Author: RubberWorld

Now in its 25th year, Tire Technology Expo remains the tire industry’s essential annual event, gathering a global community of scientists, engineers, academics and professionals to share knowledge, learn about the latest industry developments, see new products, and shape the future of tire manufacturing and design. Join our industry on March 4-6th, 2025 in Hannover Germany and discover ground-breaking innovations from over 240 exhibitors.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (YRC), announced its decision to close its Prague plant, operated by its subsidiary Yokohama TWS Czech Republic a.s., which specializes in the production and sales of cross-ply off-highway tires (OHT), including tires for agricultural machinery. The production of tires currently being manufactured at this plant will be transferred to other plants within the YRC group.

Covestro LLC has again been named as a Top Employer in the United States by the Top Employers Institute for 2025. This marks the third consecutive year that the company has received this prestigious recognition, reinforcing its global dedication to fostering outstanding work environments across its international operations.

Protolabs has expanded its capabilities with the introduction of full-service production to help serve companies at every stage in their product life cycles—from early prototyping and pre-production to large-scale manufacturing and end-of-life product support. The evolution enables improved pricing options for larger part orders, enhanced quality control, and focused industry certifications critical in production while maintaining Protolabs’ established low-volume, quick-turn prototyping capabilities.

For the past four years, the Benvic Group has entrusted EcoVadis, one of the foremost providers of sustainability ratings, to assess their performance and progress around four themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement; and as such Benvic earned a Gold Medal for the third year in a row – this time reaching the 98th percentile in our industry showing improvement on all metrics.

Rubber Division, ACS offers a Rubber Technology Training Award for an individual already in the rubber industry seeking additional education and opportunities for advancement. They also have three $5,000 undergraduate scholarships available for students who wish to pursue a degree in rubber technology, polymer science or the chemical profession.

Continental’s Automotive group sector has appointed Karin Dohm as the future CFO to continue driving forward its already started path to independence. The current chief financial officer of the Hornbach Group will strengthen the Automotive team from April 1, 2025. She is designated to take over responsibility for the Executive Board function for Accounting, Controlling, Treasury, Tax, Mergers & Acquisitions and Real Estate Management, Investor Relations and IT of the future independent Automotive business alongside the designated CEO Philipp von Hirschheydt. The Executive Board for the Automotive business is scheduled to be finally appointed after the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting of Continental AG has given the necessary approval to the spin-off on April 25, 2025.

The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada announces the addition of BKT Tires Canada Inc., as its newest member joining a leading group of 26 manufacturers, importers, and recyclers shaping the future of the tire industry in Canada. BKT Tires (Balkrishna Industries Ltd.; www.bkt-tires.com) offers a full range of off-highway tires specially designed for equipment in the OTR, Agricultural, and Industrial sectors.

The 2025 AMAP March Educational Workshop will be held March 4-6, 2025, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas DFW Airport South in Irving, Texas. This event offers an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow professionals and organizations in the industry while gaining valuable insights from educational sessions led by renowned industry experts.

The Company’s net revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 was $923 million, up 2.3% versus the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Organic revenue declined 0.2% year-on-year, with pricing adjustments reducing organic revenue by 1.5% and volume increasing organic revenue by 1.3%. Foreign currency translation decreased net revenue by 0.2%, and acquisitions increased net revenue by 2.7%.