2011 TAFF Awards preview

It's that time of the year again, when the tyre industry casts its votes to pick the winners of the NTDA's Tyre & Fast Fit (TAFF) Awards. A voting form is included in this magazine (and in our July issue) with the names of those companies that made the final shortlist or votes can be cast via the NTDA website. The final shortlist was compiled from nominations from NTDA members.

The winners will be announced at the NTDA's Annual Dinner, which this year is being held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel at the NEC, Birmingham on 20th October.
The categories are the same as in previous years, but there is also a new award for 2011 – that of "Tyre Centre of the Year". Retailers are invited to propose a depot or garage for consideration and those centres nominated will be the subject of a "mystery shopping" exercise, carried out by Encircle Marketing, who have extensive experience in this area.

To many, the reputation of the tyre trade when it comes to delivering customer service is, shall we say, less than perfect and this new award is designed to encourage professional, courteous and helpful service throughout the trade.

As last year, the “Innovation” category is somewhat different from the other TAFF Awards, in that it is not decided by votes, but by a panel of industry experts. Companies can nominate a service or product that they feel warrants the description of “innovative” and the panel will draw up a short list and choose the winner.

To be nominated for the TAFF Awards is itself an achievement and shows a high level of customer service, but the ultimate ambition is to end up the winner, so that you can say you are the best – and that your customers agree.

All the categories are keenly fought and this article gives the finalists a last chance to set out their stalls and convince you that they are deserving of the tyre industry’s most prestigious accolade.

Tyre Manufacturer of the Year

The same companies tend to feature in this category year after year, and this year includes no fewer than three previous winners – Bridgestone UK (last year’s winner), Michelin and Continental. The shortlist is completed by Pirelli – back in the final five after missing our last year – and, for the second year running, Hankook Tyre UK.

Bridgestone UK Ltd

Bridgestone is delighted to have been shortlisted for the ‘Tyre Manufacturer of the Year’ TAFF (Tyre and Fast Fit) award.

The annual awards are a prestigious event in the tyre industry calendar as the nominees are selected and voted for by the UK’s leading tyre specialists, all members of the NTDA. The awards recognise significant efforts of tyre manufacturers which benefit distributors and their customers.

John McNaught, managing director of Bridgestone UK, said: “It is always a great pleasure to be nominated for industry awards, but even more so for the TAFF awards as the votes are cast by people in the industry. Being shortlisted in the Tyre Manufacturer of the Year category is hugely rewarding for us as it recognises our continued efforts to deliver premium products to our customers as well as working closely with dealers to add value to their business.

“We are hopeful that we can keep hold of this award for the second year running and we are looking forward to seeing if we can defend last year’s victory.”

Continental Tyre Group

Continental’s mission is to be the most professional supplier of quality tyres and customer service. To be known for understanding the customers’ needs and being active and responsive in meeting and exceeding them.

Continental is one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers and has won a number of awards for its high quality products including Best Buy tyre brand by an independent report by Which? magazine. This is mainly down to its continuous research into safety and innovation, aiming to improve all tyre characteristics enabling shorter stopping distances, optimising rolling resistance leading to lower fuel consumption and improved handling on wet and dry roads. Continental also prides itself in its development of eco friendly products such as the brand new ContiEcoContact 5 which leads the way in eco performance by focussing on both fuel savings and wet braking, making sure safety is not forgotten in the strive for more environmentally friendly tyres. Continental also continuously works to reduce fleet operator costs. 2011 saw the launch of the HD HYBRID truck tyre, the new dual-purpose drive axle tyre designed for vehicles that do a combination of regional and long distance work, it delivers in a broad range of applications without any compromise in rolling resistance, energy efficiency, grip, safety and noise.

Continental also manufactures one of the most comprehensive ranges of Industrial products supplying innovative solid, pneumatic and multi-purpose tyres to the industry.

Continental is a leading supplier to the automotive industry with one in three cars made in Europe leaving the factory on Continental original equipment tyres. The company supplies leading car manufacturers such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes among others.

Continental takes the lead in safety communications,campaigning for better tyre maintenance and raising awareness of safety issues such as 3mm. Continental continues investing time in research and development in order to remain ahead and create products to keep motorist safe on UK roads.

Hankook Tyre UK

It’s smiles all round as Hankook have been nominated for the 2011 TAFF Awards for the prestigious “Tyre Manufacturer of the Year” category for the second year running.  Hankook is one of the world’s fastest growing tyre manufacturers and is understandably honoured to have been shortlisted. This year alone has seen the brand strengthen its alliances even further in motorsport with the exclusive partnership with the European tour car racing series, DTM.

Tony Lee, managing director of Hankook UK said “I can safely speak for all our staff here when I say how pleased we are to have been nominated for the TAFF Awards this year. The Hankook brand has grown considerably in the UK since its introduction back in the early 1980s. We have successfully built a good level of brand awareness and a solid reputation for quality equalling that of many other longer established brands. Hankook is committed to on-going development and further strategic expansion to ensure this level of quality is maintained.”

Michelin Tyre Plc

With 109,000 employees and a sales network covering more than 170 countries, Michelin is the worldwide leader in tyre manufacture. Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tyres for all types of vehicles.

New products launched in the last year include the Pilot Sport 3 high performance car tyre, the Alpin 4 winter tyre, the Power Pure motorcycle tyre and the Kleber Gripker 65-series agricultural tyre.
Michelin’s commitment to offering its customers the best products on the market is reinforced by the annual independent testing which it submits its tyres to. This year, the Company’s Energy Saver and Pilot Sport 3 car tyres were shown to offer the longest life, best fuel efficiency and shortest wet braking performance compared to their main European competitors.

Michelin’s environmental milestones include Challenge Bibendum 2010 which was held in Brazil. This event brought together automotive companies, experts and government representatives from around the world to demonstrate and discuss the latest environmental transport solutions.

Michelin’s Fill Up With air campaign continues throughout Europe, this year visiting more UK locations than ever before, offering free pressure checks and advice to motorists on the importance of correct tyre maintenance.

In terms of travel and tourism, Michelin continues to develop new technologies through ViaMichelin, including the newly introduced electronic Green Guides which allow travellers to create their own bespoke guides for their chosen destinations, and 2010 also saw the welcome re-introduction of the much loved I-Spy books for children.

Pirelli Tyres UK

This year Pirelli Tyres UK has also been nominated in this category. Pirelli’s nomination marks a return to a finalist position for the Italian-based tyre manufacturer after a short hiatus following the company’s last shortlisting in 2009.

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