Michelin appoints Lee Hulme to drive UK, Ireland dealer network programmes
Michelin has appointed Lee Hulme as UK distribution channel and programme manager. In the new role, Hulme will oversee the manufacturer’s four accredited dealer networks for the motorcycle, car, agricultural and commercial vehicle sectors. With the appointment, Michelin has unified its dealer programmes for each segment. It also marks its growing focus on these accredited networks, which in the UK and Ireland now comprise 374 locations. Previously, its dealer programmes were co-ordinated by separate departments internally.
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Conica: John Bramwell retires, Mike Hill appointed head of operations
After almost 20 years with Conica, the company’s operations director, John Bramwell, is retiring at the end of October. Commenting on his retirement, company representatives said Bramwell “has been a fundamental part of everything the company has achieved and will leave Conica with one of the best truck tyre recycling plants anywhere in the world.” In addition to his leadership role at Conica, Bramwell also represented the industry in a number of roles, including as a director of the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA).
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Central Tyre appoints ex-Pirelli manager as sales director
Central Tyre has appointed former Pirelli and Prometeon sales manager Alex Whittle as sales director. In his new role, Whittle will be responsible for all sales operations across the car, van, truck, industrial and agricultural sectors. His appointment follows a successful growth period within the UK market, according to Central. Central Tyre is part of the UK’s leading ETEL group of tyre retailers, alongside Kwik-Fit and STS Tyre Pros.
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Nikki McCluney joins First Stop as marketing manager
First Stop Tyre & Car Services has appointed Nikki McCluney as its new marketing manager. Formerly HiQ’s marketing manager, McCluney brings with her over 25 years marketing experience across automotive, fast fit and retail brands having previously worked for Goodyear Dunlop, Maxxis Tyres and Halfords. Indeed, she played a key role at the HiQ rebrand while at Goodyear Dunlop in 2007 and launched the chain’s concept store while in the role.
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Transaid ambassadors to ride 500km route virtually to raise vital funds
Transaid ambassadors Guy Heywood (Hankook) and Marcio Bonifacio (Z Tech Control Systems) are determined to raise vital funds for the charity despite the pandemic-enforced postponement of two major cycling events. The pair will complete the planned 507km route of the 2020 Transaid Malawi Challenge virtually between Wednesday 9 and Sunday 13 September. They will use SMART bike trainers and the Zwift cycling app from their homes in Frankfurt and Cambridge to simulate 10km of climbing and between 15 and 18 hours of riding. Heywood told Tyres & Accessories that the pair are trying to raise enough in sponsorship to buy two cycle ambulances or to fund a health care worker in Africa for one year. Thanks to the technology, Heywood assured T&A that the riders would “suffer suitably to justify any support given!” Click here to support Guy and Marcio in helping Transaid to continue its mobility and new health projects in Sub Saharan Africa, including new initiatives focusing on Covid-19, gender-based violence and malaria.
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Ecobat gains NI presence through Easystart acquisition
Following its purchase of Easystart Ireland last month, Ecobat Battery Technologies (Ecobat) is opening a new branch in Northern Ireland. The branch is located in Crumlin, Co Antrim and will be headed by Colin Watterson, managing director of Easystart since its founding in 2016 and a 20-year battery industry veteran. He will be joined by two Easystart colleagues, Jim Brennan and David McNeill.
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September start for Nokian’s new Supply Operations SVP
As Nokian Tyres reported earlier in the year, it selected Adrian Kaczmarczyk to succeed Esa Eronen as senior vice president of Supply Operations following the latter’s retirement. He officially commenced in this new role on Tuesday after gradually familiarising himself with the company and its business during the past half-year, and also joins the tyre maker’s management team.
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Bridgestone Americas names Rodabaugh CIO
Taren Rodabaugh has been appointed Bridgestone Americas’ chief information officer, effective 31 August. She is tasked with leading the company’s information technology strategy in support of its ongoing evolution to become a sustainable mobility and advanced solutions company.
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Michael Eckert joins Kenda Tires Europe as senior sales manager
Kenda has strengthened its global team with two new appointments, bringing exceptional sales support to Europe and adding extensive engineering know-how to the Kenda European Technical Centre (KETC). Michael Eckert joins as senior sales manager, Engin Ünal as senior engineer, effective 1 August.
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Continental to expand restructuring programme to save 1 billion euros by 2023
Continental is expanding the restructuring programme it initiated in 2019. The company is adding further measures to cut costs and increase efficiency to its Transformation 2019-2029 programme. The tyre manufacturer wants to achieve gross annual savings of more than 1 billion euros by 2023. This is significantly more than previous targets – in fact more than doubling the initially quoted figure. In total it expects the changes to affect more than 30,000 jobs worldwide. Its workers in Conti’s domestic market in Germany will be the largest part, with 13,000 affected jobs. A further major proportion will be in countries with high labour costs. Conti says these jobs will be modified, relocated, or made redundant. Conti says the programme aims to ensure its viability and strengthen global competitiveness in the long term.
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Goodyear appoints Kate Norton sales general manager commercial UK & Ireland
Goodyear has appointed Kate Norton sales general manager commercial UK & Ireland. She assumes the role after a decade-long career with Goodyear. Most recently she was head of sales capability Europe. Goodyear states that Norton has extensive knowledge of the industry. She has previously managed some of the company’s largest consumer accounts in the UK, bringing strong sales coaching skills to support the ongoing development of the commercial team.
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Kordsa appoints chief operating officer for APAC
Global tyre construction, reinforcement, and composites technology supplier Kordsa has appointed İbrahim Özgür Yıldırım as chief operating officer for the Asia-Pacific region. Yıldırım will replace Zeki Kanadıkırık, who steps down after five years in the position, as of 1 September 2020.
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Carlton Forest Group appoints Scott Robson financial director
Carlton Forest Group has appointed a new financial director as it enters the next phase of its growth strategy. Scott Robson has joined the waste to energy company, home to the UK’s only continuous tyre pyrolysis plant. Originally from Leeds, Robson has a global career in director level finance roles. “We extend a very warm welcome to Scott and look forward to working with him as our portfolio of business continue their exciting growth phrases and strategic diversification,” said Mark Pepper, CEO, Carlton Forest Group Holdings. “He joins our driven and dynamic senior team and we know that he will have a long and successful career with us.”
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