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Eldo Verhaagen brings extensive experience in the tire and automotive industry, with a strong track record in strategic leadership, commercial growth, and operational optimization across regional markets. His in-depth expertise in truck, agricultural, earthmover, and industrial tires, combined with his hands-on and customer-focused approach, positions him well to lead the next phase of development in the region.

Continental has reached an important milestone in its global sustainability strategy: Coal and heavy fuel oil have been fully phased out across all tire production sites. Since January 2026, all plants have adopted alternative energy sources to generate the steam required for manufacturing tires and heating. These alternatives include biomass, biogas, electricity from renewable sources, and alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas in order to ensure a constant energy supply.

Akron, OH – Goodyear has introduced an entirely new way for consumers to experience the company, its brands and its

Tiffany Cole as Customer Service Manager – Since joining the team in 2016, Tiffany has been a cornerstone of our customer service excellence.
Alex Brown as Sr. Procurement Manager – A vital member of the Zochem “Dream Team” since 2019, Alex has officially stepped into the role of Sr. Procurement Manager

MAXAM Tire announced the promotion of Eric Appleby to National Account Sales Director, effective immediately. In this role, Appleby will lead Maxam’s national account strategy across North America, focusing on accelerating growth, deepening dealer partnerships, and delivering value-driven solutions to our customers.

The Rubber Division ACS Spring Technical Meeting Symposium will highlight “Reinforcement Effects in Elastomer Nanocomposites: Experimental & Modeling Insights.” This symposium is organized and chaired by Chris Robertson, Principal Consultant at Polymer Technology Services LLC, this symposium explores the fundamental mechanisms governing reinforcement, dissipation and failure in nanoparticle-filled elastomers across strain, temperature and deformation regimes. Combining experiments, scattering, rheology and molecular simulations, the presentations highlight intrinsic performance tradeoffs and offer design principles for advanced rubber and tire materials.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a way to turn plastic waste into acetic acid, the main ingredient of vinegar, using sunlight. The team developed a bio-inspired cascade photocatalysis using iron atoms embedded in carbon nitride, like how certain types of fungi break down organic matter using enzymes.

When exposed to sunlight, the material drives a series of chemical reactions that transform plastic polymers into acetic acid with high selectivity. The reaction takes place in water, making it particularly relevant for addressing plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

The breakthrough offers a promising new approach to reducing plastic pollution through photocatalysis, while simultaneously creating a useful, value-added chemical product through a process inspired by nature.

The German rubber industry is in a precarious position after four consecutive years of shrinking production and weakening demand, according to a new press release from the Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie (WDK). The industry association’s latest data shows that both employment and production continued to decline in 2025, while firms increasingly consider relocating manufacturing abroad.

Following the retirement of long-standing Managing Director Colin Tirel, Steve Thomson took over the management of the British Arburg subsidiary in Warwick with effect from 1 December 2025. The highly experienced professional was Sales Manager for Arburg Ltd. since September 2024 and is committed to serving customers in the important markets of Great Britain and Ireland as Managing Director.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. announced two major milestones reflecting the company’s strong performance and confidence in its future growth strategy: record-high financial results for fiscal year 2025 and upward revisions to its financial targets for the final year of its three-year medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026).