The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) has been appointment to the South African government’s Waste Tyre Management Industry Advisory Committee.

SATMC Managing Executive Nduduzo Chala has been appointed as Vice Chairperson and Charl de Villers, chairperson of the Tyre Importers Association of South Africa (TIASA) will serve as Chairperson. This committee will drive the implementation of the plan approved by Cabinet in March 2024.

“As the SATMC, we look forward to working closely with all committee representatives and the broader industry to drive forward the objectives of the Waste Tyre Management Plan, which include expanding waste tyre processing capacity, developing monitoring systems and supporting municipal waste management initiatives. This crucial environmental initiative deserves the full support of the entire tyre industry value chain to reduce the negative environmental impacts of waste tyres,” said Chala.

Waste tyre management has been a significant bottleneck for the South African tyre industry and poses several challenges, including over-full depots and backlogs at tyre dealers, further posing high risk of fire. 

The SATMC’s Environmental Committee has identified four primary areas to work on, which include:

1. Waste Tyre Road Infrastructure: Exploring the use of recycled tyres in road construction.
2. Municipal Infrastructure Engagement: Collaborating with municipalities to improve waste tyre management practices.
3. Renewable Energy Solutions: Investigating the potential of waste tyres as a renewable energy source.
4. Community Projects: Supporting community-based initiatives that utilise waste tyres for social and economic development.

The SATMC – representing four multinational tyre manufacturers with plants in South Africa – is actively involved in identifying and leveraging opportunities for repurposing waste tyres. According to Chala, three dedicated waste tyre management regions have been established nationwide, with multiple organisations working together to address the challenges. Region 1 covers the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and southern Free State, whereas region 2 covers KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo and region 3 covers Gauteng, North-West Province and northern Free State.

Other committee representation includes the Retail Motor Industry (RMI); the Tyre, Equipment, Parts Association (TEPA); Tyre Recycling Industry Association of South Africa; the Recycling Association of South Africa and the Waste Tyre Management Forum, as well as the Black Business Council (BBC); Business Unity South Africa (BUSA); Minerals Council South Africa; the Department of Science and Innovation and Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

LANXESS, a specialty chemicals company, has successfully placed a six-year-tenor euro benchmark bond with a coupon of 0.0 percent in the European capital market.
The company, with about 14,800 employees in 33 countries, will use the funds to finance the planned acquisition of IFF, a US-based chemical company involved in microbial control.

The new bond is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in denominations of EUR 1,000.

Michael Pontzen, CFO, LANXESS, said, “We have secured the first step of financing already quickly after the announcement of the acquisition of IFF Microbial Control and are happy about the very receptive reaction of the capital market to our offering.” (TT)

Goodyear has launched its new RT-3B bead-to-bead tread in US and Canada in sizes 20.5R25 and 23.5R25 for off-the-road (OTR) tyres.

The new retread provides all-around performance for loaders and graders. Joining the existing lineup of premium off-the-road Goodyear tyres, the retread provides up to 60 percent savings compared to a new tyre.

Used extensively in gruelling OTR applications, retreading helps extend the life of tyres while delivering high traction and minimal tread wear. Additionally, retreading promotes sustainability by reducing unnecessary waste.

The new Goodyear RT-3B is cured in a mould and press method to generate low heat through long hours of usage via its 115-level tread depth. Strongly cut-resistant in nature, the centerline lugs and open shoulder provides optimal traction.

Loic Ravasio, General Manager, Global and Americas OTR, Goodyear, said, “We are always focused on delivering high value and low cost of ownership to our OTR customers. The RT-3B is a substantial addition to our retread portfolio providing another great option for operators to help drive efficiency, reduce costs and protect the environment.” (TT)

Anshuman Singhania, Dy. Managing Director of JK Tyre, has been appointed managing director of the company, effective October 21,2020.

Anshuman Singhania joined the Company as an Executive and over the years has been deeply involved in various activities of the Company in different positions, said the company.

Singhania is also Vice Chairman of ATMA

He is a graduate from Oxford Brookes University, UK and an alumnus of London Business School. As a young leader, he started his career from the shop floor as an apprentice and has held several positions in Planning, Production, Product Development, Quality Control, Stores & Purchase, Finance as well as Sales & Marketing. Being a techno-savvy person, he has played a key role in implementing the latest technologies in the manufacturing process at JK Tyre.

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires recently held the groundbreaking and foundation stone unveiling ceremony of its new plant at Atchutapuram, Visakhapatnam - Andhra Pradesh, India.

In the online event, Masataka Yamaishi , President & Chairman of the Board, Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd broke the ground to commence construction work.

Yamaishi San unveiled the Foundation Stone virtually in the presence of Atao Kishi San: Chairman - ATC Tires Pvt. Ltd. and Managing Officer - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., Nitin Mantri – CEO and Anil Gupta – COO and the leadership team at Yokohama Off-Highway Tires.

The new plant will have a daily production capacity of 55 tons (rubber weight), with planned capital investment totalling US$165 million. The plant, which will be the company’s third plant in India, will manufacture its three brands ALLIANCE, GALAXY and PRIMEX brand tyres.

 Yokohama Off-Highway Tires currently has two tyre plants in India—the Dahej Plant in Gujarat and the Tirunelveli Plant in Tamil Nadu.