Crain News Service

PENANG, Malaysia—Taiwan's Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd. is expanding its presence in truck tire retreading throughout Asia in partnership with Malaysian retreader and truck tire service company Kian Hon Tires Sdn. Bhd.

TEXARKANA, Ark.—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s Texarkana plant recently earned “Superior Energy Performance” status from the U.S. Department of Energy, awarded to facilities that achieve a 5-percent improvement in energy performance over a three-year time span.

ESSEN,Germany—Evonik Industries intends to boost its silica capacity by 30 percent globally between 2010 and 2014 to serve its tire industry customers. The company said the cost of the projects will be in the “upper double-digit million euro range.”

YOKKAICHI, Japan—A fire occurred Nov. 15 at a JSR Corp. emulsion SBR facility in Yokkaichi rubber factory, but was extinguished in a couple of hours.

ATLANTA—An Atlanta-area community center recently recognized Liberty Tire Recycling L.L.C. for its efforts in helping rid the center's property in Atlanta of more than 1,000 scrap tires that been dumped there illegally.

PARIS—Michelin said tire demand was fairly strong in North America in October. North American original equipment passenger tire demand increased 16 percent in October compared with the same month a year earlier, and 18 percent higher for the first 10 months of the year.

NEW YORK—The American Advertising Federation has selected Rance Crain, president of Crain Communications Inc. and editor-in-chief of Advertising Age magazine, as an inductee in its 2013 Advertising Hall of Fame.

NEW YORK—Private equity firm SK Capital Partners plans to acquire the antioxidant and UV stabilizer solutions business of Chemtura Corp., of Middlebury, Conn.

BRUSSELS,Belgium—The European Rubber & Tyre Manufacturers Association has labeled a Nokian Tyres Ltd. ice and snow tire label misleading, and asked European authorities to put an end to it.

BEIJING—China's Ministry of Commerce is taking antidumping measures against imports of the polyurethane chemical toluene diisocyanate imported from the European Union.