GiTi Tire Europe Unveils TBR Service Network

The company is filled with experience in the area, with Richard Lyons – who has over fifteen years experience within the commercial vehicle industry including a period with Iveco Ford Truck as commercial operations manager before joining Goodyear Dunlop as sales director – heading up the European Truck Strategic Business Unit. Other important members of the TBR team include European GITI Assist marketing manager, Peter Foulkes with over 20 years experience within the automotive industry, Lennart Linström, Technical Sales Manager Europe who has over thirty years industry experience with Michelin, Bandag and BIPAVER and Helmut Haak, sales director TBR OE with over twenty three years experience working for Bridgestone, Yokohama and Kumho.

Eddie Young is GiTi Europe’s director of product technology and automotive engineering who (with a team of tyre technicians) is based at MIRA in Nuneaton. Eddie has over thirty years experience in the tyre industry with Bridgestone and Michelin and heads the company’s on-house tyre testing facility at MIRA. Enhanced trading profile At the moment GiTi Tire Europe is in the middle of a long term growth campaign, firmly based around developing local representation in all European countries (including the UK and Ireland). This project has recently resulted in the appointment of Tony McHugh, Alan Young and Colin Coyle-Jones as sales executives for the UK and Enzo Bianchin in Italy.

Throughout western and central Europe the company has achieved a growing in market share in most countries and they are currently in the process of looking to appoint selected truck tyre specialists in a number of those markets including Germany, Spain, France, Russia and other CIS countries, which GiTi hopes will significantly increase staff levels and further enhance GiTi’s trading profile in this highly competitive market. However the company’s most pressing current project is its GiTi Assist programme which is dedicated to introducing new enhanced levels of service, efficiency and reassurance to commercial fleet operators through both the UK and continental Europe. Peter Foulkes, says, “Through GiTi Assist we are looking to work alongside appointed partners in order to provide a complete ‘Cradle to Grave’ lifecycle management programme for commercial truck tyres. This comprehensive service includes the supply of new tyres, replacement, regrooving, retreading, on-line fleet management reports and 24 hour roadside assistance.” The ultimate objective is to provide fleet operators with clear visibility of tyre performance as well as the level of service they are receiving from their provider and the cost per kilometre within an integrated hardware and software solution and ease of use. A contract has recently been signed with TyreCheck of Ennis in Ireland to provide hardware and software solutions for the fleet management programme plus Tymacon of Belgium have recently been appointed to handle the UK and European breakdown programme.

GiTi Tire Europe considers that despite the fact that haulage companies regard service as crucial to support tyre quality and a return on investment. Tyre maintenance is still not considered a priority by a substantial amount of companies even though a third party tyre maintenance operation has been proven to provide three valuable advantages – to reduce downtime, standardize operations in cutting costs and ensure best safety practice at all times. Strong service network On the subject of the company’s service network, assistant marketing manager, Peter Foulkes states that, “GiTi Tire Europe fully understands the importance of providing both product and service facilities and is committed to building a strong service network of independent competent service providers under their GiTi Assist programme.”

The fundamental benefits of GiTi Assist include 24 hour roadside assistance a truck tyre service facility and truck tyre service technology. Through 24 hour roadside assistance GiTi Tire Europe are looking to become a leading professional national and international breakdown service provider including offering a pan European service capability and increase the footprint of GiTi tyre products and services across the continent. Becoming a GiTi Assist truck tyre service provider offers a number of important benefits including being part of a Pan European network in conjunction with an progressive and successful tyre manufacturer and taking advantage of expert marketing support, technical back-up and a preferential support package. Foulkes comments that, “GiTi Tire Europe is unique in being the only Chinese tyre manufacturer to invest in a European based team and GiTi Assist perfectly underlines the company’s enthusiastic determination to align our service capabilities alongside the leading producers for truck tyre service. It is our objective to work closely with key service providers in developing the TBR market in both the UK and Europe through the ongoing growth of GiTi Tire Europe’s truck tyre business.”