GREENVILLE, S.C.-Michelin North America and Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corp. have announced tire price increases. Michelin will raise its prices 2 to 4 percent on all Michelin, Uniroyal, BFGoodrich, private and associate brand passenger and light truck tire lines, effective July 1. Prices for Michelin medium and heavy truck tires also will increase 2 to 4 percent. Industrial, OTR and farm tire prices will climb 5 to 7 percent.
PATC will hike prices on all its passenger and light truck tires 3 to 8 percent, effective June 12.
They join eight other tire makers that have announced price hikes ranging 2 to 9 percent due to escalating raw material costs.
Baniel Hillings joins Englewood Tire
LYNDHURST, N.J.-Daniel A. Gillings, former president of Tire Service Co. Inc., has joined Lyndhurst-based Englewood Tire Distributors Inc. as senior vice president of the retail division, ETD Discount Tire Centers.
Mr. Gillings had been with Tire Service, which does business as Avellinos Tire & Auto Service Centers, since 1992. Prior to that he served as president and CEO at Somerset Tire Service Inc.
ETD is an automotive parts distributor with nine retail stores in New Jersey, a wholesale distribution center and two satellite Discount Tire Express distribution centers covering New Jersey, New York, eastern Penn-sylvania and lower Connecticut.
Army retread base could close soon
TEXARKANA, Texas-As part of an ongoing cost-cutting program, the Defense Department has listed the U.S. Army base in Texarkana-which contains the last remaining Army retreading facility-as a candidate for closure, realignment or other adjustment.
Closing the base, however, wouldn't necessarily mean the Army would stop retreading, according to Mark Swift of Team Tire within the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command.
``Whether their retreading functions would close is still up in the air,'' Mr. Swift said. ``The closure of the Texarkana base wouldn't occur for a few years, and the retreading facility could be transferred to another base.''
The Pentagon should make its final decision in August or September, Mr. Swift said.
Ardmore tire plant to reopen in June
ARDMORE, Okla.-Michelin North America said it will resume production at its Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. plant in Ardmore by June 26, seven weeks after a May 7 tornado caused more than $10 million in damage to the facility.
The plant, which normally makes 32,000 auto and light truck tires per day, will produce about 10,000 tires daily by June 26 and may be in full production by early August, said Plant Manager Gary Rheingans.
Goodyear hires firm to handle new center
AKRON-Goodyear is consolidating its tire distribution operations in a new distribution center the tire maker is building near Atlanta to serve the eastern and southern U.S.
Goodyear expects the 570,000-sq.-ft. facility, in McDonough, Ga., to begin operation during the third quarter. It will combine distribution facilities in Charlotte, N.C., and Gadsden, Ala., which eventually will close.
Roadway Logistics, a unit of Roadway Services, will manage the facility.
Seat belt problem forces major recall
WASHINGTON-Seat belts on at least 8 million vehicles made by Tanaka Corp. between 1986 and 1991 have been recalled, according to a May 22 announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The belts were installed on cars made by 12 Asian and U.S. automakers, NHTSA said. The agency has received 539 consumer complaints, including reports of 47 injuries, based on the Tanaka belts' release buttons allegedly breaking off and jamming belt latches.