GB Tyres adds brands and staff amidst rapid growth

Midlands-based wholesaler GB Tyres has grown rapidly despite the challenges of lockdown and logistics during the last couple of years. Indeed, GB Tyre’s annual turnover has skyrocketed from £3 million in 2016 to full-year 2022 predictions of £50 million. Considering the company was only established in 2013, it is fair to say the business has grown to become one of the fastest growing importers and exporters of commercial vehicle tyres in Europe. Tyres & Accessories met up with commercial director Graham Hutchinson to find out more.

Strategic brand distributorships have played a key role in GB Tyres’ development. In recent years, well-known manufacturers’ group brands as well as leading brands of breakthrough manufacturers have been repeatedly added to the GB Tyres portfolio.

Key examples include the Guizhou/Advance Tyre-produced Samson brand, for which GB Tyres is the exclusive UK distributor. According to the latest Tyres & Accessories leading tyre company data, Advance Tyre is about the 30th largest tyremaker in the world and is particularly strong in OTR and truck tyre products.

In addition, some of the latest news is that an as-yet unlaunched GB Tyres own-brand is set to hit the market during July. One of the benefits of owning your own brand is that distribution is not geographically limited, something that gives us a hint at how GB Tyres plans to continue its recent rapid growth curve. One strategy, at least, will be to branch out into new markets outside the UK. Such sales will be generated across brands where distributorships allow. Those brands with distributorships will be sold the various European markets where opportunities are possible. But the forthcoming private brand will be sold worldwide.

Exports are already part of the GB Tyres growth curve, with the business exporting to roughly eight countries outside the UK at the time of our interview. The fact that GB Tyres has appointed a new export manager that speaks Spanish is another reflection of the company’s continue intention to look beyond these shores.

GB Tyres has made its name with sales of commercial and industrial tyres. However, the company also began selling passenger car tyres 15 months ago. Total stocks across all segments now amount to between 60,000 and 70,000 tyres at any given moment. The company opened a new 120,000 square foot warehouse in Oldbury relatively recently, which means GB Tyres now has three warehouses in total.

The company has also made some strategic personnel appointments. During May 2022, former Trelleborg Wheel Systems UK and Ireland marketing manager Jon Hewitt joined the company as UK sales manager – agriculture. Within that newly-created role, part of Hewitt’s remit will be to develop a new agricultural, plant and earthmover-orientated brand specifically for that space.

Other brands GB Tyres imports include JK Tyre, Anchee, Tegrys and Sunwide.