Colwayski

Prior to sold, C-Tyres was turning over £3 million annually and, according to Oliver, was heading for a £6 million turnover and an operating profit this year, when disaster struck and the company was forced into administration. In October, C-Tyres’ landlord (Manchester-based property developer Jacob Adler) issued a forfeiture notice, which effectively meant that the company’s personnel were locked out of their Langley moor site. As such they were unable to produce any tyres and, even worse, they could not access the stock to deliver tyres already ordered.

The Administrator was called in and there were hopes that the company could be sold as a going concern and that tyres would continue to be produced at the site, as they had been for the past four decades. It was not to be, however, and the Administrator (Tenon Recovery) first sold off the stock and then looked to dispose of the plant and equipment and other assets, including the brand names. Bad news indeed for the 100-strong workforce at C-Tyres.

And it is not just C-Tyres that has been affected, as one of the UK’s largest recyclers of end of life tyres – Credential Automotive – is also on the move. Credential was based at Langley Moor, with the site being sub-let by C-Tyres, but the company is now said to be looking for new premises, amid rumours of a disagreement with the landlord.

It is perhaps indicative of the current lack of confidence in the UK about car tyre retreading that the highest offer in the closed tender process came from a Polish retreading company called Mark Gum. Soon after winning the tender, Mark Gum began removing the plant and equipment and shipped it over to Poland, where manufacturing and labour costs are significantly lower than in the UK.

New factory, new lease of life for Colway and Greenway

Initially, Gary Oliver was disappointed that no UK buyer had been found, but he then met with the owners of Mark Gum, Mariona and George Krzyzagorski, who assured him that they intended to continue to produce the Colway and Greenway brands; brands which they regarded as being probably the strongest in Europe and which they want to sell on the world’s markets.

This would appear to be more than just talk, as Mark Gum intends to build a new factory to make the tyres. Construction of the plant will begin this summer, with some tyres being produced later this year. Full production will come on-stream in the summer of 2009 and the range will include tyres for all sectors; passenger car, 4×4, van, light and heavy truck.

Perhaps recognising the part that Gary Oliver has played in the history of Colway, Mariona and George Krzyzagorski have asked him to, in Oliver’s own words “become involved in several capacities to help them with the re-introduction of the brands.” Gary Oliver also confirmed that he had agreed to this request, so his contact with the Colway name has not come to an end.

Pioneering retread brand

When C-Tyres was formed back in 2002, the Colway name especially was well-known in the UK – no mean feat when most of the trade used the generic name “retread” to describe all remanufactured tyres. And the tyre even had a sporting pedigree, being the control tyre for the Lombard Rally, among others. Indeed, at one stage in its existence, Colway boasted a separate motorsports sales operation.

Managing Director Gary Oliver believed passionately that there was a place in the market for a quality retread, on environmental grounds if nothing else, describing them as the “best practicable environmental option”. He has long argued that retreads are not merely a means of recycling used casings, but the best use of resources and that retreading reduces the number of new tyres manufactured and thus the use of raw materials.

Of course, the sooner that Colways and Greenways are back on the market, the better it will be, as there are always companies waiting to fill any gaps. As a case in point, the Lombard Rally has allowed competitors to switch to Vredestein tyres because of the uncertainty surrounding the availability of Colways.

What a difference a few months makes – back in 2006 at the NTDA Annual Dinner, a proud Gary Oliver accepted the accolade on behalf of C-Tyres as the winner of the Tyre & Fast Fit Environmental Award and he must have thought that his continuing emphasis on the environmental friendliness of retreading had finally been recognised. And yet, 18 months later, retread production at the site at Langley Moor has come to an end after 40 years. Perhaps it is some small consolation that the Colway name will live on – certainly Mark Gum seems willing to put its money where its mouth is.