Nokian Tyres is commemorating two significant milestones this year: the 90th anniversary of its first Hakkapeliitta winter tyre and the 40th anniversary of its renowned Ivalo Test Center. Located in Finnish Lapland, this facility, famously known as ‘White Hell’, stands as the world’s largest and most versatile winter testing environment. Since its establishment in 1986, it has been the central hub for the company’s mission to achieve global leadership in winter driving safety. What began as a remote outpost has evolved into a sophisticated, thriving epicentre for tyre development and innovation.

Operational for roughly 180 days each year from November to April, the centre capitalises on the extreme Arctic conditions to rigorously test products. Covering more than 700 hectares and situated about 235 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the site features a vast network exceeding 40 kilometres of specialised tracks. This includes a 700-metre-long indoor ice hall, frozen lakes and varied road surfaces designed to simulate real-world challenges. Engineers utilise a circular track for assessing lateral grip, snow-covered routes for handling and a steep hill for testing acceleration and longitudinal traction. These diverse courses allow for a comprehensive evaluation of every aspect of tyre performance under the most severe circumstances.

Annually, the company tests approximately 5,000 passenger and heavy tyres at the Ivalo facility. While it is primarily known for developing winter tyres sold across all of Nokian’s markets, its role is broader. The extreme cold conditions are also essential for testing all-season, all-weather and all-terrain tyres intended for Central Europe and North America. These cold-weather evaluations are complemented by wet and dry surface testing conducted at the company’s Hakka Ring facility in Spain and at its location in Nokia, Finland. In recent years, a significant focus of the expert work at Ivalo has been on preparing products to perform reliably in increasingly variable and changing winter weather patterns.

This intensive testing is fundamental to the development of new technologies that enhance driver safety and underpin the company’s innovative leadership. The expertise gained at Ivalo is a direct extension of Nokian Tyres’ heritage, which began with the invention of the winter tyre in 1934. This legacy was solidified two years later with the introduction of the first Hakkapeliitta tyre, a product line celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The current generation of winter passenger tyres, including studded options like the Hakkapeliitta 10 and Hakkapeliitta LT3, as well as the non-studded Hakkapeliitta R5, are a testament to a century-long commitment to safety, honed and proven at the ‘White Hell’ facility in Lapland.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “The Ivalo Test Center is at the core of our expertise – the place where our practical knowledge of extreme winter conditions originates and evolves. For forty years, Ivalo has been the proving ground for many pioneering innovations, and it will continue to play a key role in our research, development and testing processes.”

Matti Suuripää Nokian Tyres Ivalo Test Facility Manager, said, “There was just a frozen lake when White Hell opened in 1986. A couple guys from the testing department came here with a trailer full of tyres and made a track or two on the ice. There wasn’t a facility, there were just winter conditions. Our test methods have been refined over the years to become more diverse. We have adapted our testing methods to account for different winter weather and more varied conditions. We work hard to develop products that make driving predictable.”

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Bridgestone has announced a European leadership appointment aimed at sharpening customer focus, streamlining engagement across product groups and supporting its ongoing growth plans. Stefano Sanchini will become President, Europe Sales, effective 1 October 2026, leading the company’s European sales organisation across both Consumer and Commercial segments.

The expanded role unites sales activities spanning passenger car, truck and bus, agriculture, off-the-road, motorcycle and original equipment. Sanchini brings over 20 years of international leadership experience in the automotive and tyre sectors, with a career covering Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. Since joining Bridgestone in 2017, he has held several senior positions, including Managing Director of Bridgestone India.

Most recently, as Vice President for Consumer Replacement in Europe, he helped strengthen customer engagement, commercial performance, profitability and regional market growth. Bridgestone said the appointment underscores its commitment to customer relationships, commercial execution and simpler cross-market operations. Sanchini will pursue sustainable growth while developing capabilities and partnerships supporting the company’s long-term European strategy.

Mete Ekin, Group President EMEA, said, "Our customers increasingly operate across multiple product categories and expect a consistent experience wherever they engage with Bridgestone. By bringing our sales activities together under one European structure, we are creating a simpler, more connected organisation that will help us respond faster, collaborate more effectively and continue building strong partnerships with our customers."

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Yokohama Europe has appointed Giuseppe La Iacona to a series of senior leadership roles as the company seeks to strengthen its position across the region.

La Iacona joined the business on September 15 and will assume responsibility for supporting growth and organisational consolidation in the European market.

He brings more than 20 years’ experience in the tyre industry, spanning sales, marketing, business development, country management and international customer relations. He has held senior roles across several European markets, developing experience in managing local dynamics while driving cross-border business expansion.

Reporting to Takashi Maki, La Iacona has been appointed General Manager for southern Europe, where he will lead a newly created regional cluster covering Italy and France. The role is intended to improve coordination and operational synergies between the two markets.

He will also serve as Chief Executive of Yokohama Italia, with overall responsibility for the Italian subsidiary, alongside taking on the role of head of international customers. In that capacity, he will oversee the management and development of clients operating across multiple European markets, with the aim of creating a more consistent commercial approach and strengthening collaboration between subsidiaries.

His remit includes improving organisational alignment and fostering closer cooperation between markets and customers as the company expands its European operations.

“I am very pleased to welcome Giuseppe to YOKOHAMA Europe at an important stage in our development,” said Maki. “His extensive international experience, deep knowledge of the tyre industry and ability to work across different markets will be valuable assets as we continue to strengthen our European organisation and pursue sustainable growth.”

La Iacona said: “I am excited to join YOKOHAMA Europe and to contribute to the company’s next phase of growth in Europe. YOKOHAMA has a strong heritage, a distinctive brand and significant opportunities across the European market. I look forward to working closely with our teams, customers and partners across countries to further develop the business and strengthen our presence in the region.”

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Özka Tyre, a prominent Turkish manufacturer of tyres for agricultural and construction equipment, has reinforced its leadership team as part of a broader push towards global expansion and technological modernisation in production. The company has appointed Mehmet Yüksel as its new Chief Operating Officer, bringing aboard an executive with extensive senior experience from Goodyear’s Luxembourg-based international organisation.

In his new role, Yüksel will oversee functions central to Özka’s production and operational strength. His responsibilities encompass production, quality, research and development, planning, investment and projects, electricity and maintenance, occupational safety and quality management systems, positioning him to steer critical areas of the company’s industrial performance.

Driven by investments and a focus on advancing its manufacturing strength, Özka continuously monitors shifts in the worldwide tire sector, particularly technological progress in Europe, and uses those insights to shape its future production infrastructure. As new investments prepare to elevate its output capacity and technical systems, the firm is simultaneously bolstering its organisational framework to sustain that transformation.

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Cabot Corporation has named Steve Delahunt, currently Vice President and Corporate Treasurer, to assume the Chief Financial Officer role on an interim basis starting 1 October 2026. He will hold the position while Cabot continues searching for a permanent finance chief.

The interim appointment follows the previously disclosed leadership transition in which Erica McLaughlin, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Strategy, will become President and Chief Executive Officer on the same date. McLaughlin succeeds Sean Keohane and will relinquish her CFO duties at that time.

Delahunt brings over three decades of finance and treasury experience, including nine years leading Cabot's investor relations function through January 2026. As Corporate Treasurer, he oversees global treasury operations, capital markets strategy, liquidity management, banking relationships, risk management and pension investments. He has been central to Cabot's capital allocation, financing, investor engagement and strategic growth initiatives, as well as strengthened shareholder relations during his investor relations tenure.

McLaughlin said, “Steve is a highly respected finance leader with deep knowledge of our business, strong relationships across our global organisation and a proven track record of disciplined financial leadership. As we continue executing our strategy and building on our strong financial position, Steve’s experience, judgment and understanding of our business make him exceptionally well suited to lead our finance organisation while the Company conducts its search for our next Chief Financial Officer.”

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