TyreSafe Briefing – 2 weeks to go
The countdown is on for the TyreSafe Briefing on Thursday 7 July, and the tyre safety organisation says it is looking forward to welcoming attendees back in person following a two-year hiatus. This year’s event takes place at St George’s Park, Burton Upon Trent, beginning at 1pm.
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Giti, BTRC featured on Top Gear
Giti Tire appeared on the 19 June episode of Top Gear, supporting the presenting trio’s participation in a round of the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC). The episode focused on commercial vehicles – an HGV special – as presenters Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness passed their lorry driving tests before driving across the UK in new DAF, Mercedes and Scania pulling units. Their journey ended at Pembrey Race Circuit, where McGuinness then competed in a BTRC round in a fully liveried Giti truck.
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Dramatic win for Exol-supported Worcester Warriors
Exol Lubricants-sponsored rugby union side Worcester Warriors won a nail-biting Premiership Rugby Cup final after extra time on tries scored.
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Bob Sockl RIP
It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of the founder of Aftermarket magazine, Bob Sockl, who passed away last weekend aged 75, following a long illness. If you would like to share your memories of Bob, a memory page has been created by Aftermarket magazine. The family are collecting donations for Demelza Hospice Care For Children. You can make a donation, by visiting the memory page.
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Omid Djalili to entertain at Awards Dinner
Award-winning comedian and actor Omid Djalili has been signed up to entertain guests at the IAAF Annual Awards Dinner, to be held on 8 December 2022 at DoubleTree Hilton, Milton Keynes. Omid has appeared in many notable films including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mummy, Gladiator, Sex and the City 2, and Notting Hill. On the small screen, he has appeared on shows from Sport Relief Bake-Off, to Newsnight. He fronted his own HBO special, and was in many episodes of the sitcom Whoopi, alongside Whoopi Goldberg.
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Kerr’s Tyres Group celebrates 20th anniversary
Kerr’s Tyres Group has celebrated its 20th anniversary with its very first customer. Originally opening as Kerr’s Tyres in 2002 with a staff of three, the company has expanded both its scale and the range of services it offers over the last two decades.
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91% increase in Halfords Autocentres revenues drives group sales and profits
Halfords Group has reported strong full-year 2022 revenue growth of +19.9 per cent compared with 2020. That means total group revenues amounted to £1.369 billion in 2022, of which £368 million came from the autocentres business – an increase of 91.9 per cent compared with 2020. Group gross margin totalled £721.7 million, of which £211.0 million came from Autocentres. Much of the Autocentres-driven growth comes via the acquisitions of Iversons and the Axle Group/National Tyres last year, however life-for-like growth of 23.4 per cent shows that business continues on an organic upward trajectory as well. As a result, Halfords Autocentres gross margin is now growing six-times faster than the group’s wider retail business.
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Klarius raises prices ‘by a small proportion’
Klarius reports that it has been using its “extensive UK stock of exhaust systems, components and accessories to limit price rises to the aftermarket” up till now. However, the continuing rises in global energy costs are now being compounded by direct sanctions on trade with Russia, which is also pushing up raw materials costs for manufacturing industry.
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ATS Euromaster invests in making centres EV-ready
ATS Euromaster, which describes itself as a network of “tyre and maintenance centres”, has invested in upskilling technicians so they can work on both hybrid and electric vehicles. Technicians have been trained to IMI standards as part of a phased roll out.
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Merityre appoints new managing director
Dene Arnold has been appointed as Merityre managing director effective July 2022, having worked with the company for over 40 years where he started as a tyre fitter. Specifically, Dene Arnold will move from his current position as general manager and executive director to the of role managing director. Arnold will be takes over from Noel Pope who will become chairman. Both Noel Pope and his brother Jolyon will remain as executive directors of the company.
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Repairify achieves ISO 9001
Repairify UK Limited has been awarded the ISO 9001 quality management standard following Red EU’s award earlier this year. According to the company, “this latest recognition reinforces Repairify’s continued investment to accelerate its scale and growth in response to the needs of the marketplace in the UK and across Europe.”
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Maha UK exhibiting at Road Transport Expo
Maha UK will showcase its workshop equipment at the brand-new Road Transport Expo show, taking place at NAEC Stoneleigh between 30 June and 2 July. According to the company, “with heavy goods vehicles at the heart of the exhibition, it’s the perfect arena for Maha UK to highlight its pedigree to visitors, in particular, it’s DVSA specification MBT 7250 Eurosystem roller brake tester.”
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Davanti Tyres exhibiting at Billing Off Road Show
Davanti Tyres will once again be returning to Billing Off Road Show this year. Accompanying the team will be luxury vehicle design specialists Sterling Automotive Design, as well as off-road rally expert Edd Cobley.
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Laurence Nichols driving Harlow business into new era after 50-year anniversary
Essex garage owner Laurence Nichols has promised to drive his Harlow business into a new era having strengthened ties with the First Stop network on his 50th anniversary in the motor trade. Nichols runs Uncle Tom’s Motorist Centre, which he named after his father who died in 1989. Now 63, the garage owner began his career making the tea for colleagues back in 1972, before his family business fully kicked into gear in 1976. When his father Tom passed away, he decided to change the name of the garage in his memory. He says thoughts of his father continue to spur him on.
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Merityre, Hometyre take wins as Autogem ‘TPMS Expert’ captures imagination
The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event at the Birmingham NEC hosted the finale of Autogem’s inaugural TPMS Expert competition on Wednesday, 8 June. 12 regional finalists assembled on Autogem’s stand to demonstrate their problem-solving skills in front of hundreds of onlookers, including a judging panel of industry experts. Merityre’s Liam Gaynor was crowned TPMS Expert (large retailer) with Hometyre’s Craig Schwartz taking the small retailer award, while all 12 finalists were commended for detecting various TPMS faults quickly and efficiently, communicating them clearly to the panel. Meanwhile Autogem, which has developed the TPMS Expert award over the past few years to help raise standards and awareness about tyre pressure monitoring systems, has been praised by automotive retail bosses and industry experts for its first nationwide competition.
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