Bill Hall passes away

It is with great sadness that Tyrepress.com reports the passing of Infleet founder Bill Hall, following a long battle with cancer. A prominent figure in the tyre business for nearly 30 years, Hall joined Goodyear in 1980, serving in several senior positions in the UK and Europe, before leaving to set up the independent tyre service network in the mid-2000s. His long and distinguished career also included two years as chairman of the British Rubber Manufacturers Association tyres committee, forging a close working relationship with most of the major tyre brands and the industry associations. Hall died on Friday, 19 July, and was commemorated at a funeral on Thursday, 25 July. A keen sportsman who was a lifelong supporter of Bolton Wanderers, he lived with his wife in Sandbach, Cheshire and has a grown up son and a daughter with three grandchildren.

Bill Hall built an enviable reputation in the tyre industry both in the UK and throughout the major Western European markets, well known amongst most of the key tyre service providers in these markets.

Joining Goodyear in 1980 as a salesman he soon became North West UK divisional manager, he moved to Wolverhampton in the mid-1980s before becoming UK sales director in the mid-1990s. He rose further through the ranks to become director of sales and marketing for the company’s European commercial business. He returned to the UK in 2002, when he became Goodyear UK managing director, as well as taking up the post of chairman of the BRMA for two years. 

During these years in senior sales & marketing management positions both in the UK and internationally, Hall specialised in the development of independent service networks, both in the UK and western and central European countries. He developed detailed experience of both roadside servicing and fleet support requirements for the full range of tyre segments, including industrial tyres as well as car, van and truck products.

In the UK market he supported the development of an all service independent tyre service network, while later he headed up development throughout Europe of an independent truck tyre service network offering cradle to grave tyre service support to major International fleets.

When he left Goodyear Dunlop in 2004, Hall set up the Infleet tyre service initiative, utilising his vast past experience to address the need for a full service UK network. The network has now matured with over 900 service providers, which enables Infleet to offer fleet tyre solutions to small businesses and major national fleets alike. He leaves behind an established well organised operation that he took great pride in developing.