Agricultural specialist RH Claydon heads for 60th anniversary milestone

Now in its 60th year of trading, independent wholesaler R H Claydon aims to offer an extensive product portfolio designed to meet the needs of discerning tyre distributors, service providers and end users in the UK and Ireland markets. According to business development and purchasing director John Parker, the agricultural or (off-highway) market is where RH Claydon does best and therefore is the area that the industry judges to be the company’s “core sphere of expertise.”

Parker explained: “We have a number of key brands that thoroughly cater for this market as in BKT, Continental, Cultor, Duro, Galaxy, Primex, Supreme, Titan Trelleborg and Vredestein. Concentrating on agricultural at this time rather than the full off-highway product offering, we have BKT for which we are the longest established authorised distributor for the UK. 

RH Claydon is a strong proponent of BKT, which – Parker points out that is a result of the fact that this brand has a size, pattern, fitment and profile portfolio that is in the company’s words “second to none”. As a result, BKT has reportedly become the brand that epitomises the expression “high quality at value for money prices”, according to Parker. The range not only covers both radial and cross-ply construction agricultural tyres, but also plant and construction, industrial, forestry, turf maintenance, ATV, port, earthmover and more. 

Looking to the future, BKT is continuing to aim high and is reportedly endeavouring to achieve a 10 per cent share of the “global” off-highway market by 2014/15, which on the face of it seems a very tall order indeed. However, with increases in production combined with an investment programme that continues to fund their strategy of introducing many new sizes, profiles and applications each year (especially in its radial line up), RH Claydon representatives report that the aim looks “very attainable.”

Galaxy and Primex range expands

RH Claydon’s portfolio is further supported by the Galaxy and Primex brands. These products form part of the Alliance Tire Group stable and are exclusive to RH Claydon for the UK and Ireland markets. 

“What is really exciting news concerning Galaxy and Primex is that they also have an expanding product range of sizes, patterns, profiles and fitments in both radial and cross-ply for agricultural, trailer, plant and construction, industrial, small and large implement, specialist turf maintenance and earthmover for the off-highway market. To re-emphasise the quality theme, we all know that original equipment manufacturers demand the highest quality product to meet their specific need and application criteria. Due to this the Galaxy brand in particular stands out, as it continues to win many OE supply contracts to well-known prestigious manufacturers. This latter point is hopefully very good news for our tyre distributors/service provider partners in that a replacement market ‘end user pull through’ requirement will be created,” commented Parker, explaining the company’s belief in these brands.

In addition to these brands, RH Claydon offers the Continental, Cultor, Mitas (all produced by CGS Group and sold through it local operation Mitas Tyres UK) and Vredestein, which are also said to have “a high demand factor” due to their extensive size and application portfolios.

In order to cover the physically smaller end of the market such as small implement, barrow, high speed trailer plus lawn and ATV fitments, RH Claydon offers the Duro, Supreme, Titan and Trelleborg brands. And this is all backed up by the company’s Airtite range of own branded tubes.