This year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, held at Deutsche Messe during Tire Technology Expo, featured an expanded array of categories in order to recognise the scope of innovation and achievement that has been showcased over the last 12 months. The winners were announced at an evening drinks reception held at the Deutsche Messe on Tuesday. The night’s winners included Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Now comprising 13 categories, the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence were a celebration of recent advances in tyre technology and progress toward a greener and more sustainable industry. The awards, which were coordinated by Tire Technology International magazine, were officiated by a panel of international journalists and industry experts.

Sustainability in tyre manufacturing
To recognise the increasingly prominent role of sustainability in tyre manufacturing, the new-look awards featured three categories focused on environmental development. Michelin’s 45 percent and 58 percent sustainable material tyre designs picked up the award for Environmental Achievement of the Year – Tire Design. Continental’s invisible rubber marker technology was judged the winner in the Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing category, and Emissions Analytics’ EQUA Tyre database took home the trophy for Environmental Achievement of the Year – Industry Contribution. Emissions Analytics founder and CEO, Nick Molden, was keen to champion the work of his colleagues.

Other categories
Other new categories for 2023 included Chemicals and Compounding Innovation of the Year, which was won by Nynas’ Nytex BIO 6200 tire oil. Another award was Materials Innovation of the Year, which saw the jury recognise Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ work on synthesised biopolymers. The good news continued for SRI in the category for R&D Breakthrough of the Year, which saw the tyre maker awarded for its research into enzyme evaluation. HF Group was bestowed with the ‘Tire Technology International Supplier Award’.

Goodyear picked up the award for Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year, thanks to its groundbreaking small-batch production process used in its factory in Luxembourg. The Tire Industry Supplier of the Year award was presented to HF Group, in recognition of its commitment to digital solutions and its excellent relationships across the industry. Goodyear was also placed first in the Tire Concept of the Year category for work on its 90 percent sustainable material tyre design.

Chris Helsel, Senior Vice President – Global Operations And Chief Technology Officer, Goodyear, said, “Goodyear’s innovative spirit and drive for excellence helps us develop leading products and services that address our customers’ needs for today and tomorrow. Our teams are working on solutions and processes that have the potential to make driving safer, more efficient and more sustainable. We are excited to be recognised for this work and thank Tire Technology International for these esteemed awards.”

Hannover-based Continental was also back at the podium to collect the Tire of the Year Award for the PremiumContact 7, winning a hotly contested new category which looks set to see some battles in the years to come.

Boris Mergell, Head of Research and Development at Continental Tires, who accepted the awards in Hannover, said, “Our commitment to performance, sustainability and safety runs right across our organisation, and it’s fantastic that once again this has been recognised. Winning awards for both our innovative technologies and products is a tremendous motivation for the entire team. At Continental, we aim for safe, cost-effective and more sustainable mobility, while enabling vehicles to perform at their best."

This year, Michelin took home the The Tire Manufacturer of the Year Award, marking the sixth time that the French manufacturer has claimed top spot. The Young Scientist Prize for 2023 was given to Agate Utane, a PhD student at Loughborough University. The award’s jury – which is separate to the 11 central categories – selected Agate and her work, ‘Efficient Tire-Road Friction Testing for Vehicle Handling Applications’.

Jan Prins was the winner of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominated by many of his peers, Prins is a popular winner, and has enjoyed a highly successful career at Jaguar Land Rover since graduating from Delft University of Technology in 1990. Prins recently began heading the judging panel for the Young Scientist Prize. 

Celebrating the tyre industry
Matt Ross, Editor-In-Chief of Tire Technology International and Chairman of the awards, said, “We felt we needed the ability to recognise and celebrate more aspects of this ever-expanding industry. Overhauling the categories gave us the chance to better acknowledge where the really exciting innovation is taking place. It enabled us to focus more on the environmental achievements being developed in multiple areas, and also to zero in on some areas of exciting R&D that didn’t perhaps fit our previous category structure. Judging by the caliber of this year’s shortlist, and the tough time the jury had in choosing their winners, we can expect some fascinating competitions in the coming years.”

For more information about the award winners, visit https://www.tiretechnology-expo.com/en/awards.php 

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MAXAM Tire has named Chris Rhoades as its new Zone Sales Director for the Northern region, a move that underscores the company’s dedication to expanding its footprint and enhancing customer service within the speciality tyre aftermarket. The appointment reflects a broader strategy to strengthen leadership and competitive positioning in the sector.

Rhoades brings over 25 years of international industry experience and a well-established reputation as a leading voice in the tyre business. His leadership credentials include being elected to two separate terms on the Tire Industry Association Board of Directors. Most recently at BKT Tires, he managed strategic growth in complex and highly technical off the road markets, where he aligned regional execution with global strategy, led cross functional teams and consistently delivered measurable revenue increases.

In his new capacity, Rhoades will direct all sales operations across the Northern region, collaborating closely with customers and partners to ensure performance, service and support remain synonymous with the MAXAM Tire brand. His appointment signals a focused effort to drive results through experienced leadership and deep market knowledge.

Jimmy McDonnell, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, MAXAM Tire, said, “We are excited to welcome Chris to the MAXAM team. Chris brings deep industry knowledge, proven leadership and a strong customer-first mindset that will create immediate value for our partners. His experience and vision will play an important role as we continue to grow our presence, strengthen relationships and expend the MAXAM brand across the market.”

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Bekaert’s Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Olivier Biebuyck as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 June 2026. He brings extensive expertise in leading, expanding and transforming global industrial enterprises through both organic growth and acquisitions, positioning him to drive Bekaert’s future strategic goals.

On that same date, the board will co-opt Biebuyck as a director. Meanwhile, current CEO and board member Yves Kerstens will conclude his mandate on 31 May 2026, having led the company in recent years. He will also step down from his directorship as of that day.

The leadership transition marks a carefully planned succession, with Biebuyck’s track record seen as critical to advancing Bekaert’s long-term ambitions. The changes take effect at the end of May and start of June 2026.

Jürgen Tinggren, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “I am proud to announce the appointment of Olivier Biebuyck as CEO of Bekaert. The Board is convinced that he is the right person to lead the transformation of the company in its next chapter. On behalf of the Board and the entire Bekaert team, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Yves for his leadership, commitment and contribution to the company over the past years, and wish him the very best.”

Biebuyck said, “Bekaert has an impressive history of innovation, business expansion and evolution. I am honoured to take up the role of CEO at Bekaert. I look forward to working closely with the Board, the leadership team and all colleagues around the world to further transform and grow the company and create long term value for all our stakeholders.”

Kerstens said, “It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Bekaert and to work alongside our colleagues around the world during the past years. I am proud of what we have achieved together and wish Olivier all the best to lead the company in building a strong future.”

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Sri Lanka-based GRI Tires has extended its limited warranty coverage for pneumatic tyres to up to 10 years, effective from 2026, as the specialty tyre manufacturer seeks to strengthen customer assurance across its agricultural, construction and material handling businesses.

The revised warranty policy applies to all GRI-branded pneumatic tyres manufactured on or after January 1, 2025, and covers customers in more than 80 countries. The company previously offered warranty coverage of up to seven years.

Under the updated policy, agricultural radial tyres will be covered for up to 10 years, while agricultural bias tyres will receive coverage of up to eight years. Construction, earthmover, industrial, material handling, port and mining tyres will be covered for up to five years, subject to terms and conditions.

GRI said warranty protection would cover qualifying defects, with credit issued on a pro-rated basis.

For qualifying failures occurring within the first three years, and where radial tyre wear does not exceed 20 per cent, customers will receive a full replacement credit.

The warranty applies exclusively to the original end-use purchaser.

“This enhanced 10-year warranty is more than a policy update — it is a statement of our conviction in the quality of every tire we manufacture,” said Barry Guildford, global commercial director at GRI.

“We build tires to perform in the most demanding conditions, and we stand behind them.”

Customers can submit warranty claims through authorised GRI dealers and distributors, or directly through the company’s customer support channels.

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Georg Nordmann Holding Aktiengesellschaft (GNH) has appointed Martin Rathke as Managing Director of its subsidiary Nordmann (Nordmann, Rassmann GmbH), effective 1 May 2026. The move marks a strategic step in the company’s ongoing leadership development.

Rathke joins with considerable leadership experience and deep knowledge of international sales and distribution within the chemical distribution sector. His career includes years of service in a family-owned enterprise, where he held senior management roles with global responsibility. He will now share leadership duties with Ulrich Cramer, who remains in his position, and together they aim to form a closely aligned team to advance Nordmann’s strategic direction.

The joint leadership will focus on accelerating global expansion through targeted strategic, organic and inorganic growth while optimising existing operations and continuously refining the company’s portfolio strategy. Backed by the commitment of its shareholders, Nordmann seeks to strengthen its international presence and evolve into a global player in the chemical distribution industry.

Irina Zschaler, CEO of Georg Nordmann Holding Aktiengesellschaft, said, “Martin brings exactly the combination of entrepreneurial mindset, international experience and leadership strength that we value in our relationships and for our path to grow. Our collaboration is based on responsibility, integrity and the aspiration to create added value together for all involved and the entire group. We are therefore very much looking forward to welcoming our full Nordmann team.”

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