Independent Success Story

Dexel Tyres is something of a rarity in today’s tyre business – a family-owned business that has been trading for over 40 years and which is still expanding.
The business was founded in 1961 by Harry France and, over the next 25 years, was steadily expanded by his son, Peter. It was Peter who purchased the premises in Staniforth Road, Sheffield in the 1960s that today are the group’s head office. Nowadays the business is under the control of Peter’s son Paul as managing director, assisted by his sister Julie as group credit controller.

The policy of expansion has continued and the company has doubled in size over the past decade, today claiming to be one of the UK’s largest independent tyre companies, with an annual turnover of more than £13 million and sales of over 100,000 tyres a year.
The pattern of expansion has been steady, rather than dramatic, and concentrated on the East Midlands area of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, opening depots in Worksop, Gainsborough, Horncastle, Market Rasen and two in the city of Lincoln.

The ten years between 1990 and 2000 were particularly eventful, with Dexel opening a branch in Bradfield Road, Sheffield, and the purchase of the Mr. Exhaust and One Stop Motorist Centre depots – also in Sheffield – in 1996. Two years after this, Dexel acquired Sayers Tyre in Doncaster and in the year 2000 the company bought City Tyre Experts in Lincoln and Market Rasen. City Tyre Experts and Sayers Tyre have subsequently been re-badged under the Dexel banner.
In addition to the tyre depots, Dexel owns a motoring factor organisation, called Autocom Units, with branches in Sheffield and Gainsborough, which supplies replacement parts to the automotive industry.

Simple philosophy

Dexel operates under a deceptively simple philosophy, aimed at giving customers the right product at the right price, fitted by qualified people in friendly surroundings. To achieve this, the depots are fitted with the latest equipment and technology and the staff undergo full training.

The company prides itself on giving fair and honest advice to customers and this has led to an extremely loyal base of customers, who come back time after time and who recommend Dexel to their friends. Personal recommendation is an indication that the company has got its product and service offering right, believes Dexel.

Something that customers find reassuring is Dexel’s price promise, which says that, if the customer can produce a written quotation for the same product at a better price, then the company will refund twice the difference.

It has been Dexel’s policy to be mainly associated with quality brands of tyre, believing these to offer the best value for money, and a new warehouse contains more than 10,000 tyres, amongst which are such brands as Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli.

Although tyres have been the mainstay of the business over the years, Dexel has adapted to cater for changes in the market and to customers’ needs. As such, products and services now on offer include brakes, shock absorbers, batteries, exhausts, alloy wheels, MoT tests and vehicle servicing.

Other services

Neither does Dexel concentrate solely on passenger cars, as it operates a specialist truck tyre division, catering for light and heavy commercial vehicles, plant, agricultural and off-the-road vehicles. Dexel belongs to all the major UK network service providers, including those providing out-of-hours service, thus ensuring that a full service is available in the UK and throughout mainland Europe 24/7.

Another recent innovation is the launch of a mobile tyre fitting service for cars and vans. The fitters can carry out a wide range of services, including vehicle tracking, at customers’ homes or workplaces. The service is available for individuals and fleet customers and there is a 24-hour breakdown service.
Customers wishing to attend a Dexel depot are welcome to drop in, or an appointment can be made, with collection and delivery available by arrangement.

That brings the Dexel story up to date, as the group is halfway through its fifth decade. Latterly, it has concentrated on branding its depots with a new corporate image and there have been no acquisitions recently. However, if history is any guide, then the current 13 depots may well be joined by others before long.