New manager for Continental’s independent aftermarket business
Continental has named Peter Wagner managing director of Continental Aftermarket GmbH, the Interior division business that specialises in products for the independent aftermarket. Wagner, previously sales manager within the business, began in this role on 1 July. He succeeds Helmut Ernst, who left Continental to take up a position at ZF Services.
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100 new jobs as Jaguar Land Rover chooses Coventry for tech centre investment
Jaguar Land Rover has announced its chosen location for the OEM’s Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre. The Technical Centre will be situated in Prologis Park, Ryton, near Coventry, and will become the global centre of excellence for the creation of high-end luxury bespoke commissions and extreme performance vehicles. Operations are set to begin towards the end of the year, with a team of 150 Jaguar Land Rover specialists based at Ryton, around 100 of which highly-skilled engineering and technician jobs will be new. £20 million will be invested in installing specialist equipment and a customer commissioning suite.
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Minardi now a senior Bridgestone VP
As of 1 September, executive chairman of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, Eduardo Minardi, will be promoted from vice-president and senior officer of Bridgestone Corporation to senior vice-president. Minardi’s status changes along with that of Bridgestone Americas CEO and president Gary Garfield, who will also go from being vice-president and senior officer of Bridgestone Corporation to senior vice-president.
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New Goodyear Dunlop consumer tyre director aims to maximise success
At the start of November 2013, Goodyear Dunlop appointed Nick Harley as director Consumer Tyres for Goodyear Dunlop UK and Ireland. At the end of July 2014, Tyres & Accessories caught up with him to hear – nine months in - his reflections on the current state of the tyre market and what he can foresee in the future.
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Svensson named Marangoni’s Scandinavia retreading sales manager
Marangoni Retreading Systems has added to its European retreading sales and support team with the appointment of Jan-Olof Svensson as its new area sales manager for the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian markets. Svensson joins Marangoni from Bandag, where he spent the last 15 years as sales development manager Sweden. His career within the tyre industry began at Michelin Sweden, and he was later employed as sales manager at Franska Däckimporten AB, an importer of Klebér and Ohtsu Tyres in Sweden.
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Kraiburg appoints new UK and Ireland sales manager
Marcus Knoth has become the new Kraiburg Austria sales manager for UK and Ireland, effective July. Knoth started working for Kraiburg in March 2011 in the company’s tyre compounds business division. Since September 2012, he commenced working in the retreading sector as sales manager for several South East European and Scandinavian markets.
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Chris Smith appointed Michelin Tyre TBR tyre marketing head
Michelin Tyre has announced the appointment of Chris Smith, 31, to the position of head of truck and bus marketing, with responsibility for the UK and Ireland. Smith began his career at Michelin in 2007 as a truck sales account manager and subsequently became regional fleet account manager in 2009. He has taken up his new leadership position following three years as truck regional sales manager in the South East. Prior to joining Michelin, Smith was a sales executive with OyezStraker Office Supplies.
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Giti Tire appoints Italian market analyst
Igino Schiavi has been appointed by Giti Tire as market analyst for Italy, with responsibility for passenger car and light truck (PCR) and truck and bus (TBR) positioning strategies. His main role will be to collect and analyse market data to benchmark the company’s GT Radial, Primewell and Runway tyre brands on both price and performance to ensure best product placement.
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Town and Country mobile founder Christopher Shankland dies
The man behind Town and Country Tyres, the UK’s first mobile car tyre fitting business, has died. Christopher Shankland was described by his son, Mark Shankland, joint-founder of Event Mobile Tyres, as a well known figure in the tyre trade for 40 years, having worked for Michelin and independently in the retail business, eventually becoming a consultant with Kwik-Fit. Shankland passed away on Sunday, 27 July. The family are welcoming donations to Prostate Cancer UK.
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Nunn promoted to director after 27 years at ETB
A former fitter who has worked for more than 25 years in a family-run business specialising in exhausts, tyres and batteries has been appointed as a director of the company. Paul Nunn, 43, from Stourport-on-Severn, will sit on the board of directors at Worcester-based ETB (Exhaust, Tyres & Batteries).
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Bridgestone ‘tyre toolbags’ support National Tyres apprentices
Bridgestone is supplying National Tyres’ next generation of automotive apprentices with “tyre toolbags” for a second successive year. The manufacturer says it was keen to support the vocational offering by way of a branded holdall for each learner for another year, containing a wide range of equipment to assist in both the classroom and in-branch, after first hearing about National’s pioneering NVQ level 2 training courses in 2013.
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What next for Unipart Automotive workers?
When the news broke that Unipart had entered administration, it will have been something of a blow for the 1800-odd “loyal” employees of the company. Indeed the only good thing for employees was the end of the speculation roller coaster than began with managers suggesting a rescue could come in 36 hours, followed by reports that Euro Car Parts was a front runner, and finally the announcement two weeks later that nothing could be done for the company. But what about staff?
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