Kenda Tires has appointed Rebecca Karbon as its new Bicycle Sales Director for North America, the company announced.

Karbon, an industry veteran with extensive experience in the bicycle sector, will lead Kenda’s bicycle sales division, focusing on expanding market engagement and strengthening distributor and retail partnerships.

“We are confident that Rebecca’s expertise will further enhance our partnerships with long-lasting customers while maintaining our exceptional service you’ve come to expect from Kenda,” said Eric Yang, Vice President of Development at Kenda.

Karbon, who will be based in Minneapolis, said she looks forward to increasing brand engagement.

“I’m excited to join the Kenda team and look forward to increasing brand engagement with our distributor and retail partners,” Karbon said.

Call for Papers Now Open for Submissions

The Tire Society is set to host its 44th annual conference, focusing on sustainable innovation in the tyre industry, marking a significant shift towards environmental consciousness in a sector crucial to global transportation.

Scheduled for 23–25 September 2025 at the University of Akron, the conference will centre on the theme "Rolling Towards Sustainability: Tyres for a Greener Future", highlighting the industry's growing emphasis on environmental responsibility and technological advancement.

This year's event comes as tyre manufacturers worldwide face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint and adapt to stricter regulatory requirements for sustainable production methods. The conference's focus on sustainability reflects the industry's response to global climate initiatives and changing consumer preferences.

Key Focus Areas:

• Sustainable materials development
• Optimisation and data connectivity for reduced emissions
• Regulatory compliance and industry collaboration
• Waste transformation strategies
• Circular design principles

The event traditionally attracts engineers and scientists from major tyre manufacturers, vehicle producers, academic institutions, and government agencies globally. Previous conferences have led to breakthrough developments in tyre technology and industry standards.

The conference is offering special opportunities for full-time students, including monetary awards for outstanding papers and poster presentation opportunities, demonstrating the industry's commitment to nurturing next-generation talent in sustainable tyre technology.

Selected papers from the conference will be published in the Journal of Tire Science and Technology, the industry's leading peer-reviewed publication, providing participating researchers and companies with opportunities to establish thought leadership in sustainable tyre development.

The call for papers is open until 3 March 2025. The Society is particularly interested in submissions addressing sustainable materials, performance optimisation, and emerging technologies in tyre manufacturing.

As part of its ambitious goals for 2025 and beyond, Point S Tyre & Autocare, the biggest independent tyre dealer and auto repair network in the UK, has reorganised its leadership team. Ali Yilmaz has been appointed as the new UK Managing Director as part of the reorganisation, which also includes other significant appointments aimed at improving the organisation's operational effectiveness and strategic direction.

Yilmaz, who is renowned for his proficiency in fleet growth and strategic planning, assumes the position with a distinct future vision. By interacting directly with the network's independent dealers and offering customised solutions to support their success, he focuses on promoting member-centric growth. In order to strengthen its UK operations and maintain its position as a leader in fleet and automotive services, Yilmaz also hopes to take use of Point S's worldwide experience. Yilmaz brings to Point S a wealth of expertise in company growth and operational leadership from his nearly eight years at Pirelli/Prometeon Tyre Group, where he held the positions of UK Managing Director and Head of Fleet Development – Europe and MEA.

Wayne Daniel has also been promoted to the Point S Board of Directors as part of the leadership reorganisation. With more than 340 points of sale, Daniel has played a key role in the network's growth, making it the biggest independent tyre dealer and auto repair network in the UK. Strategic projects and assisting Yilmaz's leadership will be the main focusses of his new position. Ben Herridge has taken over as Regional Sales Manager (South), while Andy Tester has been elevated to Business Development Manager.

Yilmaz said, “Point S has a unique vision to protect and grow independent tyre dealers and auto repair centres, which are essential to the UK’s automotive industry. I am excited to work with our team and members to build on the strong foundations already in place, ensuring sustainable growth and cementing our position as an industry leader.”

Daniel said, “Having been part of Point S for 12 years, I’m honoured to join the Board of Directors. Our shared vision of growth, through initiatives like our fleet programme and training courses, will continue to guide our network’s success. I look forward to working alongside Ali and the team during this transformative period.”

Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber) will display its Chinese New Year wishes on the ABC SuperSign in Times Square, showcasing the company’s global brand presence.

The 3,685-square-foot digital landmark will feature greetings for the Year of the Snake, representing ZC Rubber’s six tyre brands: WESTLAKE, GOODRIDE, ARISUN, CHAOYANG, YARTU, and TRAZANO.

A top-10 global tyre manufacturer, ZC Rubber operates 13 factories across six countries and supplies tyres to nearly 200 countries. The company has been China’s No. 1 tyre manufacturer for 14 consecutive years.

In 2023, ZC Rubber became the Global Official Tyre Partner of Arsenal Football Club, expanding its international brand recognition. The Times Square display continues the company’s strategy of global brand amplification.

The company said the digital billboard, which will be featured daily on ABC’s Good Morning America, will reach millions of viewers worldwide.

Continental Tires has received the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS sustainability certification for its tyre plant in Korbach, Germany. This is the company’s fourth plant to receive the prestigious certification.

In order to receive the certification, specific procedures for the mass balance of raw materials have to be followed and documented. With the mass-balance method, current systems and processes use a combination of recycled, renewable and fossil raw resources. The amounts utilised can be distributed proportionately at any point as they are monitored throughout the value chain. By using the mass-balance technique, Continental is able to progressively raise the percentage of sustainable materials in its goods. It makes it possible to report the percentage of certified sustainable materials with accuracy. This is an additional step for the company towards using only sustainable materials in its tyre products by 2050 at the latest. In addition to the tyre plant in Korbach, the plants in Lousado (Portugal), Hefei (China) and Puchov (Slovakia) are already ISCC PLUS-certified production sites of Continental Tires.

Continental's UltraContact NXT is the first tyre to employ materials approved for mass balancing. Carbon black, which is partially manufactured from oil from circular processes, and synthetic rubber, which is made from bio-based and bio-circular raw materials, are two examples. Since 2023, it has been produced in the Continental tire facility in Lousado, Portugal.

Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires, said, "We are consistently increasing the amount of renewable and recycled materials in our tyres. Certifications contribute to transparency. Our ambition is to roll out the mass-balance approach to all of our tire plants worldwide."

Klaus Ohlwein, Head of the Continental tyre plant in Korbach, said, "At Continental, we are working worldwide to make the future of mobility more environmentally friendly. Our ISCC PLUS certification as well as our latest step, the use of recycled PET bottles in series production, are proof of our consistent implementation here in Korbach. We offer our customers high-performance tyres that not only deliver outstanding performance but also increasingly support the bio-based and circular economy.”