Brian Sheehey Named President Of Ralson Tire North America
- By TT News
- June 11, 2025
Ralson Tire North America (RTNA) has named Brian Sheehey President as of 30 April 2025. Sheehey joined Ralson Tire North America as Senior Vice President in 2022 and has 35 years of total experience in the tyre industry.
After finishing the development of a state-of-the-art medium/heavy truck tire production facility in Indore, India, Ralson made its debut in the US commercial tyre market in 2023. With the potential to generate four million units per year, the factory now produces one million TBR units. The facility produces a wide variety of commercial vehicle tyres under the Ralson and Accelus brands. In America, RTNA's distribution network is growing quickly. The opening of two East Coast distribution centres was also recently announced by the company.
Manjul Pahwa, Managing Director and CEO, Ralson Tyres Ltd, said, “Brian has played an instrumental role in our outstanding growth, and the future looks bright for the Ralson and Accelus brands in North America under his leadership. In today’s challenging market, Brian and the RTNA team have done a great job of helping our customers solve deficiencies in their supply base, improve their margins and address opportunities faster than most of the larger legacy brand competitors.”
Sheehey said, “I look forward to growing the Ralson and Accelus brands in North America, Ralson Tire North America is focused on increasing cash flow for our partners. It is a simple idea but not always executed well by tyre manufacturers. RTNA is committed to bringing back the ‘personal touch’ in business relationships, combined with our laser focus on providing dealers and fleets a high-quality product at a reasonable cost that they can depend on every day of the year.”
Sumitomo Rubber’s Tyre Unit Clears Japan Antitrust Probe With Commitment Plan
- By TT News
- August 07, 2025
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd said its subsidiary Dunlop Tyre Japan Ltd has completed a Japan Fair Trade Commission investigation into automotive all-season tyre sales after the regulator approved a commitment plan submitted by the unit.
The probe, which examined the subsidiary’s sales practices, concluded without the commission identifying any violation of Japan’s Antimonopoly Act, Sumitomo Rubber said in a statement.
Under Japan’s commitment procedures, companies can submit plans to address potential competition concerns without admitting wrongdoing, allowing them to resolve investigations while avoiding formal sanctions.
"We deeply apologise for the great trouble and anxiety that we have caused to all concerned, including our clients and business partners,” the tyre maker said.
Bekaert Warns Of Weakening Demand As Tariffs And FX Weigh On Outlook
- By TT News
- August 04, 2025
Belgian steel wire maker Bekaert reported resilient first-half 2025 earnings as strong cash generation and cost control offset softer sales, but warned that tariffs and currency pressures are weighing on demand.
The company posted consolidated sales of €1.9 billion, down 5.2 percent year-on-year, with volumes declining 2.6 percent and price/mix effects stripping out a further 2.2 percent. Underlying EBIT slipped 16.2 percent to €171 million, delivering a margin of 8.8 percent compared with 9.9 percent a year earlier.
Free cash flow surged to €123 million from €43 million in the prior-year period, driven by a €135 million reduction in working capital and €21 million in cost savings as the company continued to streamline operations and rein in capex. Net debt fell to €327 million from €399 million despite a continuing €200 million share buyback programme, €74 million of which has been completed.
“We have continued to focus on what we can control best – cash flow and costs - and have significantly reduced overheads and working capital in H1 2025,” chief executive Yves Kerstens said. “Equally, I am very pleased with the hard work of our teams fighting for volumes in the current challenging markets.”
He added: “We are also taking further steps to make our business units more autonomous and agile. Therefore, I am very confident that we will come out of the current business environment stronger and more cost competitive than ever before.”
Bekaert said volumes were particularly strong in its Steel Wire Solutions and Rubber Reinforcement divisions in the United States and China, while European and Latin American demand lagged. Its Brazilian joint ventures delivered €24 million in net profit share, up from €20 million a year ago.
However, the group cautioned that growing trade tensions – including a rise in US steel tariffs from 25 percent to 50 percent – and the weakening of the US dollar and Chinese yuan against the euro were eroding pricing power and softening orders.
“Following a period of resilience in Q2, the tariff uncertainty and weakening economic outlook has started to have an impact on demand,” Bekaert said.
The company now expects slightly lower full-year 2025 sales on a like-for-like basis, with an underlying EBIT margin of between 8.0 percent and 8.5 percent, down from 8.8 percent in the first half.
Jeff Glajch, the Chief Financial Officer of Orion S.A., a multinational speciality chemicals firm, will retire early in the fourth quarter of 2025, the company stated today.
To find a replacement, an extensive search will be initiated. Glajch will continue to support Orion until the end of 2025 in order to facilitate a seamless transfer.
Corning Painter, CEO, Orion, said, “On behalf of our entire organisation, we thank Jeff for his guidance and valuable contributions to Orion over the past three and a half years. Thanks to Jeff’s leadership, we have exceptional finance and information technology teams in place, and we are well-positioned for future growth.”
Tire Society Announces Global Participation for 44th Annual Conference in Ohio
- By TT News
- August 01, 2025
The Tire Society has completed its paper selection for the 44th Annual Conference on Tire Science & Technology, which will take place from September 23 to 25, 2025, at the University of Akron. This year, over 60 percent of presentations will come from international participants.
Technologists from 20 organisations in Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, and the United States will present at the conference. Presenters include tire manufacturers, universities, testing labs, consultants, suppliers, a vehicle company, and the non-profit Consumer Reports.
This year’s program focuses on sustainability, with papers on rubber emissions, devulcanisation, tire lifecycle, and electric vehicle applications. Technical talks will also cover tire performance topics like noise reduction, cornering, traction, wear, and durability testing using predictive analytics and advanced simulations.
Dr Surendra Chawla will deliver the keynote address titled “Sustainability in the Tire Industry: Driving Toward a Greener Future.” Chawla spent four decades at Goodyear, advancing to Director of Corporate Research before retiring as Senior Director, Global Innovation. Following his Goodyear tenure, he joined the Polymer industry Cluster as a Leading Consultant, contributing to the Greater Akron region’s designation as the Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub by the US Economic Development Administration.
Michelin representatives Frederic Biesse and Damien Lim will present the plenary address “Tire Wear Emissions and Air Quality: Current Insights and Pathways Toward a Sustainable Future.” Biesse has worked 26 years at Michelin’s Clermont-Ferrand R&D Centre in France, focusing on noise, wear, and rolling resistance as Manager of the Tire Performance Analysis team. Lim brings 14 years of experience from Michelin Americas R&D Centre, specialising in tire wear studies and predictive tool development.
Scott Sass, Director of Technology at Alterra Energy LLC, will address the awards banquet with “Polymer Circularity: Steering Clear of Potholes.” Alterra has developed a continuous thermochemical liquefaction process for recycling typically non-recyclable plastics into manufacturing feedstock.
The Tire Society positions itself as the world’s leading membership organisation for tire science, engineering, and technology. Conference registrations include Tire Society membership, providing access to the peer-reviewed Tire Science and Technology Journal and post-conference presentation access through the “Play-on-Demand” feature.
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