Michelin Ballymena site to be turned into business park following factory closure
Michelin has announced plans to convert part of the site of its closing Northern Ireland manufacturing plant to a business park following its sale to Silverwood Property Developments. The tyre manufacturer will complete the closure of its Ballymena plant in June, after the last tyre rolls off its production line in April, ending 50 years of manufacturing. Some of the site – reportedly around 10 acres – has been earmarked for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, as it attempts to win its bid to host a regional Heathrow Logistics Hub, supporting proposed construction work at the West London airport.
Continue ReadingMWheels to discuss unchanged CV wheel inspection law with DfT, DVSA
MWheels will meet with the Department for Transport (DfT) and DVSA to understand why the EU Roadworthiness Directive, and its section on CV wheels, has not been incorporated in UK law. The DfT’s draft Heavy Goods Vehicle Inspection Manual, due to come into force from 20 May 2018, shows “no major changes” to section 06, Road Wheels and Hubs. This is despite the British firm’s eight-year campaign, which saw major input in both Periodic (2014/45/EU) and Roadside (2014/47/EU) documents. Both were expected to be fully adopted by all 27 Member States as part of the EU’s drive to create standardised inspection procedures.
Continue ReadingGarage of the Year 2018 now open for entries
Independent garages from across the UK are being urged to enter Automechanika Birmingham’s renowned ‘Garage of the Year’ awards which is now open for entries, celebrating the unsung heroes of the aftermarket. Sponsored by the Independent Garage Association and run in partnership with Garage Wire, the competition is open to all garage businesses up and down the country.
Continue ReadingCooper shows six-wheeler and first VW OE fitment tyres in Geneva
Cooper Tire Europe’s rugged Discoverer A/T3 Sport tyres took their place in the limelight at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, as part of the Chelsea Truck Company’s stand. The 88th Geneva Motor Show ran from 8-18 March and placed the Cooper brand in front of nearly 700,000 visitors and more than 10,000 of the world’s media.
Continue ReadingTyreSafe awards nominations open
TyreSafe, is inviting entries from all tyre safety stakeholders for its 2018 awards. Entries highlighting activities during 2017 are welcome from any organisation supporting the tyre safety awareness campaign and can span a range of initiatives from social media and online campaigns to tyre workshops, themed events and local interventions.
Continue ReadingAutomotive brands failing to engage female audiences
Data from Quantcast suggests the automotive sector is still creating advertising campaigns focussed heavily on concepts that appeal to men, despite rising purchasing power among women. UK government data shows that car ownership among women increased 75 per cent in the 20 years up to 2014. However Quantcast found that the most engaging themes for female audiences, including ‘togetherness’ and ‘adventure’, appeared in less than one percent of adverts.
Continue ReadingTyre businesses urged to get green and boost their bottom line
Tyre businesses are being urged to act now to embrace the economic opportunity of sustainability by the VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards. The leading environmental awards underlined the need for urgent action to address the environmental challenges currently faced as well as highlighting the potential business benefits which this can deliver.
Continue ReadingCAM to introduce ‘Fitter-Force’ for SME fleet tyre firms
The new Fitter-Force platform from CAM is designed to remove many back-office costs and inaccuracies associated with the manual completion of service work for small to medium-sized fleet tyre service operators, while also improving customer service through operational responsiveness.
Continue ReadingBrand Finance: Dunlop value up 80%, Pirelli falls back
While the headline Brand Finance ranking news is the resurgence of Michelin as well as the growth of the Chinese brands, Dunlop and Pirelli’s performance in the Brand Finance ranking is also worth noting – for completely different reasons.
Continue ReadingAA Garage Guide launches Chargemaster partnership
AA Garage Guide has announced a partnership with electric vehicle charging provider, Chargemaster. The provider of online bookings, patrol referrals and the ‘Certified Garage Programme’ said the move is in response to positive feedback from both the garages in its network and those surveyed on Garage Wire.
Continue ReadingAutoinform LIVE returns to Scotland
This April, Autoinform LIVE will be returning north of the border, this time to Glasgow’s GTG Academy, bringing the UK’s biggest and best automotive training event back to garage owners and technicians in Scotland and the north of England.
Continue ReadingGarages face parts pricing dilemma according to TechMan
TechMan says customers need to beware what they wish for when it comes to having suppliers’ catalogues available within their garage management system. Leo Freebairn, TechMan’s national sales manager says whilst customers ‘often ask for this’ it is important garages realise this convenience can come at a cost to their business.
Continue ReadingMahle launches 2017/18 A/C Compressors catalogue
Mahle Aftermarket has launched its new 2017/18 A/C Compressors catalogue, featuring part numbers specifically for passenger cars, vans, buses and trucks. The 177-page brochure is listed alphabetically by vehicle make, to enable technicians to source the matching air-conditioning (A/C) compressor part number quickly and easily with confidence.
Continue ReadingJaap van Wessum named Cooper Tire general manager – EMEA
Jaap van Wessum has been appointed general manager – Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd. Van Wessum, who joined Cooper in 2016 as director of sales for Europe, is now responsible for growing the broader EMEA business. He is based at Cooper Europe’s headquarters in Melksham, Wiltshire, and is part of the international management team of Luis Ceneviz, Cooper’s senior vice president & managing director – EMEA and Managing Director – Latin America.
Continue ReadingUK-EU transition deal ‘crucial’ for automotive industry – NFDA
The NFDA has welcomed the latest transition period agreement between the UK and European Union.
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