VDB highlights wide brand portfolio

With its sizeable exhibition presence at The Tire Cologne, Netherlands-based wholesaler Van den Ban not only had space to display products from its broad selection of private and exclusive brands, it was also well equipped to reforge face-to-face bonds with its many international contacts following the recent two-year pause. Speaking with Tyrepress.com on the trade fair’s final day, commercial director Cyril Versteeg stressed the importance of events such as this as a meeting point for existing and potential customers.

“Exhibiting at The Tire Cologne has most definitely been worthwhile for Van den Ban,” confirmed Versteeg. In addition to a tightly-booked schedule of meetings, he reported strong visitor traffic during the three-day show.

Products on display at the Van den Ban exhibition space included Hifly. Versteeg commented that Hifly is “always important” for the wholesaler – he directed our attention to the Hifly HF805, a new popular UHP summer tyre said to offer “good wet performance and enhanced stability at high-speed cornering.” Van den Ban offers the HF805 in an ever-growing range of sizes for 15- to 21-inch rim diameters.

Versteeg also highlighted an “up and coming” brand for Van den Ban, Gripmax. This is the wholesaler’s exclusive budget brand in the SUV and 4×4 segment, and its Gripmax range recently grew with the addition of the SureGrip Pro Sport. This UHP summer tyre features an EU label rating of A for wet grip and is currently available in more than 40 SKUs for 18- to 22-inch rim diameters, a range that will grow to over 130 SKUs in future. Another recent arrival in the Gripmax portfolio is the Inception A/T, an all-season tyre that features the 3PMSF and is available in 25 SKUs for 15- to 20-inch rims. Van den Ban says Inception A/T provides good off-road grip in wet and snowy conditions, making it perfect for any terrain.