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USA NEWS
B&J Rocket Hires New Production Manager
Bandag Gains Carolina Recognition
industry. With immediate effect Marcos Guzman is in charge of the quality assurance and improvement of the entire B&J production. Beside the further optimisation of production processes he will closely monitor costs and resources utilised. Furthermore, he is responsible for the improvement of maintenance jobs to ensure a consistently high quality output. He speaks English and Spanish fluently and is an important contact partner for the sales department. Initially,
Marcos will report in his function to Bent Toft Andersen and later directly to Andreas Müller, Managing Director of B&J Rocket. Müller is happy about the addition to his team, at the same time pursuing a distinct target, “With the engagement of Marcos Guzman we are taking a further step in our Quality Plus campaign to ensure and further enhance our already high product quality.”
Bridgestone Americas’ Bandag retreading facility in Oxford, North Carolina, has recently been recognised by North Carolina as a Carolina Star Worksite.
The recognition, the highest health and safety honour awarded by the North Carolina Department of Labor, is presented to organisations with exceptional safety and health systems.
“This award for exceptional health and safety management systems is a testament to the outstanding team we have at our Oxford facility. Facilities like our Bridgestone Bandag
Retread Plant show that superior manufacturing and workplace safety can go hand-in-hand,” said Steve Shelton, senior vice president of technology, manufacturing and procurement, Bridgestone Americas Manufacturing Group.
Bridgestone was presented with the award during a ceremony at the Bandag retread facility on Sept. 25. The Carolina Star programme is patterned after the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).
Italmatic Announces Joint Venture with Tesco of America
The Italmatic Group has announced that it has entered into a Joint Venture with Tesco Of America Inc., the US based supplier to the automotive and tyre sector. The new Joint Venture will be renamed as Tesco Italmatic LLC, with headquarters in Oakland Park, FL, USA. The partnership will focus on making a strong statement for the distribution of Italmatic products in the North, Central and South American regions, offering a wide and complete range of products and services.
In welcoming the Joint Venture, both Mr. Daniel Zeledon, Managing Director of Tesco Of America Inc. and Mr. Massimo Ghitturi, CEO of Italmatic Group, pointed out that the Joint Venture
further enhances the footprint of the two partners in these key, strategic regions.
“The quality of the products and the well recognised Italmatic brand name will strengthen service, support and sales to ensure a position from where we will be able to achieve further growth in these dynamic and expanding economic regions,” said Italmatic in a press statement. “There are many synergies between the two companies, since Tesco is known for its service, quality of products offered and its technical support in all the Americas. In addition, Italmatic Group brings innovative, quality-minded equipment, service and product knowledge that is geared towards total customer satisfaction.”
Marcos Guzman joins B&J Rocket’s, Middlebury, Indiana plant as part of the company’s quality assurance program.
In July 2013, Marcos Guzman took over the position of production manager, responsible for the B&J factory in the USA. Marcos has 16 years of experience in the areas of cost management, sales drive and company development. He has in the past worked for well-known suppliers of the automobile
Pre-Q Galgo Gains SmartWay Approval
Pre-Q Galgo supports the US Environmental Protection Agency programme and has been approved for verification for the low rolling resistance of its Pre-Q Galgo TA tread, for use on Line- haul class-8 trailer axles. This programme meets the requirements of the SmartWay Technology programme that
verifies low rolling resistance retreaded tyres which must help to reduce truck fuel consumption by at least 3 per cent, according to the EPA. This programme is also compliant with California Air Resources Board (CARB).
The Pre-Q Galgo TA has distinct features when compared to a regular tread such as advanced fuel-efficient cool-running compounds to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions: It is distinctive with a green line all the way round the design of the pattern and deep enough to last until the tread is worn out. It is available as a precure retread in 7 5/8, 8, 8 5/8 and 9-inch tread widths.
This is a first step on the approval road for Pre-Q Galgo as it strives to develop its environmental status and access the US Market where most truck and trailer tyres must meet the latest SmartWay requirements.
14 Retreading Business
North Carolina Retread Deal Confused
After years of wrangling and back biting between a number of retreaders, and a North Carolina School Board. The State’s retread programme is in tatters, with tenders for retread supply being restarted for the third time.
Throughout the fiasco, White’s Tire has held the contract for supplying retread tyres despite competition from other retreaders, including Goodyear. Bidding to renew the contract has twice foundered because White’s has questioned the bidding on a technicality. Bids are now due to be requested for a third time for the State contract.
State officials initially opened the bids last autumn. But then they threw out the bids and launched a new round of bidding early this year after White’s Tire and another dealer claimed they didn’t submit offers because they didn’t receive proper notification that bidding was underway.
When the second round of bids was opened last April, White’s Tire won a major chunk of the state’s business, triggering protests from Hunt and several other dealers that White’s received special treatment.
Hunt and another dealer also complained that White’s Tire submitted the low bid using rubber tread imported from Brazil, when other vendors relied heavily on tread produced by North Carolina manufacturers.
White’s Tire sparked the most recent round of new bidding by backing out of its new contract on a technicality.
In a not unrelated story BesTreads based in Mockville, North Caroline recently shipped a consignment of tyres to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It is alleged that this was the first time in some 30 years the DOT had ordered a retread from a company other than White Tire of Wilson.