Slovakian Bandag Dealer Relocates

ARS spol s.r.o. has opened a brand-new facility close to major highways in the Bratislava area. The inauguration was part of an Open House event held on 22 September 2005 and was attended by the management of Bandag Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The new premises combine a state-of-the-art Bandag retreading workshop, a huge service outlet for trucks and the company’s new offices. Customer benefits include faster, much-improved service and easier access.

ARS spol s.r.o. was founded in 1992 and became a Bandag Dealership a year later. Thirteen years of continuous growth have propelled the company into a position as one of the leading tyre distributors in Slovakia, with annual sales (both new tyres and retreads) in excess of 40,000 units.

The successful partnership with Bandag and an innovative market approach have led to the ARS distribution network expanding rapidly. It now covers two-thirds of Slovakia and includes two retreading shops, six service outlets, 20 sub-dealers and three service trucks that help customer fleets both in their yards and out on the road.

With a total staff of 95, half of whom are involved in Bandag-related activities, ARS focuses on lowering fleet operating costs. The total tyre package provided by the company has already convinced many major transport companies to outsource their tyre management to ARS. The package combines new tyres, Bandag retreading, fleet monitoring, tyre maintenance, old tyre disposal, breakdown service, casing and tyre tracking tools (accessible via the Web) and mileage contracts.

International service

ARS mainly services international fleets, although its share of regional and on/off-road applications continues to grow. The company also offers Bandag and Eurofleet services such as Camweb (casing management) and Uptime 24 (breakdown assistance).

The ARS Bandag tyre retreading workshops are located in Prievidza and Bratislava. The Prievidza operation is equipped with the high-tech Bandag shearographic casing analyser, while the Bratislava shop, which has just moved to the new premises, ensures maximum tyre reliability with its Bandag NDI casing analyser. The combined annual production of the two workshops averages 22,000 Bandag retreads.

It was the growing demand for reliable high-quality Bandag retreads in the Slovakian market that convinced ARS general manager Miroslav Kostiviar and the other members of the management team to relocate the Bratislava Bandag workshop to brand-new premises.
During the successful Open House event held on 22 September 2005, Miroslav Kostiviar and Bandag EMEA Vice President and General Manager Mike Tirona highlighted the company’s impressive track record.

Longstanding customers, such as NAD 820, NAD RESS, NAD Nitra, Donivo, Kovod a SAD Bratislava, have come to realise that Bandag retreads perform at least as well as premium new tyres, yet at a much lower cost per kilometre. As Dr Kostiviar put it, “Our knowledge and experience in tyre management confirm that the determining factor is not the purchase price, but the cost per kilometre. This is a conclusion that a lot of transport companies have reached today.”

ARS staff members were delighted to welcome numerous customers at the Open House. Said Bohumil Gregor, manager of the new outlet and shareholder in the company, “Most of our customers have appreciated our solutions for years, but they were fascinated to actually visit an increasingly vehicle-centric outlet. They were able to meet a thoroughly professional team that looks after all their needs and requests. The modern and highly efficient new building provides a much improved and faster service, as well as easier access.”