Maywood Set to Turn the Nation Following Successful Trial
Following what the Maywood Equipment Group reports has been a very successful pilot scheme, the company has introduced a brand new product onto the market. The Maywood Car Turntable is an item suitable for small garages and workshops, as well as for other automotive related firms such as accident repairers and tyre bays. Maywood believes its simple operation will also attract businesses and homeowners situated in limited access locations where it is unsafe or inconvenient to reverse out of the premises.
Continue ReadingTake Charge With Sealey
Sealey has introduced its new range of Compact Auto Maintenance Battery Chargers; simply plug in, turn on and the charger does the rest. These new chargers use inverter technology with micro-chip management to read the battery condition, adjusting their behaviour to optimise the battery charging process. They have multiple charging cycles with profiles designed to cram the battery with the maximum amount of charge, in the most effective time period, maintaining it at this level.
Continue ReadingVredestein Aims for Icy Markets with New Arctrac
Last year’s Winter Tyre Review (T&A, September 2007) featured three Vredestein tyres designed to withstand cold weather. The Wintrac Xtreme and its SUV cousin, the Wintrac 4 Xtreme courted the difficult market of the safety and style-conscious, being winter tyres designed in aesthetic partnership with Giugiaro Design – the Italian design engineering firm. The Quatrac 3, on the other hand, had designs on those wishing for the safety features of a cold tyre, but didn’t want the hassle of changing tyres come the chilly season. This year’s launch is a different animal: leaving aside the convenience and aesthetic concerns of other ranges, the Arctrac is for the committed winter tyre user in truly hostile conditions; a studded tyre with sturdy angular shoulders, whose natural territory is upon the very heavy frosts of countries surrounding the Arctic Circle, such as Canada, Russia and the Scandinavian nations.
Continue ReadingKingsway Tyres Educates Norfolk in Tyre Safety
Kingsway Tyres, a First Stop dealership, has been out and about in its home county of Norfolk helping to educate the community in tyre safety. The Royal Norfolk Show and a special event that took place at Asda two weeks later in Norwich played host to the company’s roadshow, working in conjunction with Bridgestone’s worldwide “Think Before You Drive” campaign. Research shows that 90 per cent of drivers do not know the correct pressure of their tyres, so the events represented an excellent opportunity to encourage drivers to think more seriously about the state of their vehicles’ wheels. The roadshow, which was visited by hundreds of Norfolk residents, featured the Ferrari Formula One car and an F1 simulator, accessed through a charitable donation. As a result £450 was raised for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, while Asda-based fundraising raised a further £331.38 for The Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital Respiratory Unit.
Continue ReadingContinental Reveals Top Ten Bumpiest UK Roads
Continental has released the results of a survey of British drivers to find the bumpiest roads in the UK. Station Road in Scholes – a town east of Leeds – received the dubious honour of first place in the survey. Phrases like “giant crater”, “dangerous to cyclists and drivers” and “like the surface of the moon” (perhaps not that last one) abounded in the survey, reporting the state of Station Road. The crater in question rivals that featured in the Monorail episode of The Simpsons into which Marge drove, representing a depth greater than the height of the legal maximum height of a speed hump. The criteria for inclusion in the list comprised the length of time road had been in poor condition, how many times it had been reported to local authorities, the potential damage it could cause to vehicles, potential danger to road users, and the size of potholes/damaged areas in relation to road. All of the roads were verified by the campaigning website fillthathole.org.uk. According to a recent Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, there are currently over one million potholes across the country, but worryingly there is a shortfall in the budgets needed to fix them of over £1 billion and an 11 year backlog of maintenance work. Since January 2008 alone, 4,217 new hazards have been reported to the aforementioned pothole campaigning site.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Seeks Exemption From US Recall
In spite of determining that some 82,000 tyres produced between 2007 and March 2008 featured sidewall labelling not fully in compliance with US safety standards, Goodyear has petitioned the National Highway Transport Safety Authority (NHTSA) to exempt the products from a recall. The tyres in question incorrectly identify the number of plies in the tread as being ‘3 polyester and 2 steel’ rather than their actual ‘2 polyester and 2 steel’ manufacture, an error Goodyear believes to be inconsequential to vehicle safety as the tyres were correctly manufactured with the intended number of plies.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Beefs Up Heavy Load Range
Following a surge in demand for tyres with heavier load carrying capacities, Goodyear has unveiled a newly upsized Sure Grip Implement. From August 2008 the 12.5/80-18 size Implement will offer support to heavier machine loads, increasing from a 10 ply rating to a 14 ply rating. Goodyear is the first tyre manufacturer to feature a 14 ply rated tyre as leading competitors only offer a maximum of 12 ply. The increase will allow the new tyre a maximum nominal carrying capacity of 3000kg which represents an increase of 1140kg across the axle. The tyre is designed primarily for soft underfoot conditions, in which greater traction is a must. The new tyre will be featured as OE fitment on agricultural machinery manufactured by Case New Holland and rough terrain specialists, Manitou.
Continue ReadingHercules Increases its European Focus
Hercules Tire International’s Essen exhibit featured several new products from among its stable of brands. New lines debuting at the show included the Hercules Terra Trac A/T & MR IV SUV, Merit All Country A/T and Ironman Radial A/P. According to Hercules Corporate Business Development Officer, Joe Recchia, “Never before have we launched so many new lines at once, in our Flagship brand, as well as in Merit and Ironman. We believe our product line-up at Essen clearly shows our commitment in mold investment and in providing our customers the latest in tread design and product range. By partnering with an array of world-class manufacturers, only Hercules can offer a second-to-none combination of quality and availability.”
Continue ReadingHangzhou Zhongce Celebrates 50 Years
Despite an absence of specific festivities, Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber marked a significant milestone during the Reifen Essen show – this year the Chinese company has been in existence for half a century. Established in 1958 in Hangzhou city, in China’s east coast Zhejiang Province, the former state owned enterprise produces a range of rubber related products. The company’s first tyre (for bicycles) was manufactured ten years ago, and since then Hangzhou Zhongce has increased its range substantially. A company representative reported that Hangzhou Zhongce now produces more than one thousand sizes of automotive tyre, with annual output for this segment an impressive 27 million pieces, of which 22 million are radials. The representative added the company aims to achieve sales (for all products) of US$2.7 billion by 2010. Amongst the products on display at the exhibition were familiar brand names, including Goodride and Westlake. Truck and bus tyre products, an important market for Hangzhou Zhongce, featured prominently.
Continue ReadingGoodyear and Agricultural University Create Innovation Award
Goodyear has collaborated with Shropshire-based Harper Adams University in introducing an award for agricultural innovation. Having provided high performance tyres to the agricultural sector in the UK for 70 years, Goodyear have been engaged with new technology in the sector for some time, making them perhaps the most appropriate company to present such an award. The award has been introduced to provide a suitable showcase for the knowledge and development of Britons in agriculture, and is looking to find the 2008 Goodyear Farming Innovator. The prize, which will include £3,500-worth of Goodyear farm tyres, is set to be awarded by Harper Adams from a shortlist of three contenders chosen by Goodyear from entries on the mygoodyear website.
Continue ReadingFederal Travels to Brazil Event
Federal Tire took its Federal and Hero brands to the recent Salao De Accessorios Brazil, a major tyre and automotive trade and consumer show in South America. Federal said it was the first time it had presented both brands at an industry trade show. Federal was at Salao De Accessorios Brazil to meet with potential customers throughout Latin America. Federal’s booth at the show featured a motorsports theme, and included displays of its Federal 595 RS sport racing tyre, 595 EVO street tyre, Hero Milanza HZ1 ultra-high performance tyre and Atlanta AR01 passenger tyre.
Continue ReadingMichelin Releases Le Mans ‘Key Figures’
The Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race begins tomorrow, and Michelin states it welcomes the opportunity to showcase the performance of its products and push out the envelope in terms of the technology it employs. The French manufacturer has released a number of ‘key figures’ associated with the race: 150 : The number of different ingredients that go into a Le Mans tyre. These include both natural and synthetic rubber, styrene brutadiene (for grip) and polybrutadiene (durability), as well as textile fibres (nylon, polyester), resins, sulphur, wax and oils.
Continue ReadingSealey’s Summer Promotion
The Sealey Summer promotion offers deals and discounts on over 580 products, running from May to the end of September. Sealey are slashing prices on a diverse range of products including their new range of Premier topchests and rollcabs. Other products include pressure/petrol washers, air conditioning units, fans and trolley jacks to name but a few and all are featured in the companys 56-page Summer Sizzler catalogue. Further details and copies of the catalogue are available from Sealey distributors or directly from Sealey.
Continue ReadingBridgestone ‘Most Popular Tyre CV Show’
More Bridgestone tyres were fitted to display vehicles at the CV Show than any other brand. According to a company press release, 628 Bridgestone tyres were on display, 41.2 per cent of the total tyres on display at this year’s show. Bridgestone’s brand new, state of the art stand at the CV Show this year was also reportedly its busiest to date with over 800 visits from new and existing fleet customers and dealer partners. The stand, promoting Bridgestone and Truckpoint, incorporated the McLaren F1 Car of Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP Fiat Yamaha motorcycle.
Continue ReadingMichelin Wins 2 TAFF Awards for the 2nd Year
For the second year running, Michelin has scooped two NTDA Tyre And Fast Fit (TAFF) awards in one night. Michelin Tyre Plc won both the Tyre Manufacturer of the Year and Industry Advertising Awards. The success follows a strong showing at the 2007 awards when the French manufacturer received the Product Innovation and Industry Advertising awards. The 2008 TAFF awards also saw a return to winning ways for BITS who won Wholesaler of the Year for a record eighth time, including comparable prizes from before the TAFF awards began three years ago. As the award citation stated, “the Michelin name is recognised across the world, as is its iconic emblem, Bibendum.” When it comes to the UK, the company - uniquely - has three manufacturing facilities and it is a measure of its commitment to the UK that investment in all three sites remains ongoing. The larger a company becomes, the greater is its social and environmental responsibility, and these are areas that Michelin takes very seriously. Another environmental first for Michelin is visible at its plant in Dundee, where giant wind turbines generate electricity to power the factory. On a global scale, the annual Challenge Bibendum encourages the development of sustainable mobility and environmental responsibility. Michelin has a proud history in the field of motor sports and this continued with a victory in the Le Mans 24 hours race. Competition is the driving force behind development, the company believes, which is why it did not put its name forward to be the sole tyre supplier for Formula 1. 2008 Industry Advertising Campaign of the year - Michelin This is the second year running that Michelin has picked up this award, despite some fierce competition. Bibendum - the Michelin Man - is over 100 years old and still going strong. The worldwide icon has once again been at the centre of Michelins European 2007 advertising campaign. Notably, Bibendum returned to the television screens after an absence of three years in an advert giving a longevity message that a Michelin tyre can last more than once around the world. New media were also targeted with online campaigns featuring on a range of sites including MSN, Yahoo, AOL, iVillage as well as trade sites such as Autotrader and Pistonheads. These banner and skyscraper ads carried the longevity message, plus a safety theme emphasising the importance of maintaining correct tyre pressure as well as fuel saving & environmental messages. Voted the leading tyre brand on the Internet by Envisional, online advertising is another area in which Michelin is the industry leader. Wholesaler of the Year – BITS To win Tyre Wholesaler of the Year once is commendable, but to win it eight times (including the similar preceding equivalents) is simply a fantastic achievement. Putting the company’s success down to “consistently great service, day in and day out,” BITS managing director Brian Duguid explained: “For over 70 years we have had a service-first policy which means we put great customer care at the centre of everything we do. Our customers clearly appreciate it and we’d like to thank them for voting for B.I.T.S once again.” This service-first approach may be a simple philosophy, but it’s also a hugely successful one. Since being formed in 1970, the family-owned company has grown into one of the largest independent tyre wholesalers in the country. Its distinctive flame-liveried vans are a regular feature on roads up and down the country, as the company completes its regular daily deliveries from its eight key regional centres, including the newest B.I.T.S centre based in Southampton. Commenting on the growth of the business, Brian Duguid said: “We’re a people business. We look after our staff, who in turn look after our customers. This allows us to offer a highly personalised service which our customers really value. We get to know our customers’ needs and our dedicated team is always on-hand to help.” Product innovation award This year’s Product Innovation gong was won by Goodyear for the company’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric tyre. Goodyear representatives will no-doubt be pleased with the tyre’s performance as the TAFF Award joins the list of silverware the new Eagle tyre has won. Soon after being launched the Eagle F1 Asymmetric was named the best tyre by Evo magazine and was lauded by the Autocar in both its front and rear wheel drive test categories. Goodyear is thrilled to win this TAFF award. Already, the Eagle F1 Asymmetric has dominated the Autocar and Evo tyre tests, and it is great to see that the trade agree with the media! ActiveCornerGrip Technology, which maximises the footprint distribution of the Eagle F1 Asymmetric, is the latest in a long line of award winning Goodyear innovations including RunOnFlat, BioTred and HydraGrip. The Goodyear Eagle F1 family has won more industry awards and tyre tests than any other tyre. We thank the NTDA members for their nomination and support. It is important that we work with our dealers to communicate to drivers that not all tyres are the same, and recognition from this award will certainly help, stated James Bailey, Corporate Communications Manager. Environment award The 2008 NTDA TAFF Environment Award was won by Kingpin Tyres. The award was collected on behalf of the company by John Campbell representing last year’s winner, Vellco. In response to the company’s success, Kingpin representatives told Tyres & Accessories that the company’s management and staff are “honoured to have received the NTDA’S TAFF Award for the Best Environmental Company 2008 and wish to thank all those who contributed to this award.” With over 35 years in business, Kingpin Tyres is certainly not ‘the new kid on the block’ when it comes to providing environmental and recycling services to the tyre industry. The business commenced operations in 1973 manufacturing passenger and commercial van retreads, whilst also providing the service of collecting used tyres from its customers. At the peak of tyre retreading in the UK, Kingpin supplied in excess of 20,000 retreads per week directly to the domestic market. Today Kingpin is the only remaining UK passenger tyre retreader, supplying a full range of passenger, commercial van, 4x4 and truck retreads nationally and one of the UK’s largest used tyre collection specialists. In addition to providing retreading services and used tyre collections, Kingpin recognised the need to process scrap tyres in-house at its site in Wem, Shropshire - closing in the recycling process chain. All scrap tyres are processed through the company’s tyre shredding and granulation plant, eliminating the need for further transportation and so improving the company’s carbon footprint. Materials produced on-site include aggregate replacement and rubber granulates for use in the equestrian and leisure industries. A major contributor to the collection and disposal of tyres in the UK, Kingpin collects and disposes of over 3 million tyres a year. Kingpin is accredited with a full waste management licence and waste carriers licence as well as being fully compliant in its duty of care to the environment. Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year And lastly, but by no means leastly, for the second consecutive year, the Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year award was presented to Apaseal. The 79th NTDA Annual Dinner and Tyre And Fast Fit (TAFF) were held concurrently at the Hilton Metropole, alongside the Commercial Vehicle Show in the NEC and featured after dinner entertainment from former world snooker champion, John Parrott. At the end of the evening the NTDA raised around 6000 pounds in a prize draw in aid of the automotive industry benevolent fund, BEN. Approximately 5300 pounds was raised by the initial draw, with a further 650 pounds being added to the total following an impromptu auction after winner Mary Scanlon generously returned her two track-day tickets to the prize fund.
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