Runge nominated as NHTSA chief
WASHINGTON-Jeffrey Runge, assistant chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., is President Bush's nominee to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Senate must vote on the nomination. There was no word on when it planned to do so.
Goodyear, Web site ink pact
INDIANAPOLIS-Truckers B2B Inc., the Internet ``business-to business'' marketing arm of Indianapolis-based Celadon Group, has announced an agreement with Goodyear to provide member rebates on the purchase of Goodyear, Kelly-Springfield and NEXT-TRED commercial truck and trailer tires.
With the agreement, TruckersB2B said Goodyear becomes one of a number of vendors offering discounts and rebates to Truckers- B2B members as a way to increase sales volume and market share.
Bush taps Henshaw to lead OSHA
WASHINGTON-John L. Henshaw is the Bush administration's nominee to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
A native of St. Louis, Mr. Henshaw most recently served as director for environment, safety and health at Astaris LLC, a St. Louis-based joint venture between Solutia Inc. and FMC. He was president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association in 1990-91.
Toyo Tires moves into new HQ
CYPRESS, Calif.-Toyo Tires (U.S.A.) Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., moved to its new U.S. headquarters July 1.
The new facility, which has more than 23,000 square feet of office space, is at 6261 Katella Ave., Suite 2B, Cypress, Calif. 90630-a short distance from its previous site on Katella Ave.
May shipments up, Goodyear says
AKRON-Industry shipments of replacement passenger and light truck tires in the U.S. were up almost 4 percent in May, according to the latest report by Goodyear's Investor Relations department.
The company's shipments of such tires exceeded industry levels, and the Goodyear brand gained almost 2 points of market share, the reported stated.
Industrywide replacement shipments of commercial truck tires were 6 percent below last year's levels. Goodyear shipments to the commercial replacement market also were below 2000's levels but not nearly as much as the industry decline, the company said.
Shipments to the original equipment market fell almost 10 percent from a year ago in the case of passenger and light truck tires and 43 percent for commercial tires. Goodyear said its OE tire shipments in these categories generally reflected the industry trend.
Concorde may fly on Michelins
PARIS-Concorde supersonic aircraft likely will be fitted with newly developed Michelin radial tires when the aircraft finally regains its airworthiness certificate.
The Concorde's relaunch is expected later this year. The certificate was withdrawn after an Air France Concorde crashed outside Paris on July 15, 2000, killing all 109 people on board.
A Michelin spokesman said no pre-existing tire could meet the new safety standards requested by the Concorde's manufacturer, European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS), which asked Michelin for a new tire design. Michelin said it expects to win the contracts for the Concorde from its competitors.
Prior to the crash, Dunlop Aircraft Tires Ltd. supplied British Airways' Concorde fleet, while Air France's used Goodyear tires.
Sumitomo's 2000 earnings rise
KOBE, Japan-Despite a 16.9-percent decline in sales last year, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. posted increases in both operating and net earnings, and company management said it is confident of achieving continued progress this year despite low or no-growth economic forecasts in its key market regions.
Operating income grew 7.1 percent to $235.5 million, while net earnings were up 8.2 percent to $49.4 million. Sumitomo credited its joint purchasing alliance with Goodyear for $18.5 million in savings last year. In Japan, sales of Goodyear brand tires - now under Sumitomo's control-recorded double-digit growth.
For 2000, Sumitomo's sales were $3.92 billion, reflecting the sale of majority control of the Dunlop tire activities in Europe and North America in late 1999 to Goodyear, and the integration of Ohtsu Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd.'s figures following Sumitomo's taking majority ownership of Ohtsu last year.