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NEWS
Obituary: Helmut Ehmann
New Marangoni Partner in the Canary Islands
Former Kraiburg employee Helmut Ehmann passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday 28 October 2015 at the age of 74 due to the debilitating effects following a critical illness.
As a member of the Kraiburg sales team, Ehmann was in very close contact with the company’s
customers, and his relationship with Kraiburg lasted for more than 40 years, continuing beyond his retirement. He played a major part in the successful positioning of Kraiburg in the European retrea- ding markets, initially in Bavaria and Austria, then in north-west Germany, Denmark and Benelux. After the fall of the "Iron Curtain", Ehmann was one of the first to stand up and embrace the opportunities arising with the ope- ning of the former GDR, Poland, the Baltic States and south-east Europe.
He was highly respected by colleagues and retreaders alike, not least because of the sheer breadth of his knowledge of the European retreading markets, his network of contacts with a vast range of suppliers and service providers, and his expertise on all types of tyres.
Marangoni Retreading Systems has announced the expansion of its market presence on the Canary Islands, thanks to a partnership agreement with Boleca S.L., one of the archipelago’s leading retreaders. Founded in 1992, Boleca S.L. is a family-run company whose core business is truck and bus tyre retreading. Due to increasing demand in other segments, over the years the company has also added numerous others services to its offering.
The retreading business is located in El Goro, in Las Palmas province, while its sales outlets are spread throughout the islands of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura
Carmen Delia Peñate, Manager of Boleca S.L. commented; “This partnership with Marangoni Retreading Systems allows us to deliver our customers the best that retreading has to offer: RINGTREAD is the only circular retread. Joint-free, they adhere perfectly to the casing, without any tension or deformation, ensuring faster processing times and less waste, with the same or even better performance than new tyres”.
The Canary Islands, despite the recent economic crisis, still account for an important share of the Spanish market (>10 per cent), due to the islands’ highly abrasive road surfaces.
From left Ramon Lasso de la Vega - Area Manager Retreading Systems, Francesca Bonotto - Customer Service Retreading Systems, Carmen Delia Peñate - Manager of Boleca, Daniel Peñate - Manager of Boleca
Michelin Restructuring to Hit Retreading Operations
Michelin is to close Pneu Laurent ‘s Oranienberg plant in Germany by the end of 2016. This comes as part of a draft of restructuring that also sees the closure of the truck tyre manufacturing plant in Ballymena and the part finished plant at Fossano in Italy. The closures are accompanied by investments at Dundee, and in Cuneo and Alessandria.
The site at Avallon, France, will absorb the capacity from Oranienberg as it is currently running at 50 per cent capacity, and was itself subject to cut backs in 2015.
The closure will see the loss of 180 jobs at the plant and it is suspected
that the impact on the local economy will be significant.
Parent company, Michelin, points to a market that has fallen by 20 per cent between 2007 and 2014, with Pneu Laurent suffering by a 10 per cent drop from 2014 to the current date.
"The year end is a little better, but we still have production capabilities, " said Denis Joubrel, director of Pneu Laurent. “The loss of 180 jobs in Germany does not mean the creation of posts in Avallon. There should be employment opportunities, but everything will depend on the volumes that the markets will allow us to have in 2016."
Bandag Helps Guatemalan Vifrío Promote Services
Denis Joubrel, director of Pneu Laurent
Southwestern Guatemalan company, Vifrío, started the new year with an open event supported by its supply partners Bridgestone and Bandag. The company exhibited its latest range of tyre offers to its customers at the event.
Attendees at were able to attend displays and lectures on tyre management and maintenance to help improve their driving safety and economy.
Edgar Barrientos, tyre sales manager for Vifrío said they allied with Bridgestone and Bandag, to publicise what they offer, both for cars and for heavy transport.
Ivan Cabrera, business consultant for Bridgestone Costa Rica and Guatemala, said that the company aimed to bring new products and technologies to the market that gave the customers added value and ecological benefits.
6 Retreading Business