Kirkby Tyres supplying wide OTR range from expanded facility

One of the leading UK wholesalers of OTR tyres in the UK, Kirkby Tyres claims to be the country’s largest stockholder in the OTR and construction tyre industry. The company expanded its facilities during 2014, with its Speke, near Liverpool, headquarters now measuring nearly 10 acres. Kirkby has grown with the support of its suppliers – in the OTR tyre segment, these brands include increasingly large players from Asia, Alliance, BKT and Double Coin. Kirkby says it has in recent years “progressively expanded” its range of OTR tyres and wheels, now offering an enormous and varied selection of radial and bias tyres for earthmovers and construction vehicles.

Kirkby is approaching its 50^th year as sole UK distributor of Alliance tyres, something Kirkby describes as “a huge milestone for both companies”. Alliance’s OTR offering comprise smaller OTR tyres ranging up to 25”; radial and crossply sizes for dump trucks; graders; loading shovels; and earthmover and mining applications. Kirkby OE specialist Ilan Goldstone noted: “Alliance’s products have proven to be increasingly popular with OTR equipment manufacturers and we’ve received nothing but positive feedback.”

The wholesaler describes BKT as “one of the worldwide leaders in the off-the-road tyre industry”, with a “staggering overall sales increase in the last five years”. Kirkby says further increases are “inevitable”. The Mumbai based manufacturer produces tyres for an “ever-increasing range of applications, from high-speed radial crane tyres to almost a full line of radial, crossply, giant OTR and port tyres,” Kirkby adds, with sizes up to 51” crossply and 35” radial (including L5 and L5S) available. Kirkby also mentions the introduction of the improved Port King E4 reach stacker tyre, with an extra 10kg of rubber, and a forthcoming range of 65 series earthmover tyres.

Kirkby has also supplied Double Coin tyres for over 25 years. The Shanghai manufacturer is noted for its truck tyres, but Kirkby points to its status as the first Chinese manufacturer of radial earthmover tyres as evidence of its OTR capabilities. Kirkby supplies radial sizes including 49” and 51” for earthmover and dump truck applications. Double Coin is also producing a line of L5 extra deep tread tyres, including the popular REM19, in addition to standard E3 and L3 radial tyres. Kirkby adds that it has “had huge success with Double Coin high-speed crane tyres in both the OE and replacement market,” while “feedback from equipment manufacturers has shown that the REM6 heavy-duty industrial radial range are performing particularly well in heavy-duty forklift applications.”