German tyre major Continental has announced that Dr Jochen Etzel, Chief Executive Officer of Continental Tire the Americas, is set to retire of 1 May 2025, after spending over three decades with the company.

He is set to be succeeded by Tansu Işık and will also take on the responsibility as the new Head of Continental’s Business Area Replacement Tires the Americas. He (Işık) will report to Christian Koetz, Executive Board Member of Continental and Head of Continental Tires.

The German major acknowledges Etzel’s contribution to Continental’s tyre business in the Americas, where he took on the responsibility in 2011. He is credited for uniting the various Continental tyre activities in the region and further strengthening their competitive position. Starting his career as a lawyer in Continental’s corporate law department Etzel took over a financial manager position, responsible for developing the company’s tyre business in regions outside of Europe, before leading Continental’s corporate Mergers and Acquisitions team. 

Christian Koetz, said, "Jochen’s impact on Continental’s tyre business has been immeasurable. On behalf of the entire Tires Board, I want to sincerely thank him for his leadership, dedication and outstanding contributions throughout his tenure. We wish him a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement. At the same time, we are excited to welcome Tansu Işık into his new role as Head of our Business Area Replacement Tires the Americas. With his deep tires expertise and strategic insight, he is perfectly equipped to build on our success and lead our tire business in the Americas into the future."

With over 20 years of international experience, Işık has held various positions across Continental’s tyres business, including marketing, supply chain, strategy and key account management.

Starting his career as a Business Development Specialist in Istanbul, Türkiye, Işık moved to Continental Tires’ Headquarters in Hanover, Germany, as Head of Pricing for the region Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He then took on the role of Direct and then Vice President for Key Account Management (OE) for China and the Asia-Pacific region. At present, Işık serves as the Head of Region South & Channels Fleet and OE Trailer for Continental replacement tyre business in the EMEA region.

Atturo Tires and TMV Group have won three international awards at the 2025 Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) for their ‘Atturo Andy' campaign.

The campaign featured a fictional tyre salesman and was launched nationally across digital channels. It went on to win top honours in three major categories: Best Automotive Online Video Campaign, Best B2B Online Video Campaign and Best Mobile Online Video Campaign. The campaign – with its focus on driving brand recognition through humour, humanity and a distinct visual style – resulted in 140 percent increase in web traffic, 100 percent growth in ‘Where to Buy’ dealer inquiries and +35 percent lift in unit sales, according to Atturo.

Michael Mathis, President, Atturo Tires, said, “These awards recognise what we already knew: Atturo Andy isn’t just a character – he’s a force. We set out to create something that stood apart from industry clichés, and thanks to TMV Group’s creativity and deep category insight, we delivered work that was not only different but effective.”

Joe Morden, Managing Partner at TMV Group, said, “Creative only works when it’s backed by brave clients. Atturo trusted us to go big – to build something that was smart, strategic and completely unexpected. That trust turned into three international awards.”

Bridgestone is planning to cut jobs at two factories in northern Spain in response to a negative shift in the European market and the growth of non-European goods.

According to a Reuters report quoting local union UGT, the business intends to lay off 546 workers at two plants in Cantabria and the Basque Country in northern Spain that produce tyres for tractors, other farm vehicles, buses and trucks. The report adds that UGT and other unions have declared their intention to call for a strike at the two facilities, but they have not given any specifics.

The company's local unit, Bridgestone Hispania, employs 2,800 people at the moment, according to UGT. Bridgestone stated that it has to modify its production capacity in light of the current market conditions, which are marked by inflation, uncertainty and regulatory changes, says the report.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has expanded its FLAME GUARD series of flame-retardant conveyor belts with the launch of the FLAME GUARD ECO, which offers improved energy-saving performance. This is in line with the company’s medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2024–2026 –Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026) – and aims to solidify its leading share in Japan’s conveyor belt market.

FLAME GUARD ECO is aimed at coal transport lines at ports and thermal power plants, which need conveyor belts that are flame-retardant for fire safety. To enhance energy-saving efficiency, Yokohama Rubber created a new rubber compound utilising technology acquired during the development of its ECOTEX conveyor belts, which have reached world-class power-saving performance. As the belt moves over the rollers, this lessens rubber deformation, which is a component in energy loss. Power usage and running resistance are thereby decreased. FLAME GUARD ECO reduces energy expenses and its environmental effect by lowering carbon dioxide emissions while simultaneously improving operational safety by combining flame resistance and energy economy.

With its self-extinguishing safety feature, the FLAME GUARD series provides flame retardancy with improved wear resistance, resistance to heavy oils and resistance to medium and high temperatures, making the belts suitable for a variety of operating requirements. The FLAME GUARD ECO variant also reduces resistance during roller passing for increased efficiency.

Apollo Tyres Ltd has launched the Vredestein Superpasso Pro competition-ready road bicycle tyres. This is the first model in the company’s all-new range of high-performance bicycle tyres scheduled for launch throughout the coming year.

The Superpasso Pro was developed using Apollo Tyres' cutting-edge ‘TriComp’ technology in Europe, which combines several rubber compositions for the tread and sidewall to maximise rolling resistance, puncture prevention and traction in both wet and dry situations. While the tyre's shoulder is composed of a softer composition to improve cornering grip at all speeds, the centre of the tread features a tougher compound to reduce rolling resistance and to prevent penetration. The new Superpasso Pro achieves a 14 percent improvement in rolling resistance, a 23 percent increase in puncture resistance and an eight percent weight reduction when compared to its Vredestein predecessor.

For TLR tyres, the new ‘Active Control’ technology offers a novel design that substitutes a bridging gap for the conventional overlapping centre join. Because of this development, the tyre is lighter and quicker, offering better control, better feedback and unwavering comfort. In order to increase puncture resistance and provide consumers the assurance that they can go farther, the Vredestein tyre also has a reinforced breaker layer. As part of a business collaboration with Apollo Tyres, the Dutch professional cycling team BEAT Cycling Club has put the Superpasso Pro through a rigorous testing process. Three sizes of the new Vredestein tyre are available: 700x25C, 700x28C and 700x32C. Both tubeless-ready (TLR) and tube type choices are available.

Nic Knippers, Division Head – Vredestein Two Wheel Tyres, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The Superpasso Pro represents a significant leap forward in tyre technology, offering cyclists a product that excels in both performance and durability. With its innovative design and advanced materials, it delivers unmatched speed, comfort and reliability for cyclists of all levels.”

Thijs Zonneveld, Sportive Director, BEAT Cycling Club, said, “As a team that consistently pushes the limits of performance, we’ve been thoroughly impressed by the Superpasso Pro. The advancements in rolling efficiency, grip and durability have been evident in both race-day conditions and intense training sessions, and we’re excited to continue using it in competition.”