Pirelli to supply major Russian garage network

An agreement signed between Pirelli and Russian oil and gas company Rosneft will see the Italian tyre maker’s products sold at the 1,800 service stations Rosneft operates in its homeland. The trade and marketing cooperative agreement was signed by Pirelli & C. S.p.A chairman and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera and Rosneft Management Board president and chairman Igor Sechin; in a statement covering the deal, Pirelli says the heads of both companies underlined that the cooperation and business partnership between Rosneft and Pirelli is “built on the basis of sharing experience and potential for mutual benefit.”

The chain of service stations Rosneft operates is the second largest in Russia. Before Pirelli tyres arrive on the shelves in the service stations, a joint Rosneft-Pirelli working group will first be established to identify priority sales markets, develop a preliminary product mix and efficient supply logistics and to create joint marketing campaigns to promote the Rosneft and Pirelli products and brands.

Russia’s Krasnodar region will be a focus for joint activities. The region is soon to play host to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, for which Rosneft is a general partner. Both companies believe the planned joint marketing activities by Rosneft and Pirelli will provide strong support in preparations for the biggest global sporting event of 2014.