The event began with a speech by chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera in which he underlined how the premium strategy also consists of being able to rely on equally premium outside sources.

The awards were assigned on the basis of seven criteria: quality, innovation, speed, total cost, sustainability, global presence and service level.

As certified by the German Motorrad TestCenter, which carried out a test for which it bought the Metzeler products and those of its direct competitors.

To guarantee a high level of safety to motorcyclists, Metzeler decided to develop new tread compounds for its Roadtec Z8 Interact tyres with the clear objective of offering them not only the latest technological solutions in the area of wet handling, but also the chance of having a tyre that represents the new point of reference in all weather conditions, from wet and cold to dry.

The values taken into consideration by the Motorrad TestCenter test in the wet were: riding precision and characteristics, maintenance of trajectory under acceleration, ease of riding, grip when cornering, grip of the front and rear tyres in lean angle, grip in acceleration, handling on the limit, response when leaning and braking stability in the complete braking phase with ABS.

The motorcycles selected for the test were a Honda CBR600F ABS and a Suzuki Bandit 1250 ABS. The test took place at the Vizzola Ticino track network last January and February in the dry in slightly cloudy weather.

The Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact™ was not only the safest tyre in the wet, but also the fastest over the timed lap. Considering all the values taken into account, the Motorrad TestCenter crowned the Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact™ superior to its competitors in its segment.

On World Water Day (22 March) Pirelli added yet another important piece to its sustainability mosaic, considered to be of increasing fundamental value.

That very Thursday, our Brazilian factory at Campinas won a prestigious award from the Sao Paolo Industrial Federation FIESP, recognising the commitment of our Brazilian colleagues to the treatment of water after its use in production.

It is the first time Pirelli Brazil has beaten off the stiff competition from various other major companies.

The project honoured with the award is the result of a gradual investment carried out over the last year and which has enabled the plant to re-use 100% of the water it treats internally. It has also ensured a 35% reduction in the volume of water taken from the River Capivari.

This important award is the result of a series of analyses and evaluations made by the public companies responsible for the management of water resources.

This is an important award, because it contributes to strengthening our image in a significant market like Spain.

Neumáticos y Mecanica Rápida has been one of the most prestigious tyre magazines for almost the last decade. The Tyre of the Year project is its own initiative and has become a point of reference for both the sector’s manufacturers and clients.

The winners of the various categories are decided by the votes of numerous experts, including specialist shops, distributors and journalists.

The presentation ceremony will take place in Madrid on Thursday 22 March.

Entry into its Hall of Fame is conceded each year by John Deere only to those suppliers that have confirmed the excellence of their products and services over a five year period. Pirelli Agro Brazil has won the North American company’s world excellence award as best supplier for the fifth consecutive year.

“This is a most important moment in the history of our partnership”, said David Everitt, president global tractor and turf production at John Deere. “Pirelli enters our Hall of Fame: only a few companies in the world have reached that level of performance and our hope is to further reinforce our partnership through development programmes in other geographical areas”.

It is the first time that a tyre supplier has received such prestigious recognition and it is an achievement of great satisfaction to our business unit specialised in the production of tyres for agricultural machines, earthmovers and forklift trucks.

“If we have been able to achieve such a coveted award it is thanks above all to the great professionalism of our Agro BU team in Brazil. It is a distinction that must further stimulate us for the challenges that lie ahead”, commented Mario Bernabai, commercial director, AGRO/EM BU.

The presentation ceremony took place on 3 March at Moline, Illinois, in the United States, home of the John Deere headquarters.

The award was presented to Fernando Ruoppolo, OE director, Pirelli Latam and Mario Bernabai.

From left:

Mark Burton (JD), Larry A.Meeske (JD), Rangel Mattia (JD), Fernando Ruoppolo (Pirelli), Mario Bernabai (Pirelli), Luciano Alberto Silva dos Santos (JD), Gary Danelser (JD)

In the six tests carried out in the wet, P Zero turned out to be unbeatable in braking from 100 kph, driving safety and handling and very good under aquaplaning. Commented the experts of Auto Zeitung, “The P ZERO shines in the wet with an incredibly high grip. It is the fastest and grippiest tyre and was also the best in the braking test”.

P Zero also convinced Auto Zeitung in the seven tests in the dry: “The Pirelli is among the absolute top and impresses with very high cornering speeds and directional stability”.

So the ultra-high performance Pirelli merited the accolade “highly recommended”, confirming its already acclaimed leadership on the world’s roads and Formula 1 circuits.

Pirelli was invited to attend theCement Sustainability Initiative as a company carrying out the best practices in the field. Can Alatas, Pirelli Turkey’s head of health, safety and the environment, first presented the Pirelli approach to sustainable management of the business and the recognition it had achieved, then he switched to the specific objective of his presentation: the practices adopted by Pirelli to constantly improve health and safety in the place of work. On the basis of research carried out by the Cement Sustainability Initiative, the Group’s practices were recognised as the best of those conducted by all companies in the Autoparts and Tyres sector.

At the end of the meeting, the cement producing companies approved a programme of objectives and actions that the sector intends to achieve over the next five years. They concern six areas: protection of the climate, fuel and raw materials, the health and safety of employees, emission reduction, local impact and internal business procedures.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is an association with its headquarters in Geneva to which about 200 international companies in more than 30 countries belong – Pirelli among them – that proposes voluntary commitment to unite economic growth with sustainable development. In particular, Pirelli Tyre is part of the Tyre Industry Project Group, which was launched in 2006 to identify, with a view to sustainable development, the potential impact on health and the environment of materials associated with the production and use of tyres.

For the second year in a row, Pirelli was also the only Italian company to be ranked as world leader in its sector.

The 2010 review was carried out by SAM Group, the Swiss asset management group in charge of the assessment and selection process for admission to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. Criteria include corporate governance, risk management, codes of conduct, brand management and innovation processes. On the environmental front, SAM looks at reporting, environmental policies, procedures and systems, responsible product management, climate change and emissions reduction strategy and energy efficiency. There are also social criteria: development and management of human resources, philanthropy, health and safety in the workplace, supply chain management and stakeholder engagement.

Pirelli Tyre. Both revenues and investment are on the rise. ‘Pirelli World’ reports on the group’s strategies for success in the global marketplace.

Horacio Pagani visits the University of Milan. On the eve of the new course record at the Nürburgring set by Pagani Zonda R on Pirelli P Zero Slick tyres, ‘Pirelli World’ has asked Horacio Pagani, founder and president of Pagani Automobili (a Pirelli partner since 2005), to talk about this prestigious car manufacturer and the secret to its success.

Pirelli Manufacturing System (PMS). The outcome of the ‘Managing to Lea(r)n’ project, which Pirelli launched in 2010 with the help of the SDA Bocconi School of Business, Milan. The project seeks to insert lean procedures and tools into the production process and has already seen the participation of 130 employees from all of the group’s tyre facilities. 

In the latest issue, ‘Pirelli World’ goes to Egypt to tell the story of more than ten years of growth with Karim Gaddas, CEO of Pirelli Egypt, in conjunction with the inauguration of the new area of the Alexandria truck facilities.

The Pirelli Foundation now operational. Established with the goal of developing and promoting Pirelli’s history and entrepreneurial culture, the Foundation publishes periodicals, photos, video, sketches and other mementos that depict the 138 years of the company’s history and culture. ‘Pirelli World’ gives us a taste of this immense heritage.

All this and more in the latest issue of  ‘Pirelli World’