Euro Car Parts buys 27 Unipart Automotive branches
Euro Car Parts acquired 27 former Unipart Automotive branches yesterday (7 August). Following negotiations with Unipart Automotives’s administrators, Mark Orton, Will Wright and Jonny Marston from KPMG, Euro Car Parts has secures the sites across England, Scotland and Wales, taking the ECP network to 194 branches. At the same time Parts Alliance reported it had taken on over 500 ex-Unipart Automotive works.
Continue ReadingNot-so-happy holidays
The cars on Britains roads are more likely to be filled with raised voices than happy chatter as thousands drive off to their summer holiday. An AA/Populus survey of 23,085 AA Members found that 65 per cent argue in the car.
Continue Reading500+ former Unipart Automotive employees now with Andrew Page, Parts Alliance
When Unipart Automotive went into administration, Andrew Page and The Parts Alliance struck a deal to take over 33 branches, saving around 320 jobs. Since then Euro Car Parts has hired 65 more ex-Unipart staff, while promising another 1,500 jobs to be created in the comig 18 months. According to the latest reports from The Parts Alliance, this number has risen to around 500 ex-employees of Unipart Automotive. And the parts buying and distribution group says that extra jobs are planned for more of the reported 1,244 staff members made redundant by Unipart Automotive’s demise.
Continue Reading![Winter tyre growth in cyclical decline, but UK a market for all seasons](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Infographics-16x9-No-2.jpg)
Winter tyre growth in cyclical decline, but UK a market for all seasons
In Tyres & Accessories’ August 2013 Winter Tyre feature, we discussed the UK tyre industry’s continued deliberate steps towards the development of a winter tyre market, and the possibility offered by all-season tyres (which we’ll come to later). While the figures showed that sales of specialised products represent a much greater share of the market than you might have thought in the winter months, the correlative spikes in this figure remain confined to the months in which the weather is coldest. Market analyst GfK’s latest infographic on winter tyres, displayed on this page, goes further towards showing that this trend is prevalent even within the October-January period where winter tyre sales are most popular.
Continue ReadingUK car market continues to grow in July figures
July registrations figures show that 172,907 new cars were registered in July, according to the SMMT, a rise of 6.6 per cent and the 29th consecutive month of growth. Economic confidence and attractive finance are said to have driven the rejuvenated market up 10.1 per cent year-to-date to 1,460,172 units. As a result of the faster-than-expected first half growth, the SMMT has upped its 2014 market forecast to 2.45 million registrations, up 8.1 per cent on 2013.
Continue ReadingShengtai Group joins ITMA
ITMA has announced that China’s Shengtai Group has become the association’s latest member. Established in 2002 and located in Xishui, Shandong, the company produces a wide range of tyre products and brands including the ‘Rapid’ brand. As a member of ITMA, Shengtai will receive regular updates on the legislative and technical issues which affect the sale of tyres within Europe.
Continue Reading![Motor Wheel Service Distribution’s (MWSD) role in EU Roadworthiness Package wording](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/John-Ellis-damaged-spider-hub-wheel_21.jpg)
Motor Wheel Service Distribution’s (MWSD) role in EU Roadworthiness Package wording
The news back in May that commercial vehicle wheels have been named as a “safety critical item” in European law is something of a breakthrough for those that have been lobbying for the inclusion of wheels in this legislation, not to mention the wheel industry in general and the many automotive and haulage businesses that depend on wheels. Manchester-based Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD), which played a key role in the wording used in the latest EU Roadworthiness Package and continues to be at the forefront the forefront of raising awareness of wheel safety issues, has a right to be particularly pleased with the latest news. However, if you will excuse the pun, the wheels of European legislation and implementation turn slowly. Therefore with 27 countries all at liberty to interpret and apply the rules over a period of years before compliance will begin to be checked – there is still a mountain to climb. With all this in mind, around the time of the news Tyres & Accessories met with managing director John Ellis at MWSD’s Sharston, Manchester headquarters to find out more about what the rules mean for the company and the industry at large.
Continue Reading230 underage drivers banned by DVLA, including four under 13
Information supplied to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) shows 230 people under 17 and therefore under the legal driving age for the UK were disqualified from driving between July 2013 and June 2014 including four 12 year olds and four 13 year olds. One 12 year old girl is currently banned before her driving career even starts.
Continue ReadingMichelin’s Heywood takes family up Kilimanjaro in charity climb
A Michelin employee and his family are preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in a bid to raise vital funds for international development charity Transaid. Guy Heywood, commercial director of Michelin’s UK truck and bus tyre division, will be joined by his wife Helen and sons Max and Joe on the six day climb. At only 11 years and 11 months old, Joe would be the youngest ever Briton to reach the summit of the mountain, making the trip extra special for the family.
Continue Reading![Tyre Safety Month 2014 launches](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/TyrSafe-Safer-in-the-Wet-Poster-3.jpg)
Tyre Safety Month 2014 launches
The ever-swelling ranks of TyreSafe gathered at St Johns Hotel, Solihull to launch the 2014 edition of Tyre Safety Month. Chairman Stuart Jackson, enthusiastically wielding an enlarged coin, demonstrated the well-established 20p test during his introduction of the “driving rain, driving safe” theme; the test is particularly relevant to this year’s tread depth focused theme of aquaplaning. In 2013 tyre pressure took centre stage, but with 2013-14 being the wettest winter on record, and October usually the wettest month of the year anyway, TyreSafe has chosen to present a core message informing drivers of the importance of tread depth in combating what is arguably the most spectacular and frightening road safety phenomenon – in addition to reinforcing other messages, such as pressure, Jackson adds.
Continue ReadingTRA: WISH waste tyre storage proposals ’arrogant’ and ‘counter intuitive’
Proposals by the ESA-led ‘WISH’ group have been branded counter-intuitive and arrogant by Britain’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) whose members handle more than three quarters of the country’s end-of-life tyre arisings. Commenting further on the proposals, TRA secretary general Peter Taylor OBE called the impression given by WISH that its consultation document was the result of wide ranging consultation to be wholly disingenuous.
Continue ReadingTyreClick used in 1000 garages across the UK
With suggestions that 20 per cent of all tyres will be purchased on-line by 2020, leading UK tyre distributor Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) reports that its online effort - the TyreClick on-line solution – is already in use in 1000 sites across the UK.
Continue ReadingGovernment proposes driving licence fee reduction
The proposals are contained in a public consultation on driver licensing fees. The consultation sets out a proposed reduction in driving licence fees of 32 per cent for digital transactions and 15 per cent for paper applications.
Continue ReadingResearch reveals brake fluid danger
Independent workshops could be missing out on thousands of pounds worth of profit margin, according to a new report that reveals that the brakes on a quarter of all cars in the UK could fail at any time.
Continue Reading![Kraiburg appoints new UK and Ireland sales manager](https://www.tyrepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/KRAIBURG_Marcus-Knoth.jpg)
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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