Stapleton’s increasing van tyre choice

Stapleton’s head of marketing and range planning, Stephen Childs says the company’s latest NTDA TAFF Awards Tyre Wholesaler of the Year award – its second in as many years – and its leading position in UK tyre wholesale can be explained by the company’s “working for the customer” philosophy: “We’re keenly aware that it’s tough out there for our retail customers – and that’s why we’re working harder than ever to gear up our service to meet their needs quickly and accurately.”

With the drivers of UK commercial operations looking now more than ever to find increased value in their vehicles, Childs explains that Stapleton’s has focused on providing both improved service and a broader range of tyres from which to choose. He explains that Stapleton’s national distribution network “makes our response to orders faster than ever with deliveries hourly, three times daily, twice a day and next day depending on the customer’s location… That’s vital to tyre retailers serving commercial van operators who can ill afford to have vehicles off the road waiting for their tyres.” Stapleton’s stocks around 1.2 million tyres, held at 22 warehouses and 19 distribution points across the UK.

Stapleton’s says it is committed to ensuring it can provide a tyre from stock for every van and light truck on the road at every price point; last year the company added the Maxxis range to its portfolio of exclusive mid-range and budget private brands, which includes Kleber, Matador, Nexen and Primewell. “I’m delighted that we now exclusively offer the Maxxis van tyre range, which offers the blend of safety, durability and performance that hard pressed commercial operators demand in today’s fiercely competitive market,” says Childs.

With the addition of Maxxis products (see separate article for details of its range), Stapleton’s private brands range delivers a tyre for every van model and for every circumstance; the company exemplifies this approach with a number of tyres available across its brands: for drivers who like their small to medium sized van to perform like a car the wholesaler supplies the low-noise Matador MPS 320 Maxilla. The tyre improves wet weather performance town and motorway and is available in 18 sizes from 14” to 16”. Similarly, the Nexen CP321 multi-purpose vehicle tyre – one of three van patterns available from Nexen in the UK – offers responsive, car-like handling and even wear, thanks to its solid shoulder rib in all its 14 sizes from 13” to 16”.

For drivers carrying heavier loads, safety and road noise tend to be major concerns, which is where the Primewell PV600 comes in – all of its 20 sizes from 14” to 16” feature extra endurance technology designed to carry big loads with good safety margins and a quiet ride, according to Stapleton’s. The Michelin-manufactured Kleber Transpro is an all-rounder for all kinds of vans and all sorts of applications, the wholesaler advises. Designed for safety and reliability, it delivers excellent traction on wet surfaces in all its 11 sizes across the 15” and 16” ranges. For when cost is the ultimate factor in tyre choice, Stapleton’s offers Event Tyres’ ML609 and ML605 in 14 sizes from 13” to 16”, designed for driving in the urban environment.

Stapleton’s managing director, Yutaka Kimbara sees the expansion of Stapleton’s van tyre range as a key part of the customer focused ethos that has helped the company overcome less than favourable market conditions in 2011: “As a round the clock, time pressured operation running a fleet of 275 vans throughout the UK… we at Stapleton’s are all too familiar with the challenges tyre retailers face – and I’m sure our customers will value this extra choice and value.”