E-commerce comes of age
It seems 2014 could be the year that tyre e-commerce hits maturity. It doesn’t seem that long ago that the NTDA published research showing that the number one method of ordering was phone and – wait for it – fax. Internet was a minority method, but e-mail (a medium of communication that is buckling under the pressure of increased demand for more and faster contacts) was showing some signs of growth. In fact it was November 2005, and therefore will soon be a decade ago. In 2014, virtually every significant wholesale and direct distribution operation is supported by a sophisticated online ordering system that is simply backed by other methods of communication.
Continue ReadingKumho UK launches direct sales team
Kumho Tyre (UK) Ltd (KTUK) has established a new direct sales organisation following on from the recent announcement of a new three-year contract with Micheldever Tyre Services. The new facility is located at Magna Park near Lutterworth in Leicestershire and provides an office base for the company’s expanded sales and marketing division as well as a warehouse stocked with the company’s full range of car, 4x4, van, truck and motorsport tyres. Sited close to the M1, M6 and M69 motorways, the Magna Park centre is perfectly placed to act as a national distribution hub.
Continue ReadingUK bus and coach registration fall slightly in May
The UK bus and coach market was slightly down in May after a strong April, reports the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Chief executive Mike Hawes shares that “after a glut of new bus and coach registrations in April, the sector performed more modestly in May, down 3.3 per cent.” A total of 644 buses and coaches were registered in May 2014. So far a total of 3,356 buses and coaches have been registered in the UK during 2014, 4.1 per cent more than in the first five months of 2013.
Continue ReadingLongest ever period of growth for UK new car market
Figures from the SMMT show that new car registrations rose 7.7 per cent in May to 194,032 units – the most in May since 2004. This means that the new car market has grown for 27 consecutive months, breaking the record set in the late 1980s. Registrations for 2014-to-date have also passed the one million mark, rising 11.6 per cent to 1,058,974 units. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The new car market has now grown in every month since March 2012 – the longest period of growth on record and a reflection of the UK’s ever-improving economic conditions.
Continue ReadingPutting rubber on the road
The recent history of how we deal with end of life tyres has been littered with ideas, but surprisingly few real success stories. In this opinion piece, Tyre Recovery Association director, Peter Taylor OBE shares his view on the use of tyres in rubberised tarmac.
Continue ReadingEco tyre fuel savings minimal during urban driving, opines specialist
According to Emissions Analytics, ratings printed on the European tyre label do not tell the “full story”. The Winchester-based company, which specialises in supplying real-world fuel consumption and emissions data based on tailpipe measurements, states that tyres with an F-rating for fuel economy perform as well as B-rated tyres at mid-range speeds.
Continue ReadingBridgestone appoints northern UK consumer marketing manager
Bridgestone has appointed Wim Belckx as its new north region consumer marketing manager. Now based in Leamington, the 34 year-old, originally from Belgium, has worked his way up the Bridgestone ladder since his first job as a marketing analyst at BSEU in 2003. Belckx takes up his position having headed Brussels’ newly created pricing department in 2010.
Continue ReadingNeil Ebbs president of GEA
Neil Ebbs, of MAHA UK, was appointed president of the Garage Equipment Association, (GEA), at the association’s AGM, which was held at the GEA offices in Daventry on 3 April 2014. Ebbs’ experience in running the UK division of MAHA is likely to be beneficial to the progression of the association as it seeks to “improve safety and standards in the garage equipment industry”. MAHA is an abbreviation of MAschinenbau HAldenwan, which roughly translates as manufacturer from Haldenwan. (Haldenwan is a small Bavarian town, however, today MAHA are one of the largest European equipment manufacturers). Neil Ebbs takes over from Andrew Bates of Straightset, who has served as president for the past two years.
Continue ReadingJungle Tyres reports a ‘roaringly’ good year
Online tyre retailer Jungle Tyres says it has had a fantastic first 12 months of trading, acquiring over 5,000 new customers. The UK-based company launched its website in June 2013 and stocks economy, mid-range and premium tyres at what it calls vastly-reduced prices.
Continue ReadingSnap-on buys Pro-Cut for US$42 million
Snap-on Incorporated of the USA has acquired Pro-Cut International, Inc. the world’s leading manufacturer of on-car brake disc lathes. Pro-Cut’s lathes are widely used in brake servicing by car repair workshops of all types. In the UK, Pro-Cut lathes are distributed by Haweka UK of Toddington, Gloucestershire.
Continue ReadingVarga gives Kenda tyre Middle East debut at Automechanika Dubai
Hot on the heels of Kenda’s Reifen show stand in Essen, Germany, Varga Trading Company is using Automechanika Dubai as the platform to showcase the Middle East debut of the new KR-50 from Kenda. The KR 50 will be positioned as a fuel-efficient tyre for Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUVs) with special features like extreme siping and four wide circumferential grooves for improved braking performance, a solid centre rib for better flexibility and will better comfort at high speeds.
Continue ReadingDunlop chooses Dunlop tyres
Michael Dunlop has confirmed he will use Dunlop tyres in this years Isle of Man TT races. Michael Dunlop was a four-time winner at last years Isle of Man TT on Dunlop tyres, but since moving to BMW this year has competed on a different tyre brand. By switching back to his namesake brand of tyre on the eve of the Islands big races, he hopes to boost his record of seven TT wins.
Continue ReadingPart worn tyres on Trading Standards conference agenda
Dangerous and illegally sold part worn tyres will be one of the topics of conversation at this year’s national Trading Standards conference, after safety campaign group TyreSafe confirmed its participation in the event. Running for three days from 30 June at the Harrogate International Centre, the event is the biggest gathering of trading standards officers and enforcement professionals in the UK. With its main theme of ‘changing behaviour’, TyreSafe sees the event as an ideal platform to continue its ongoing education and awareness activities designed to reduce the number of part worn tyres being illegally sold in the UK.
Continue ReadingBlueSky Pensions to sponsor NTDA Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Award
The NTDA has announced that leading pension provider BlueSky Pensions is to sponsor the prestigious Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Award at the Association’s 2014 Tyre Industry Awards. BlueSky Pensions, which is an affinity partner to the NTDA, is at the forefront of pension provision in the UK and operates a variety of products and systems to ensure quality employers meet all of their legislative responsibilities and employees are provided with a highly governed qualifying workplace pension scheme.
Continue ReadingHertz UK saves money with Michelin
Car rental company Hertz UK has recorded a 23 per cent drop in its average tyre spend per vehicle, two years after adopting a Michelin tyre policy. Latest figures show the average total cost of ownership of tyres per vehicle has dropped by almost a quarter since 2010. When using generic tyres in 2011 the cost of tyres per vehicle dropped by two per cent compared to the previous year. After the business adopted a Michelin tyre policy in 2012 the average cost initially increased by three per cent compared to the 2010 figure. A year later the average total cost of ownership of tyres per vehicle had dropped by 23 per cent compared to 2010.
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