German automotive company and tyre major Continental has been added another feather to its cap with bagging the ‘Tire Manufacturer of the Year’ at this year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence at this year’s Tire Technology Expo.

With this, Continental becomes the only tyre maker to have won two concurrent awards – Tire Manufacturer of the Year and Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing. The company’s Lousado facility in Portugal was also recognised for manufacturing tyres CO2-neutrally since last year.

Edwin Goudswaard, Head of Research & Development, Continental Tires, said, "We are especially proud to be the only manufacturer to be honoured twice at the Tire Technology Awards in an extremely competitive field. Both awards highlight our strong commitment to sustainable tire development and manufacturing. In such a highly competitive market, this success demonstrates our innovative prowess and our ability to actively shape the future of the industry."

Interestingly, this also marks it the fourth time that the German company has bagged the Tire Manufacturer of the Year award. The awards took into consideration tyre makers globally and were evaluated by a jury of 27 independent industry experts.

Going forward, Continental has outlined its ambition to switch all of its tyre plants to fully carbon-neutral production processes by 2040 at the latest.

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Indian off-highway tyre maker maintains top supplier status in global recognition programme

Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT), one of the world’s leading off-highway tyre manufacturers, has secured the “Excellence Level” certification for the fourth consecutive year under Caterpillar’s Supplier Excellence Recognition (SER) programme, the Indian company said on Wednesday.

The recognition from the American heavy machinery giant underscores BKT’s sustained performance across quality metrics and delivery standards, reinforcing its position as a key supplier in the construction and mining equipment sector.

BKT’s partnership with Caterpillar dates back to 2015, when it began supplying tyres for the Indian market. The relationship has since expanded, with BKT now providing off-highway tyres for Caterpillar equipment ranging from 40 to 190 tonnes across various markets.

The Mumbai-based company’s certification journey began in 2017 with a Silver Level rating, followed by progressive improvements to Gold and Platinum levels before achieving the Excellence distinction in 2022.

Caterpillar’s SER programme evaluates suppliers across multiple criteria, including product quality, on-time delivery performance, technical support capabilities and operational feedback from field deployments.

“We are truly honoured to receive the Caterpillar Excellence Supplier Award. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction,” said Ludovic Revel, President Global OEM at BKT. “It is a testament to the dedication of our entire team and the long-standing business relationship with Caterpillar.”

The Excellence Level represents the highest tier in Caterpillar’s supplier assessment framework, reserved for partners demonstrating consistent performance and reliability across operational metrics.

BKT has distinguished itself through comprehensive customer support, including proactive communication channels and technical on-site assistance, according to the company statement.

“We are proud to share our global ambitions: to deliver excellence, sustainability, and performance at every corner of the world. We look forward to carrying on our support for Caterpillar’s success with the same passion and reliability that distinguish BKT Tyres,” Revel added.

The recognition comes as global demand for construction and mining equipment remains robust, driven by infrastructure development and commodity extraction activities worldwide.

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Michelin Connected Fleet North America has named Willem Moore as its new Chief Executive Officer. Having been with the parent company since 2019, Moore brings considerable leadership expertise from the technology and mobility sectors. In his new role, he will steer the company's mission to provide advanced fleet management solutions that enhance customer efficiency, safety and sustainability.

“Willem brings an extensive leadership experience in the technology and mobility arenas and will guide our mission to deliver innovative fleet management solutions that drive efficiency, safety and sustainability for our customers. His leadership will help us accelerate innovation while continuing to put our people, customers and partners at the centre of everything we do,” expressed the company.

Moore said, “At Michelin Connected Fleet, we help fleet customers unlock the power of data to accelerate their transformation. Thanks to connected technologies, real-time insights and personalised support. Because we go beyond tools by partnering with our customers. Our end-to-end approach combines smart hardware, advanced analytics and the strength of Michelin’s 130+ years of innovation and trust. I’m honoured to lead such a talented and passionate team across North America and to continue building strong, trusted relationships with our customers and partners. Together, let’s keep moving mobility forward!”

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Indian tyre manufacturer Tolins Tyres Ltd launched heavy-duty tractor rear tyres, completing its agricultural tyre portfolio as the company seeks to capitalise on India’s farming sector ahead of the harvest season.

The Kerala-based firm, which already produces tractor-trailer tyres, front tyres and tiller tyres, said the new product would enable it to offer farmers a complete tyre solution for tractors whilst opening fresh revenue streams in the agricultural market.

India’s agriculture sector, which employs nearly half the country’s workforce, is preparing for the upcoming harvest season that typically begins in late September. Tractor sales have remained robust in recent months as farmers invest in mechanisation to boost productivity.

Tolins plans to distribute the new rear tyres through its network of more than 1,200 dealers across India, ensuring availability during the critical farming period.

"The launch of our tractor rear tyres is a significant milestone as it completes our tractor tyre range, enabling us to serve farmers with a comprehensive solution," said Dr KV Tolin, promoter, chairman and managing director of Tolins Tyres.

"Agriculture remains at the heart of India's economy, and we are committed to supporting farmers with durable, high-performance products that enhance efficiency and reliability in the field. Backed by our strong dealer network of over 1,200 partners, this new offering will not only support farmers during the upcoming harvest season but also strengthen Tolins' position in the agricultural segment whilst opening new avenues of growth for the company."

The company said the timing of the launch would allow farmers to prepare their machinery ahead of the 2025 harvest season.

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In the tyre industry, it is very difficult to change a supplier. Once you are a good vendor for the tyre companies, it is very difficult to dislodge the vendor unless they have something really bad. However, post the recent pandemic in 2020, there has been a sea change in the mindset of the tyre companies.   

For a new vendor to enter into the mindset of a tyre purchase head, you have to go head over heels to promote your product and have various tests conducted. However, it still is a long and painstaking process, which could take years just to know that you have not been approved. The importance of getting the right raw material is very important because if the compound is not right, then there is a good chance that the tyre could fail and could lead to a very big lawsuit, especially If a consumer has had a near death experience. So the tyre company has to be 100 percent sure that the new raw material is much better, safer, durable and sustainable.

In the pre-Covid era, you could see that well-established suppliers who have been in the market for decades would not consider participating in an industry event as they did not feel the need because they felt they were well established in the market.

However, after Covid, many companies, especially the vendors, struggled to supply the raw materials to tyre companies due to various issues such as plant shutdown due to labour shortage due to Covid regulations, logistics issues such as lack of truck drivers and less availability of containers, political issues with certain countries, ongoing wars and disputes between countries etc.

So the tyre company purchase heads were compelled to look at other alternative suppliers. If you see the current situation, various tyre companies across the world are under stress as the plants in certain countries are not being viable to run due to various reasons. So they got to be mindful of their purchase of raw materials.

Many tyre companies have also vowed to go the sustainable route by having more ecofriendly materials. So the raw materials companies, whether new entrants or well-established players, have to keep working on innovative products that are sustainable as well as price-competitive.

Tyre companies and their suppliers participating in various forums, such as the recently concluded Tyre Materials Conference in Delhi on 24 June, is encouraging as it provides a platform for the tyre/retread companies to interact with their vendors to understand the changing requirements of tyre companies coming out with new solutions to have a better, safer and sustainable tyre out in the market. n

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