Valebridge Media Services (VMS) has announced the first 16 categories of the 2023 edition of the Recircle Awards. The Recircle Awards is a ceremony aimed at recognising the most prominent companies within the tyre recycling and retreading industries. The Recircle Awards 2023 will incorporate a total of 22 awards covering a wide and balanced range of categories from across the tyre industry. 16 of these categories were already announced at the official launch of the 2023 Recircle Awards held on 8 March, 2023 during the TyreXpo Asia show in Singapore.

The 16 categories announced are as follows – 

1. Best Tread Rubber Supplier
2. Best Retreading Equipment Supplier
3. Best Retreading Accessory and Consumables Supplier
4. Best Tyre Recycling Industry Supplier
5. Best Tyre Derived Recycled Product
6. Employee of the Year
7. Best Passenger Retreader
8. Best Truck & Bus Retreader
9. Best OTR Retreader
10. Tyre Pyrolysis Award
11. Tyre Devulcanisation Award
12. Mechanical Tyre Recycling Award
13. Best Company Director
14. Best Tyre Recycling Research Project
15. Best EPR Scheme
16. Lifetime Achievement Award in the Tyre Recycling Sector

David Wilson, Managing Director of Valebridge Media Services, the organising entity, said, “We are delighted to be able to announce the first 16 categories for the 2023 Recircle Awards, which we believe offers a wide scope of opportunities for the industry to recognise the achievements of worthy companies and individuals within the global tyre retreading and recycling industries, in terms of their individual excellence as well as the overall contribution of the industry to the circular economy.”

The winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Circular Economy Award were also announced at the event. The Lifetime Achievement Award in the retreading sector was granted to Chen Jet How, the former CEO of the Kit Loong Group. He was presented with the award for his contribution to the development of the tyre retreading industry in Southeast Asia. The winner of the Circular Economy Award was AZUR Network, a network of companies from Germany related to the tyre retreading industry. They were given the award for their contribution to the promotion of the tyre retreading sector. The award was received by AZUR Network co-ordinator, Christina Guth.

Alwin Seow, Show Director for Tyrexpo Asia, provided some highlights on the Recircle Awards and their overall importance to the show. He said, “What we expect from this edition of the Recircle Awards is to congregate all the major players of the tyre retreading and recycling industries, and also to celebrate excellence within that field.”

The nomination process for the 16 categories is already open and will close on 5 May, 2023. 

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WACKER has earned the 2025 Gold Medal from the independent rating agency EcoVadis, marking its continued recognition for sustainable practices and responsible corporate governance. This distinction places the company within the top five percent of all businesses assessed by EcoVadis (over 1,000 companies globally). WACKER's overall score improved from 77 points (in 2024) to 79 points, driven largely by enhanced reporting and concrete actions focused on Scope 3 emissions and ethical standards.

The EcoVadis assessment measures the quality of a company’s sustainability management through a methodology grounded in international frameworks like the Global Reporting Initiative, the UN Global Compact and ISO 26000. Performance is scored from 0 to 100 across four core areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement, using 21 specific indicators.

In line with its commitment, WACKER provides its EcoVadis evaluation to customers as a standardised and credible validation of its sustainability efforts. The company has also defined ambitious climate targets, aiming to halve its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to 2020 levels. Progress is already evident, with a 30 percent reduction achieved as of 2024. Looking further ahead, WACKER strives to reach net-zero emissions across its operations by the year 2045.

Peter Gigler, Head of Corporate ESG, WACKER, said, “The result confirms our initiatives in many key areas. It provides our customers with invaluable proof.”

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Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT Tires), a global leader in off-highway tyre manufacturing, has appointed Craig Borman as Head of OTR at BKT USA. The appointment is in line with BKT’s long-term strategy through 2030.

Borman brings with him 20 years of experience across off-road equipment, tyres and rubber tracks. He will play a key role in leading BKT USA's OTR team and expanding the company's presence in this market while increasing awareness of the value and dependability of BKT's range of products.

Borman said, “I’m extremely excited to join the BKT family and to build off the successes that this team has already achieved. I look forward to engaging with our partners, determining how we can accelerate our mutual growth and working towards achieving BKT’s vision of being a recognised leader in the OTR segment.”

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The Supervisory Board of Continental AG confirmed a significant leadership transition during its meeting on 17 December 2025. Christian Kötz will be appointed as the new Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2026. He succeeds Nikolai Setzer, who will step down from the Executive Board on 31 December 2025. Setzer's departure follows more than 16 years as a board member, including the last five years in the CEO role, and occurs by mutual agreement as the company reaches a pivotal point in its strategic evolution.

This planned change in leadership aligns with the substantial progress Continental has made in its transformation into a pure-play tyre company. Major structural milestones have been achieved, including the spin-off of Aumovio and the signing of an agreement to sell the Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) business area. Regarding the planned 2026 sale of ContiTech, internal preparations are largely complete. The market outreach phase has concluded, and a structured sales process is scheduled to begin in January 2026, setting the stage for the final step in the corporate realignment.

Kötz’s extensive background within the tyre business, dating back to 1996, positions him to lead this final phase. A member of the Executive Board since 2019, his previous leadership roles within the Tires group sector included responsibility for the passenger car tyre replacement business in the EMEA region, the original equipment and commercial vehicle tyre business units and global research and development for passenger car tyres. His many years of trusted collaboration with Nikolai Setzer are expected to ensure continuity during the transition.

Kötz will lead an Executive Board comprising several key figures. Alongside him and Philip Nelles, who has headed the ContiTech group sector since 2021, are Roland Welzbacher and Ulrike Hintze. Welzbacher joined the board in August 2025 and assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer on 1 October 2025. Hintze was appointed to the board on 1 July 2025, serving as Chief Human Resources Officer and Director of Labour Relations. This board will be responsible for driving the tyre business forward, completing the corporate realignment and, following the sale of ContiTech, integrating the remaining group functions into the tyre organisation.

Wolfgang Reitzle, Chairman of Continental’s Supervisory Board, said, “Nikolai Setzer has been instrumental in shaping Continental, realigning the organisation and paving the way for three strong, independent companies. For this, he has the thanks of the entire Supervisory Board as well as my personal gratitude. With this handover, we are consolidating responsibility for the tyre business, the realignment and the remaining tasks of the group functions in one role. Christian Kötz is one of the most distinguished managers in the global tyre industry. With his extensive experience and passion for Continental, we firmly believe he is the right choice to lead the company successfully into the future.”

Setzer said, “In recent years, we have succeeded in transforming a diverse portfolio of businesses into three strong, independent champions. After 28 years at Continental, now is the right time for me to hand over responsibility to Christian Kötz. I’m extremely grateful for the journey we’ve all shared and proud of what we’ve all achieved together. I firmly believe that the tyre business, ContiTech, Aumovio and OESL have a promising future ahead.”

Kötz said, “I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for its trust and am excited about this new responsibility. Continental has been my professional home for three decades. Together with the Executive Board team and all colleagues throughout the company, we will complete the realignment and continue the success story of our tyre business.”

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Following the 2025 General Assembly, Law Hieling has been elected to the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) Executive Committee to represent the Manufacturer category. His 27-year international career at Michelin, encompassing roles in finance, commercial sales, distribution and his current leadership in natural rubber purchasing, provides a profound, ground-level understanding of the global tyre industry.

This extensive background has given him a clear appreciation for the intricate balance between commercial needs and ecological responsibility. He is committed to leveraging this perspective to help drive the collaborative, transparent and equitable solutions that are essential for a genuinely sustainable natural rubber value chain, benefiting both people and the planet.

Hieling said, “I look forward to contributing to the work of the Executive Committee in advancing responsible practices across the natural rubber sector.”

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