Trelleborg to Distribute GPX Galaxy Tyres in Europe

Galaxy-branded farm, forestry, agri-industrial and and OTR will be distributed exclusively by Trelleborg Wheel Systems following an agreement between the companies to form a strategic alliance. The agreement will be effective from 1 April, and covers 25 European countries: Albania, Belgium, Belarus, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and Ukraine.

The range of Galaxy-branded pneumatic products covered by the agreement includes tyres for diverse and demanding applications such as: agricultural radial and bias, skid steer, forestry, lawn and garden, OTR, backhoe and telescopic handlers, as well as other agricultural and industrial segments. GPX will continue to market its range of Forklift Industrial, Inter-Modal port and full range of solid tyres independently.

The collaboration between the companies started in 2007, through a pilot program for the exclusive distribution of the Galaxy agricultural tyre range in Spain, Italy and the Nordic Countries. The program proved to be a success and on that basis, GPX and Trelleborg decided to expand the program broadly across Europe to serve their customers better and strengthen the position of their respective brands in the market, the companies stated in a press release.

The deal follows last year’s strategic alignment with the CGS Group of the Czech Republic, who in August 2008 integrated GPX’s Rumaguma tyre manufacturing facility in Serbia into its Mitas-operated tyre division. The acquisition was part of the CGS Group’s strategy to focus on the agricultural and industrial tyres business. Along with the sale of Rumaguma plant, GPX agreed to transfer its Galaxy tyre business in Central and Eastern Europe to CGS. Dr Jaroslav Cechura, general director and chairman of Mitas told Tyres & Accessories that the agreement covered distribution of Galaxy tyres in Romania, Greece, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Kosovo.

Cechura also stated, “The agreement is part the Purchase Agreement for Rumaguma and includes product lines of Agricultural Radial and Bias, Skid Steer, OTR, Backhoe and Telescopic Handlers, as well as other agricultural and industrial segments. CGS is continuing to produce certain volume of tyres for GPX under the off-take agreement. Besides the Galaxy brand for the above-mentioned territories, CGS is marketing Continental and Semperit-branded agricultural tyres, Mitas agricultural, industrial and motorcycle tyres.”