Watts ‘Integrates’ Trelleborg’s French Industrial Tyre Distribution

Trelleborg Industrial Tires Europe has appointed Watts Tyre Group as the sole distributor of its industrial tyres range in France. Under the terms of the new agreement, Trelleborg Industrial Tires Europe will transfer its France-based industrial tyre operations to Watts Tyre Group. As a result of the deal, Watts will formally divide its French operations into a wholesale distribution business and a specialist service operation. The service business, which is reputed to be the largest in France, will trade under the Interfit name. Observers suggest that, together with the Trelleborg distribution agreement, this will help differentiate Watts service and distribution operations and therefore help strengthen the service propostion.

According to Trelleborg, the new strategy will yield “overall advantages to the French customers.” For its part, Watts’ official statement on the matter said: “Watts will integrate Trelleborg’s industrial tyres activities with their own and will now distribute Trelleborg tyre products alongside the Watts product range.”

The cooperation, announced today (7 December), is designed to leverage the brand awareness and quality of Trelleborg’s product range with the market coverage and servicing ability of Watts Tyre Group. Company representatives did not confirm whether there was a financial element involved in the deal.

Watts chief executive Jean-Paul Mindermann commented: “We believe this to be a hugely significant development both for us as a tyre business and for the French market. We are combining our expertise and service capability with Trelleborg’s range of products to create a truly focused service business that offers a clear value to the materials handling market. Interfit will offer a choice of OE specified market leading products and best in class services to the French forklift market.”

“Being able to offer customers a choice of tyre products from two of the world’s leading tyre producers is only part of the story; through the development of Interfit we are creating a business that is based on service excellence and strong processes. We are confident that customers will recognise the inherent value that such a proposition has and will see the benefits that it delivers.”

The latest news follows a year of expansion for Watts Tyre Group, which saw the company sold in a management buyout at the end of October. In March German subsidiary Watts Industrie Reifen bought Profix GmbH and integrated its management into its structure.

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