Tire Group International opens sales office in Argentina
MIAMI (Aug. 20, 2008) — Wholesale tire distributor Tire Group International Inc. (TGI) continues to expand its footprint in Latin America with the opening of a sales office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.©

ATD doubles net income in second quarter
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 20, 2008) — American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc. (ATD) attributed a doubling of its net income for the second quarter, ended July 5, to favorable tire pricing and inventory investment in the midst of a downturn in the general market.©

BFS picks Safety Scholars contest winners
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 20, 2008) — Bridgestone/Firestone (BFS) has announced the winners in its Safety Scholars video contest.©

Superior to close wheel plant, cut work force
VAN NUYS, Calif. (Aug. 20, 2008) — Aluminium wheel maker Superior Industries International Inc. will close its plant in Pittsburgh, Kan., and cut its U.S. work force by nearly 30 percent as part of a plan to cut costs and balance capacity with a changing marketplace.©

Goodyear closing 92 company-owned stores
AKRON (Aug. 19, 2008) — Goodyear will close 92 underperforming company-owned stores by year-end to eliminate about $9 million in annual losses related to those retail outlets.©

Amtel-Vredestein plant suspends production
MOSCOW (Aug. 19, 2008) — Amtel-Vredestein N.V. has halted production temporarily at its Kirov, Russia, tire factory because of a lack of working capital.©

Toyo adding college football to TV ad schedule
AKRON (Aug. 19, 2008) — Seeking to boost its brand identity with consumers, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. is adding a package of 38 televised college football games this fall to its advertising schedule for the company’s Open Country line of light truck and sport-utility-vehicle tires.©

Study: Satisfaction with domestic brands falls
DETROIT (Aug. 19, 2008) — Consumer satisfaction with domestic vehicle brands is sinking, and the Detroit 3’s reliance on incentives to pad sales may only continue to weigh down their brands, an industry study said.©

CMA names Parr western region sales manager
MONROVIA, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2008) — China Manufacturers Alliance (CMA) L.L.C. has named Sid Parr western regional sales manager.©

Michelin aircraft tire facility produces tire No. 3 million
NORWOOD, N.C. (Aug. 19, 2008) — The tire builders at Michelin Aircraft Tire Co. (MATC) recently celebrated the production of their 3 millionth aircraft tire at the company’s Norwood plant.©

SEMA organization develops handbook
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (Aug. 18, 2008) — The Professional Restylers Organization (PRO), a council of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), has issued “The PRO Business Development Guidebook: The Nuts and Bolts of Running a Successful Restyling Business.”©

Motorist killed by truck tire
PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 18, 2008) — A New Jersey man was killed Aug. 14 on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia when a dual-wheel assembly flew off a southbound truck and hit the windshield of the man’s northbound minivan.©

ITC affirms duties against Chinese OTR tire makers
WASHINGTON (Aug. 15, 2008) — The U.S. International Trade Commission has affirmed that the U.S. off-the-road (OTR) tire industry has suffered material injury because of sales of Chinese OTR tires in the U.S. market at less than fair value, according to the ITC Web site.©

Ontario to set up scrap tire recycling program
TORONTO (Aug. 15, 2008) — Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen has directed Waste Diversion Ontario, the provincial corporation that creates and oversees recycling programs, to set up a scrap tire recycling program in Ontario.©

BFS sponsors charity golf event
NOVI, Mich. (Aug. 15, 2008) — Bridgestone/Firestone will serve as the equipment sponsor of the Paul W. Smith Golf Classic event to benefit a non-profit group that provides athletic, academic and leadership development programs for inner-city youth in Detroit.©