials and transportation have climbed sharply.

Despite the increase, WACKER remains focused on sustaining its commitment to customer support and long-term capability. The company underscored that the adjustment is necessary to continue meeting market demands while ensuring operational stability and future-oriented development across its focus markets.

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Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop circular recycling initiative, marking a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to increase recycled and bio‑based content in its tyre production. The project has received the Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

The programme recovers scrap tyres generated during Pirelli’s own North American manufacturing process. These materials are sent to Bolder Industries, which applies ISCC PLUS‑certified pyrolysis technology to produce BolderBlack recovered carbon black. Pirelli then reintroduces this material into new tyre production at its North American facilities, partially replacing virgin carbon black. The effort is part of a wider Pirelli plan to expand such industrial ecosystems across the group’s production network, aiming to valorise waste by reintegrating recovered materials into tyre manufacturing.

Beyond the award, the initiative reflects Pirelli’s broader circularity approach, which includes ongoing work to boost recycled and bio‑based material usage. The company targets over 80 percent bio‑based and recycled content in its best‑performing products and forty percent in total production by 2030.

Claudio Zanardo, CEO, Pirelli North America, said, "The Rome plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli. This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality."

Tony Wibbeler, CEO, Bolder Industries, said, "Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tyre-to-tyre circularity is not only achievable, but it's ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step. This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years."

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Sun Auto Network has expanded its national footprint by acquiring Quality Tire & Auto in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The transaction officially closed on 11 May, adding the store to the company’s growing portfolio. This acquisition represents Sun Auto’s third location in the state, reinforcing its regional presence along key transportation arteries in Middle Tennessee.

The Murfreesboro acquisition is part of a broader expansion strategy that has added more than 40 new locations this year through both purchases and new builds. Joining the network provides the shop with enhanced operational support, connected technology and customer-focused service tools. These resources are designed to strengthen the in-store customer experience and support long-term market growth across the Southeast.

The Murfreesboro location delivers complete automotive repair and tyre services, featuring leading tyre brands with a price match guarantee. Additional services include alignments, brakes, oil changes, batteries, diagnostics and preventative maintenance. This addition further improves the network’s connectivity throughout the region.

Rob Kingery, Regional Vice President Operations, said, "Tennessee continues to be an important growth market for our network. Adding Quality Tire & Auto allows us to expand Sun Auto's reach while continuing to deliver the trusted service and customer experience drivers expect."

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