Conti-Marangoni deal to offer truck tyre retreads in US

ERJ staff report (TB)

By Vera Linsalata, Tire Business staff

Indian Land, South Carolina -- Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) is preparing to offer Continental-brand retreads to commercial tyre dealers in North America.

CTNA is cooperating with Marangoni Tread North America Inc. in testing ContiTread retreads for select fleets and customers, according to Clif Armstrong, CTNA vice president of marketing for the Americas, commercial vehicles.

The product evaluation phase is occurring with a few Marangoni retreaders, though one is handling the bulk of the test, said Bill Sweatman, president of Marangoni Tread North America. The two companies plan to launch ContiTread to the US and Canada through all 27 Marangoni licensees in July, and Mexico will have the product some time thereafter, Sweatman said.

ContiTread will be available in two tread designs based on CTNA's fuel efficient HDL Eco Plus and HTL Eco Plus truck tires, Mr. Armstrong said. CTNA will call the product HDL Eco Plus ContiTread or HTL Eco Plus ContiTread with Ring technology.

Both will be built with Marangoni's Ringtread system, and CTNA also will introduce ContiTread with premium, cut-to-length technology-meaning the splice is matched to the tyre, eliminating the need for two splices, Mr. Sweatman said.

Mr. Armstrong said CTNA's U.S. customers have wanted a retread product from the Indian Land-based tyre maker, but the demand has been stronger in Mexico, where CTNA has a much larger new-tyre business.

“It fits perfectly with what we do in Mexico” because dealers there sell Continental, General and Euzkadi brands and have wanted retreads from Continental for some time, he said.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)