Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) plans to acquire TomTom Telematics BV, a subsidiary of TomTom NV of the Netherlands. The acquisition is expected to take place during the second quarter of the business year ending December 2019 for a purchase price of 910 million euros ($1.04 billion). TomTom Telematics operates a digital fleet solutions business that provides cloud-based services such as vehicle...
The Michelin Group announced on Dec. 18 that it has completed its acquisition of Camso Inc., a Canadian company engaged in the design, production and sales of off-the-road (OTR) mobility solutions. The final price of the acquisition came to $1.36 billion. Through this acquisition, French-based Michelin will become a global leader in the OTR market, tying together the abilities of...
Following his inauguration as president of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA) last May, Ikuji Ikeda has been giving significant thought to where Japan’s rubber industry is headed. After hearing what Ikeda had to say on his role at the JRMA and the hidden potential of rubber, Japan Rubber Weekly found out his thoughts on development trends heading into this...
Ikuji Ikeda, president and CEO at Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110), was inaugurated last May as the 15th president of the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA). Japan Rubber Weekly recently sat down with Ikeda to hear his thoughts on the association and the industry heading into 2019. Defining his role with the JRMA, Ikeda said that he sees his job...
While snowy conditions around Japan have started later than average this winter, recent developments are hinting at a more favorable tailwind for sales of studless winter tires. Coming into mid-December, northern Japan is finally seeing full-fledged winter conditions, while elsewhere even parts of the Kanto region are beginning to see snowfall. Publishing a demand forecast this summer for the second...
Japan’s production of rubber hoses is expected to total 38,530 tons for 2019, according to a recent report from the Japan Rubber Hose Manufacturers Association. This would represent production growth of 0.2 percent over figures projected for 2018. Looking at automotive hoses, production is projected to rise 0.1 percent year-on-year to reach 24,650 tons for 2019. Factored into this is...
