Kajiwara to head Bridgestone’s tyre business in Japan
As of 1 September, Koji Kajiwara will take over responsibility for Bridgestone Corporation’s Japan Tire Business, and additionally become assistant to the company’s senior vice-president. Kajiwara is currently deputy chairman of Bridgestone Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. and concurrently chairman of Bridgestone (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
Continue ReadingTyresure launches IMI TPMS training programme at Automechanika
During the recent Automechanika exhibition Tyresure launched its latest training opportunity – an IMI-accredited specialist TPMS course. According to the company, this training is being offered to customers in the UK first and is targeting key distributors and wholesalers in the first instance. Company representatives explained that the course features both theory and practical elements and is about servicing as much as training.
Continue ReadingRichard Collyer joins Launch UK
Launch UK, the UK supplier of automotive diagnostics equipment, has appointed Richard Collyer in the role of product and equipment specialist, bringing a wealth of aftermarket experience to the established brand. Collyer’s primary role will be to market, demonstrate and sell Launch’s ATF 501S, a device to clean and maintain the entire transmission system easily and quickly.
Continue ReadingFi McMartin promoted at Bickers
Fi McMartin has been named as the new East Anglia area sales manager at parts and accessories distributor, Bickers. Fi has been part of the McMartin family business since 2011. In her new role as the area sales manager in East Anglia, Fi will be joining a team of area managers in the UK.
Continue ReadingMichelin launches 2017 Tyre Academy
A 16-strong group of tyre dealership staff have taken part in the first Michelin Tyre Academy programme of 2017 – a dedicated training course aimed at members of the Michelin Auto Professional network develop the next generation of expert technicians. Michelin held two launch events, with seven delegates from dealerships in the north of England, Wales and Northern Ireland invited to the Michelin Training Centre in Stoke-on-Trent for the first module, and nine from dealers across the south hosted at Gatwick’s Copthorne Hotel, where they met with Michelin’s technical training team.
Continue ReadingContinental appoints 2 field engineers for CST business
A return to the agricultural tyre market is imminent, and Continental is preparing for its range’s market launch with the appointment of a new field engineer. Harm-Hendrik Lange began in this newly-created role within the Continental Commercial Specialty Tires (CST) team on 1 June. A second newly-created appointment focuses on the earthmoving tyre business, which Continental returned to last year. Matthias Engelhardt is now the field engineer responsible for CST’s earthmoving tyre customers.
Continue ReadingMartin named SEMA chairman-elect
At the start of June Tim Martin from K&N Engineering was elected SEMA’s chairman-elect and will help the SEMA board of directors lead the association for the 2017–2019 term. Martin fills the position held for the past two years by Wade Kawasaki of the Coker Group, who will begin serving his term as chairman in July. James Lawrence from Power Automedia was also voted onto the SEMA board of directors, and Greg Adler from Transamerican Auto Parts was re-elected, and will serve another term.
Continue ReadingMichelin cuts jobs in France and the US
Michelin has announced plans to significantly reorganise globally, resulting in significant job losses in France and the US most of which will be covered by natural attrition. In the United States 450 jobs in central functions are to be cut between 2018 and 2021. According to Michelin, 1,500 employees would actually leave the company in the same period, suggesting a large majority will result from natural attrition and retirement.
Continue ReadingGiti appoints senior regional sales manager for UK truck and bus operations
Giti Tire has promoted Craig Tominey to senior regional sales manager for its UK truck and bus (TBR) operations. He will take up the role while maintaining his position as area sales manager (ASM) for Scotland. Giti adds that Tominey, who joined Giti in April 2013 from BSUK, will support the company’s five ASMs around the country while having greater input into strategy with senior management and the office-based sales team. He will report directly to Tony McHugh, TBR sales and marketing director UK at Giti Tire.
Continue ReadingNTDA: accreditation scheme widening to include other tyre segments
Since the launch of the Roadside Emergency Action Concerning Technicians (REACT) scheme in 2011 more than 4000 commercial tyre technicians have registered with the NTDA been trained, assessed as competent and issued with a Licence to Work Safely at the Roadside across the UK and, more recently, the Republic of Ireland.
Continue ReadingMagna Tyres appoints Muktar Barrie as sales manager West-Africa
Magna Tyres Group has named Muktar Barrie as sales manager for the French-speaking countries in West-Africa effective 1 July. In his new position he has taken on the responsibility for growing the Magna Tyres market presence and will focus on developing strong customer relationships.
Continue ReadingAlex Vitale appointed CEO of TP Commercial Solutions in the US
TP Commercial Solutions LLC has appointed Alex Vitale as its new CEO for North America. The appointment is effective immediately and will see Vitale bring over 20 years of global tyre industry experience to lead the company’s efforts and expansion in the commercial truck and fleet markets in the US and Canada.
Continue ReadingNew client liaison officer appointed by CAM
CAM has appointed a new client liaison officer as part of the business’ ongoing expansion of its customer service commitment. An experienced sales and administration professional, Anna Morris will be the main point of contact for CAM’s existing customers. She will meet with customers face-to-face to facilitate ongoing client contact enabling tyre dealers to be current with the full suite of software and data solutions that CAM offers to help them expand their business opportunities.
Continue ReadingFormer Point S UK MD Cowderoy joins Apollo Vredestein
John Cowderoy has come on board at Apollo Vredestein as regional sales manager. The erstwhile managing director of Point S UK began in this position last month and, as part of a reorganisation of the UK sales team, will cover a newly-created region in the South of England.
Continue ReadingHermann Meyer heading Smart City Solutions unit at Continental
Half of the worlds population already lives in cities and, according to the United Nations, this figure will grow to more than two-thirds by 2030. Rising traffic volumes in urban areas will leave their mark on quality of life, and solutions need to be found now in order to prepare of the trend towards greater urbanisation. Intelligent transport and mobility systems are the core focus of the ITS European Congress, which begins today in Strasbourg, and Continental – an event sponsor – will present its vision of how a solution may look. The company also reports that it has created a new unit to oversee this area.
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