Tyres & Accessories | September 2013

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September 2013Tyres & A

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EDITORIALEDITORIAL

WHAT DO TYRES, WEBSITES AND A NEWCOVER DESIGN HAVE IN COMMON? It is alla question of quality. In the British tyre industry every-one talks about price versus quality. Almost as oftenthe debate broadens out before settling in the amor-phous arena of “value”. More often than not this meansthe narrowing of the gap between two perceived oppo-sites. In practice it could mean a customer buying ahigh quality product for a lower than expected price.The classic example of this is the customer that buys ahigher priced product that performs beyond either theirexpectations or what the competition has to offer. Ineither case both propositions are predicated on thebasis of product quality. Without this there are onlyshort term pricing and sales strategies. And this in turnleads to the key difference highlighted by the age-oldbusiness adage: “sales are vanity, profits are sanity”.Without a properly considered quality-focused marketapproach, businesses struggle to make sense in thelong-term, whether the macro-economic environmentprovides wind in your sails or an adverse gale.

But what has this got to do with magazines andwebsites? Well, this has always been a key part ofTyres & Accessories’ approach, but recently it has allcome further to the fore. We recognise the need tocontinue to develop both the content we offer our readers and customers as well as the way we presentit. And in order to ensure we are serving the tyre indus-try professionals that make up our core readership, wehave to do this whatever is taking place in the marketenvironment. Indeed it is the only approach that treatsour readers with the respect they deserve. And it is theonly approach that makes business sense.

With this in mindyou will soon see twokey improvements tothe print and online pro-ducts we produce forthe market.

The big news is that at the end of September – nottoo long after this magazine will have reached yourhands – we will be launching a completely overhauledand upgraded website. This takes account of your feed-back, the latest online reading trends as well as cuttingedge technology. Our introduction to the new websiteis on page 56, so you can find more detailed informati-on there. Suffice it to say that modern design, impro-ved mobile/tablet reading, upgraded search and bettersocial network integration all figure in this upgrade. Itwas also one of the most international projects wehave embarked on, drawing together the skills andexpertise of our German and Italian sister titles (NeueReifenzeitung, which produces Reifenpresse.de, aswell as Pneusnews.it respectively). What this means isthat we now share both highly professional internettechnology and market coverage from around Europeand the world.

And finally, at the risk of stating the obvious, thereis our new cover. You will have already noticed our re-designed front page. But it is worth pointing out that,for us, it is about much more than simply refreshing ourlogo and rewording our strapline – it is a statement ofintent. Like our circulation, prices and anything else wemean what we say - in this case the fact we are “themagazine for tyre and wheel professionals”.

Tyres, magazines and the quality dichotomy

77 Classifieds – 77 Advertisers’ Index – 79 Web Directory – 82 Preview – 82 Impressum

Contents

Features

September 2013

News

66

• COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TYRESNew Goodyear truck approach 24Bridgestone on UK ‘evolution’ 26GT Assist at Tyre Save Manchester 28ContiLifeCycle in practice 38

• REIFEN CHINA PREVIEWExhibition gaining speed 62No Russia plant for Triangle yet 64

48

WWW.TYREPRESS.COM TYRES & ACCESSORIES 9/20134

• PRODUCT INFORMATIONNew Michelin UHP fitments 58Trelleborg ProgressiveTraction 60

• MOTORSPORT 64

• INTERNATIONAL TYRE MARKETChinese market tyres assessed 66New Pirelli, Bridgestone facilities 72

• CAREER TRACKS 74

18

• EDITORIALTyres, magazines and quality 3

• NEWS IN BRIEF 6

• NTDA NEWS 12

• UK TYRE MARKETSingex buys Tyrexpo organiser 14Wheelwright’s winter strategy 16

• COMPANY NEWSApollo Man U UK, India official tyre 50Tyrepress to launch new website 56

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T: +44 (0)1453 891 000

E: [email protected]

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WWW.TYREPRESS.COM6 TYRES & ACCESSORIES 9/2013

NEWS IN BRIEF

Linglong opens test centre at IDIADA

At the end of July Chinese tyre manu-facturer Shandong Linglong openeda European tyre testing office at theIDIADA facility in Tarragona, Spain.

At the opening ceremony FengBaochun, deputy general manager ofmarketing, welcomed visitors onbehalf of chairman Wang Feng andspoke of the company’s desire to takeits products to the next level.Following the ceremony Linglong Tire

Europe demonstrated texts designedto assess its radials’ rolling resi-stance, fuel consumption, noise(there is a semi-anechoic chamberon-site) and other characteristics.

Exports have become increasing-ly important to Linglong, which nowsells its products in more than 180countries worldwide and which nowhas deals with GM, Ford, Tata,Renault-Nissan, Fiat, Hyundai andother automotive manufacturers spe-cifically in the domestic market thecompany works with China FAW,Shaanxi Zhongqi, Dongfeng, BeiqiFoton, Chongqing Hongyan, SAIC-GM-Wuling, CNHTC Jinan, XiamenGolden Dragon - more than 50 dome-stic OEMs in total. cja

Pro-Align trains competitorbound for World Skills LeipzigPRO-ALIGN HAS TRAINED Team UKAuto Tech’s Alex Knight on theHunter Elite TD imaging aligner inreadiness for World Skills Leipzig2013. Pro-Align trainer BarrySumner helped Knight familiarisehimself with the Hunter imaging ali-gner with QuickGrip targets, whichwill be the featured alignmentequipment at World Skills Leipzig,extending his alignment knowled-ge. Knight commented, “My previo-us wheel alignment experience hasbeen rather limited, so today wasinvaluable. The Hunter is so quick,easy to use, and far better than any-thing else I have used in the past.”

John Dawson, Worlds Skills trainingmanager confirmed Knight had an out-standing skill level even at the age of 19and missed out by the narrowest of mar-gins to compete in London 2011. Sincethen Dawson has seen the technician’sskill and knowledge accelerate, includingextending his brand specific training atWorld Skills level. During the competitionKnight will face a host of other internatio-nal competitors. The Pro-Align trainingwill have prepared him for the alignmentsection on Hunter’s VW-approved Elite TDVAS6292.

Pro-Align will demonstrate its com-mitment to raising alignment standardsand supporting the training of futurealignment technicians when it returns asan official sponsor of The Skills Show 2013at the NEC in November. Competitors atthis event will also use the company’slatest Hunter Elite TD imaging alignmentsystem.

“Equipping technicians of the futurewith the correct knowledge aboutalignment is a key area for us all at Pro-Align,” comments Paul Beaurain, managingdirector, Pro-Align. “It’s essential that auto-motive students have the opportunity touse equipment that is shaping the future ofthe service and repair industry so we’redelighted to get involved. We wish Alex allthe very best success in Leipzig.”

Alex Knight’s journey to becoming anautomotive technician started from an earlyage with lawn mower engines and progres-sed to his first off-road buggy at the age of14. From qualification at school, to a HondaApprenticeship, he always had a competiti-ve edge. He confirmed the competitionprocess has been tough at times but lovesthe challenge of beating others. Knightfound that the hardest thing to learn wasvehicle electrics, but with the extensivetraining he has received over the years, thishas become much easier. akb

World SkillsLeipzig 2013competitor,Alex Knightreceives Pro-Align training

Feng Baochun, deputy general manager ofmarketing, welcomed visitors on behalf ofchairman Wang Feng

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Tokyo debut for ‘fossil-free’ tyre

No dinosaurs went into the producti-on of a tyre Sumitomo Rubber Indus -tries will launch at the Tokyo MotorShow – some 12 years after it beganworking to reduce fossil fuel contentin its products, the Japanese compa-ny is now ready to roll out its first 100per cent fossil fuel-free tyre. And whenthe show begins on 23 November,visitors won’t just be looking at anoth-er concept tyre – Sumitomo says it isgearing up to introduce this milestonein its Enasave programme into thedomestic market. The new tyre will besold under the Dunlop brand name.

Development of a fossil-free tyrebegan in 2001 and five years later theJapanese firm introduced its first pro-duct, the Dunlop Enasave ES801,which boasted 70 per cent fossil fuel-free content. Two years later it wasable to increase this to 97 per centwith the aptly-named Enasave 97, anda prototype 100 per cent fossil fuel-free tyre was displayed at the TokyoMotor Show in 2011. sg

Starco opens newRussian facility

Starco reports that its Russia-basedbusiness, Starco Eastern Group, hasmoved into new and larger facilitiesin St. Petersburg. The operation’s new central warehouse has beenestablished on a greenfield site with-in ten minutes drive from the St.Petersburg ring road; Starco says themove has brought its supply chaincloser to its customers, and the newwarehouse will simplify compliancewith import procedures.

The new office for the StarcoEastern Group’s sales departmentincludes 160 square metres of officespace plus other facilities, while thenew warehouse currently comprises1,000 square metres of capacity. Thiswill be doubled in the coming year. sg

French magazine crownsYokohama Advan SportV105 its top sports tyreLeading French magazine Motorsport haspublished a tyre test comparing the spor-ting performance of 10 top manufact-urers’ tyres, naming Yokohama’s recentlyreleased flagship Advan Sport V105 itswinner. Ranking the tyres in terms of braking, lap times, wear and subject-ive performance, Motorsport’s August/Sep tem ber issue found the V105 strongacross the board, while Michelin’s PilotSport 3 and Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asym-metric rounded out a generally strong-performing top three.

The Advan Sport V105 was launched inEurope earlier this year, making it one ofthe most recently developed tyres in thetest. A spokesman for Yokohama Europeexpressed satisfaction at the results: “TheAdvan Sport V105 is indeed our flagshiptyre and a premium product we are veryproud of. A lot of research and develop-ment of new technology has gone intocreating this tyre and now we can see the

excellent results ofsuch solid, carefuland ground-breakingwork.“

Conducted byRezulteo, the inde-pendent internationaltyre research comp-any, which provides a tyre buyers’ guideand comparison website to consumers inmore than 20 countries, the tests werestaged by the international Magny Courscircuit. The subjective rankings of the tyrewere decided by Rezulteo’s test drivers,who considered precision, maximum gripand balance in their deliberations.

The tyres for the test were purchas-ed on the open market to guarantee independence from all the brands. A rigorous methodology is also describedby the French publication’s eight-pagereport.

akb

Hosetechnik releases stainless steelbrake bleed nipplesThe performance braking division ofForge Motorsport, Hosetechnik hasreleased a new aftermarket brakingupgrade: stainless steel brake bleed nipp-les. The company characterises the nipp-les as a great way of providing preventa-tive maintenance on a brand-new car, ora solution to making life easier on anolder vehicle.

The nipples are engineered from aero-space grade material, Horsetechnik says,following a number of requests from itsdealers and end-users to create a ‘fit andforget’ solution that could be used toreplace the OEM parts on most modernbrake calipers. On many European carshowever, these applications can go backas far as the 1970s and beyond.

Each pack contains four 10.1mm stain-less nipples, which can be used to upgra-de almost any modern or European car,preventing the future possibility of corro-sion, and making fluid changes andbleed-through procedures easier.

The Hosetechnik nipples come with alifetime guarantee and cost £16.62 plusVAT. akb

Yokohama ADVANSport V105

Hosetechnik Stainless Bleed Nipples

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Stories from the past 20 years of T&A

September 1993

The Tyre Industry Council called fora ban on the sale of used tyres inthe UK.

A report in The Independent told ofa motorist who was refused aninsurance payout after an accidentbecause two of his tyres had an ille-gal tread depth.

September 1998

Goodyear announced it wouldspend US$18 million to build a tyrefactory in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Nokian Tyres was investigating apossible marketing and distributiondeal in Russia with oil companyLukoil plc.

September 2003

After a seven-year gap, Continentalwas back in the DAX – the Germanstock market’s blue chip index.

Despite fierce opposition, RugbyCement got the go-ahead from theEnvironment Agency to test usingtyres as fuel at one of its cementfactories.

September 2008

Apollo Tyres withdrew an applicati-on to build a tyre factory inGyöngyös, Hungary.

Pirelli said it would invest US$200million over the next two years inorder to double its production capa-city in China.

THIS?REMEMBER

Bridgestone staff test RE002Adrenalin tyre Bridgestone’s training and marketingdepartments have taken part in an infor-mal testing session of the brand’s latestpremium product at the PrestwoldDriving Centre in Leicestershire.Members of Bridgestone’s technicalteam presented the tyre to colleagues inan informal approach, which, according tothe company, allowed staff to “feel thedifference” between the PotenzaAdrenalin RE002 and competitor pro-ducts. Bridgestone is targeting the sportreplacement market with the tyre, whichit says is tuned mainly for dry perfor-mance.

Bridgestone’s field engineer KirkWalker described the day’s events:“Once the drivers had sampled the hand-ling circuit and different products, theywere then in a position to take the infor-mation and feed it back to their custo-mers, who might be wondering wherethe RE002 fits in our product line-up.

Technical department staff provided sup-port with design of the circuit, set-up andtyre fitments of test vehicles and theoverall running of the event.”

For dry handling, Bridgestone says ithas designed a tread with large, stiffouter blocks with a 3D connection bet-ween shoulder and adjacent rib, givingthe tyre an improved cornering ability.Road grip and sporty manoeuvring areenhanced by the wide offset rib designwith grooved edge and waved centreblock.

Kirk added: “The Adrenalin is tunedfor dry performance while giving driversall the wet security they need inEuropean weather conditions. For thisBridgestone has applied its new ‘pulse’groove and deflector technology. Thisbreaks the water film faster in front of thefootprint and deflects it away from underthe tyre, increasing resistance to hydro-planing.” akb

Grouptyre’s Kenway Tyres celebrates 30 year anniversaryNorth-east Scotland Grouptyre mem-ber Kenway Tyres has celebrated 30years in the tyre business, wholesalingtyres into the 8,000 square mile regionand operating three retail sites inAberdeen and Dundee. Kenway hasexpanded during its lifespan to capitali-se on the success of its original site inAberdeen. “We’re extremely proud ofour achievements here at KenwayTyres”, says managing director AlanKennaway. “The whole team here deserves recog-nition for the way in which we haveevolved and grown as a company. Westrive daily to meet the needs of ourcustomers in the north-east, providinga friendly service, and we look forwardto continuing to do so for many moreyears.”

In addition to its friendly, local retail ser-vice, Kenway Tyres is also the largesttyre wholesaler in the north-east ofScotland, an operation also based inAberdeen. Kenway offers express one-hour delivery to the area between Tainand Fife, employing 60 members ofstaff and operating 16 delivery vehi-cles.Kenway says it has strengthened itsposition in the marketplace by servi-cing sectors such as 4×4 and high per-formance with the support ofGrouptyre. Kenway says that it focuseson helping its customers develop theirbusinesses and tailors its service tomeet their needs, with on-going techni-cal and sales support. akb

Distributor Stapleton’s Tyre Services Ltd. - Fourth Avenue - Letchworth - Herts - SG6 2TT - U.K. Tel: 0870 60 54321

NEXEN TYRE Corporation London Branch 17 Douglas Road - Kingston Upon Thames - Greater London KT1 3PX - UK - Tel: 0208 546 9948 - Phone: 07919 222 837

NEWS

Good Response For Tyre Labelling SurveyIt is now almost 12 months since the labelling of tyres at the point of sale became mandatory across the EU and the NTDA wondered what effect, if any, it has had on the way tyres are sold – have customers become better informed and more knowledgeable? Are they aware of the introduction of the label? Do they appreciate the information on it?

Some sections of the tyre industry were enthusiastic about the introduction, hailing it as something that would fundamentally change motorists’ attitudes towards tyres. But has it? The NTDA decided that the only way to find out was to ask its members for their experiences and so a brief questionnaire was sent out to Head Offices to seek their views.

The questions asked whether or not the customer asked for the information in the first place and what value he placed on the information on the label and on the advice given by the tyre dealer. The results and findings will be announced at the NTDA’s Annual Dinner and TAFF

Awards presentation in October, but to give you a taster, the first question asks ‘what is the most important factor for a customer to buy tyres?’ and early results are that more than 70% of respondents indicated that price was more important than both safety or fuel consumption.

Speaking of the survey, NTDA Director Richard Edy was pleased at the level of response, saying: “With still a few days to go, we have had a reply from more than 25% of our members’ Head Offices, which is an unusually high response rate.” He added that a more typical response rate for questionnaires like these tends to be in single figures, so the comparatively high level of interest shows the importance that tyre dealers place on the labels. Richard concluded: “We at the NTDA firmly believe that tyre labelling represents a fantastic opportunity for the tyre retailer to engage with the customer and discuss which tyre best suits his driving style and requirements. It will be interesting to see what the survey results tell us about whether attitudes to buying tyres have changed since the introduction of labelling.”

There has been a terrific surge in bookings for the NTDA’s Annual Dinner, with more than 400 tickets already taken up. Said Director Richard Edy: “The level of demand for tickets shows the importance of the event in the UK tyre industry calendar, plus of course the Dinner is host to the NTDA TAFF Awards, which always generates a great deal of interest.”

The number of places available is limited, so if you haven’t yet booked and are intending to go, you are advised to contact Lynne at the NTDA Head Office as quickly as possible.

For those who need reminding, the Association’s 84th Annual Dinner is being held on Wednesday 16th October 2013 at the Hilton Metropole at the NEC, Birmingham. The after-dinner speaker is Hal Cruttenden, whose CV includes film and numerous TV comedy show

appearances, as well as stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Festival and on his UK tours. In addition to being one of the most sought-after comedians around, Hal is an accomplished actor and writer.

The NTDA Annual Dinner gives those in the tyre industry the opportunity to meet and relax while enjoying good food and top-class entertainment, plus there is the tension and excitement as the TAFF Award winners are announced.

Places are filling up fast, so to be sure of being part of the tyre industry’s premier social event, contact the NTDA now!

Great Demand For Annual Dinner!

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NEWSwww.ntda.co.uk

After more than 25 years as Director of the NTDA, Richard Edy has announced that he is to retire from the post at the end of January.

Richard began his working career as an indentured journalist and, after seven years working in the press, he moved into Public Relations, working for a variety of companies, including a spell in the entertainments industry.

His fi rst involvement with the tyre industry was in 1972, when he joined the BRMA, as it then was, as Press and Information Offi cer. Richard spent seven years in this post, before leaving to become Deputy Director of the British Plastics Federation. Finally, he became the Director of the NTDA in January 1988, taking over from Mervyn Thomas.

No decision has yet been made on who will replace Richard, but the Association confi rmed that the process of looking for the next Director is already in train.

Speaking of his impending retirement, Richard refl ected on the many changes that have happened over the past 25 years and the way that the NTDA has adapted in order to accommodate them. “The pace of change has accelerated,” he said, “with new products and services and an explosion in the number of brands and sizes on the market. These, along with an ever-increasing amount of legislation, have heaped even more pressure on all sectors of the tyre industry and the retailers and wholesalers have had to up their game to compete and survive.

“It is one of the prime functions of any trade association to keep its members up to speed with these changes and to make sure that they are fully aware of their responsibilities and obligations. I believe that the NTDA has consistently achieved this over the years and that the Association has the fl exibility to continue to serve its members in the future. It is a strong, dynamic and effective organisation and one of which I am proud to have played a part in shaping over the past 25 years.”

Richard Edy Bows Out In January

A member recently came across a unique way of recycling an old tractor tyre when he visited “Short Cuts”, a hairdresser in East Preston, West Sussex...

NTDA Team Lifts BEN Team CupA team from the NTDA won the BEN Team Cup at the recent GEA Annual Golf Day, held at Whittlebury, Northamptonshire. Congratulations to the victorious team, which consisted of: Richard Edy (Captain) Director, NTDA, John Tarbox Past President, NTDA and Ian Smith Chairman, Aftermarket Suppliers Group, NTDA

Richard Edy, Ian Smith, John Tarbox


UK TYRE MARKET

Singex buys ECI, Tyrexpo shows

SEV’s move is being seen as an investment in theactivities of UK-based ECI International Ltd (ECI)designed to take the company’s show portfolio to thenext level.

Investment supports continuity and development

Tyres & Accessories understands that SEV and ECIalready enjoy a professional relationship, forged by a twodecade long co-operation on the Tyrexpo Asia exhibition,held at the Singapore Expo Exhibition and ConventionCentre, itself managed by Singex. SEV said it has alsobeen looking to “focus on developing collaborative partnerships andinvestments in specialised events with good growth potential”.According to the companies, this led to the successful conclusionof an investment by Singex that builds on this relationship.

Commenting on the agreement, Aloysius Arlando, chief exe-cutive officer of SEV, says: “I am delighted that we were able to

successfully conclude our ar -rangements with ECI Inter -national Ltd. This was madepossible because of our sharedvision about the potential forthe Tyrexpo series, which havea positive future with newgrowth possibilities in multiplemarkets and emerging regions.

“I am delighted that PaulFarrant and Rowena Suthers

of ECI will continue to remainclosely involved in this next

phase of growth, which will be backed by a dedicated team ofexperienced professionals from Singex. Together, I am extreme-ly confident that we will take these important exhibitions forwardwith the same entrepreneurial spirit and attention to personalisedservice which has come to be the hallmark of an ECI event.”

In response, Paul Farrant, managing director of ECIInternational, said: “Over the last 14 yearsECI has strived to achieve a high quality exhi-bition in each country it operates in, so thatall exhibitors receive the highest level of pre-sentation, marketing and customer service.The success of our exhibitions reflects theloyal support and close working relationshipestablished with our exhibitors, who overthe years have continuously invested in ourshows. In turn this has assisted us in deliver-ing business focussed tyre trade exhibitionswhich now have a very strong internationalfollowing of buyers and suppliers.

“We recognise that ECI has now rea-ched a critical juncture where further invest-ment is needed to grow and bring addedvalue to our events. Having worked closelywith us for many years, Singex was themost obvious partner to assist us in takingthe business to the next level. Both Rowenaand I very much look forward to the future,working with an expanded, highly professio-nal team at SEV.” cja

Exhibition organisation company ECI International has announced dates for theforthcoming 2014 British tyre exhibition, Brityrex International, which will run from7 – 9 October 2014. Like the last edition of the show, the 2014 event will onceagain be held at the EventCity exhibition centre in Manchester.

The news of the dates follows ECI’s announcement that the exhibition compa-ny has been bought out by Singex Exhibition Ventures. SEV focuses on invest-ments in the growth and development of international trade exhibitions in selectedindustries and markets. As a member of the Singex Group of companies, whichcollectively offers a comprehensive range of integrated solutions for venuemanagement and international exhibition organising and related ventures, thismove is seen as further backing for the British exhibition. Continuity for the eventis being provided by virtue of the fact that ECI founders Paul Farrant and RowenaSuthers remain responsible for the development of the shows. With its headquar-ters in Singapore, Singex is an established and leading player with over 30 years’experience in the industry.

Exhibitions currently organised by ECI include:a Tyrexpo Africa’14, 4-6 March2014, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa; Tyrexpo Asia’15,24-26 March, 2015, Singapore Expo Centre, Singapore and Tyrexpo India’15, 7-9July 2015, Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India. cja

ECI announces 2014 Brityrex dates

ECI INTERNATIONAL is now a wholly-owned subsidiaryof Singex-ECI International Pte Ltd following the com-pany’s acquisition by Singex Exhibition Ventures (SEV).According to the companies, the Tyrexpo series ofevents (including Brityrex in the UK) will continue to bemarketed as “An ECI International Event” providing allexhibitors, supporters, partners and visitors with a joint

commitment to service excellence. Working closelywith ECI founders, Paul Farrant and Rowena Suthers,this will include expansion into new market segments.As a result of the investment SEV reports that it will putits “full resources” to work on the organisation of futu-re Tyrexpo events, to assist them reach their full poten-tial.

Next year’s Brityrex will once again be hosted atEvent City in Manchester


UK TYRE MARKET

Wheelwright’s2013 winter strategy

With winter sales growing, not only did 2012 represent anopportunity for add-on-sales and profits, but in the case of fran-chised dealers and marque-specific specialists Wheelright alsohighlight that these products offered the chance for a much-needed ‘touching point’ as Winter came around.

“We noticed a huge increase in dealer and specialist busi-ness over the past two years, explained WheelwrightMarketing Manager James Gray. “Not only is it a case of cleverservice managers giving their customers exactly what theyneed as temperatures drop, but in these days of ever-increasingservice intervals and reliability, it can give dealers that all-impor-tant opportunity to sit down with their customers once a yearand improve their chances of selling them somethingelse…Subaru UK liked the philosophy so much that they actu-ally added this facet to their grounding breaking ETCo packageof aftersales care which includes it as part of every new car’sfree dealer ‘perks’ package for three years.”

Wheelwright is following the below seven degrees logiccommon among winter tyre manufacturers – and especially onthe continent. When temperatures dip below seven degreesCelcius braking distances from 62mph (100kph) can increaseby up to 5m, from 65m to 70m, compared to summer or all-weather tyres. As we all know winter tyres are made of bettersuited tread compounds, which remains more flexible at lowtemperatures, giving excellent contact between the tyre andthe road, thus retaining traction and grip. Their verdict: “usingwinter tyres really can help you avoid becoming another acci-dent statistic”.

However, in addition to the safety benefits, Wheelwright ispointing to the cost benefits as well. Their rationale is that in theUK we often combat the ice and snow conditions using aggres-sive mineral compounds such as rock-salt or grit. These can in-

evitably damage the finish of OE or aftermarket alloy wheels.Having a second set of alloy or steel wheels for use duringthese conditions will increase the longevity of a vehicle’s sum-mer wheels, and ensure they are not corroded by the salt andslush from the road. The idea is that this could save drivers aconsiderable amount of money in the longer term.

Luxury and logistics

As far as 2013 is concerned Wheelwright is confident that tyre-bays will continue embrace the European winter model, poin-ting to a number of customers that have even created a ‘Wheel& Tyre Spa’ ethos, enabling customers to leave their summerwheels to be pampered over the winter months, with refurbs,cleaning and rebalancing all part of the package.

The headline development for Wheelwright’s winter offer-ing this year is thanks, in the most part, to their logistics com-petences. The wheel firm offers alloy wheels on a set-by-setbasis from its Alcar warehouse in Germany, but for 2013 thecompany can now also offer the plethora of OEM-spec KFZsteel wheels in the same vein, calling on their stocks in Austria,Italy and Switzerland. Consequently, the company reports thatit can cover 90 per cent of the UK car parc with a bolt-on alloyor steel wheel and winter tyre solution.

Gray continued: “Even though winters in the UK can beerratic, even a couple of day’s snowfall here and there can bringthe entire nation to a halt. You even see 4x4s struggling in thesnow, as without grip, even their clever limited diffs can’t com-bat the lack of friction between tyre and road surface. TheEuropeans have been experiencing the benefits of being ableto drive confidently and safely on winter roads for some yearsand the UK is progressively waking up to this too.” cja

THE UNPREDICTABLE WINTER OF 2012 may not havebrought consistently high levels of snowfall, but accor-ding to Wheelwright it did see a flurry of another sort; adeluge of demand for winter wheel and tyre packages

as consumers – and even UK-based automotive manu-facturers – quickly wised up to their safety benefits. Thisyear could be the most significant yet in market termsclaims the Kent-based wheel distributor.

Wheel distributor promoting winter tyre fitment, wheel and tyre spas


UK TYRE MARKET

TThis means Norbert Dentressangle will establish an additional10,000 square foot area within the warehouse to accommod-ate the additional volumes, storing more than 30,000 units andhandling almost 1.5 million tyres per annum. It is anticipatedthat the new operation will also create around 15 new jobs. In total, the expanded operation will occupy around 125,000 square foot and will be responsible for handling around 2.7 million tyres per year.

Instead of delivering direct to customers, Continental’smanufacturing plants will deliver full loads into the consolid-ation centre at Rugby. Norbert Dentressangle will then be responsible for the building of customer orders from stock heldin the consolidation point with the goal of improving lead timesand service levels. In some cases, products which come intothe consolidation centre will also be consolidated with ordersbeing fulfilled from the NDC.

Norbert Dentressangle has been Continental’s logisticspartner since 2006, with responsibility for the storage and dis-tribution of tyres to retailers and fitters throughout the UK.Previously located in Birmingham, the operation transferred toRugby in October 2011, providing Continental Tyres with enhanced capacity and flexibility.

The site was one of the first to benefit from Continental’snew in-house warehouse management system which has beenfully interfaced with Norbert Dentressangle’s own SHARP3

transport planning system, providing real-time visibility and con-trol throughout the supply chain. Under the new contract,Norbert Dentressangle is also introducing RF technology acrossthe enlarged operation to further enhance efficiency and accu-racy in the warehouse.

Stewart Jackson, supply chain director at Continental Tyressaid: “The continuing high level service provided by NorbertDentressangle is of the utmost importance to us as it has adirect effect on our customers. Reliable and timely supply is atop priority for us, the retailer and their customers, the motor-ist. Whilst we benchmark to make sure that the service is stillbest in class, Norbert Dentressangle remain the leader in themarket which is why we have renewed and extended our con-tract with them. “

Norbert Dentressangle’s warehouse in Rugby also acts as ahub for the consolidation of Continental volumes with volumesfrom Bridgestone, another Norbert Dentressangle customer,providing a premium next-day delivery service to both comp-any’s retail customers throughout the UK.

In addition, Norbert Dentressangle is a major provider oflogistics services to a number of other premium tyre manu-facturers, both in the UK and mainland Europe, operating morethan 260,000 square metres of warehousing across nine sitesin six countries. cja

CONTINENTAL TYRES HAS RENEWED its contract withNorbert Dentressangle for a further five years, inclu-ding “a significant extension” to the scope of the ope-ration. In addition to acting as Continental’s UK andIreland National Distribution Centre (NDC), under the

new contract, Norbert Dentressangle’s site at Rugbywill also act as a consolidation point for orders whichwere previously delivered as full loads direct fromContinental’s European manufacturing plants to majorwholesale customers in the UK.

Continental broadens Norbert Dentressanglelogistics contract

N


Bridgestone supporting NationalTyres’ next generation of apprentices

National’s group training and development mana-ger, Graham Atkinson said: “The tyre tool bagscontain many of the tools that will be essential forour new apprentices including Bridgestone brand-ed merchandise, stationery and extensive productand technical information. They are ideal for theapprentices and add yet another layer to National’sall-round training provision, which is already rea-ping rewards across the network.”

Atkinson said that National’s investment in shaping trainees’ progress is already reaping divi-dends, as many of the apprentices go on to pro-gress into branch management, some moving intooperational management roles. Eighteen appren-tices receive vocational training for two years,before qualifying and taking up a permanent positi-on at one of National’s 225 branches across theUK.

In addition, National is also offering a further 10hand-picked candidates the chance to receive abespoke vocational training course to help themachieve their career aspirations, who might nototherwise have the academic qualifications tobecome an NVQ level apprentice.

He added: “At National we recognise the impor-

tance of developing our own staff and providingcomprehensive training to those who are new tothe industry. With our apprentices, we always seean extremely strong work ethic coupled with tre-mendous enthusiasm to learn. They represent thefuture and we can’t stress highly enough howimportant our apprentice programme is for thebusiness as a whole.”

Bridgestone’s training development managerMark Fereday said: “We have always had a closeworking relationship with National and when welooked into their apprentice programme, we werekeen to help out.

“The bags we have provided are ideal as a star-ting point for their new recruits as they make theirway into the industry. The idea is to give themsomething that has longevity and can be used formany months and years after they earn their quali-fications.

“The initial feedback has been really encoura-ging. It is lovely to be associated with youngsterslike this, who will hopefully go on to forge lastingcareers in the industry, with a strong affinity for theBridgestone brand as a result.” akb

BRIDGESTONE HAS DONATED a number of ‘tyretoolbags’ to help a number of talented auto-motive apprentices progress as part ofNational Tyres and Autocare’s ‘FoundationModern Apprentice’ scheme, which includes

NVQ level two training courses.Bridgestone’s support comes in the form ofa branded hold-all for each learner contai-ning a wide range of equipment to assist inboth the classroom and in branch.

Bridgestone is supplying Nationalapprentices with assistive equipment

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UK TYRE MARKET

HALFORDS AUTOCENTRES has become the latest member ofTyreSafe in a move that is seen as something of boost for thegrowing organisation. With more than 290 Autocentres acrossthe UK, the leading independent garage network offers carowners a greater choice of locations offering a free tyre safetycheck as part of the month-long safety campaign. A list of allthe tyre retailers, all TyreSafe members, offering free tyrehealth checks can be found by visiting www.tyresafe.org.

Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe, commented, “It’s fan-tastic news to welcome Halfords Autocentres to the TyreSafefamily and its membership couldn’t be better timed with tyresafety month almost upon us, which is shaping up to be ourbiggest and best yet. Motorists already had plenty of choice fora free tyre health check but with Halfords Autocentres also onboard, car owners have every opportunity to make sure thattheir tyres are safe and legal.”

Rory Carlin, marketing director, Halfords Autocentres,“Vehicle safety has always been a driving ethos for our busi-ness and is achieved by providing access to expert technicians,trained to the highest industry standards, at an affordable price.That same commitment to safety applies to tyres, which is agrowing part of our core business, so the decision to joinTyreSafe was a natural extension for us. We are therefore

delighted to be involved with tyresafety month and offering all car owners a free tyre healthcheck at any Autocentre in the UK.”

This year’s tyre safety month focuses on encouragingdrivers to check that their tyres are inflated to the correct pres-sure. cja

S

Empathica helps Halfords Autocentres gauge customer feedback

Halfords Autocentres joins TyreSafe

Since appointing Empathica 12 months ago, HalfordsAutocentres has reviewed the feedback of over 52,000 custo-mers which has allowed the business to implement operationalchanges that deliver immediate impact to the customer experi-ence. With good value and customer loyalty key measures forthe business, customer feedback levels following their visithave been reassuringly positive – with 89 per cent of custo-mers reporting that they received value for money and 87 percent stating they would recommend Halfords Autocentres totheir friends and family.

Halfords Autocentres’ marketing director Rory Carlin said:“We want to send a clear message to our customers that wevalue their feedback and aim to exceed their expectations. Weoffer excellent value for money but want to show that value andexcellent service are not mutually exclusive.”

The CEM programme which was implemented last yearinvites customers to provide feedback online through printed

cards that are handed out by staff at Halfords Autocentres, andthrough e-mails sent after they have visited a garage. The datais then analysed by Empathica and fed back to Halfords in theform of focused reports that are tailored for each garage, iden-tifying areas that can be improved and successes that shouldbe celebrated with staff.

“The programme generates in excess of 162 customerresponses per day across our network of 290 UK garages –generating a customer ‘WOW’ for exceptional performance thatis flagged with centre managers, which can be very powerfuland motivating”, continued Carlin.

Gary Topiol, EMEA managing director for Empathica, com-mented: “We’re delighted to have successfully demonstratedhow quickly a well-executed CEM programme can deliver teamengagement and actionable insights. Over time I am confidentthat it will enable Halfords Autocentres to drive even greaterlong term customer loyalty.”

Carlin adds: “We are pleased with what has been achievedthus far but are continuing to invest in this strategy through amodelling initiative that will enable us to better understandwhat steps in the customer journey are most important to themand the development of a new portal that will empower mana-gers to interpret and act upon customer feedback.” cja

HALFORDS AUTOCENTRES reports it has seen its custo-mer satisfaction scores hit 93 per cent following anew customer experience management (CEM) strate-gy in partnership with Empathica Inc., a provider ofCustomer Experience Management (CEM) solutions.

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UK TYRE MARKET

Manchester the worst city for car crimeAN ANALYSIS OF 515,248 UK POLICE force records obtained by consumermotoring champion, HonestJohn.co.uk, has revealed that cities in the North ofEngland are the worst affected by car crime, with Manchester topping the lea-gue table. Between October 2011 and September 2012, 505 offences per10,000 registered vehicles were reported in central Manchester. This figure isfour times the national average for car crime, which HonestJohn.co.uk calcu-lated as 121 offences per 10,000 vehicles. Even taking into account the higherlevels of car crimes in urban areas, in part associated with the greater influxof vehicles entering city centres, the rate of reported offences was still 2.1times the national ‘urban’ average of 242 offences per 10,000 vehicles.

WWest Yorkshire emerged as another carcrime hotspot, with Bradford seeing an average of 457 crimes per 10,000 vehicles,followed by Leeds with a slightly loweroffences rate of 420. Other northern citiesbadly affected by car crime includesSheffield whose rate was 1.7 times thenational urban average at 389 offences per10,000 vehicles, Newcastle with 318 offen-ces per 10,000 vehicles and Liverpool witha rate of 287.

London was the only southern city tofeature in the top ten worst cities inHonestJohn.co.uk’s Car Crime Census,with a rate of 443 crimes per 10,000 vehi-cles.

The research by HonestJohn.co.ukinvolved examining thousands of recordsreleased by 42 police forces, upon aFreedom of Information request in additionto data that’s available through police.uk.Now HonestJohn.co.uk is publishing it asthe HonestJohn.co.uk Car Crime Census2013 at honestjohn.co.uk/crime - the firsttime this information has ever been availa-ble to the public in such detail.

Daniel Harrison, editor ofHonestJohn.co.uk, said: “This data is thefirst of its kind because it’s based on theactual police force records from across the

UK. What it highlights is a shocking north-south divide, with London representing theonly southern district listed in the top 10.We hope the HonestJohn.co.uk Car CrimeCensus will alert drivers to be more cautio-us when parking their cars in those areasthat we now know are the most at risk. Itwill also help them, particularly first timebuyers, to anticipate their insurance premi-ums.“

The HonestJohn.co.uk Car CrimeCensus 2013 allows motorists to find thecar crime rate for their postcode, and evenpinpoint their own street. In addition tohighlighting problem cars and manufactu-rers, motorist can see the type of crime thatis most commonly committed in their area.

The data reveals that 41 per cent of alloffences were based on theft from a vehi-cle, making it the most common type of carcrime in the UK. The second most reportedoffence was criminal damage with 40 percent of cars affected, followed by theft of acar at 16 per cent. pg

City Number of offences (per 10,000 vehicles)

Manchester 505Bradford 457London 443Leeds 420Sheffield 389Newcastle 318Birmingham 313Liverpool 287Cardiff 285Bristol 255Nottingham 193Hull 180Middlesbrough 178Leicester 155Southampton 147Oxford 147Peterborough 143Derby 130Cambridge 112Plymouth 101Portsmouth 96Carlisle 86Norwich 85

Car crime rate breakdown by city

22

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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TYRES

Goodyear says it designed the Kmax as anew “kilometre king”, built for optimisedmileage, while the Fuelmax has beendesigned for maximum fuel efficiency.The concepts behind the tyres are said tobe about cost optimisation and contributi-on to business success for the operatorsusing them. The manufacturer arguesthat the new ranges will make fleets’ tyrechoice easier, since operators will be ableto choose tyres according to their busi-ness type and need.

Having said this, Goodyear also saysthe overall tyre performance of each tyrerange provides the operational flexibilityto perform well in long haul as well asregional haul all year round.

Speaking to Tyres & Accessoriesahead of the official unveiling of the Kmaxand Fuelmax, Marc Preedy, GoodyearDunlop UK and Ireland commercialdirector, said that the altered focus of thenew tyres reflected a changing market.

“The commercial tyre market is evol-ving and our new Kmax and Fuelmax ran-ges have been developed in answer tothese changing needs.

“We recently surveyed around 500truck fleets from across Europe and thefeedback was clear – fleets choose tyrestoday based on performance rather thanapplication. We are seeing more andmore fleets run mixed operations, whichmeans choosing tyres based on only oneapplication no longer makes sense, per-formance criteria has become muchmore important.

“At the same time operational costsare on the rise for fleets, so it’s only natu-ral that fuel efficiency and mileage – twobig cost-drivers, came out as the top cri-teria for fleet managers when choosingtyres.”

Both sets of tyres are currently under-going rigorous field trials, Goodyear says,with selected European truck fleets

taking part in extensive testing. Theresults of these tests together with moredetails on the tyres’ attributes will be sha-red at a launch event due to take placethis month. Tyres & Accessories willreport more from the event in nextmonth’s issue.

In the meantime, Preedy told T&Athat: “Our research and developmentinvestment is ongoing and we are conti-nually working with fleets to ensure ourproducts meet their evolving needs.”

Marc Preedy also took the time tospeak more generally about howGoodyear Dunlop is addressing the chal-lenges to leading truck tyre manufactu-rers in the UK market, such as those frombrands with lower price tags. “There area number of newer players in the marketfocusing heavily on price. Our priority hasalways been to deliver cost-effective per-formance for fleets, adding real value totheir business.

“Changing needs”, changing truck tyresGoodyear to launch 2 new truck tyre rangesGoodyear is to introduce a new generation of truck tyres with two completely new ranges to launch ontothe European market in September. Kmax and Fuelmax steer, drive and trailer tyres will focus on provi-ding the manufacturer’s optimised longevity and fuel efficiency options respectively. Therefore the newtyres represent an interesting departure from other premium brand manufacturers’ portfolio strategies,taking the emphasis off the type of operation – long or regional haul for example – and put it on the fleet’seconomic priority.



“The challenges facing the haulageindustry have led to some fleets optingfor the quick win of a cheaper tyre, buttypically these fleets discover that oftenthis is a false economy. Ultimately a fleetmanager wants to control day-to-day run-ning costs over time and this is exactlywhat our products allow fleets to do.Where fuel is a fleet’s biggest cost outsi-de of purchasing equipment, that fleetwill always opt for a product that genera-tes overall lifecycle savings through fueland mileage efficiencies.”

Though the first six months of theyear have been weak in terms of growth,analysts from Clear International haveissued a new report predicting demandfor heavy goods vehicle trailers to growtwo per cent during the course of 2013.Nevertheless, recovery had beenexpected by many sources to take placemany times over the past few years.Typifying this situation is the reduction insize of trailer parcs in the seven largestWestern European markets, respondingto a 16.6 per cent drop in demand forroad transport since 2006. T&A askedPreedy what business strategiesGoodyear Dunlop has employed to dealwith this difficult market.

“Our business strategy is about tailo-ring our products and service support tothe needs of fleets, in terms of what theyneed from the performance of a tyre, rat-her than looking purely at the tyre’s appli-cation.

“Historically you may have had anoperator that only did regional haul – aregional haul tyre would always suit hisneeds. But today, with consolidation inthe market, one operator may be involvedin different types of distribution – urbanand regional, with even the occasionallong haul. One size no longer fits all – itdepends now on what performance attri-butes are most important to that fleetoperator. He needs products that are ver-satile while still delivering on his key cri-teria.

“For instance on a pay-as-you-gotransactional business model, an opera-tor may want a tyre that lasts for as longas possible, whereas on a typical mileage

business model where an operator isusing products back to back, he maywant to maximise fuel efficiency.

“We have adapted the way weapproach the market to suit its needs, butwithout compromising on any key perfor-mance criteria. Our new products main-tain strong EU tyre label scores in bothfuel efficiency and wet grip, which weknow is important as senior buyers andprocurement directors are focusing onthe label as a key buying aid.

T&A also asked whether the compa-rative strength of other global marketshas affected Goodyear Dunlop’s TBRbusiness strategy in the UK and Ireland.

“Our business strategy is founded onrich data in terms of forecast customerdemand, raw material availability and real-time costs, which feeds continuousimprovement cycles and close links withour manufacturing plants,” Preedy said. “We benefit from being a part of a globalteam with a consistent strategicapproach, which is then tailored for eachlocal market place.”

[email protected]

Marc Preedy, Goodyear Dunlop UK andIreland commercial director

Goodyear’s Kmax tyreswill focus on longevity

Goodyear’s new Fuelmaxtyres are geared towardsimproving fuel efficiency



WWW.TYREPRESS.COM

INTERNATIONAL TYRE MARKET

A LEADING PLAYER in the UK commercial vehicle tyremarket, Bridgestone is about to embark on what itsays is “the most important product launch fromBridgestone for many years”, when it introduces anew, user-friendly naming protocol for its line ofregional TBRs. Product and marketing manager AndyMathias spoke to Tyres & Accessories about the ques-tions currently posed by the UK CV tyre market, themanufacturer’s new tyres, and why he believes its“true fleet tyre solution offer” will continue to prov-ide “compelling business opportunities” in the truckmarket.

One aspect of the UK market that appears rather bleak is thebare fact of decreased fleet mileage. The distance travelled by“HGV fleets on UK roads has fallen by 15 per cent since 2007,or pre-recession levels, and this obviously has an impact on thetyre demand,” Mathias said. Having said that, Mathias believesthe recent move into positive figures – albeit low ones – by UKGDP has seen some “business confidence” return. Mathiascontinues: “positive UK GDP growth in 2013 has seen demandfor European manufacturers’ new tyre products increase bymore than 10 per cent versus previous year in 2013.Bridgestone has outperformed this increase in demand, andour market share is returning to pre-recession levels in the UK.”

The same cannot be said for retread product demand,which Mathias explains “has fallen slightly versus previousyear.” Of course, this has been somewhat a victim of the slowrecent years for the market, as this has naturally affected the“availability of casings”. Having said that, “Bridgestone (throughthe Bandag franchises and the hot retread production facility inBourne) has managed to hold on to the strong market share ithas built up since purchasing the Bandag organisation,”Mathias says. Overall, he says that “around one in four trucktyres sold in the UK and Ireland during the first half of 2013 wasa Bridgestone or Bandag product.”

Another challenge for retreads, given the price point, and toall established tyre manufacturers is truck tyre brand congest-ion in the UK, since all of the major brands are present, while

some budget brands “use the UK as their entry in to theEuropean market”.

“The UK market is also more sophisticated than many otherterritories in Europe,” Mathias says, “with truck fleets demand-ing a complete tyre and service solution to include multiple tyrelives. Fleet operators are operating at very tight margins, soreduced downtime and fuel costs are at the top of their wishlists. Tyre dealers also need reliable products that they can sellon to their fleet customers with confidence.” Having said that,dealers too are seeking ways to be as cost effective as possi-ble: “Dealers are also reducing their stock holding, so they arehelped by Bridgestone’s policy of next day delivery in the UKwith no minimum order quantity.”

Bridgestone strategies

Though GDP may just about be back in growth in the UK, indi-cators like truck registrations and trailer demand suggest thatthere might be stagnation in the commercial vehicle market –and the tyre market in turn. However, Mathias explained thatBridgestone looks upon the development of the market ratherdifferently: “We don’t necessarily agree with the term ‘stagna-tion’. The UK market is constantly evolving and customers’needs are changing, albeit at a fairly steady pace. Sales areincreasing, [also] at a steady pace, and Bridgestone is meetingcustomer demands through its Total Tyre Care approach.”

Mathias says that Bridgestone is able to distinguish itselfthrough a wide product and servicing portfolio that it says notmany others can match. “Although the UK market is congested,there are very few tyre manufacturers who can offer a true fleettyre solution offer. Bridgestone’s strategy is to form tyre part-nerships with fleet customers through our Total Tyre Careapproach (incorporating Total Tyre Life for long lasting tyres andcasings, Total Tyre Service through the Truck Point network, andTotal Tyre Systems including our new Tyre Pressure MonitoringSystem).

“Bridgestone’s fleet approach means that we have weather-ed the storm of the recession by retaining fleet customers oncontract, and have secured the shelf space of the independent

Truck Point dealers who servicethese fleets on Bridgestone’sbehalf. Bridgestone is very wellplaced to meet the demands ofthe market with two wellrespected new tyre brands(premium Bridgestone pro-ducts and the value lineFirestone brand), along with theextensive Bandag Retread pro-

Bridgestone responding to ‘evolving’ UK truck tyre market

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 9/201326



duct range with both premium and Pro-Tread offerings.”Mathias also points to the company’s manufacturing self-

sufficiency in Europe as a way it is comparatively well-placed inthe territory: “Bridgestone Europe is pretty much self-sufficientwith truck and bus tyre production utilising the facilities inBilbao, Spain and Stargard, Poland, therefore able to increase ordecrease production to meet our own demand as required.”

User-friendly Bridgestone naming protocol to be introduced

Naturally fleets are continually looking for more ways to savefuel, as the top-line expense continues to rise in price, soMathias believes Bridgestone’s Ecopia product range “willincreasingly feature in their purchasing demands.” He explainsthat independent Millbrook proving ground testing “showedthat the Ecopia product range can offer up to 7.4 per cent fuelsaving versus Bridgestone’s existing range of regional tyres.”

Having said this, Mathias says greater fuel efficiency hasbecome a more important goal across Bridgestone’s “full rangeof tyres, not just the specific fuel efficient products, which

poses a challenge for the research and development team: [to]make tyres more fuel efficient, but long lasting and versatileacross a range of applications.”

Later this year Bridgestone plans to launch the successorsto its Regional R297 steer and Regional M729 drive tyres, withthe RS-001 and RD-001 products. Mathias says: “This will bethe most important product launch from Bridgestone for manyyears, but initial tests have shown excellent performance in theUK market.”

These products demonstrate the beginning of “a newnaming protocol” for Bridgestone, identifying more easily thespecialist application of products – in this case, RS stands for“Regional Steer”, while RD is “Regional Drive”. This paradigm“will be rolled out for all future products,” Mathias says, thoughit makes particular sense to focus on these examples for theUK market. Mathias characterises the UK as “still predominant-ly a ‘regional’ tyre market,” and “with 90 per cent of freighttransport completed on journeys of less than 500km per trip,”it is difficult to argue with that assessment.

[email protected]

R

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Tyre Save has been in business for 56years, but has undergone severalchanges in its recent history. Originallylocated on a site in the area undergoingcontinuing development as part of UAE-led investment in and around ManchesterCity Football Club, the company hasplans to develop its truck and passengercar tyre service with an extension to itscurrent premises on Ashton Old Road – abusy route into the city centre from theeast. It has also acquired Trafford Tyres onthe west side of the city, and Davies saysthe company has plans for it “to berebranded eventually”. In addition to itsrole as a GT Assist dealer partner, TyreSave began taking GT Radial passengercar tyres through the brand’s wholesaler

Micheldever. Both Tyre Save and TraffordTyres are part of the PCR GT RadialPerformance Centre network too. “Doingthe commercial side of [GT Radial’s pro-duct range], and seeing how it’s perfor-ming, we [decided to] take on the carside of things too,” Davies said.

Both Tyre Save and Trafford Tyres haveGT Radial branded signage, and of the 13vans Tyre Save and Trafford Tyres haveequipped to provide mobile tyre servicingfor trucks, four currently carry the GTAssist livery. “We’ve got plans to makethe vans dual-purpose to provide tyre ser-vicing for cars too,” Little adds. “We getmore and more call for the mobile fitting– more people want their tyres to be fit-ted on site, even if it’s just [a PCR custo-mer] asking if we can do them at herhome. So we’re trying to cater towardsthat need as well.” Davies credits the GTRadial Performance Centre Passport-to-Profit website with increasing Tyre Save’sinternet-derived customer base, which isincreasingly expectant of this sort of ser-vice from their tyre dealer.

Having shown how Tyre Save hadincreased its business with GT Radial,T&A returned to the main purpose of thevisit: tracking the progress of the TBR GTAssist programme with one of its opera-tors. McHugh began by answering thequestion: Why GT Assist? “It’s absolutelyapparent that as we are trying to engagewith the fleets through our dealer net-work, the approach from the end-users

GT Assist building brand confidence withManchester dealerThe GT Radial brand has made much well-documented progress within the UK commercial vehicletyre market over the past few years, and in December 2012, its manufacturer Giti Tire’s UK operationbegan rolling out a commercial vehicle roadside service assistance programme. Now in the thirdquarter of 2013, GT Assist has developed to consist of a network of approximately 220 dealer partnerdepots covering the UK and Ireland. Tyres & Accessories visited one of GT Radial’s longest standingcustomers in the UK, Manchester independent family business Tyre Save, to discuss the roadside ser-vice assistance programme with UK sales and marketing director Truck and Bus Tony McHugh andregional sales manager Truck and Bus Steve McDonald from Giti Tire (UK) and Tyre Save owner MarkDavies and manager Stewart Little.

(r-l) Tyre Save manager, StewartLittle; owner, Mark Davies; GitiTire (UK) area sales manager,Steve McDonald; and UK salesand marketing director Truck andBus, Tony McHugh outside TyreSave Manchester with one of itsfour GT Assist liveried vans

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MICHELIN PRIMACY 3:SAFETY TO THE POWER OF 3. EXCELLENCE IN DRY BRAKING, WET BRAKINGAND CORNERING IN WET CONDITIONS.*



was [to say]: ‘I like the product, I like working with the GT dealerpartner, [but] what about breakdowns around the country?` It wasapparent that, to take the next step in our business cycle, wewould need to put a breakdown network in place, of which TyreSave were one of the first members.”

Built on an Infleet administration structure, GT Assist is ser-viced by RAC Commercial Assistance (RACCA). Truckers can con-tact their tyre dealer or use the GT Assist 0845 number, which allo-cates the work to the nearest of the 220 dealer points in thebrand’s partner network, which will check stock at the depot andre-allocate the job to the next nearest dealer if the required productis unavailable or if they cannot meet the 90 minute timeframe allo-wed for the work to be completed. McHugh says the current num-ber of tyre service dealer partners in the network has risen sincethe beginning of 2013, when the quoted number was 180, havingbegun finding partners for GT Assist in November 2012. (The GTRadial network started to build in April 2009.) The number of sites– distributed across every region of the UK and Ireland – has“grown month-on-month”, as “dealers have more confidence withit,” he adds. This will have grown with the programme’s apparentability to meet its 90-minute promise – McHugh says the targetservice time is being met at a rate that is “near enough 100 percent.”

Clearly, a key objective for GT Radial itself is to retain andincrease the number of customers rolling on the brand’s tyres.McHugh says that GT Radial “fitment is running at approximately75 per cent.” Full GT Radial fitment is currently impossible, sincesome sizes fall outside the brand’s current portfolio. One develop-ment on the technical side of GT Assist is an app designed to trackfitment information at each dealer partner, helping to track custo-mer activity and demand as well as “the performance level of eachdealer”. This in turn is something that will help “dealers to stock thecorrect levels of products,” McHugh says, with the ultimate objecti-ve of being able to “keep customers’ fleets clean” – or fitted uni-formly with the product they want. The app also allows dealers tofeed information back to Giti – the reasons for having to refusebusiness for example – on the same day of this occurrence. In fact,feedback time can be as good as instantaneous, and the program-me has a target of two hours for it to be logged.

So how is this working out for Tyre Save? Davies notes the bet-ter communication through GT Assist than in his experience withprevious administration systems, while noting the increaseddemand for administrative speed placed on the dealer partner.“Sometimes it’s annoying, because the vans are out on jobs withthe paperwork in them, but you will make sure that you get thatpaperwork in, because otherwise there’s another phone call. It’s avery good system.” Little adds that the system gives the dealerpeace of mind, since communication throughout the job is impro-ved. “It’s been quite successful so far,” he says. “The benefit is thatcontact –you’re informed all the way along. Not all the network pro-viders give you that contact. And that’s your 110 per cent.”

“We brought [GT Assist] in to add value to the range,” McHughcontinues, noting that the question of servicing for breakdownswas often asked by existing and prospective customers. “We’re

New GT Radial TBR products on wayin last few months of 2013

At the time of writing, GT Radial is about to introduce onenew truck product, with another to follow by the end ofthe year. Details on the tyres are as yet unavailable, as thedistributor awaits their arrival into the UK. Giti Tire (UK)sales and marketing director Truck and Bus, Tony McHughsays that the new products in development that “will helpthe partnership and the customer in specific markets”.On the passenger side of commercial vehicle tyres howe-ver, the brand will attempt to make a splash with its planto make its debut at Coach & Bus Live 2013 in support itsrecently launched all-position urban city-bus tyre, theGAU861. The flagship Giti Tire brand will also display theGAR820 regional all-position tyre and the GT629 regionaldrive axle model. Tony McHugh, sales and marketingdirector at Giti Tire UK, said: “The GAU861 was very wellreceived when it was launched at The CV Show in April,and interest and demand since means that the participati-on of GT Radial at Coach & Bus Live 2013 is a must.” GTRadial will be located at stand M138.The GAU861 has been designed with an extra reinforcedsidewall protector to increase resistance to curbing andimpact damage, while a unique tread pattern with a20.2mm depth ensures good mileage performance com-bined with extra comfort and reduced noise. Available ini-tially in 275/70R22.5, the tyre can be used in both steerand drive positions on both 4x2 and 6x2 configurationsand is M+S marked indicating excellent traction in mudand snow conditions.Also on show will be the GAR820, a regional all-position17.5” diameter tyre created to cater for the increasingrequirements of comfort, excellent wet and dry handlingproperties and long wear-out performance. Initially avail-able in sizes 215/75R17.5, 205/75R17.5 and 225/75R17.5,the company has 235/75R17.5 and 245/70R17.5 currentlyin development and due for release later in the year. Thetyre also carries a M+S marking indicating good winterperformances.A dedicated drive axle tyre for coach and regional bus ope-rations, the GT629 utilises the latest three-dimensionalinterlocking sipe design with open shoulder and sidewallprotector ribs. Designed to deliver exceptional regularwear, it is M+S marked and available in 295/80R22.5.“With the new tyre, and the others on stand, we have astrong mid-market product portfolio and support servicesoffering that puts us in a very strong position in the sector,messages we will be driving home throughout the showand into the market thereafter,” concluded McHugh. akb

LET’S ROLL

Contact Ilan Goldstone atKirkby Tyres & Wheels LtdSpeke Hall Avenue, Speke, Liverpool, L24 1UU.Tel: 0870 242 8800Fax: 0151 486 [email protected]

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now in a position where we can say, ‘wehave a breakdown network... with over200 dealer [locations]’, which gives themconfidence.” He says that the philosophybehind this approach is not about thebrand’s competitivity with other tyre ser-vice providers, but “to add value to ourproduct” and to try to get customersalready running on GT Radial to refit thebrand down the road. McHugh also talk-ed about the strength of the brand deri-ved from the presence in the market offive area sales managers, such asMcDonald through whom feedback canbe transmitted both back to Giti’smanagement and to the dealer networkitself.

The approach seems to be yieldingresults at Tyre Save. While Davies, andindeed the company’s signage, makesclear that all the major UK truck brandsare available – and Tyre Save does adecent level of business through one pre-mium manufacturer’s network too – hesays that “easily over half” of its trucksales are GT Radial, because of the valueit offers at its price point. The fact that itis also offering the value boosting GTAssist programme helps the brand tostand apart from similarly priced tyres,with brand-led service programmes avail-able only with higher priced products.“With GT Assist,” says Little, “we’ve gotthe confidence to go to customers andsay, ‘that’s not the dearest tyre you’regoing to buy, it’s not the cheapest tyre

you’re going to buy, but we stand by it.’And we’re happy to say this or that custo-mer has given us good reports about thetyre. We can show you tyres that havedone good mileage, been reliable, helpyou manage your costs, and give youpeace of mind.”

Davies carries that confidence withthe brand through to generating newbusiness, telling T&A that Giti sales staffcan also offer presentational supportwhen approaching a new customer, inclu-ding fleets. “We’re growing our customerbase on GT,” Little says. “I don’t thinkwe’ve had someone accept GT as a poli-cy and then come off it.” He continuesthat Tyre Save has successfully convertedfleets to the “mid-range” tyre as a way tomanage outgoings, while discussing theimportance of tyre husbandry. “It makes[the monthly outgoings] more manage-able, and the tyre is giving the resultsthat they’ve paid for. So people are stan-ding by it. It’s £300 as opposed to £450and [the customer] isn’t expecting mass-ive mileage, but they’re being pleasantlysurprised by the return.”

The perception of better-than-expected performance, combined withhaving paid less for the tyres in the firstplace is a powerful tool, Little says. “Thatfeeling with a customer goes a long way.And it extends into the GT Assist aswell… As long as you don’t oversell it,you give them what they want… And itgives us continuity in our customer base

– what we’re all aiming for. It’s all aboutusing the tools that you’ve got to get theright job done.” While some premiumbrands are producing increasingly sophis-ticated analyses of fleets’ tyre and tyre-related costs, Tyre Save suggests thatthere are benefits to keeping a simpler,get-what-you-pay-for approach with thecheaper GT Radial brand.

Mark Davies was “one of the earliestdealers [GT Radial] started working with,”McHugh continues, “And they’ve alsogone through a marked change in the lastfew years… This partnership is a strengthbecause he’s got the backing of a regionalsales team, a technical team and of cour-se we’ve got the R&D in the UK. Thisgives them a bit more confidence becau-se they can come and test the product…The cycle of where GT Radial is at nowexemplifies the way we want to add ser-vices and value to the products.”

With 220 depots, GT Assist has veryreasonable coverage in the UK andIreland, but McHugh says “we’re alwayslooking to expand”, for example in parts ofnorthern Scotland, and two recentlyadded dealers in mid-Wales have filledsome previously existing gaps where jobrequests have been made. “All the mainmotorway channels are very well cover-ed,” McHugh concludes. Tyre Save itselfcovers jobs “around 30 miles” away,according to Davies.

[email protected]



HOYER’S UK BUSINESS is part of the Hoyer Group, based inHamburg, which specialises in road-based and intermodaltransport and operates a fleet of 2,500 tractor units and 3,100trailers worldwide. The company offered its UK business tothree premium manufacturers in order to find the most cost-effective policy in place, while safety was a major considerati-on, given that the company specialises in bulk liquid distributi-on of petroleum, food, gas and chemicals across Europe,America and Asia. The company decided to continue its 15-yearrelationship with Michelin, agreeing a three year pence-per-kilo-metre (PPK) deal for its 400 tractor units and 400 tankers whichservice both its Hoyer Petrolog UK Ltd and Hoyer UK Ltd oper-ations.

Allan Davison, operations director for Hoyer Petrolog UKLtd, says: “We have a strong relationship with Michelin andhave always been happy with the service and products theyprovide, however we thought the time was right to hold a fulltender review to ensure we were getting the best tyres at thebest price.

“Because we are transporting hazardous goods on a dailybasis, reliable tyres are key in ensuring the safest possible envi-ronment for our staff, customers and the general public, which

is why we have decided to stick with Michelin.“We believe in terms of safety and quality Michelin is the

best, and the PPK agreement we have in place has proven tobe the best option for us to manage a large number of trucks inthe most cost-effective way.”

More than 50 per cent of Hoyer’s fleet operates 24/7 witheach vehicle travelling an average of 200,000 kilometres peryear. Its tractor units consist predominantly of MAN TGS 440s,as well as a number of Scania, Volvo and Renault models. Therenewal policy specifies Michelin’s latest 295/80 R 22.5 XMultiWay 3D XZE steer tyres and Michelin XDE2 Remix tyreson the drive axles. Trailers will be fitted with 385/65 R 22.5XTE3 tyres.

Davison adds: “Michelin’s Four Lives policy means we areable to get the maximum wear from our tyres. What’s more,because the Remix tyres are remanufactured in the UK byMichelin, we are confident the quality and performance is ofthe highest standard.”

Stoke firm signs with ATS-E

ATS Euromaster will fit and service the tyres of Stoke-on-Trent-based B&W Transport’s fleet of 44 tonners after the tyrespecialist showed the potential five-figure savings on itsannual vehicle operating costs through a properly man-aged tyre policy. B&W previously used an independenttyre dealer, but switched to ATS-E after viewing the dataproduced by the company’s new Service ValueCalculator (SVC). It suggested that fitting regroovableand retreadable premium brand (Michelin and Pirelli)tyres with a commitment to accurate tyre pressuremonitoring, could save B&W Transport up to £16,000annually in fuel and tyre bills.

Lew Weller, owner of B&W Transport, says: “We hadpreviously been fitting tyres which were more suscepti-ble to punctures and blow outs. When the accountmanager from ATS Euromaster highlighted how muchmoney we could save, not just on our tyre bill butthrough improved fuel efficiency from fitting better qua-

Michelin, ATS-E convince large fleets of tyre policy valueMichelin and ATS Euromaster have continued to winfleet business by highlighting the benefits of servicessuch as Michelin’s Four Lives policy, and by producingmore sophisticated data to support these claimsthrough ATS-E’s Service Value Calculator. Most recent-ly international logistics company Hoyer extended itsMichelin tyre contract across its 400-strong UK tanker

fleet following a competitive tender, while ATS-E con-vinced a local Stoke-on-Trent fleet of the potential five-figure savings yielded by a properly managed tyre poli-cy. Meanwhile, a newly defined division within Michelinis offering innovative ways of engaging with fleets (seetextbox).

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lity tyres and really looking after them, it seemed like an obvi-ous choice.”

The benefits of the new policy were exemplified after one of the first fleet inspections: ATS-E identified 13 tyres forregrooving, repositioned three tyres to balance wear, and repaired one tyre, instead of simply replacing all of the tyreswith new products, as had been the previous practice.

Launched earlier in the year, ATS-E’s SVC tool has beendesigned to demonstrate what can be achieved from a bespoke and expertly managed tyre policy, and shows themonetary benefits of properly managing tyres instead of repla-cing them prematurely. akb

A new division within the Michelin Group dedicatedto improving its customers’ fleet fuel efficiency haslaunched with what it claims is a unique offer for truckand trailer fleets. The Effifuel solution, targeted at bothhauliers and own-account operators, is designed tohelp customers contain and reduce their fuel costs.Through the new initiative Michelin solutions willwork with fleets to define a contractual commitmentbased on fuel savings and the resources to bedeployed to attain them. The savings generated by thesolution will be shared by the partners.

Michelin solutions explains that it can access an array of ser-vices, including eco-driving training courses, monitoring ofdrivers’ at-the-wheel behaviour based on individual eco-scores and the installation of telematics display units. Fuelanalysts from within Michelin solutions can assist in gathe-ring and studying data on the influences of fuel consumption,whilst also optimising tyre management through pence-per-kilometre tyre pricing and a fitment strategy aimed at redu-cing fuel consumption. This can include the installation of tyrepressure monitoring systems (TPMS) to improve the safetyof the driver, vehicle and its cargo.

“Some of these services already exist individually,”explains Franck Estoquié, chief marketing officer, Michelinsolutions. “What’s new is to be able to package them toget-her in the same solution, manage them efficiently and makea long-term commitment.”

The first stage of working with a new fleet will seeMichelin solutions conduct a detailed audit of vehicle types,current tyres, itineraries, vehicle operating weights and driverhabits, before helping to define an objective efficiencysavings target, measured in litres per 100 km. Once a savingsstructure is in place, Michelin solutions can offer fleets com-mitments to meet those targets over periods of up to fouryears.

Throughout the contract period Michelin solutions’ ownfuel analysts conduct in-depth studies and regular fleetreports. “The idea is not to replace fleet managers but to pro-vide them with resources, visibility and advice to optimisetheir operations and involve us in the process,” says Estoquié.“If the joint fuel saving goal is met, we share the gains. If itis not, Michelin solutions reimburses a portion of the expen-ses incurred on a pro rata basis.”

Michelin solutions says this makes the operation risk-freefor fleets, and may enable the customer to reduce considera-bly its vehicle running costs, which in turn has a positiveimpact on operating margins.

Effifuel is being offered to single marque or mixed fleets,and across all brands of truck. Michelin says it aims to deploythe new unit in most European countries, including the UK,throughout 2013, before moving to North America, SouthAmerica and China in 2014 and 2015. Michelin solutions alsosays it wants to launch initiatives to meet the needs of otherfleets, including passenger cars, vans and earthmover equip-ment.

Michelin solutions replaces the division previously knownin the UK as Michelin Fleet Solutions, and currently employsmore than 800 people globally. It is responsible for more than500,000 vehicles currently on contract. akb

New Michelin solutions division launches with Effifuel

The installation of telematics is one part ofthe package offered by Michelin solutions



Conti says this saving is down to choosing the right tyres in thefirst instance and to following the ContiLifeCycle process. Thisfive-stage tyre management process helps Surefreight increa-se the mileage it gets out of the 3,500-plus tyres that are in useacross their fleet of 200 tractor units and over 500 trailers.

On steer axles their choice is the Continental HSR2, a tyredesigned to provide better grip in all conditions. The HSR2 hasintermediate blocks for extra traction, a tread design that isresistant to wear from 'scrubbing', and is made using a chipresistant compound.

Trailers are fitted with the Continental HTR2. Its low weightcontributes to better fuel efficiency and it delivers high mileagebecause of its use of a precisely balanced compound and tyregeometry, Conti says. Tyre damage is reduced as a result of thepatented groove pattern, which is designed to eject stoneseasily. Its noise level described as well within legal limits.

Both the HSR2 and the HTR2 are designed for re-groovingwhen the tread depth reaches 5mm. Surefreight workshopstaff have been trained by Continental in the techniques of re-grooving, which they carry out on their premises to give eachtyre a considerably extended second life. Because a re-groovedtyre has lower rolling resistance it can contribute to reducedfuel usage whilst maintaining the same traction and road-holding capabilities of the tyre when new.

Once the tread on a re-grooved tyre reaches 5mm it entersthe third stage of the ContiLifeCycle process - retreading underthe ContiRe process. The casing is first carefully inspected andSurefreight receive a credit for each one accepted into thebank. Retreading takes place to the same manufacturing stand-ards as new tyres and using the same tread patterns to ensureequal performance.

ContiRe re-treads are also designed to be re-grooved understage four of the ContiLifeCycle to ensure that optimum milea-ge is achieved. When the tyre reaches its minimum legal treaddepth it moves into the fifth and final stage of the process,which involves environmentally responsible disposal.

Throughout the life of a tyre at Surefreight there is constantmonitoring of its condition. Drivers carry out a visual inspectionas part of their daily vehicle check and the supplying dealer,Philip White Tyres, carries out regular inspections that includechecking for damage, measuring tread depth and ensuring thatpressures are correct.

Surefreight director, Brian McManus, said: “It clearly paysto take care of tyres as we have seen with the significantsavings we are now making. Choosing Continental as our tyrepartner has been central to this. We get excellent service fromthe local dealer and good technical support from Continental inhelping us to choose the correct tyres from the outset.

“By re-grooving and retreading we gethigh mileage out of our Continentals. And there's good back-up too from their break-down service, which ensures that should aproblem occur our trucks are back on the road quickly and disruption to our customersis minimised.” More information on ContiLifeCycle, including a preview of a world’s firstintegrated recycling and retreading plant, canbe found in this month’s edition of the Re-treading Special.

Conti HD Hybrid impressing TarrantInternational with longevity

Irish haulier Tarrant International Transport hasdeclared itself impressed with the longevityof Continental’s new HD Hybrid truck tyre.The drive axle tyre is designed for combined

ContiLifeCycle helping NI fleet to achieve savingsContinental says its tyre management procedures arehelping one Northern Ireland transport and logisticsbusiness to achieve significant savings, while anotherIrish haulier has been impressed with the longevity ofthe German manufacturer’s new HD Hybrid drive axle

tyre. Surefreight, one of the leading logistics compa-nies operating between Ireland, Britain and mainlandEurope, turned to Continental for support last year,resulting in its annual spend on tyres falling by£59,000 when compared with 2011.

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regional and long-haul use, and havingachieved 280,000 km already Tarrant isconfident that 300,000 km will be reach-ed before the tyres require replacing.Donagh Tarrant, transport manager at theCork based family-run firm said the per-formance was “exceptional and well bey-ond the mileage that we have been get-ting out of another premium brand.” Infact, he expects nearly to double themileage achieved by previously fittedtyres.

The HD Hybrid is particularly suited toTarrant’s operation because of its broadrange of applications; the company’strucks average 160-180,000 km/year onjourneys that can take them as far asEastern Europe and North Africa. The

company has been trialling the HD Hybridon a FH13 Globetrotter XL which has apower rating of 460 bhp and a torque out-put of 2300 Nm. The tyre has proved wellable to handle these large amounts ofpower and torque as well as the highretarder forces exerted during steep hilldescents.

“The HD Hybrid tyre has also copedwell with the wide variety of road surfaceand climatic conditions that our trucksencounter on their long trips acrossEurope,” adds Tarrant. “It takes all thesevariations in its stride and performs equal-ly well in wintry conditions as in the heat,and as a tyre designed for a combinationof motorway and regional use it suits ouroperations perfectly.”

Tarrant International runs a fleet of 42top-of-the-range artics and over 100 trail-ers, including refrigerated, curtainsider,euroliner and tipping types. When repla-cing tyres, its current choice is theContinental HSR2 for steer axles, theHTR2 for the trailers and of course theHD Hybrid on the drive, all suppliedthrough local Conti360 dealer AdvancePitstop in Mallow.

On steer axles the Continental HSR2is Tarrant International's tyre of choice. Itfeatures intermediate blocks for extratraction, a deep cut and chip resistanttread compound and a tread design thatis resistant to scrub wear.

On its trailers the company uses theContinental HTR2 tyre. The low weight ofthis tyre contributes to better fuel econo-my and high mileage is achieved as aresult of the use of a precisely balancedcompound and the tyre's unique treadgeometry. The patented groove patternejects stones easily, reducing the risk oftyre damage, whilst keeping noise levelslow and within legal limits.

“We're very satisfied with the perfor-mance of our Continental tyres both onour tractor units and our trailers,” saysDonagh Tarrant. “They tick all the boxes interms of safety, high mileage, and goodperformance in all road and load conditi-ons and the HD Hybrid is proving particu-larly impressive. We also get excellentservice from our local Conti360? networkpartner, Advance Pitstop.” akb

Continental sales manager Noel McGrathand Surefreight director, Brian McManus

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Building on this position Hangzhou Zhongce’s flag-ship brand is spearheading the manufacturer’sefforts to increase international sales in the TBRsegment. Westlake representatives tell Tyres &Accessories that the company intends to add to its broad rangeof patterns and sizes in 2013, though two existing tyres arehighlighted as particularly suited to driving conditions inEurope.

Westlake’s CM993 drive axle tyre benefits from a widetread design, which works to improve mileage, and a largeblock design, which improves handling and traction on a rangeof road surfaces. Its rubber compound is also designed toincrease tread life.

The versatile CR976 front steer and trailer tyre aims to offerincreased ride comfort and noise reduction via an optimisedmulti-pitch distribution supported by the tread sipe design. TheCR976 also displays improved steering performance in both dryand wet conditions.

Westlake's extensive truck and bus tyre range is distributedthrough partner, tyre solutions and retread tyres supplier Vacu-Lug in the UK.

Infinity truck tyres – compliant around the worldShandong Linglong manufactured Infinity Tyres offer both

light and heavy radial truck tyres, with 15 dimensions availablefor the former, and a heavy truck radial range featuring over 20patterns in 40 dimensions.

Infinity Tyres meet major international standards includingDOT (USA), ECE (European), SASO (Middle East), and are inaddition REACH compliant for Europe. The brand says theInfinity truck tyre range has been developed “via major invest-ments in TBR engineering” to offer improvements in comfortand longevity, increasing value for money.

Infinity’s “flagship” patterns: F865 front steer (including295/80R22.5 and 315/80R22.5) and the D925 drive which offera mixture of excellent grip and outstanding wear, deliveringexcellent cost per mile results. Infinity also highlights Bandag’saccreditation for Infinity casing retreadability as a measure oftheir quality. akb

THE AL DOBOWI GROUP, UK importer ofLinglong TBR tyres, has announced anew distribution partnership with Essex’sG&S Tyre Services. Al Dobowi says G&Shas developed a reputation for providingan exemplary level of service to the UK

fleet market and demanding vehicle oper-ators, while G&S identified Linglong as abrand with UK market potential.

Gary Short, managing director of G&STyre Services Ltd. commented: “Werecognise the quality of Linglong as one

of the up-and-coming brands in the U.K.tyre market and as a leading Asian tyremanufacturer with impressive globalreach. We are confident that our custo-mers will be attracted by this new arrangement with Linglong, producing ahigh quality product at a price level tobenefit any cost-conscious operator”.

KK Singh, European TBR tyre salesmanager for Al Dobowi, added: “We aredelighted to partner with G&S TyreServices. As one of Asia’s leading TBR

tyre producers, Linglong’s range is ideallysuited to a quality tyre operation withsuch excellent retreading capabilities”.

In conjunction with the company’sstate of the art Bandag retread manu-facturing facilities, the addition ofLinglong’s extensive TBR range enhancesthe already impressive G&S product line-up.

Established in 1975, ShandongLinglong is now one of the world’s ‘Top20’ leading tyre producers with a capaci-ty of several million truck and bus radialtyres manufactured at its modern pro-duction facilities located in north-eastChina. akb

G&S Tyre Services appointed Linglong truck tyre distributor

CHINESE TYRE MANUFACTURER HangzhouZhongce Rubber Company Limited (ZCRubber) believes it is the world’s fourthlargest producer of truck and bus tyreswith a projected output of over 12 millionradial tyres in 2013, while the company’sbrand Westlake claims a “market-leadingposition in China”.

The WestlakeCM993 drivetyre

Westlake’s CR976front steer and trailer tyre

Infinity’s F865 steer tyre

The InfinityD925drive tyre

Al Dobowi European TBR tyre sales manager,KK Singh at new Linglong TBR distributor, G&S Tyre Services

Westlake – world’s fourth largest TBR producer?

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Sailun says the last three years have seen it establish a strongertruck tyre presence in Europe, from what it describes as “a relati-vely very low” base. The company states that its approach hasbeen through research and development, epitomised by the crea-tion and growth of a 400-strong Technical Quality and ResearchCentre at its company-owned manufacturing plant in Qingdao.

Having first entered the demanding North American truck tyremarket, Sailun began to develop its European distribution chan-nels in 2010. Key to its strategy was the need to identify and part-ner with specialist truck tyre distributors who would work toget-her with Sailun to develop and grow the local market. It believesfactory-generated test and performance data, along with rigoroustrial periods utilising distributors’ own vehicles, established theTBR range, giving distributors the confidence to recommendSailun to fleet and dealer customers.

Focussing on the major markets initially, Sailun recruited pro-fessional distributors partners across Europe – Kirkby Tyres

(United Kingdom), Doumerc (France),Andia (Germany), Intergomma (Italy) –interest across Scandinavia, the Balkans, Russia and the Iberianpeninsula has followed.

Benefitting from the adaptability of the TBR portfolio, Sailun ispleased with the growth it has achieved, reportedly claiming twoper cent market share in more developed territories. This growthhas been supported by extensive marketing investment, such asspecial brochures and major European trade show activities.

Martin West, managing director, Sailun (EMEA) commented:“We are delighted with the progress being made in the Europeantruck market. We will only work alongside professional and high-quality distributor partners – we have a quality product which dif-ferentiates itself in the market – we need to ensure the product iscorrectly positioned and supported locally. Our current distributorpartners are generating enormous interest – and are using theSailun tyres on their own fleet – personal endorsement. akb

Sailun encouraged by European truck market ‘progress’ Sailun’s S815

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Firenza truck casings are constructedto offer fleets and drivers an optimumdegree of longevity and mileageperformance for exceptional price formileage along with driving stability,minimised cabin noise and comfort.

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... REDUCED WEAR - EXTRA MILES - SAVING £’s



LIVERPOOL’S KIRKBY TYRES continues to promote DoubleCoin truck and bus radial tyres, having been sole UK and Irelandimporter for more than 20 years. This year the wholesaler madethe Chinese manufactured brand the focal point of its presenceat the Birmingham NEC’s Commercial Vehicles Show, andKirkby is convinced that it was “an overwhelming success” forDouble Coin.

Ben Santhouse, Double Coin sales specialist commented“The level of interest in the Double Coin range of TBR tyreswas unprecedented and far exceeded our expectations!” Hecontinued: “People are becoming more aware of the true valuethat Double Coin offers over its competition. There are notmany manufacturers that can boast the range and still keep tothe core values of quality and performance, if you couple thiswith the ability to re-groove and re-mould the casings; it is anoutstanding product.”

Kirkby staff working with Double Coin said they felt theyhad raised “real” interest in the brand, in addition to positivereports from customers already using the brand about thetyres’ value. The Double Coin range runs from 15” to 24” intruck and 49” in earthmover.

Kirkby says that some large haulage firms and fleet opera-tors commented repeatedly on the benefits of the comprehen-sive range that Double Coin offers. Kirkby aims to increase thelevel of its customer service for the brand through its nationaldealer network. The company claims it can offer consistent andreliable levels of supply through this core network of tyre out-lets, meaning that hauliers know that the Double Coin productis accessible where and when they need it.

Operating from a five acre distribution centre in Liverpooland warehousing in Dublin, Kirkby is able to supply the wholeof the UK and Irish market on a next day delivery basis. akb

Double Coin ‘an outstanding product’ – Kirkby Tyres



Maxxis is in it for the Long HaulPerhaps more renowned for its car and bike ranges, Maxxis provides a solution for awide variety of long and medium haul applications, manufactured with a tread com-pound intended to increase durability and shoulders designed using Virtual IntelligentPrototyping (VIP) technology to reduce wear. Maxxis explains that its VIP technologycombines a series of computer-aided analysis programs that lay out a framework for

each tyre’s design. The systemfactors in pressure points atvarying inflation levels and con-tact points to simulate corner-ing, acceleration, braking andthe effects of strain and wear.

Maxxis’ range of radial lighttruck tyres come with an extraskin, the Maxxis Triple Shield(MTS), with eight-ply and 10-plyratings meaning that thesetyres have a true three-ply side-wall construction, compared tothe more conventional two-plysidewalls. Maxxis reasons thatthis “extra skin” makes its trucktyres more robust and durable,as well as having greater side-wall puncture resistance.

UK managing directorDerek McMartin confirms thatproduct improvement has beenhigh on Maxxis’s agendarecently: “We pride ourselvesin the advanced technologythat goes into all of our pro-ducts, what we call OrangeEngineering. This principleunderpins all that we do andmeans that truck drivers canbenefit from the same commit-ment to quality as our supercardrivers.

“We believe that as one ofthe top ten tyre manufacturersworldwide we are currentlysupplying the industry’s mostreliable and affordable lighttruck tyres. Having recentlyincreased the capacity of ourmanufacturing facilities, we are looking forward to havingthe chance to distribute ourrange throughout the UK in thefuture.” akb



The Firenza SSR05A steer pat-tern incorporates a wider andflatter tread profile to givesmoother handling and increas-ed mileage performance. It iscurrently available in sizesfrom 215/75R17.5 through to315/80R22.5.

The Firenza SSD08 drivepattern offers a tread pattern toimprove traction control. It isavailable in a number of sizeoptions in both 70 and 80 pro-files, with additional drive pat-terns including the popular allposition SSM07 and the morerugged SSM10.

Firenza provide a choice oftwo Super Single patterns –the SST066 and the SSR055A.Both incorporate a solid shoul-der construction to safeguardagainst premature wear and a tread compound designed to increase mileage perfor-mance. The SST066 andSSR055A are available in sizesfrom 385/65R22.5 to 445/65R22.5

The entire Firenza trucktyre range is exclusively distri-buted throughout the UK byInternational Tyres in the WestMidlands, located to ensure aswift and efficient delivery ser-vice throughout England,Scotland and Wales. Firenzaadds: “Our truck tyre rangecontinues to grow in size andis professionally supported bythe respected expertise ofInternational Tyres and looksset to maintain and furtherimprove its position as a lead-ing alternative to premiumbrands. akb

Cosmo Tires deliver High Quality at a Great Value, truly giving customers their money’s worth. Cosmo Tires is constantly expanding their global market reach by adding new sizes and capacities to its already broad range of bias and radial tires while maintaining the highest quality and safety standards.

Orion Tires feature deeper treads, with Dura-Last™ Technology blending strength and durability, while providing wear protection—mile after mile. Dura-Last™ enhances both sidewall and shoulder areas for a longer, even wear and better fuel efficiency.

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295/75R22.5 385/65R22.5 245/70R19.5

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11R22.5 295/75R22.5 215/75R17.5

11R24.5 285/75R24.5 225/70R19.5

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400000000000000000OT40OTOTOT4T40T4T4T40T400T4T400T40040000OOOOOTOTOTTTTTOT400

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Firenza characterises its partnershipwith West Midlands based wholesalerInternational Tyres as “increasingly suc-cessful”, and the tyre supplier has been

working to increase its range to suitmore sizes and applications across thecommercial tyre segment in the UK andEurope.

Firenza range growth supported by International Tyres in UK

I


MOTORSPORT

In order to provide an extra element to both the strategy and over-all excitement of each BTCC race, every driver must use the softcompound in one of the three contests at nine of the ten eventsin 2013 – Thruxton being the exception.

In the opening round at Brands Hatch in March Dunlop saysthe tyre met all expectations, exemplified by Rob Austin’s chargefrom seventh on the grid in his Audi A4 to take the lead on the softcompound. As the tyre wore, Austin was caught by the chasingpack, leading to some exciting racing as he tried to cling onto posi-tion. He had to settle for third at the finish, highlighting the sort ofdisplay that could be expected over the course of the season.

“We’re absolutely delighted with how it has gone,” saidDunlop Motorsport’s Michael Butler. “Due to the timescale andextreme weather conditions over the winter it was a huge challen-ge to get everything ready for the first round, we did it, but we hadconfidence going into it based on our experience running the com-pound in endurance racing.

“We knew the family history of the compound well and so wewere pretty confident where it would stack up. The nature of cer-tain compounds requires heat in the tyre to make them performas desired, but despite the extremely cold temperatures we wentaway from Brands Hatch really pleased.”

Similar performances followed up and down the order over thenext few events, although with little pre-season testing the major-ity of the so called established teams tried to negate the perfor-mance difference by replicating the same strategy – usually run-

ning the soft tyre in race three. There were signs, however, following Colin Turkington’s race

one win at Croft in his Dunlop Sport Maxx soft-shod eBay MotorsBMW that tyre tactics were coming into play at the top order.Similarly, a two-day tyre test at Snetterton prior to last weekend’srace event armed teams and drivers with myriad of data, givingthem a better understanding of how best to use the compound.

On the Sunday cars running the soft tyre won two out of thethree races as Andrew Jordan hauled his Honda Civic from fifth onthe grid to take the win in the second contest in Norfolk. GordonShedden went from seventh to the top step of the podium in thefinal showdown.

Butler continued, “We’ve continued to learn about the charac-teristics of the soft tyre on certain cars and conditions and wewent to Snetterton with more data after a successful two-day tyretest we held there in July.

“The drivers’ understanding and obviously confidence hasgrown too so now we’re seeing it coming into play more often. Itwas an unknown quantity to the teams initially so they tried to can-cel each other out by running the compound in race three, but thatseems to be changing, and we’ve now seen two winners on thesame day using the Sport Maxx soft, so it’s clear that you can winon both compounds if teams make the right call.

“The whole programme has been a great challenging and veryrewarding, we’re delighted to add another dimension to the BTCCstory.” akb

BTCC soft tyre providing additional excitement – DunlopDUNLOP’S SOFT compound SportMaxx tyre, added to the BritishTouring Car Championship as anoption for nine out of the tenrounds, has added a new dimensi-on to the racing in this year’s series.Of the 15 races at which the soft tyrehas been made available, six victor-ies have been claimed on the tyre,including two on Sunday atSnetterton, while the medium versi-on has been used to win eight. Thefinal race at Croft was won by MattNeal on the Dunlop BluResponsewet tyre. Dunlop has been verysatisfied by the results of its winterdevelopment, having been asked toprovide an option tyre with increa-sed grip but reduced durability byseries organiser TOCA.

Colin Turkington took race one victory atCroft on the soft tyre

H


MOTORSPORT

Hankook says the softer compound Ventus RacePlus has allowed drivers to set faster lap times inthe first 30-60km of use, before the tyre’s perfor-mance drops off to levels below those offered bythe regular Ventus Race tyre. It is constructed tobehave in this way purposely to allow for moretactical racing, and with five races won by five dif-ferent drivers (albeit with one subsequently dis-qualified), the top five in the drivers’ standingswithin 24 points and all manufacturers with atleast one race victory, Hankook argues that thetyre has helped make the series more competi-tive.

At the season opener in Hockenheim in Maythe new super-fast tyre performed better thanexpected on the finely-grained asphalt with littledegradation leading to longer stints thanexpected. Spectators saw numerous overtakingmanoeuvres and entertaining duels.

At Brands Hatch in the south of England a fortnight later,Hankook’s base-line slick tyre played a bigger role. The optiontyre allowed for faster lap times for a while, but degraded signi-ficantly after an average of 30km on the twisty track with itsrough and open surface structure. “It was planned just like that,the Ventus Race Plus acts as a tactical measure to allow for fas-ter lap times for a limited time, but it should not replace the base-line tyre,” Hankook’s DTM race engineer Michael Eckert explain-ed. “After Hockenheim, I thought that we could use the optiontyres for a longer time. However, the standard tyre worked verywell,” said winner Mike Rockenfeller (Audi).

Spielberg, Austria presented teams with difficulties findingthe right balance between performance and consistency in qua-lifying, which has to be driven with race set-up, and must alsoconsider the particular characteristics of the option tyres that canonly be used during the race. Reigning DTM champion BrunoSpengler scored a dominant lights-to-flag victory. “I could drivereally long with the Hankook option tyres and achieve fast laptimes,” the BMW driver said.

On the technically demanding Lausitzring circuit’s tight infielda fortnight later the option tyre again played a major role.“Degradation was even less than at Spielberg, the new fastVentus Race Plus will last long,” Michael Eckert predicted. AndHankook’s DTM race engineer was right. Audi driver Mike

Rockenfeller moved up from sixth place on the grid to finishsecond, his fellow Audi driver Mattias Ekström even made up tenpositions thanks to the Ventus Race Plus. Gary Paffett(Mercedes-Benz) claimed the first season win for the Stuttgartmanufacturer.

The first half of the DTM season ended at the Norisring,where spectators got to see numerous overtaking manoeuvres,tough duels, which caused Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) andEdoardo Mortara (Audi) to retire, and excitement until the end.Having switched to option tyres early, Audi driver MattiasEkström had taken the lead and pulled a big gap. The Swede alsoremained in front after his final pit stop, just before the end, andsecured Audi’s first victory in Nuremberg since 2002. The joyover this historic win only lasted some five hours as the Swedewas disqualified because water had been poured into his racesuit in parc ferné before he was weighed. Audi’s appeal againstthis decision was turned down by the appeal court of theDeutscher Motor-Sport Bund (DMSB) last Tuesday. However, theother drivers don’t move up, as Ekström “didn’t have an advan-tage in competition, because his car was according to the regu-lations and he had achieved his victory on track in impeccablesporting conditions.” Audi accepted the decision and thus, thefifth DTM season round at the Norisring remains without a win-ner. Mercedes-Benz drivers Robert Wickens and ChristianVietoris were classified second and third. akb

Option tyre playing ‘major role’ in excitingDTM season - HankookThe introduction of an option tyre this year in DTM wassomething of an unknown quantity, as teams had noprevious data or experience with which to predict itsperformance. With one set available only for the race, itwas always going to be interesting to see how they

would be used, and the tyre supplier to the Germantouring car series (competing in international locati-ons) believes that its influence has had a positive effecton the action, heading into the second half of the sea-son.

Hankook’s DTM range includes the softer Ventus Race Plus in the 2013 season

AWWW.TYREPRESS.COM50 TYRES & ACCESSORIES 9/2013

COMPANY NEWS

According to representatives of bothcompanies, the deal is as much about ameeting of minds between the two firmsas about anything else, however whileApollo already has annual sales of US$2.34 billion the recent agreement to pur-chase Cooper Tire points to the compa-ny’s need to both rationalise its future

brand portfolio and build at least one ofits brands into a global name. With this inmind it is clear that with this latestannouncement, Apollo is looking to leve-rage the high-profile partnership withManchester United (which itself it alreadya global brand) while at the same timeraise awareness of its brand among

potential customers, business partnersand consumer audiences around theworld.

Commenting on the announcement,Onkar S Kanwar, chairman, Apollo TyresLtd said, “This is a very important part-nership for us as a company and clearlydemonstrates our global ambitions for

Manchester United names Apollo official tyre in UK and India

ON 21 AUGUST, Apollo Tyres signed a three-year partnership with Manchester United,which sees the company named as the official tyre of the world-famous football teamacross both the UK and India. Details of the investment associated with the deal havenot been released. What we do know is that as well as access to player appearancesin both countries the company will be making the most of its association with Man Uin online advertising as well as its marketing and point of sale material. In addition, ina development of its ‘go the distance’ philosophy, Apollo Tyres will create football-based play zones in local communities in the UK and India; these will feature recycledrubber and encourage healthy lifestyles among youngsters.

Apollo chairman Onkar S Kanwar(left) signs the three-year partnershipdeal as Manchester United groupmanaging director, Richard Arnold(right) looks on.

our business, and the brand. Very fewsports platforms deliver a global profileand awareness and we believe theimpact of this relationship will be signifi-cant in helping to make Apollo a globallyrecognisable brand.”

As we have seen, a key element ofthe partnership will be a joint communitycommitment to encourage young peopleto develop their sporting skills and healt-hier lifestyles. While no details of targetnumber of pitches (either in the UK orIndia) has yet been released, the first ‘gothe distance’ pitch will be built within thegrounds of Old Trafford before similar pit-ches are rolled out “across the UK andIndia.” This initiative will include somespecific skills challenges, encouragingusers of the Apollo football play zones toachieve excellence in control, agility,speed and precision.

Manchester United group managingdirector, Richard Arnold commented:“Apollo Tyres is a leading player in the tyreindustry and its rate of growth and deve-lopment into new territories made it anattractive partner for the Club. With acombined fan base close to 46 million fol-lowers in both the UK and India, we areconfident in providing Apollo with a capti-ve audience. This partnership will allowApollo not only to promote its brand, butalso to engage and communicate withour fans…”

At the official signing of the contractby Apollo Tyres chairman Onkar S Kanwar,managing director Neeraj Kanwar added:"[Linking] a tyre with Manchester Unitedtakes us to the next level." Asked why thecompany chose football and not anothermore directly linked marketing activity,such as motorsport for example, he said:

"We like to do things different".The fact that Neeraj Kanwar saidhe and his son had been Unitedfans "for over a decade" is unlike-ly to have harmed either.

Global reach?

As significant as the ManchesterUnited deal is in Apollo’s fast-moving brand history, it also hasto be put into context. First of all,Apollo’s investment makes it the36th firm to agree to sponsor thereds this season. AlthoughApollo’s three-year deal meansthat there is the chance thatother companies will not renewduring the subsequent seasons,there is still only so much mar-keting pie to go round and thebiggest slice undoubtedly goes

to businesses likeshirt-sponsor Aon.

It is also worthremembering thatApollo is not United’sonly tyre sponsor.

Back in January, Indonesian manufacturerMultistrada announced that it had agreeda partnership deal with Old Trafford too.While details about this contract are thin,it does appear that the Indonesian deal isfocused on Multistrada’s domestic mar-ket. Therefore due to the fact that thelocal language is based and entirely differ-ent script to Western languages, this isunlikely to dilute the impact of the Apollodeal too much. And the flip-side is alsotrue. Owing to the fact that Apollo hasfocused its partnership rights on UK andIndia, not only has the company gainedaccess to a single mature European mar-ket as well as an Anglophone emergingmarket (which also happens to be hometurf for Apollo), by virtue of the English-language both countries have in com-mon, the company has gained indirectaccess to the world. Who can stop presscoverage written in English – in either theUK or India – being distributed right roundthe world as well as one of the mostpopulated countries on Earth?

That said, and it should be clarifiedthat no-one vocalised this in as manywords, the Manchester United sponsor-ship doesn’t include any advertising hoardings at the ground. This means thatthe Apollo name won’t be picked up bythe global TV coverage that ManchesterUnite attracts. So, while it is clearly tooearly to say, one cannot deny that thenews has the feel of a phase one about it– phase one of Apollo’s global brand building strategy in general and phaseone of the company’s relationship withManchester United in particular.

[email protected]

Apollo managing director NeerajKanwar explained the company’sdecision to back football as opposedto motorsport as being because “welike to do things different”.


COMPANY NEWS


COMPANY NEWS

UPON ANNOUNCING first half 2013results, Michelin voiced its expect -ation that mature markets willcontin ue their recovery from lastyear’s weakness in the remainder ofthe year, while expansion should beseen in emerging markets. Shouldthis trend play out, the Frenchmanufacturer sees itself in goodstead to achieve its projected full-year volumes. This is all well andgood, however Michelin’s reportageof its latest results said little aboutthe first-half bottom line, which ismarkedly down on the same timelast year.

“Michelin’s first-half performance was inline with the 2013 objectives and atteststo the Group’s continuous improvementas it moves forward in its New Phase ofDynamic Growth,” stated chief executiveofficer JeanD o m i n i q u eSenard. “TheGroup confirmsits objectives for2013, with thetarget of report -ing stable oper -ating incomebefore non-recurring items, a more than ten per centreturn on capital employed and positivefree cash flow.”

Net sales amounted to €10,159 milli-on in the first six months of 2013, only ajot down on the €10,706 million earned inthe first half of last year. Volumes decrea-sed by 1.5 per cent in weaker marketsduring the first quarter but showed signsof improvement in the second. Saleswere lower across the company’s threeproduct areas - car and light truck netsales decreased 3.3 per cent in 1H 2013to €5.3 billion, net sales in the truck tyre

segment decreased 4.5 per cent year-on-year to €3.1 billion and net specialty tyresales dropped 11.3 per cent to €1.7 billion.

The price-mix pushed net sales downby €242 million, or 2.3 per cent. Michelinsays this reflects the €281 million negati-ve impact from contractual price reducti-ons based on raw materials indexationclauses and its price repositioning effortsin certain tyre sizes. It also comprised apositive €39 million impact from changesto the sales mix led byMichelin’s premium strategyin the 17-inch and larger pas-senger car tyre segment –Michelin reports above mar-ket average sales for theseproducts in all its majorregion al replacement markets. The nega-tive 1.4 per cent currency effect, whichreduced net sales by €143 million, result -ed from the stronger euro.

Consolidated operating income be -fore non-recurring items amounted to

€1,153 million or11.3 per cent ofnet sales in thefirst six monthsof 2013, downfrom €1,320 mil-lion and 12.3 percent result infirst-half 2012.Car and light

truck tyre operating income and margindecreased 5.3 to €550 million and 10.3per cent respectively. Truck tyre operatingincome declined to €203 million whileoperating margin rose 0.1 per cent year-on-year to 6.5 per cent. Net specialty tyreoperating income dropped 24.5 per centto €400 million and margin narrowed to23.3 per cent in the first half of this year.

Share price slip after 1H financials

Michelin shares fell 5 per cent after thepublication of its first half 2013 financial

results. Writing just a couple of hoursafter the earnings details had beenpublished, the Wall Street Journal opinedthat because first-half net profit fell 45per cent and because Michelin is taking a€250 million restructuring charge toimprove manufacturing efficiency someinvestors became unsettled and closedtheir positions. However, Michelin wasthe not the only firm suffering in Europeand mixed responses to British GDP

improvements and German businessconfidence are thought to have affectedinvestors too.

Summarising the news in a briefinvestor update published immediatelyafter Michelin’s financials were published,Deutsche Bank analysts reported that thecompany’s first half operating income of€1.15 billion (down 13 per cent year-on-year) was in line with consensus, but shyof Deutsche’s €1.2 billion estimate. Theirview is that this is down to “a small nega-tive price and mix [decline] net of rawmat which will reverse in the second half”.First half net profits of €507 million alsofell short of Deutsche Bank estimates of€570 million and a long way behind con-sensus expectations of €610 million.

Nevertheless the analysts appear tohave faith in the management’s beliefthat the business will have a strongersecond half thanks to positive volumeeffect and improved positive price andmix positioning. As a result, their full yearestimates of €2.4 billion of operating pro-fit (an increase of 15 per cent in thesecond half of the year) remain unchan-ged. sg/cja

Michelin: 1H performance ‘in line with objectives’But net income down 45% y-o-y

“Non-recurring expenses stood at €250million for the period, corresponding to therestructuring costs generated by current

projects that ‘aim to improve the competiti-veness of manufacturing operations’”.

(Michelin first half 2013 results statement).

Michelin first half 2013 figures at a glanceNet sales: €10,159 billionNet income: €1,153 billionManufacturing efficiency charge: €250 million

[email protected] HPT LtdDawson Road, Mount Farm, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK1 1QY Sales: 01908 625601 / 01908 625603 www.yokohama.co.uk


COMPANY NEWS

C

AAs a result of the less than happy news

Yokohama has revised down the 630 billi-

on yen sales projection it issued in

February 2013, to 610 billion yen. The new

figure equates to an increase of 9.0 per

cent over the previous year. However the

company retains the February projections

of 59 billion yen for operating income, an

increase of 18.7 per cent; and 36 billion

yen for net income, an increase of 10.4

per cent.

The official line is that a sharp declinein demand for original equipment tyres inJapan combined with generally weakdemand in overseas tyre markets along

with “escalating price competition in tyremarkets worldwide” were said to havebeen behind the profitable decline. Thatsaid sales and earnings benefited fromcost cutting measures and the weak-ening yen as well as declining raw mate-rial prices.

Tyre operations

Nevertheless sales within Yokohama'styre operations declined 0.6 per cent to209.8 billion yen. Operating income decli-ned 17.9 per cent to 13.9 billion yen.However Yokohama reports that it achiev-ed unit sales growth in Japan's replace-

ment tyre market, led by gains in fuel-saving tyres. The problem is that the high-er unit sales were of lower value pro-ducts as the domestic market shiftedtoward lower-priced products as a resultof escalating price competition.Overseas, tyre demand slumped inEurope and in China, and sales wereweak in North America.

Yokohama has announced an interimdividend of 10 yen per share, andmanagement has proposed a year-enddividend of 12 yen per share, whichwould bring the full-year dividend to 22yen per share. cja

Yokohama reports record 1H sales

Titan International reported second quarter 2013 salesof US$593.3 million 25 July 2013, up 29.2 per cent, com-pared to $459.2 million in the second quarter of 2012partially driven by acquisition growth. Gross profitincreased 5.6 per cent to $86.7 million, or 14.6 per centof net sales in the period, compared to $82.1 million insecond quarter 2012, or 17.9 per cent of net sales.However, second quarter income from operations was$36.9 million compared to $81.0 million last year.

Chairman and CEO, Maurice M. Taylor commented: "Titan con-tinues to execute our business strategy through acquisitionsand product innovation. Titan is making the focused invest-ments needed to deliver the long term growth opportunities tothe company.”

Referring to news of the company’s latest acquisition move,this time in Russia, he added: “Titan is planning to close on thepurchase of Voltyre-Prom, which is the leading producer of agri-cultural and industrial tyres in Russia, no later than 1September 2013. This acquisition will increase our internationalfootprint and be Titan's base for other acquisitions in the CISregion. The South American farm tyre market is getting stron-ger for Titan and we look to establish wheel manufacturing in

the region to complement the tyre offering in the coming year.Along with these strategic moves, we continue to tighten costsacross the company.”

And this, it seems, is the basis for the company’s optimist-ic outlook for the second half of the year: "As a result of acqui-sitions, Titan will see record revenue in the second half of 2013.If the markets remain as they are, Titan will continue its growthsimilar to the last few years…Titan's primary business is farmtyres and wheels where volume has remained strong. Titanhas been building the Goodyear farm tyre brand since 2006 asrepresented by our leading market share in North America. Webelieve that this American brand will allow Titan to gain greatermarket share in the coming years although, the constructionmarket continues to show signs of weakness.”

Titan’s sales increased approximately 38 per cent from theaddition of recently acquired entities including $154.4 million atTitan Europe. Net sales for the first half of 2013 were $1,171.7million, compared to $922.3 million in the first half of 2012, anincrease of 27 per cent. Year to date sales increased approxi-mately 36 per cent due to recent acquisitions of which $303.1million is attributed to revenue from Titan Europe. Howevergrowth was partially offset by price/mix reduction from lowerraw material prices and unfavourable currency translation. cja

Titan 2Q sales up 29%

THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD., reported record first half sales for the first six months of 2013.According to the company, net sales edged up 0.3 per cent over the same period of the previousyear, to 269.7 billion yen. However, while sales were high, profitability took a hit. Operating incomedeclined 4.2 per cent, to 19.1 billion yen, and net income was down 5.3 per cent, to 13.0 billion yen.The tyre division appears to have borne the brunt of this.

F


COMPANY NEWS

From the end of September, Tyrepress will offer morefunctionality and features than ever before. As well as aclear and intuitive layout for PC, tablet or smartphone,the site features enhanced advertising opportunities aswell as a brand-new tyre test area and completely over-hauled jobs and business directory sections.

"This significant investment in the re-launch showsthe importance we attach to our online media for thebenefit of our readers and our customers," explainedKlaus Haddenbrock, publisher of Tyres & Accessoriesand its German and Italian sister titles NeueReifenzeitung and PneusNews.it. Demonstrating theincreasing scope of our European publishing group, thenew website has been developed in close cooperationwith our German and Italian counterparts.

The addition of responsive design positions enables thenew Tyrepress site to make the most of the upswing in mobileinternet use. The goal is to make our sites as accessible as pos-sible, on as many devices as we can, while offering virtually allthe functionality enjoyed by those using the desktop site.

As a result, all our news is available ‘on the go’ and is readyto capitalise on our burgeoning social network connectivity.This step will reinforce Tyres & Accessories and Tyrepress’scentral position within the tyre and wheel market and enable usto continue effectively connecting with professionals in the UK,Europe and around the globe. You – our existing and also ournew readers – are important to us, and we look forward to hea-ring from you. Therefore our new site will offer everyone in theindustry a forum where they can exchange ideas and shareviews.

"We have all worked hard during the course of the past fewmonths with a view to the parallel relaunch of our UK, Germanand Italian websites, and have striven to provide our customerswith a site that features a modern look as well as advancedadvertising opportunities," Haddenbrock continued, adding:"Our business partners have the ideal platform to promote theiradvertising banners to the market. At the same time, we nowalso offer innovative forms of advertising designed to extendthe reach and maximise the effectiveness of advertising cam-paigns.”

In addition to a wider than ever range of display advertisingoptions (including some striking new possibilities), the newwebsite also offers an extensive Business Directory wherecompanies can present themselves to the degree and impactthat they chose. Following on from the launch of our jobsnewsletter earlier this year, we have also redeveloped our jobssection in order to deliver a platform for matching the rightpeople with the right jobs – both of which are likely to be rea-ders and contacts of T&A.

Through these changes, our aim is that Tyres & Accessoriesand Tyrepress will further develop into the essential informationsource for everyone in the tyre and wheel business, and wewill continue to support both products with our ever-popular e-Newsletter – a product that by the end of the year will likely besent to more than 20,000 individual e-mail addresses.

"Together with our colleagues in Germany and Italy, wehave for you - our readers as well as our advertisers - investedin a completely new website that gives your business and yourcustomers access to the most important information whenthey need it – all in a simple and pleasant way. Or in otherwords: information with added value. We look forward to therelaunch of our popular websites at the end of September,"publisher Klaus Haddenbrock concluded. cja

Information with added valueTyrepress upgraded and relaunchedIN JUST A FEW DAYS’ TIME, a completely upgraded Tyrepress will be unveiled. We’ve listenedto feedback from within the industry and taken stock of the increasing demand for ouronline services, and the result is a totally redesigned site with improved mobile and tabletfunctionality along with more user friendly search and navigation.

For more information please contact [email protected]

Reifenpresse.deEin Service der NEUE REIFENZEITUNG

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Michelin’s new fitments forPorsche, Ferrari

EXTENDING ITS RELATIONSHIP with Porsche once again,Michelin has announced the release of a new PilotSuper Sport tyre for the Carrera GT. The manufacturerclaims the new version of the tyre “noticeably enhan-ces the handling of the 1,270 versions of the supersports car built between 2003 and 2006.” The tyre hasbeen brought in to replace the current Pilot Sport PS2fitment, updating the specific fitment provided to themodel by the French manufacturer. Michelin has beendeveloping new specifications of the Pilot Super Sportfor the luxury car market since its introduction in late2010.

Michelin thinks of the latest model as the result of ten years oftyre development. It is designed to give drivers of the CarreraGT noticeably improved handling, even faster lap times and amore harmonious driving experience overall. The new tyre will

improve the stability of the Porsche model at its top speed of330 km/h, Michelin continues, as well as its behaviour at highlateral acceleration speeds, due to the new structure, whichfeatures the Porsche specification ‘N0’ on the sidewalls.

The tread compound of the Pilot Super Sport, which ismanufactured on the same production line as Michelin’s racingtyres, features what Michelin calls “Bi-Compound” technology.In this, different rubber compounds are used for the inside andoutside of the tread area, a feature designed to increase grip onbends and steering response precision.

Internally, the tyre’s casing belt is made from an especiallydurable mix of aramid fibres which are five times lighter than steelbut deliver the same tensile strength. In addition, Michelin’s“Variable Contact Patch 2.0” technology distributes the pressureevenly across the tyre, meaning as much of the tread as possibleis always in contact with the road under any driving conditions.

Alongside optimised performance criteria, Michelin says thetyres will last longer too: compared to the previous tyre, milea-

During the month of August, Michelingave word of original equipment supply toa pair of cars most of us would happilypark in the garage at home.

The new, Michelin-shod 458Speciale

Michelinsays thenew PilotSuper Sport“noticeably

enhances”the perfor-

mance of theCarrera GT

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ARGUABLY THE BEST known product to come out of thetyre industry is one you can’t buy for love or money.And it’s not even a tyre…We are, of course, talkingabout the Pirelli Calendar, and next year marks the 50thanniversary of the first edition. To ensure the occasionis suitably acknowledged, Pirelli has commissionedfashion photographers Peter Lindbergh and PatrickDemarchelier to photograph an anniversary calendar.

Preview photos of this work were released in August now doingthe rounds, and this peek at the anniversary Calendar showsLindbergh and Demarchelier have opted for a ‘more is more’approach – the models, all ofwhom appeared in previo-us editions, are morecovered up than those insome past Calendars.Amongst the beautiesmaking a return appearancein the 50th anniversary Calare Miranda Kerr, AlessandraAmbrossio, HelenaChristensen, KarolinaKurkova, Isabeli Fontana andAlek Wek. In the preview pho-tos, the protagonists areshown wearing various itemsof apparel, including whiteshirts and black jumpers.

The seminal 1964 Calendarwas shot by Robert Freeman,the photographer who snappedthe Beatles’ “magical” tours.Pirelli describes this first work asan immediate success and it

was followed by other high-profile editions, however it almost metwith a premature demise when the world was set reeling by theOPEC crises. The Italian firm suspended publication of the Calafter the 1974 edition, and for a decade the institution remained fal-low. It was finally revived in 1985 and hasn’t missed a year since.

Quite separately from the work by Lindbergh andDemarchelier, in November the Italian tyre maker will unveil its2014 Calendar. So far Pirelli has remained tight-lipped about whatawaits us, and the previous few years have shown that the Cal ishard to pigeonhole. Mario Sorrenti’s 2012 skin-fest was followedup by a very different work by Steve McCurry. And more than a

few people were taken aback in2011 when Karl Lagerfeld’s Calfeatured – shock, horror – men.

For a tyre maker with a glo-bal presence, the Calendar is aproject that needs to be careful-ly approached. Each year Pirellifaces the unenviable task ofremaining true to the spirit ofthe Cal while ensuring itdoesn’t offend. We need onlywait until November to seewhether Pirelli has managedto set the right tone in this

golden anniversa-ry year. sg

59TYRES & ACCESSORIES 9/2013

PRODUCT INFORMATION

ge is up to 10 per cent higher on the road, and as much as 20 percent higher when the tyres are used on tough race tracks,Michelin claims. The new tyre also improves braking performance.

Michelin believes the tyre exemplifies its Total Performanceethos because it offers high levels of performance in all areaswithout compromising on any others, the company claims. Thenew Michelin Pilot Super Sport Carrera GT tyres are availablenow in 265/35ZR19 98Y N0 and 335/30ZR20 108Y N0 sizes.

Pilot Sport Cup 2 exclusive for Ferrari’s new 458 Speciale

Shortly after announcing its new tyre for the Carrera GT,Michelin announced its global, and exclusive, supply tyres forthe new Ferrari 458 Speciale. In developing its new Pilot Sport

Cup 2 for the Ferrari, Michelin says it and the Italian car maker“pooled their cutting-edge engineering resources, wheelassembly expertise, passion for performance, measuring tech-nology and the skills and analytical capabilities of their devel-opers and test drivers.”

The French tyre maker adds that the simultaneous co-deve-lopment of the tyre and the car, through tests on both the simu-lator and the track, has led to superior performance in threespecific areas that were identified prior to the start of the pro-ject: faster lap time on dry asphalt, consistent performance lapafter lap and optimal grip on wet roads.

Ferrari’s debut for the 458 Speciale took place at the FrankfurtMotor Show. Michelin is supplying the Pilot Sport Cup 2 in thesizes 245/35 ZR 20 91 Y and 305/30 ZR 20 103 Y. akb/sg

Pirelli gives a taste of 50th anniversary Cal

A preview pic from Lindbergh and

Demarchelier’s 50th anniversary Cal

The Calendarhas develo-pedsomewhatsince the firstedition in1964


PRODUCT INFORMATION

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Trelleborg launching ProgressiveTraction technology

After two years of intensive numerical simulations aswell as indoor and outdoor testing, Trelleborg reportsthat the first application of this technology comes inthe form of 650/65R38 agricultural tyre. This means anew tread, with a double lug feature said to be a keyhighlight.

Piero Mancinelli, R&D director, TrelleborgAgricultural and Forestry tires, said: “When it comesto innovation for farming, this new concept tyre is atangible example of Trelleborg’s ability to think out ofthe box when searching for new solutions that up-grade the performance of radial agricultural tyre, lift-ing them to new standards.

“The new generation of tractors and transmissi-ons continuously offer farmers more power and tor-que. To cope with these requirements, agriculturaltyres have been growing both in terms of width and

overall diameter,becoming larger andlarger. The ambition of ProgressiveTraction technol-ogy is to increase tyre efficiency and performance bysimultaneously working on the tire’s dimension whilere-engineering the traditional tread.”

The new tread of the ProgressiveTraction tyre ischaracterized by a special double lug that operates onthe soil at different times, progressively releasing higher traction when and where it is needed. Thedouble lug is also said to provide the tyre with betterfloatation capability, ensuring an even pressure dis-tribution over the extra wide footprint.

The project is now in its final phase and proto-types are undergoing a variety of field tests to meas-ure and benchmark product performance, both onand off road. According to the company, the initialresults have exceeded expectations. This means atraction capacity over 10 per cent higher standardtechnology tyres. Moreover, the extra pulling forcereportedly resulted in a three to five per cent reduction of working time, providing farming operat-ions with substantial cost savings.

In addition higher floatation results and betterpressure distribution on the ground are said to beavailable. And this is paired with better wear, fuelconsumption, driver comfort, and handling on roadsurfaces.

“We invite farming professionals to our stand totouch and become acquainted with our latest innova-tion. Feedback will be welcomed to help shape thefuture of this new tire concept. According to theTrelleborg Blue Dimension approach, our goal is tohave the ProgressiveTraction concept applied to ourtyre range soon, to offer farming higher efficiencyand productivity with the maximum respect of theenvironment,” concluded Mancinelli. cja

TRELLEBORG HAS ANNOUNCED plans to launch what it calls ProgressiveTractiontechnology with a feature at the forthcoming Agritechnica 2013 exhibitionwhich is due to take place from 10 to 16 November in Hannover, Germany.The technology is designed to improve grip and weight distribution, whilealso improving wear and fuel consumption performance.

Trelleborg and OK Tire Store partner at WorldPlowing Contest

Trelleborg and OK Tire Store participated in the World Plowing Contestheld 19 – 20 July 2013 in Alberta, Canada. During the two day champion-ship, 60 competitors from over 30 countries took part in conventional andreversible ploughing classes on both stubble and grass plots.

Bob Etherington, Canadian Sales Representative for Trelleborg NorthAmerica Agricultural and Forestry tyres, says: “In Trelleborg we believethat the World Plowing Contest is a great initiative to promote, excellen-ce and passion in the farm business. That’s why we are glad to sponsorthese types of events.

“The event was a great success and we would like to extend ourthanks to the Canadian Plowing Organization and the Olds College cam-pus in Olds, Alberta. They showed professionalism and excellent organi-zation during the event. We would also like to thank all the participantsfor their interest in our products and, last but not least, to our OK TireStore for partnering with us during this event.” cja

Our language is tyres.

The group:

Reifenpresse.deEin Service der NEUE REIFENZEITUNG

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REIFEN CHINA

With China now the largest car and tyre producing marketing onearth, and with five Chinese tyre makers in the global top 20 itsimportance in the global landscape cannot be (and generally isn’t)ignored. In addition to scale, the largest Chinese manufacturersare increasingly investing in up-ing the standards of products theyproducts, with their eyes on the global OE prize. The fact thatimport tariffs and labelling laws are coming and going in the midstof this means things are far from simple. And the fact that thespectres of domestic and global consolidation are hoveringaround us makes this an even more complex and compellingtopic. With this in mind, Tyre & Accessories looks forward to attending this year’s Reifen China exhibition in Shanghai – not onlyfor what goes on show days inside the hall, but for what the con-nections we make inside the trade fair tell us about what is goingon in the rest of the market.

When this year’s show opens its doors between 13 and 15November 2013 at the Shanghai New International Expo the atleast 120 exhibits will cover a total of 11,500 square metres. Aswell as a wealth of domestic Chinese firms, exhibitors are travel-ling in from all over the world including: Belgium, Germany,Russia, Netherlands, Malaysia, USA, UAE, Poland, Japan, India,UK and Thailand. All this is expected to draw in an estimated11,000 visitors.

In a demonstration of the show’s influence, all of the top 15Chinese tyre manufacturers will participate by showing theirrespective ranges passenger car commercial vehicle, earthmover,agricultural and industrial tyres. Another detail worth highlightingalong this vein is the fact that Reifen China’s reputation as theplace to contact manufacturers directly is sustained once againthis year with 45 per cent of exhibits promoting tyre manufactu-rers while another 40 per cent represent was trading companies.

New attractions

This year the show organisers are particularly pointing out the pre-sence of motorcycle tyre makers and – in what is a developmentfor the show – an increased emphasis on retreading. Before oneor two specialist retreading equipment manufacturers were visi-ble, but now we are told to expect retreaded tyre manufacturesand repair material companies to be “the new highlight of theshow”.

It is also worth considering business environment the show isbeing held in. Indeed with domestic Chinese tyre manufacturingconfidence returning are exports about to speed up?

The latest data suggests that rubber prices are entering a “bullmarket” as futures hit a three-month high following indicationsthat China's economy is likely to demand more rubber for tyres.

According to a Bloomberg report, rubber for delivery in Januaryadvanced as much as 3.2 per cent to 278 yen a kilogramme (2,817a metric tonne) on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange, 22 per centup from this year’s lowest close.

With increased oil prices caused by tensions in the MiddleEast it doesn’t make any difference whether we are talking aboutnatural or Synthetic rubber. The end result will be increased pricesfor the tyre manufacturers and therefore increased tyre pricesfrom the manufacturers into the markets.

"Rubber resumed a rally as optimism grew that Europe's eco-nomy may solidify its recovery and the Chinese growth may beaccelerating, leading to an expansion in demand," said KazuhikoSaito, chief analyst at broker Fujitomi Co in Tokyo.

China accounts for 33 per cent of global demand and tyresrepresent 70 per cent of natural-rubber consumption in the coun-try, according to estimates from the Qingdao International RubberExchange Market. In addition The Cooper Chengshan strike show-ed us that they are becoming increasingly aware of their place inthe global market and no-doubt the willingness to defend thevalue of Chinese brands will only increase as time goes by.

Talking points

In addition the ongoing discussions about labelling trade protecti-on measures such as tariffs continue to be talking points. Thelatest addition to this are the reports that Tyres & Accessoriesrecently heard that OTR tyres are not specifically covered by cleanoil legislation and therefore cannot be bound by it. This in turn islikely to result in renewed interest in sourcing such products fromChina and therefore further competing on price with tyres produ-ced inside the EU and for other EV. But there is a cautionary note.While the logic of the report sounds credible, this has not yetbeen confirmed either a third party general or the EU in particular.Nevertheless these are all good reasons to visit the show and findout more about this and other trends. [email protected]

Reifen China’s organisers expect toattract up to 11,000 people this year.

Reifen China expect 11,000 visitors and the entire top 14Chinese manufacturers in November

Gaining speed


REIFEN CHINA

TMesnac acquires Test Measurement SystemsTyre equipment manufacturer and soft-ware provider Mesnac has purchased amajority interest in US firm Test Measure-ment Systems, Inc. (TSMI) for an un-disclosed amount. The TSMI brand andidentity will be retained following the deal,states Mesnac. Dr. Jerry Potts, CEO ofthe Akron-based firm, and other seniorTSMI management staff will remain withthe business and work with Mesnac toidentify opportunities for growth, productinnovation and diversification.

TMSI, which was founded in 1991,specialises in the design and manufactureof custom-designed scientific and testengineering systems for the tyre andautomotive industries. “Development of

the next generation of test and measure-ment machines will be greatly enhancedby the acquisition of TMSI and the contribution from Dr. Potts and his team,”said Mesnac president Wang Jinjian. “The collaboration between TMSI andMesnac’s global R&D facilities, especiallythe R&D institute in Asia, will greatlyenhance our ability to provide global cust-omers with leading edge technology.”

Mesnac supplies a wide range of tyremanufacturing equipment, ranging fromraw material mixing to final product test-ing. In its home country it operatesresearch institutes in Qingdao andBeijing, and internationally in the UK,Europe and US. It also has sales and

service operations in North and LatinAmerica, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Indiaand China. “Mesnac’s global marketingand service network will provide TMSIwith strong growth prospects and whichwill bring our customers more value-added solutions and services,” comment-ed Dr. Potts.

Zheng Jiangjia, president of Mesnac’ssales and marketing group, added: “Weare looking forward to incorporating theTMSI equipment into our global productrange which enhances our ability to offerour customers an extended variety ofworld class testing machines.” sg

TECHNOLGY IN MOTION

With 17 years experiences in tire R & D and manufacturing,KK Tokyo Nihoon Rubber Corp. established Japan Toyomoto Tire Corp. to promote and build up To y o m o t o brand t i res on the international markets in 2010. Toyomoto products cover a full range of UHP, PCR, SUV, LTR and TBR, while Toyomoto OTR Division works for OTR and earthmoving Giant tires with technical soluitons. Toyomoto tires a re also well certified for different markets.

@toyomoto @toyomototirewww.toyomototire.comwww.toyomoto-otr.cominfo@toyomototire.jpCustomer Service: 400-816-2010


REIFEN CHINA

The official word is that there are no cur-rent plans to pursue this project.However, investing in the area does notappear to have been ruled out complete-ly as the denial was tempered with thequalification that there are no plans topursue this any further for “at least threeyears”. Of course this does not mean thatthe company will re-initiate talks at thispoint, but there is nothing to say that theywill not at some point in the future.

What we do know is that the variousnews sources that reported Triangle Tirewas planning on taking its internationaloperations to the next level with theinvestment of some 250 million euros ina new tyre factory in the WesternRussian Republic of Bashkortostan werenot entirely wrong. The unconfirmedreports had suggest that the new plantwill be built in one of two areas nearSterlitamak and that the government isoffering Triangle a subsidy that will savethe company as much as 10 years’ pro-perty tax. In addition one source said theRepublic of Bashkortostan is expected tofoot the bill for related public infrastructu-re costs in this scenario. However thiswas contested by other reports (Chinese

news site cnsjzx.cn) which suggestedthat the People’s Republic of China willbear the costs of preparatory constructi-on work such as pipelines and utilities.Either way Triangle hasn’t confirmed anyof these details, leaving other sources tofill in the blanks.

Russian market firm AutostatAnalytic Agency surmised that the ratio-nale for the proposed move lay in theconnection with Chinese OEMs situationin the vicinity. “Among potential clients[are], first of all, Chinese car producers,vehicles of which are produced in the ter-ritory of our country.”

And this is concordant with an officialstatement from the company dated 13September 2013, which confirmed thatDing Yuhua visited the Republic ofBashkortostan, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast,Kaluga Oblast, Ara Slavic and Moscow inRussia between July and August 2012.The statement said that the aim of thetalks was to gain “more knowledge oflocal tyre market, OE business and tyremanufacturing information.”

Rapid international growth

For its part cnsjzx.cn pointed toTriangle’s rapid recent growth as anindication of the sense behind thecompany making a hypothetical movetowards Russia. According to the site, in 2011 Triangle’s export volumedoubled. Furthermore the source saidTriangle tyre sales in the Russian mar-ket grew 186 per cent year-on-year,while sales to “central Asia and othercountries” grew 63 per cent. In addit-ion, exports to Brazil are said to haverisen 179 per cent year-on-year bet-

ween 2011 and 2012 while sales to SouthAmerica in general grew 83 per cent inthe period.

According to market data producedby competing Russian tyre brandCordiant, some 366,000 Triangle tyreswere sold in the Russian market in 2011.This includes 119,000 passenger cartyres. However growth is said to havebeen very fast. By the end of the firstquarter of 2012 they had already beatenthis figure by some 50 per cent with unitsales totalling 180,000 tyres. This repor-tedly equates to a market share of 3.3 percent in the truck tyre sector and 0.98 percent in the passenger car market. At thesame point in 2012, Triangle is said tohave held a 1.07 per cent share of theRussian industrial tyre market.

With this combined export and OEbackground in mind you can imagine whyTriangle may be interested in establishinga Russian factory at some point, if notnow. And it certainly fits in with the toneof Triangle’s wider activities – as previous-ly reported (see Tyres & Accessories June2013), the firm bought a 10 per cent shareof its UK importer TYM International ear-lier this year as well as similar agree-ments with Australia’s Consolidated TyreCompany and Russia’s SP LLC-TyreService Provider. Some observers seethe moves as part of a longer term globalexpansion strategy being adopted by theChinese tyre manufacturer. Indeed T&Aunderstands that other internationalmanufacturing plans have been mooted.But with Triangle having done business inRussia for 15 years before this point. It isanyone’s guess how long any potentialplans may take to come to fruition, if atall. [email protected]

Triangle: no Russian tyre plant…for now

Triangle Tire representatives have denied online reports that the company is planning to invest in aRussian tyre production facility any time soon. Following online reports which surfaced in August, Tyres& Accessories contacted the company and its UK importer TYM International. According to TYM mana-ging director Steve Eke, there were talks with Russian government officials along these lines last year,but at the start of 2013 the decision was taken not to follow these through any further.

Rumours of a Bashkortostan manufacturing site resurfaceand are denied


REIFEN CHINA

Dynacargo toexport to the US

Strong export growth atJiangxi Black Cat

ALL-STEEL TRUCK RADIAL TYRE manufacturerDynacargo began exporting to the United States earlierthis year. According to online news reports, Dynacargo (amember company of Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum(Group) Co., Ltd.-Kaidi Xixiang Company) has gained per-mission from Shaanxi Entry-Exit Inspection andQuarantine Bureau to export to the North American mar-ket.

The reports suggest the development “is a sign ofthe emergence of self-developed tyre in the internationalmarket.” The first batch of tyre exports amounted to afairly modest 784 units. The fact that the range includedtwo sizes and four patterns (six products in all) suggeststhe company is targeting a specific part of the market inthe first instance. cja

Reports: Yitao Rubber and South China sign JV agreementONLINE NEWS SOURCES ARE reporting that South ChinaTire & Rubber Co., Ltd. and Guangzhou Yitao RubberManufacture Co., Ltd. have signed cooperation agreement

at a ceremony celebrating thecreation of the GuangzhouHuayiyang Co., Limited joint ven-ture.

South China Tire & Rubbergeneral manager Zou Yongzhisaid that through their jointeffort, they are likely to competewith the world-leading tyre cor-porations.

With a reported annual out-put of 12.5 million units, SouthChina Tire & Rubber is said tohave become the largest radialtyre manufacturer in southernChina. Guangzhou Yitao is a pri-vate enterprise which specializedin rubber air spring and has anannual output of 900,000. It isannounced that the newly estab-lished company is supposed toproduce 5 million units and make1.5 billion yuan per year. cja

JIANGXI BLACK CAT CARBON Black (Black Cat Inc.) reports thatexports are growing fast after the firm redoubled efforts to improve“product quality, technology innovation” as well as expanding coope-ration with certain leading international companies such asBridgestone and Michelin.

Owing to the fact that the market has been influenced by theEuropean debt crisis as well as fluctuations in market demand,Chinese domestic carbon black manufacturers have been having arough ride recently. However, Black Cat Inc reports that it achievedsales equivalent to US$115 million in 2012.

In May 2012 Chinese rubber association CRIA reported that BlackCat Inc. was the largest Chinese carbon black manufacturer with salesof 3.38 billion yuan. The firm was the 20th largest when new tyremanufacturers were ranked alongside suppliers.

According to the company, invests 3 per cent its annual sales reve-nue in research and development of new products. The company alsohas an agreement with Qingdao Technology University as well as othereducation institutions with a view to training the innovators of the futu-re. So far, Black Cat Inc. owns more than 10 independent intellectualproperty rights and it has been awarded with more than 20 honorarytitles including: “National High-tech Enterprise”, „Advanced Enterprisein Scientific-technical Progress“ by rubber industry association.

Black Cat Inc. has passed the ISO9001 QMSC, ISO14001 EMS aswell as GB/T18001 OHSMS certification. According to the company,its testing centre has passed the Chinese National LaboratoryAccreditation. cja

Nov.13-15, 2013

SHANGHAI · CHINA

Further information:Messe Essen GmbH · Phone: +49 201 72 44-727 · Fax: +49 201 72 44-435

E-Mail: [email protected] · www.reifen-china.com

China United Rubber Corporation Phone: +86 10 5865 0277 · Fax: +86 10 5865 0288

E-Mail: [email protected] · www.reifenchina.com



Chinese market tyres – worse or just different?Auto Bild’s comparative test raises questions

TYRES FROM CHINESE MANUFACTURERS often rank poorly in comparative tests undertaken byEuropean publications, marked down for their performance in the all-important areas of wet brakingand handling. Indeed, in the 2012 tyre braking test held by German motoring publication Auto Bild,nine of the bottom-ranking ten tyres (out of 50) were Chinese made brands. Yet Chinese tyres oftenreceive respectable marks for wear and comfort – features that are consumer priorities in China. Soit was interesting to see the outcome of another Auto Bild test published over the summer (issue30/2013). The publication pitted ten Chinese tyres against a single European market tyre, but thistime the ‘Chinese’ tyres were largely produced by top ten global manufacturers and intended forsale in the Chinese market. How would they get on in a European evaluation?

Testing was carried out at Continental’sContidrom test facility in Germany usingsize 205/55 R 16 tyres mounted onEuropean market Volkswagen Golf hatch-backs. The eleven tyres were put througha series of tests and rated according tothe criteria Auto Bild typically uses whenconducting tyre tests.

Representing Europe for the pur-poses of the test was a ContiPremiumContact 5, the presence of an ECE typeapproval mark testifying that theContinental tyre was manufactured forthe European market. Up against theConti tyre were ten same-size tyres fromEuropean, US and Asian manufacturers,including Michelin, Bridgestone,Goodyear, Pirelli and Hankook – but notContinental (a Continental representativetold T&A the tyres used were solelyselected by Auto Bild, and the choice oftyre was in no way influenced byContinental). Each of the ten tyres wasproduced for sale in China and none areofficially sold in Europe, therefore atleast in theory they shouldn’t be foundon our roads at all.

How they performed

The ten Chinese tyres and the Europeanbenchmark were put through their pacesin tests that measured handling, brakingride comfort, external noise and rolling

resistance in the dry plus aquaplaning(on the straight and in curves), circulardriving and braking in wet conditions.

Representatives from global tyremakers that are active in China tell Tyres& Accessories that motorists thereexpect tyres to be quiet, comfortableand durable, and therefore it was not sur-prising to see the Chinese market tyresperforming well in related test criteria. Inthe area of external road noise all tenChinese market tyres beat the Europeanmarket Continental tyre and all gainedgood results for ride comfort (eventhough the Continental tyre took firstplace).

But it was an entirely different matterwhen the Chinese market tyres weretaken out of their comfort zone and eva-l uated using criteria important toEuropean consumers. In Auto Bild’swords, the wet braking test “separatedthe wheat from the chaff.” When brakingfrom 100km/h (62.1mph), theContinental tyre stopped in 45.8 metres,a whole 7.5 metres before the secondbest performing tyre, the BridgestoneTuranza T001. The worst performing tyrein the test, the Sumitomo RubberIndustries-produced Dunlop SP TouringT1, took an additional 23.7 metres tostop. When it came to straight line aqua-planing and wet handling, the Chinesemarket Bridgestone tyre also performed

well, returning a better result than theEuropean market Continental in the firstof these tests. The Chinese market PirelliCinturato P1 also performed well in theaquaplaning test and the GoodyearEfficient Grip in the wet handling. In lastplace once again was the Dunlop SPTouring T1.

The overall average rating for the fivewet weather tests saw the Continentaltyre on top with a ‘very good’ result. TheBridgestone tyre also delivered respect -able performance, followed by theGoodyear and Pirelli products. Last placewas occupied by the Dunlop tyre.Average results for the five dry weathertests saw the Continental and Goodyeartyres taking equal first place, withBridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin, Giti andYokohama brand tyres close behind. Lastplace was a draw between the ChaoYang Radial RP26 and the Dunlop SPTouring T1.

At this point it should be noted thatDunlop tyres sold in Asia, unlike those inEurope and North America, are not pro-duced by Goodyear Dunlop. It is also nocoincidence that the SP Touring T1, thetyre that bombed when it came to wethandling and braking, scored equalsecond for rolling noise and performedrespectably in the comfort and rollingresistance criteria. A grippy, “safe” tyreis by nature a noisy tyre and often has

The comparative test was carried out atthe Contidrom in northern Germany



indifferent rolling resistance, andthe reverse also applies.

Commenting on Auto Bild’s findings,editor Henning Klipp stated that “thelevel of performance for the Chinese mar-ket tyres was far behind that of theEuropean brand tyre. Some of the wetsurface results were particularly bad. TheFar East tyres were very convincingwhen it came to external road noise,however we believe that safety takespriority to comfort!”

But is it fair to say, as Auto Bild has,that Chinese tyres are worse thanEuropean tyres? The German magazinemakes its point of view clear by titling thearticle ‘Chinese tyres are this bad’ (Soschlecht sind China-Reifen) and descri-bing the test as an ‘international match’between German and Chinese markettyres – which Germany wins, of course.

Yet the European tyre’s victory wasaided by Auto Bild’s decision to test at aEuropean facility according to Europeanconsumer priorities. The Contidrom is notset up to replicate conditions found inChina, and the suspension on theVolkswagen Golf test cars is tuned forEuropean roads and tyres – indeed, theContiPremiumContact 5 is original equip-ment on certain Golf models, and as suchan optimised fit.

Furthermore, the manufacturers ofseveral tyres featured in the comparativetest contacted Tyres & Accessoriesfollow ing its publication, and eachemphasised one very important point –the ten tyres tested lack the necessarye4 mark, label rating, s-mark and REACHcompliance required before a tyre can belegally sold in Europe, and even thosetyres sold in both China and Europe (such

a sthe

Bridgestone Turanza T001 and PirelliCinturato P1) differ in specification andare adapted for each market. Aside fromsome potential grey imports, the tenChinese tyres in the Auto Bild test won’tbe found on sale here.

Auto Bild’s use of the words “Chinesetyres” and “bad” in the same sentencealso rankled certain protagonists. Theinfluential publication would be wellaware that many of its readers, unfamiliarwith the ins and outs of tyre design andconstruction, will be swayed by suchwords – even when applied to productsthey can’t buy. One person who con-tacted Tyres & Accessories questionedAuto Bild’s motivation for printing such aheadline. We cannot comment on this,however the article’s title seems open formisinterpretation.

What do the results show?

It’s a safe bet that some Auto Bild readerslooked at the roll-call of premium manu-facturers amongst the ten Chinese tyresand asked the following questions – whyare the manufacturers we know and trustproducing “bad” tyres for China? And ifEuropean market tyres are so much bet-ter, then why not simply pro-duce them for Chinaand everywhe-re else?

“A top-quality European market tyrewouldn’t survive two days in some partsof China,” commented a representativefrom a top ten tyre maker to T&A inresponse to the Auto Bild test. “Roadconditions are very different to those inEurope, with more open-pore asphaltoverall and, outside of the populous regi-ons, very bad roads. Chinese motoristswant a durable tyre that won’t leave themstranded and they won’t forgive a brandthat punctures. Comfort is also given amuch higher priority than it is here.” Toaccommodate these different conditionsand preferences, all major tyre manu-facturers tailor their tyre compounds andtreads, and sometimes construction, tosuit each particular regional market.

What then can we conclude from theAuto Bild test? Tyres designed forChinese conditions and consumer prefer -ences aren’t a good fit for the Europeanmarket, certainly. But do the test resultsreally show that Chinese tyres are bad orthat they lag behind European tyres inperformance? That really depends onwhat performance qualities are beingmeasured, therefore such arguments arehard to support without more compre-hensive testing, including comparingequivalent Chinese and European markettyres against the test criteria and conditi-ons found in both regions. The resultsmay not especially help consumers deci-de on their next purchase, however itwould be interesting to see whether ornot European market tyres would com-plete every challenge with flying [email protected]

Strong headline: Auto Bild opined that“Chinese tyres are this bad”

Volkswagen Golfs were used for testing

T



Kumho extends ‘Platinum Club’THE UK, ALONG WITH ITALY, served asthe pilot market for Kumho’s newdealer programme. Since its rollouthere a number of years ago, theEcsta Performance Centre networkhas grown to include around 400tyre retailers, while its Italian coun-terpart, the Kumho Platinum Club,contains some 300 dealers. TheKorean firm is now launching equiv -alent dealer networks in otherEuropean markets; our sister publi-cation Neue Reifenzeitung reportson the Kumho Platinum Club’s roll -out in Germany.

This current drive to establish the dealerprogramme in Germany is not Kumho’sfirst attempt. In 2011, Kumho Tire EuropeGmbH introduced the Kumho PlatinumClub within the German market, howeverfor Kumho that year – as was the case formost within the market – turned out to bea very good year business-wise, a recordyear even. Market demand for Kumhotyres was strong, so strong in fact that itmade implementing the new partner net-work a difficult task. The economic pres-sure to join such a network was alsoabsent.

Now, two years later, the market isdeveloping satisfactory, yet it is quite dif-ferent from 2011. Market observers esti-mate Kumho sold well over a million tyresin Germany last year, although Kumhohas not openly confirmed this figure. Andthe company’s annual turnover inGermany during 2012 was exactly 100million euros. In an interview with NeueReifenzeitung, Kumho Tire Europemanag ing director Kim Yong-Sung andexecutive sales director Thomas Schlichsaid they believe now is the right time tohave a second go at establishing thedealer programme in the German marketand creating an extra tool for securingcustomer loyalty.

Schlich explained that, as was thecase in the UK and Italy, the concept will

centre on ‘shop-in-shop’solutions. Dealers joiningthe programme set up a‘Kumho corner’ withintheir sales area, completewith tyre stands, seating,brochure displays andcabin ets, along withKumho advertising for thebuilding’s exterior andother promotional items.In return for this productplacement, the dealerreceives training and edu-cational programmes fromKumho’s own technicaldepartment, assistancewith advertising costs and invitations totrade fairs and events. Upon certificationas an official dealer the tyre dealer is alsolisted on Kumho’s website as a partnerand gains access to the Kumho dealerportal, through which good purchasingconditions can be obtained.

As already mentioned, the UK dealerprogramme (which, incidentally, may alsoadopt the ‘Kumho Platinum Club’ name infuture) now boasts some 400 membersand the Italian programme around 300.According to Thomas Schlicht, who willbe responsible for establishing theKumho Platinum Club in Germany, thefirst 30 dealer sign-ups will most likelyoccur this year. The plan calls for a further50 or so to join next year, and by 2017 ananticipated 300 dealers should be onboard in Germany. In addition to shop-in-shop solutions, Kumho Tire Europe offersthe option of fully Kumho-branded out-lets.

The executive sales director (whobegan in this position at the start of 2013)and managing director Kim state that theprogramme’s rollout is an important com-ponent of Kumho’s efforts to positionitself more broadly within the Germanmarket. A broader positioning decreasesthe company’s vulnerability to the marketfluctuations that hit wholesalers, as themiddle link in the value chain, particularlyhard. Schlicht stresses that in future the

company wants to better serve its retailchannels while also further deepening itstraditional, established relationships withwholesalers and increase the Kumhobrand’s in-house share with these busi-nesses.

Schlicht has received backup for tack-ling this project; on 1 July Peter Fottnerbegan in the role of key account managerin Germany. Fottner will mainly take careof larger wholesale customers and thecompany’s cooperative relationship withtrade associations. In addition, theGerman sales area has been divided intofive regions and each is looked after by asales manager. In addition to this, a salesmanager has also been appointed tofocus on car dealers and another for thetruck tyre business. According to ThomasSchlicht, Kumho Tire Europe’s sales teamwill enjoy additional growth in future.

Kumho Tire Europe is located inOffenbach, near Frankfurt, and employs40 staff; 15 work in the European headoffice and the remaining 25 are involvedin the German market. A further 20employees work at the nearby KumhoEuropean Technical Centre (KETC) inMörfelden-Walldorf under the leadershipof executive managing director PeterBecker. The Korean tyre maker currentlyemploys around 120 people throughoutEurope. [email protected]/sg

(l to r): Kumho Tire Europe marketing manager Wolf Fuder with mana-ging director Kim Yong-Sung and executive sales director ThomasSchlich



C

Resurgent US a region of vast potential – Onkar Kanwar

Connecting US entrepreneur Jim Rohn’s well-known quote “ifyou are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle forthe ordinary” to Apollo’s way of doing things, Kanwar broachedthe acquisition by discussing the developments behind this decision. “Profound changes are taking place in our world,” hestated. “The so-called emerging economies are facing new challenges, with growth in markets like India and China slowingdown appreciably while Brazil, South Africa and Russia are goingthrough a number of social changes to add complex ity to theireconomic difficulties.”

Kanwar contrasted these emerging market issues withApollo’s strong recent profitability in the developed, “so-calledtroubled” European market, and opined that the United States– where Apollo currently lacks a presence – also offers opport-unities. “The United States is in a phase of resurgence, withgrowth coming back after the last few years of fiscal correct-ions,” he said.

Elaborating on this resurgence, Kanwar told shareholdersthat “the discovery of shale oil and gas is a huge boon to USmanufacturing and already a number of companies, includingglobal giants in our own industry, have announced plans for new manufacturing facilities there. What was always the largest market will now also enjoy strong growth, and given thealready vast potential there the numbers can be mind-boggling.To quote only one example, even a one per cent growth in theUS tyre market calls for the addition of a new manufacturingplant every year to meet the increased demands.”

Those filtering out the business and motivational languageobligatory on such occasions would have understood thatApollo’s global ambitions are driven by the company’s concernsthat India – a region still accounting for around 68 per cent oftotal revenues – and an overreliance on one particular marketsegment will no longer deliver Apollo the kind of results itenjoyed in the past.

“The Indian economy is passing through challenging times,”commented the company chairman. “Growth has sloweddown, traditional export markets are being attacked by othercompetitors and the rupee is a pale shadow of what it was.”Therefore an antidote is needed to counter this economicmalaise: a broadening of revenue and profit streams through apresence in “diverse geographies” and a product portfolio thatcovers different categories. “Your company will have equalexposure to the developed and profitable markets as also to the

emerging high growth mar-kets, a combination that veryfew other companies can layclaim to,” he told shareholders.

Investment law change no hindrance to deal

On 14 August, the ReserveBank of India (RBI) reducedthe limit for overseas directinvestment, but Apollo doesn’tanticipate that this change willinfluence its Cooper acquisit-ion plans. With immediateeffect, the limit for overseasdirect investment must be wit-hin 100 per cent of the Indianpurchasing company’s net worth. The RBI will decide upon anyoverseas direct investment exceeding the 100 per cent limit ona case-by-case basis.

Ronojoy Banerjee, reporter for Indian financial channelCNBC-TV, spoke with Apollo management and analysts andshared on 19 August that this new policy isn’t expected toaffect the $2.5 billion deal. “Any proposal for which document-ation under the FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act)have already been completed prior to 14 August, when the RBInotification came out, will be safe,” Banerjee commented.“More importantly, as far as Apollo Tyres is concerned, theyhave only raised about $450 million on their own books. Theremaining $2.1 billion is going to be on the books of CooperTires. So, even as per the RBI notification they would not require any approval from the RBI.

“Both Cooper Tire and analysts believe it will not have anyimpact, and they’re expecting the deal to go through in abouttwo months’ time, because at this point in time they are await-ing statutory approvals from various authorities,” Banerjeeadded.

Prior to the 14 August notification, the provisions of India’sForeign Exchange Management Act, 1999 allowed the totaloverseas direct investment of an Indian company in all its jointventures and/or wholly owned subsidiaries to reach up to 400per cent of the firm’s net worth. sg

The United States is in a phase ofresurgence, with growth comingback after the last few years of fiscalcorrections, said Onkar Kanwar

SHAREHOLDER RESPONSE TO APOLLO TYRES’ acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber has been mixed andseveral institutional investors petitioned the tyre maker in July to reconsider its decision. DuringAugust, Apollo’s share price hovered around Rs 62, about two thirds the going rate before the com-pany announced the planned purchase. Against this backdrop, company chairman Onkar S Kanwar’saddress to shareholders at the Apollo Tyres 2013 annual general meeting framed the US$2.5 billiontransaction as a necessary response to changing market conditions.

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Late 2014 production startfor Pirelli JV plant nowexpectedWork on the Indonesian joint venturemotorcycle factory part owned by Pirelliis underway following the recent ground-breaking ceremony in Subang, WestJava. The Italian tyre maker is 60 per centshareholder in the PT Evoluzione Tyres(Evoty) joint venture, with Indonesia’s PTAstra Otoparts Tbk holding the remaining40 per cent.

Presiding over the groundbreakingceremony in Desa Wanakerta was PaoloBenea, president director of Evonty, andhead of Purwadadi sub-district ofSubang, Rahmat Ependy.

Construction work on the new plantwas originally expected to begin in thefourth quarter of 2012 and begin operati-on in the second half of 2013. The currentwork schedule is for the plant to start pro-duction by the end of 2014. Total invest-ment will be Rp 1.3 trillion (£78.4 million).

The Evoty factory will produce cross-ply motorcycle tyres and will initially pro-duce 2 million tyres per annum, laterincreasing to 7 million tyres. AstraOtoparts will distribute 40 per cent ofoutput on the domestic market (where 7million two-wheel vehicles were sold in2012) and the rest will be exported. Pirellihas previously stated that when theEvoty factory reaches full production, 3million tyres a year or around 43 per centof output will be sold as Astra brandswhile the remaining 4 million – an amountequal to around a quarter of Pirelli’s globalmoto production – will be produced underthe Pirelli or Metzeler brand names. Pirelliintends to sell 20 to 25 per cent of thePirelli brand production in the Asia Pacificoriginal equipment and replacement mar-kets and sell the remainder in all othermarkets apart from South America.

While the Evoty joint venture factoryis Pirelli’s fourth motorcycle tyre plant –the company also produces motorcycletyres in Germany (Breuberg, which hasproduced moto tyres using MIRS since2003), Brazil (Gravatai, which opened in1976) and China (Yanzhou, where motor-cycle radial production began in 2012) –the facility is Astra’s first tyre factory. Thetyres it currently sells in Indonesia underthe Aspira brand name are produced bythird-party manufacturers. sg

Bridgestone Asia tech centre opensOperations at Bridgestone Asia Pacific’snew technical centre are now underwayfollowing its official opening on 13August. During the opening ceremony,Bridgestone’s senior vice-presidentYoshiyuki Morimoto stated that the newBridgestone Asia Pacific Technical Center– the Japanese company’s first in theregion – will provide technicalsupport across the regionand will enable Bridgestoneto more quickly respond tocustomer needs.

The centre is a subsidiaryof Bridgestone Asia Pacificand is headed by MasajiroFujiwara as managingdirector. Bangkok wasselected as the location forthe Bridgestone Asia Pacific

Technical Center as Asian markets are agrowth area for Bridgestone and thecompany sees establishing a technicalcentre in Thailand “as a step to streng-then its framework for research and deve-lopment in the region.” Bridgestonestates that establishing a technical centreclose to the markets it serves will, as

Yoshiyuki Morimoto observed, allow it toquickly grasp changes in customer needs– and reflect this in product development.

The new technical centre will engagein tyre development, production techno-logy, quality management and procure-ment, and serve as a regional base thatfacilitates improvements in safety, envi-

ronmental aspects, productquality and delivery atBridgestone’s Asian factories.The tyre maker says that,moving forward, it will furtherincrease its Asia Pacific pre-sence through enhancedresearch and development, anexpansion of its sales networkand increased tyre productioncapacity. sg

Evonty president director Paolo Luigibenea withPurwadadi sub-district head Rahmat Ependy, doingthe honours at the Evonty plant groundbreakingceremony, accompanied by Evonty vice-presidentdirector Tonny Santoso (red shirt), and Evontydirector Paulo Marks

Bridgestone management and staff at the centre’s official opening


Dunlop to supply Geomax MX71 to FMX4EverDunlop has announced a new cooperation with theRed Bull-sponsored FMX4Ever freestyle motocrossteam, for whom the manufacturer will provide advan-ced off-road motorcycle tyres for the team. FMX, orFreestyle Motocross, focuses on aerial manoeuvres –or jumps and stunts – known as tricks. Dunlop’s hardterrain Geomax MX71, which will be provided to

FMX4Ever, have directional front and rear patterns,optimising performance under braking and accelerati-on – exactly what is needed on ramps and on jumpreceptions. The FMX4Ever team will use the GeomaxMX71 90/100-21 as front tyre and the MX71 110/90-19 atthe rear.

“The Dunlop Geomax MX71 tyre is not only the teams primechoice for its great handling off the ramp, but the tyre has ama-zing traction that is needed to pick up speed to clear the jumpsmore easily in tight arenas”, says Martin Koren, project manage-ment and marketing at FMX4Ever. “They are an essential partof ensuring we can perform effectively.”

Born in the hills of Southern California in the mid-1990swhen legendary riders such as Mike Metzger and JeremyMcGrath performed BMX tricks on Motocross bikes in naturalterrain, FMX debuted at the X-Games in 1996, an annual eventwhich focuses on action sports in the US.

“With talented team members coming from South Africa,the US and across Europe, the FMX4Ever team, with its basein Belgium, constantly proves that the word ‘impossible’ is notpart of their vocabulary”, says Sharon Antonaros, directorDunlop Motorcycle EMEA. “I am convinced that Dunlop’sGeomax MX71 will suit the riders perfectly and help themachieve their spectacular performances. Many world-class FMX

riders choose our MX71 as it matches the needs of freestylemotocross riders and gives them the performance they need“.

As part of this co-operation, Dunlop will also provide its uni-que 125 years engineering experience built on its motorsportracing expertise. Dunlop engineers have built this expertise oncircuits which include the 500cc, 250cc and 125cc GP WorldChampionships, World Superbike, and so forth. Dunlop’s suc-cess in road racing is also extensive with many Isle of Man TTwins and other road racing titles held by the leading motorcycletyre brand across Europe. In the offroad racing category Dunlopis a leading player in the World Supercross and the AMA out-doors. The brand has also made a strong comeback in the MXGPs since 2011.

“I’m delighted by this new co-operation, says JacobVanluchene, sport & athletes manager at Red Bull Belux.“Dunlop has a unique association with motorsport and has con-stantly demonstrated its leadership in technology.“ akb


IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS that Tyres &Accessories reports the passing of Infleetfounder Bill Hall, following a long battlewith cancer. A prominent figure in the tyrebusiness for nearly 30 years, Hall joinedGoodyear in 1980, serving in several seniorpositions in the UK and Europe, beforeleaving to set up the independent tyre ser-

vice network in themid-2000s. His longand distinguishedcareer also includedtwo years as chairman ofthe British RubberManufacturers Associationtyres committee, forging a close workingrelationship with most of the major tyrebrands and the industry associations. Halldied on Friday, 19 July, and was comme-morated at a funeral on Thursday, 25 July.A keen sportsman who was a lifelong sup-porter of Bolton Wanderers, he lived withhis wife in Sandbach, Cheshire and has agrown up son and a daughter with threegrandchildren.

Bill Hall built an enviable reputation inthe tyre industry both in the UK andthroughout the major Western Europeanmarkets, well known amongst most of thekey tyre service providers in these mar-kets.

Joining Goodyear in 1980 as a sales-man he soon became North West UK divi-sional manager, he moved to

Wolverhampton in the mid-1980s beforebecoming UK sales director in the mid-1990s. He rose further through the ranksto become director of sales and marketingfor the company’s European commercialbusiness. He returned to the UK in 2002,when he became Goodyear UK managingdirector, as well as taking up the post ofchairman of the BRMA for two years.

During these years in senior sales &marketing management positions both in

the UK and internationally, Hall specia-lised in the development of indepen-dent service networks, both in theUK and western and centralEuropean countries. He developeddetailed experience of both roadsi-

de servicing and fleet support requi-rements for the full range of tyre seg-

ments, including industrial tyres as well ascar, van and truck products.

In the UK market he supported thedevelopment of an all service independenttyre service network, while later he head-ed up development throughout Europe ofan independent truck tyre service networkoffering cradle to grave tyre service sup-port to major International fleets.

When he left Goodyear Dunlop in2004, Hall set up the Infleet tyre serviceinitiative, utilising his vast past experienceto address the need for a full service UKnetwork. The network has now maturedwith over 900 service providers, whichenables Infleet to offer fleet tyre solutionsto small businesses and major nationalfleets alike. He leaves behind an establis-hed well organised operation that he tookgreat pride in developing. akb


Goodyear’s Erich Fric isnew BTMA chairman

Former Conti man new Pirelli Germany salesand marketing head

The British Tyre Manufacturers Association(BTMA) has elected Erich Fric, GoodyearDunlop’s UK and Ireland managingdirector, as its new chairman. Fric waselected as the at a recent board meetingand takes over with immediate effect. Hebrings with him 20 years of experience inthe business. Erich Fric will also representthe BTMA on the board of the TyreIndustry Federation (TIF). He replacesMichelin Tyre plc managing director, EricLe-Corre whose chairmanship endedrecently when he took up the Paris-basedrole of head of public affairs for the Frenchtyre manufacturer.

“It’s a great honour to serve as chair-man of the BTMA as it is a very importantposition within the tyre industry. I aim tobuild upon the success that the associati-on has enjoyed under the previous chair-manship so that our members increasetheir competitiveness in both the domes-tic and overseas markets,” said Fric.

Erich Fric joined Goodyear Dunlop in1994 as general manager in Austria,having already built a strong career in theautomotive industry. In 2009 he relocatedto Sweden, where he led the business forthe Nordics cluster as General Managerprior to becoming UK and IrelandManaging Director.

“The tyre industry is not immune tothe global challenges faced by all markets,so representing the interests of BTMAmembers over the next two years is avery exciting prospect,” added Fric. cja

ON 1 AUGUST, Andreas Penkert, former CEO and director ofContinental India Ltd, the former Modi Tyres operation acquired in2011, has taken over leadership of sales and marketing for Pirelli inGermany. In his new role Penkert reports to Pirelli DeutschlandGmbH CEO Michael Schwöbel and Pirelli tyre S.p.A. CentralEurope CEO Daniele Deambrogio.

Prior to his India-based role, Penkert also worked for GoodyearTire & Rubber as director retail Europe, managing directorGoodyear Dunlop HS GmbH and CEO and director Goodyear

Trenttyre SouthAfrica. Between2006 and 2010 he was employedby Siemens AG as vice-president Global System EngineeringTransportation Sys tems MT and later as CFO Transportation Sys -tems IS in the traffic technology business unit.

Penkert replaces Michael Borchert, who took on responsibilityfor Pirelli’s German sales and marketing in March 2008. He will ini-tially work together with his successor before leaving Pirelli. sg

Bill Hall passesaway

Andreas Penkert


Pirelli commends long-serving staffA TOTAL OF 44 EMPLOYEES from Pirelli’sBurton upon Trent and Carlisle factorieshave been recognised for their ongoingcommitment to premium tyre manufactu-rer Pirelli. Each year, Pirelli holds annualdinners to reward its employees whohave worked with the company for aperiod of either 21, 30 or 40 years.

In 2013, six members of staff werecommended for working with the Italian-based firm for 40 years and a further 23employees were rewarded for 35 years’service. Fifteen staff members were alsocredited for 21 years’ service. As a specialthank you to Pirelli’s long-serving staff, anall-expenses dinner was held for its Burtonupon Trent staff at Dovecliff Hall Hotel onFriday 14 June. A special dinner forCarlisle’s long-service employees was held

at Dalston Hall Hotel on Friday 28 June.Pirelli UK managing firector, Dominic

Sandivasci, said: “Simply put, Pirelliwouldn’t be as successful as it is todaywithout its extremely skilled andknowledgable workforce. It’s truly com-mendable that the company has so manyemployees being recognised for theirlong-service, and hopefully it is a reflecti-on of a true affinity with the Companyand a recognition that rewards follow thatsuccess. I would personally like to thankeach and every member of our workforcewho have been recognised at our annualdinners, both past and present. I hopethat they can continue to work with usand share their wisdom with our newestand thus less experienced employees.”

cja

Conti appoints Matic Hydraulic Brake Systems headCONTINENTAL HAS APPOINTED MatthiasMatic as its new Hydraulic Brake SystemsBusiness Unit head, part of theContinental Chassis & Safety Division,headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.Matic moves from his current position asChassis Components Business Unit headon 1 September, succeeding Peter Laierwho has assumed a position on the exe-cutive board of a German light manufactu-rer. “I’m looking forward to the new chal-lenge. Hydraulic brake systems have pro-ven their worth a million times over;they’re a key component of automotivesafety. Friction brakes will continue to bean important topic for the foreseeablefuture”, said Matic.

Matic has been with Continental since1993, having previously worked as projectmanager for Electronic & Hydraulic BrakeSystems, director strategic planning &program management for wheel brakes,director for the Business CenterFoundation Brakes & Brake Hoses withinthe Hydraulic Brake Systems BusinessUnit, and vice president for the HBSBusiness Unit for the NAFTA region. He

studied Mechanical Engineering and thenearned an Executive Master of BusinessAdministration (E-MBA).

Matic assumed responsibility for theChassis Components Business Unit in2011, and Conti says this experience willstand him in good stead as he assumes hisnew function. He will continue to reportdirectly to the president of the Chassis &Safety Division in his new position.

Conti’s current foci in hydraulic brakesystems are on short braking dis-tances, durability and comfort,while preventing parked vehiclesfrom rolling while parked is alsoessential. Conti says electronic par-king brakes are rapidly making inro-ads in every category of car and arebecoming ever more commonpla-ce. Manufacturers also enjoygreater flexibility in designing inte-riors because there is no morehand-brake lever to protrude intothe passenger compartment. “Ourknow-how in brake systems, plusour ContiGuard integrated safetyconcept, allows us to furnish cus-

tomers with a complete package that con-tains everything needed to make a carsafe,” adds Matic.

A global leader in the field, Conti’sHydraulic Brake Systems Business Unitdevelops and manufactures wheel brakes,electronic parking brakes, drum brakes,brake boosters, hoses, plus cleaning sys-tems for windshields and headlights forautomotive markets all over the world.

akb

Continental’s new executive vice president Hydraulic BrakeSystems, Matthias Matic

E


RCam Systemsappoints new generalmanagerRyan Naughton has been appointed CamSystems’s general manager with the aim ofreinforcing the company’s service-orientedculture and “driving up its results-led orga-nisational approach”. According to Cam,Naughton demonstrates “in-depth analyti-cal and strategic expertise”, and will buildupon the company’s operational and proce-dural planning.

With more than 12 years’ experience inmanagerial and operational positions,Naughton has enjoyed rapid career pro-gression. He spent almost 10 years wor-king at All Fleet Services, a provider of out-sourced contact centre services to thefleet and automotive industry, rising tohead of operations, where he was instru-mental in helping to grow the company toa turnover of £4 million, increasing staffcount from 10 to 110.

Mike Allen, managing director of CAMSystems, says, “Ryan’s experience, tenaci-ty and organisational skills will enable CAMto continue to develop our external andinternal services to ensure we are focusedon consistently delivering solutions alignedto the challenges our customers face.”

Ryan Naughton comments, “WithCAM Systems celebrating its 30th anniver-sary this year it’s a very positive time to bejoining the company. I’m looking forwardto being able to building even greater valueand service delivery for our customers anddeveloping our internal skills and expertisefurther.” akb

Exol Lubricants, the UK’s lar-gest lubricants blender, hasappointed Robert Lundie astechnical support specialist.Exol says Lundie will beresponsible for supportingcustomers and the Exolsales team with productrecommendations and advi-ce on the correct oil for aspecific application.Furthermore, he is taskedwith writing technical andlaboratory reports and ensu-ring Exol’s product quality remains of thehighest standard possible.

Commenting on his new role, he said:“The lubricants industry is increasinglycomplex as more efficient engines andlow emission regulations demand oils ofa higher quality. I’m delighted thereforeto be part of an Exol team that leads inthe area of product development and theprovision of the highest quality products,

technical support and customer service.”Paul Timmis, Exol Group technical

manager, added: “Robert is a welcomeaddition to the Exol team as he has theability and expertise to provide outstan-ding advice and support to customers,against a backdrop of continuous changewithin the oil industry, coupled withincreased demand as the economyimproves.” akb

Exol appoints Lundie technicalsupport specialist

Giti Tire appoints business system managerGiti Tire has created the new role of business systemmanager based in Manchester and augmenting itsEuropean growth strategy. Sujata Achuthan has beenappointed to the position, and has been tasked with theintroduction of the Oracle Enterprise Business Suite (EBS)to provide the platform for increased finance and distribu-tion requirements, as well as further improve the compa-ny’s hardware and software. She has 15 years of global IT experience.

Achuthan will report directly to Gillian MacRae, finance director - Europe, and willbe functionally aligned to the chief information officer (CIO) in Asia on a joint project toimplement standard reporting processes. She will work across all Giti Tire’s Europeanbrands – GT Radial, Primewell, Runway and Dextero – across passenger car, SUV, lighttruck and truck and bus programmes.

MacRae said: “Sujata’s big company experience is second-to-none, she can clear-ly demonstrate a complex Oracle implementation at PricewaterhouseCoopers plusproject management for the likes of Hitachi, Panasonic and Standard Chartered Bank,to name but a few.

“As the requirements for our European expansion increase so does the complexi-ty of the financial, warehousing and distribution operations. To deliver this we need acohesive team that is exceptional in every way, and Sujata will fit the bill perfectly.”akb

Giti Tire’s new businesssystem manager, SujataAchuthan

Exol Lubricants technical support specialist, Robert Lundie

Cam Systems’s new generalmanager, Ryan Naughton

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Consistent Buyers of

TYRE BUFFINGSBUTYL TUBES

BUTYL BLADDERSTextile Street, West Gorton, Manchester M12 5DL

Tel: 0161 223 7181Fax: 0161 223 0173

TA November CLASSIFIED_Layout 1 11/11/2011 15:36 Page 91

Classifieds

WANTED

A.L.TYRES




TEL.+44(0)161 477 5813FAX.+44(0)161 480 0416


Classifieds

HALL 2, STAND 117

JAPANESE CASINGS



Contact

KANEKO SHOJI., LTD.

TEL: +81 29 2553712

FAX: +81 29 2553713

Email:

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TYRES FOR SALEWholesale Part Worn Tyres

Imported From EuropeAll tyres are guaranteed!!!For further details contact







Tel: 0161 223 7181Fax: 0161 223 0173


WANTED

A.L.TYRES




TEL.+44(0)161 477 5813FAX.+44(0)161 480 0416


Classifieds

HALL 2, STAND 117

JAPANESE CASINGS



Contact

KANEKO SHOJI., LTD.

TEL: +81 29 2553712

FAX: +81 29 2553713

Email:

[email protected]

TYRES FOR SALEWholesale Part Worn Tyres

Imported From EuropeAll tyres are guaranteed!!!For further details contact







Tel: 0161 223 7181Fax: 0161 223 0173


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ATV TYRES, TURF TYRES,INNER TUBESCALL FREE:

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WANTEDSecond Hand Remould

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Contact Seamus on 00 353 (0) 876395512

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and subscription to our popular e-Newsletter. (Print magazine not included)

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including online magazine and subscription to our popular e-Newsletter (UK based customers only)

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including online magazine and subscription to our popular e-Newsletter (European based customers only)

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OFFER

More for less

WHOLESALE QUALITY USED TYRESLarge stock of quality used car & light truck tyres for UK &

Export1000’s in stock atJunction 8/9 M40, Oxford

Please call with your requirments01865 775522 / 07889 006841 & ask for Paul

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TA Classified May.indd 1 10/05/2012 17:06

Our language is tyres.

The group:

Cla� i� edsCla� i� eds

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2520_TYRES&ACCESSORIES-1-4ppmk2_Layout 1 05/12/2012 16:14 Page 1

Aeolus 7Balkrishna Tyres 41Bandag 43BF Srl 17Bridgestone 35Cam systems 5Cooper Front CoverEvent 21Falken Back CoverFederal 69Grouptyre 9Infinity 23Intersprint 27Kirkby 37Marshall 19Maxxis 15Messe Essen 65Michelin 29Nexen 11Phillip White Tyres 46Primewell 55Sailun 31Shandong Linglong 71Stamford 44TGI 47Toyomoto 63Treadsetters 45TYM 33Viking 20Vredestein Inside Front CoverWestlake 39Yokohama 53

Aeolus 7Balkrishna Tyres 41Bandag 43BF Srl 17Bridgestone 35Cam systems 5Cooper Front CoverEvent 21Falken Back CoverFederal 69Grouptyre 9Infinity 23Intersprint 27Kirkby 37Marshall 19Maxxis 15Messe Essen 65Michelin 29Nexen 11Phillip White Tyres 46Primewell 55Sailun 31Shandong Linglong 71Stamford 44TGI 47Toyomoto 63Treadsetters 45TYM 33Viking 20Vredestein Inside Front CoverWestlake 39Yokohama 53


WEB DIRECTORY

Exhibitions

Associations

E-Commerce

www.olivercorp.com

Abrasives

www.autopromotec.itwww.citexpo.com.cnwww.eci-international.comwww.maxima-expo.ruwww.rubbere.comwww.semashow.comwww.theaftermarketshow.com

www.etyres.co.ukwww.oddballtyres.co.uk

www.btmauk.comwww.etrma.orgwww.itdn.org.ukwww.itma-europe.comwww.ntda.co.ukwww.tireindustry.orgwww.tyrerecovery.org.ukwww.tyresafe.org

Exhausts/Silencerswww.cesuk.comwww.klarius.eu

Earthmover Wheelswww.kirkbytyres.co.uk

Materials/Accessorieswww.gogommasrl.it

Locking Wheel Nutswww.dynomec.co.uk

Miscellaneouswww.zeppelin-systems.com

www.traxjh.com

Importers/Wholesalerswww.tym-international.com

Motorcycle Tyre Wholesalerswww.cambriantyres.co.ukwww.worldofbiketyres.com

Industrial Tyreswww.solideal.com

www.btrgroup.co.ukwww.mmhrecsys.comwww.systems4recycling.com

Recycling Machinery

Retreading/Recycling/Disposal

Fleet Management Systemswww.advancedidcorp.comwww.pneu-logic.co.uk

www.credenv.comwww.cmshredders.comwww.dmetyres.co.ukwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/tyrewatchwww.kraiburg-retreading.comretreading.marangoni.comwww.sapphirerecovery.co.ukwww.treadsdirect.comwww.watts-rubber.com

Breakdown Serviceswww.itdn.org.uk

Lifting Equipmentwww.jiglift.comwww.ecolift.cn


WEB DIRECTORY

Softwarewww.mamsoft.co.uk/tyres

To appear in thisWebsite Directory for 12 months – which

will include hyperlinked entries on the Tyres & Accessories

website – please contact: [email protected]

www.inter-sprint.nlwww.kenda.com.twwww.kingdavidtyres.co.ukwww.kirkbytyres.co.ukwww.kumho-euro.comwww.lassa-europe.comwww.lexanitire.comwww.lctyres.iewww.lytire.comwww.magnatyres.comwww.maitechtire.comwww.marangoni.comwww.mastercrafttyres.co.ukwww.matador.skwww.midlandmobiletyres.co.ukwww.micheldever.co.ukwww.mickeythompson.co.ukwww.mrftyres.comwww.nankang.com.twwww.nete.co.ukwww.nexentire.co.krwww.northwesttyres.comwww.pirelli.co.ukwww.sd-international.cnwww.sentaida-international.comwww.silverstone.com.mywww.sintontyres.co.ukwww.southam-tyres.co.ukwww.starco.comwww.stapletons-tyres.co.ukwww.techkingtires.comwww.toyo.co.uk

Tyre Compoundswww.vipal.com.br

www.aeolus-tyres.euwww.bitsuk.co.ukwww.blackcircles.comwww.bridgestone.eu/truckpointwww.dalytyres.comwww.cooperbros.co.ukwww.deldo.comwww.deklokbanden.comwww.dessimpson.co.ukwww.euro-tyre.comwww.fieldens.co.ukwww.fulda.co.ukwww.glanworthtyres.comwww.gold-spark.comwww.goodyear.co.ukwww.gripenwheels.comwww.grouptyre.co.ukwww.gt-tires.comwww.haemmerling.dewww.herculesinternational.comwww.heuver.comwww.internationaltyres.com

Tyre Computer Softwarewww.teamsystems.co.uk

Truck Wheelswww.kirkbytyres.co.uk

www.bandvulc.co.uk

Truck Tyre Retreading

Testing Serviceswww.dunloptyretesting.co.uk

The fast and direct way to your homepage:Web Directory in Tyre & Accessories & the Link section in www.tyrepress.com

Tyre Distributors/Wholesalers


WEB DIRECTORY

Wheelswww.afan-tyres.co.ukwww.elitedirect.comwww.imagewheels.co.ukwww.mswuk.comwww.overfinch.comwww.performancealloys.comwww.tsw-wheels.co.ukwww.trelleborg.com/wheelsystems-ukwww.wheelwright.co.uk

Wheel Balancers/Accessorieswww.dionys-hofmann.comwww.haweka.com

Workshop Equipmentwww.agequipment.co.ukwww.bateman-sellarc.co.ukwww.beissbarth.co.ukwww.butler.itwww.cosengautomotive.comwww.innotecworld.comwww.pro-align.co.ukwww.reinheimer-stitcher-roller.comwww.sunbornsolutions.comwww.supertracker.comwww.tip-top.co.ukwww.tsissg.comwww.tyre-equipment.co.ukwww.wheelalignmentuk.com

Tyre Mouldswww.jwinc.co.kr

Tyre Repair/Inflationwww.airbosstyre.comwww.harvieprema.co.ukwww.monaflex.comwww.schrader-valves.co.ukwww.smartronics.co.ukwww.punctureproof.comwww.uniflate.com

Tyre Manufacturerswww.bkt-tires.comwww.bridgestone.eu/truckpointwww.conti-online.co.ukwww.coopertire.comwww.dunloptyres.co.ukwww.eptyres.comwww.hankooktire.euwww.mitas-tyres.com

www.treadwayscorp.comwww.trelleborg.comwww.tribatyre.comwww.tyreandwheels.comwww.tyres-bernaerts.comwww.tyrespot.co.ukwww.uniroyaltruck.co.ukwww.viking.co.ukwww.vredestein.comwww.yokohama.co.uk

Tyre Exporterswww.china-tyre.com

Vintage Tyreswww.grouptyre.co.ukwww.longstonetyres.co.uk

www.northhantstyres.comwww.vintagetyres.comwww.vredestein.com


PREVIEW

In Our Next IssueA brief look forward at a few of the articles

appearing in next month‘s T&A.

First published in June 1946, T&A is distributed in the second week of every month by:

Tyre Industry Publications Ltd.Unit I, Magnolia CentreTelford Road, Clacton-on-SeaEssex CO 15 4LP, EnglandTelephone: +44 (0)1255 222233Editorial: +44 (0) 1782 214224Fax: +44 (0)1255 222234e-mail: [email protected]: www.tyrepress.comCorrespondence and advertising material should be sent to the above address.Publisher:Klaus Haddenbrock [email protected]:Christopher [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Editor:Peter [email protected] Manager:Alan [email protected] Sales:Scott [email protected] Manager:Julie [email protected] office:6A Salem Street, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire, ST1 5PRTelephone: +44 (0) 1782 214224Fax: +44 (0) 1782 286589Contributors:[email protected]@[email protected]:Heike Schomaker-EymersGaby Hinck

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I E-commerce IFor years, the biggest conundrum in the online tyrebusiness has been how to interface the bricks andmortar with the clicks and orders. With the advent ofTesco’s first “click and fit” outlet in Bletchley nearMilton Keynes, the supermarket and e-TailerBlackcircles appear to have come up with a solution.But can it be replicated across enough of the countryand by other companies and is the concept viable inthe long-term? Tyres & Accessories looks at thisalongside the latest online branding research (con-ducted in association with Envisional) as well as ourannual social network impact audit.

I Wholesaling IThe UK tyre wholesaling landscape continued to evol-ve this year with one player changing hands, increa-sing the size and coverage of another in the process.Meanwhile businesses continued to develop theirstrategic brand partnerships with manufacturers inthe east, beginning to offer new service agreementsand incentive deals. Tyres & Accessories will reporton all the latest news from the wholesale business inthe October issue.

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Tyres & Accessories | September 2013

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