De Klok Holds High Expectations for the New Season

Dutch wholesaler De Klok Banden is releasing a completely updated product range for the 2009/2010 winter tyre season. But it is not only the size and depth of the line-up that’s been taken care of – the company is also convinced that tyre dealers will be hard pressed to go past De Klok’s brands when it comes to quality, availability and pricing. Furthermore, a recently added extra 15,000 square metres warehouse capacity shows that the firm from Oud-Beijerland, south of Rotterdam, is set to expand.

The name De Klok – literally, the clock – can be used as a synonym for the company’s history. The ‘quick fix’ and ‘rush job’ mentality found so often today does not sit well with the long established firm; doing something properly takes time. The family business was established in the 1920s, although originally the company dealt in coal. It was not for another half century, in the 1970s, that De Klok entered the tyre trade. While other distributors are dedicated to spot business, company director Wim van der Heiden explained to Tyres & Accessories that De Klok prefers to focus upon establishing long-term relationships with its suppliers and customers. This business model can be clearly seen in the relationships the company has cultivated with its key production partners over the last few decades. In the 1970s, soon after launching its tyre business, De Klok Banden began a business relationship with Finland’s Nokian, acting as exclusive Benelux distributor for their passenger car and off the road tyre ranges. In addition, for close to twenty years De Klok has marketed the GT-Radial tyre line-up in these markets.

Another long-standing relationship De Klok holds is that with Taiwanese manufacturer Nankang Rubber Tire, whom the Dutch company has dealt with for close to 30 years, exclusively marketing the Nankang passenger car range in the Benelux countries and Germany. “Back then Nankang already had a good range,” explains sales manager Sjeng van der Maarel. And Nankang has continued to build upon this strength and today can deliver quality passenger car, light commercial vehicle and SUV summer, winter and all-season tyres in sizes between 12 and 24-inches from its two factories in Taiwan and China. One of the latest products in the De Klok portfolio is the “Nankang N-607” all-season tyre, available since August in seven of the most popular 15 to 17-inch sizes. A further five sizes will be added by the end of the year, and yet another five are planned for 2010.

An important offering for strong winter tyre markets is the new “Nankang SV-2” passenger car tyre, which replaces the SV-1, and the “Nankang SL-6” for light commercial vehicles. The design, construction and formulation of these tyres, plus the sizes offered, are tailored to meet the needs of European motorists. The SV-2 is initially available in 17 sizes between 14 and 17-inches, and its ice and wet condition performance has benefited from the application of a full silica compound, classic v-shaped tread design and 3D lamellas. Naturally no aromatic oils are used in the tyre, notes Wim van der Heiden. As well as this, in the current season a single size of the predecessor SV-1 will continue to be produced and marketed by De Klok in Europe. The SL-6 light commercial vehicle winter tyre has initially been released in six 15 and 16-inch sizes. It has been some time, comments the importer, since the Nankang brand has belonged to the budget tyre segment; it adds, however, that Nankang prices remain “competitive” and represent a “value for money” brand.

De Klok Banden has greatly benefited from its partnership with Nankang Rubber Tire over the last 30 years and has grown considerably as a result. A further and equally significant brand in the Dutch wholesaler’s range is “Delfin”. This own brand is today sourced from the Indonesian production partner Multistrada. This manufacturer recently completely modernised its production site in Indonesia and has for a number of years maintained a close relationship with Finland’s Nokian Tyres. Sales manager Sjeng van der Maarel interprets this as a “clear indication of the quality. We didn’t want our Delfin tyres to just be produced anywhere.” Multistrada has produced Delfin tyres for De Klok using “state of the art technology and European know-how”, as the wholesaler’s catalogue notes, for the past three years. Today the two passenger car ranges “Delfin DK5000” and “Delfin DF7000” (‘DK’ stands for De Klok) are available in a total of 28 sizes for rim diameters between 13 and 19-inches, and three more will be released in December. In addition, the new “Delfin DK Multimaxx” light commercial vehicle tyre was introduced into the range in September. More sizes will be added to the current line-up of four in December.

The Indonesian manufacturer’s ability to produce top quality winter tyres can be evidenced in its cooperation with Nokian Tyres. Whether Delfin light commercial or SUV tyres will be the next addition to the product range has yet to be decided upon, adds director Wim van der Heiden. At the moment only summer treads are available, and with these around 70 per cent of the market is covered.

The qualitative expectations De Klok has for its Indonesian production partner also apply in its cooperation with Nankang in Taiwan. The coordination between the wholesaler and supplier in terms of further product development is always close. “The joint work with Nankang has been very good for a long time,” comments van der Heiden. “They listen exactly to what the market demands.” The ongoing communication with De Klok has resulted in Nankang expanding its focus from just UHP products to also include smaller and medium sizes, and the company’s range now includes more than 400 sizes.

Despite offering such a sizable range, De Klok promises quick delivery times for all its brands and sizes. At a time when retailers are moving away from holding slower moving items in their inventories and orders of these products must ideally be immediately met, the Dutch wholesaler’s full warehouse and the logistics operation it employs is central to the company’s success. On average De Klok Banden stocks around one quarter of a million tyres. This includes not only the passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres that are always on hand and able to be supplied; Nokian OTR tyres, such as those used in port facility operations, are also usually available for immediate delivery. A 15,000 square metre expansion of the company’s warehouse in Oud-Beijerland was completed just three years ago, enabling an improvement in operations and a marked increase in warehouse space. Larger orders, however, are shipped direct to the customer from the factory in containers and do not go via De Klok’s logistics.

The team at De Klok Banden look towards the upcoming winter season with hope, comments sales manager Sjeng van der Maarel. Thanks to the popularity of Germany’s scrappage scheme the company anticipates a relatively high demand for smaller winter tyre sizes, a market De Klok sees as one of its core segments. This demand will, incidentally, be met by its “Accelera” brand, manufactured by Elangperdana in Indonesia and marketed by De Klok as a second brand to Nankang in several European markets.

Total sales this year will be around 15 per cent higher than in 2008, notes director Wim van der Heiden, and will amount to approximately one million units. Even though the global financial and business crisis has led to a decline is OTR and commercial vehicle tyre sales and the underwriting of credit for customers will not be so easy, the director concludes that the company will “not complain” – the family business is far too busy for such indulgences!