Growing membership, developing relationships and training – NTDA National chairman’s Simon Wright inaugural speech

In addition to our live social media reporting and reporting the highlights of the 2022 Tyre Industry Conference in last month’s magazine, the December edition of Tyres & Accessories brings you curated coverage of the NTDA chairman and chief executive speeches as part of our “Looking back, Looking forward” review-of-the-year feature. With so much having taken place within the tyre market, the nation and the world as a whole, the two speeches offer a distinctly tyre distribution perspective on key issues relating to the associations growing membership, how it is developing relationships with other trade and charitable bodies and how it is investing in the future of the business via training initiatives.

Speaking at the association’s eighth Tyre Industry Conference held at the VOX Conference Centre in Birmingham, in his first year as NTDA National chairman Simon Wright – himself representing the third generation of the Wright family to serve on the executive council – specifically sought to highlight the achievements of the NTDA and its members in the fact of continuing market turmoil.

“It is safe to say, that it has been yet another extremely memorable year, in which we have seen a horrendous all-out war break out between the Ukraine and Russia, triggering rapid inflation, an energy crisis and a general cost-of-living crisis, which naturally also impacts on the cost of running our businesses. This coupled with further scandals in Westminster, leading to political turmoil and to yet another new Prime Minister!

“Most sadly, we have also experienced the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, who for the majority of us gathered here today, is the only sovereign we have known in our lifetime. So, on behalf of the Association and as a sign of respect to both the Queen and King Charles III, I would like to take this opportunity to say: Thank you ma’am for all that you did and God save the King! Let us hope, that the first year of his reign brings some stability and prosperity to us all.

“So, having briefly touched on world events, I now turn my attention to the NTDA, which has remained a rock amongst the shifting sands of change. As usual, it has been a very busy year for the NTDA. On the membership front, I am very pleased to say, that the association has attracted many new members. In fact, we welcomed 30 tyre distributors and six suppliers into membership.

“Once again, from local independent family-run tyre retailers to larger fast-fit chains and from international product manufacturers to independent major tyre repairers and re-treaders, and from across the whole of the UK, we continue to recruit some of the most well-known and professional companies in the sector and the team at Aylesbury receive enquiries on a weekly basis from businesses that are recognising the tangible benefits of being part of our association.

“So, I would now like to officially welcome: Bath Street Garage, Big Tyres, Binley Woods Service Centre, Bond Motor Services, Borough Green Tyres, Charles Hurst, Colne Tyre Centre, Cully Tyres, Extreme Tyres, Freeman’s Tyres, Garej Arwyn, Grays Autocenters, Hillclimb Garage, In Town Automotive, Kal Tire, Kam Servicing, Mr Tyreman UK, Nokian Tyres, On Board Tyre Solutions, Pitchford Tyres, Re-Tyred, RMH Vehicle Services, R&R Tyres Hampshire, Skidz Ltd, SN Autohaus, Stewartry Tyres, TD Tyres, Tomket Tyres, Treadmark Tyres, Tyre Lab, Varta Batteries, Vehicle Service Group UK, West End Garage Hexham, Wool & Bovington Motors, Wye Valley Tyres and Wythall Tyre Plus into membership.

Taking thethe temperature of the 2022 tyre market

”2022 has also been another year of successful partnerships. Our relationship with our sister body the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) grows closer by the day and I am delighted that so many TRA members are also here with us again.

“We have continued with our support of the Professional Recovery Operators Federation, (PROF) and its annual PROFCon event and endure in our backing of its campaign to allow both its recovery operators and our commercial and mobile tyre technicians working across the strategic road network to have red beacons on their vehicles.

“Once again, the NTDA supported National Highways with its Summer Tyre Checks campaign and an NTDA-branded version of the promotional collateral was produced. Campaign coverage was excellent across the tyre and automotive trade press, regional press and all social media platforms and I thank all of those members who shared and liked the messages…

“The NTDA has also been consulting with and actively supporting UK AFCAR in its response to the Competition Market Authority’s (CMA) Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations (MV-BER) consultation and was delighted with the content of the response, which was a truly outstanding piece of work and we are very lucky that one of the key people involved in producing that response…

“We have also grown much closer to the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights and now manage its new Corporate Affiliate Scheme which has already attracted great interest and two members from the tyre trade and associated aftermarket, as well as continuing in our efforts to raise funds for the Wheelwrights’ Charity and the many good causes it supports.

“Technician training and professional licensing remains a cornerstone of NTDA activity and I am delighted to announce that well over 8,500 commercial tyre technicians have now been trained, assessed as competent and issued with a REACT licence. The licence is universally recognised across our industry by manufacturers, tyre distributors, customers and insurers alike and is the ‘de facto’ licence to work safely at the roadside.

“Close to 2000 commercial tyre technicians have also been trained (or re-trained), assessed as competent and issued with an NTDA Commercial Tyre Technician licence. And 147 technicians have now been issued with the NTDA Retail Tyre Technician licence. Already, 155 technicians have been issued with the new Responsible Tyre Repair Technician licence launched at the beginning of this year!

“…I draw to a close by firstly paying tribute to Martin O’Brien, now both our Immediate Past and Vice National Chairman, and to his strong chairmanship during both Brexit and the Covid pandemic. He is truly a ‘master of the round and black’ and a dedicated supporter of the NTDA and its objectives.

“We recognise, that the NTDA can only run an event of this magnitude with the support of our generous sponsors and as National Chairman I offer my personal thanks to GB Tyres (UK) Ltd and JK Tyres for enabling us to put together this exceptional event.

“I would also like to thank the NTDA team at Aylesbury for all of its hard work and dedication to our members and both the conference and the annual dinner, your efforts are, as always, appreciated.

“My own family’s history in the tyre trade can be traced back to 1923, so almost 100 years, and we have enjoyed a longstanding involvement with the NTDA for many of those years. In fact, I am the third generation of the Wright family to serve on the executive council.

“I would like to conclude, therefore, by saying that I am both proud and honoured to be the NTDA National chairman and I thank both the executive council and the wider membership for their support and faith in me…”

Hundreds attended the Tyre Industry Conference and Tyre Industry Awards events (Photo: NTDA)