Michelin MBA Network Strength Outlined at Dealer Meeting

Business owners and senior managers from nearly 70 Michelin accredited independent truck tyre distributors across the UK and Republic of Ireland gathered in Paris on 30 January for the third annual Michelin Business Advantage (MBA) dealer conference. What the representatives from the MBA network heard during their time in France was music to the ears in these difficult times for the automotive sector.

“The latest figures from Europool highlight that whilst the replacement market for new truck tyres dropped by 10 per cent in the UK in 2008, Michelin continued to gain market share and is still the number one selling brand,” said Phil Baldock, MBA manager at Michelin. “We also bucked the trend in the market for retread tyres, with our penetration increasing in a marketplace which also fell by 10 per cent.

“A huge part of this success is due to our MBA network, which plays a central role in our ongoing sales strategy,” Baldock added. “Amongst our major Michelin Fleet Solutions customers, the MBA network now services contracts worth in excess of £9 million a year – compared with £2.6 million in 2005.”

The assembled dealers also heard that MBA network members had, through Michelin’s EuroAssist breakdown scheme, attended over 1,000 roadside jobs in 2008 to help European operators. In addition, the MBA network’s own roadside support programme saw dealers attend 3,600 jobs – three times as many as in 2005.

“In 2008 one of our primary objectives was for our sales teams to target new regional business in conjunction with our MBA dealer partners,” commented Helen Tattersall, Michelin’s national sales manager – Truck. “I’m pleased to report that we were successful in adding £1.5 million worth of additional business through MBA dealers, and in 2009 we have already secured a further £400,000 of business.”