Another recent release from Scorpion is the latest system for the VW Scirocco Tdi. The Midlands based manufacturer chose to produce this particular Scirocco system first due to the strong sales enjoyed by the diesel version of the Volkswagen coupe.
Three new wheel styles have been added to TSR Racing’s range of replacement alloys, available exclusively through Yokohama HPT on the UK market. The styles are named Druids, Rivazza and Parabolica and attempt to further the TSR Racing name within the aftermarket.
Kidderminster-based aftermarket distributor Universal Automotive is continuing to grow its range of products under the VECO brand with the addition of an exhaust fittings line-up. The company says that it can now offer a comprehensive range of quality VECO replacement components covering all necessary fitments to give the garage service trade a complete exhaust ancillary product solution.
The organisers of Brityrex International have welcomed an upturn in business confidence among tyre sector suppliers as companies continue to invest in next year’s exhibition in Manchester (5, 6 and 7 October) ECI International have confirmed a “healthy” amount of new bookings for the show from “a broad cross-section of domestic and international tyre and automotive specialists.”
Managing director Paul Farrant explained: “There’s no doubt that the market in general is feeling more positive about future prospects than it was six months ago. Speaking to many businesses of all sizes in the tyre, equipment and accessories sectors, it’s clear there is a willingness to consider investing in exhibitions and promotion. That confidence is refreshing and bodes well for Brityrex as well as day-to-day business activity.”
Among the latest companies to commit to the next Brityrex are Daly Tyres, the Irish distributor that has recently opened a new wholesale division in Stoke-on-Trent. This will concentrate on distribution of Taiwanese brand Kenda, with Daly managing director Eamon Daly explaining: “Kenda is a very progressive company and we view them as a great partnership for our business. Brityrex will be the perfect platform to market Kenda and our other product ranges and will be the place for UK and Irish retailers to meet suppliers covering all aspects of the tyre business.”
Wolfgang Reitzle, CEO of industrial gas company Linde, was confirmed as the new chairman of Continental AG's supervisory board. "We are very pleased that we have been able to persuade Professor Reitzle to take on this challenging mandate," said Schaeffler owner Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler in a statement. Reitzle has been highly sought after by a number of major firms, including BMW, and served as an executive with Ford Motor Co. The move came after owner Schaeffler Group forced out the previous board chairman Rolf Koerfer, who will nonetheless remain on the board. Also stepping down is board member Michael Frenzel, CEO of travel company TUI.
Meanwhile, the Schaeffler Group recently appointed Dr. Peter Pleus (55) and Norbert Indlekofer (51) to the position of President of Schaeffler Group Automotive. They have been appointed successors to Dr. Elmar Degenhart (50), who was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board of Continental AG on 12 August 2009.
He’s the subject of a Michelangelo masterpiece and has had a television channel named after him. His appellation even appears on t-shirts. Yes, the unpretentious Dave is a name never far from the pointy end of our tongues – especially in the motor trade. According to research conducted by contracthireandleasing.com, Dave is the trade’s most popular name. So next time your car needs a new set of tyres or a tune-up, or if you take advantage of the scrappage scheme to snap up a bargain, chances are you’ll be using a four-letter word to address the person serving you.
A major marketing campaign is underway to promote the next staging of Brityrex International, which will take place at Manchester Central 5 -7 October 2010. Show organisers ECI International report that early July saw the distribution of 10,000 information packs for the UK’s only dedicated tyre, accessory and workshop equipment trade exhibition. This activity will be supplemented by extensive UK and international tyre trade advertising, marketing, information and online campaigns over the next 12 months.
In addition to covering all sectors of the tyre industry, Brityrex 2010 will also place increased emphasis on workshop equipment, tools and services. Research suggests that tyre retailers and distributors have delayed or postponed making capital purchases during the recession, which is expected to create increased demand for new equipment as market conditions improve later next year.
A unanimous vote at the annual general meeting of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) has seen Peter Tyroller elected its new president. He will commence his two-year term with the representative organisation on January 1, 2010, succeeding Giuliano Zucco.
Tyroller has been a member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH since 2006, where his responsibilities include original equipment sales, corporate marketing, and the automotive aftermarket.
Proliance International has filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on 2 July. In addition, Proliance has agreed to sell substantially all of its North American assets for $21.5 million in cash, under a court supervised sale process to Centrum Equities XV. Centrum Equities also owns the Visteon aftermarket business, which it purchased in February 2008.
Charles Johnson, Proliance president and CEO, said, “The combination of Centrum’s resources and industry expertise and Proliance’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities will help get our business back on track faster and enable the combined company to serve its customers in an exemplary way. Longer term, we believe ownership by Centrum will create a stronger balance sheet and establish a solid platform which will provide opportunity for growth.”
Roger Brown, president and CEO of Centrum Equities XV, said, “We are excited about this opportunity to put together these two leading companies in the automotive aftermarket. We strongly believe that the combination with Proliance, along with the financial investment to be made, will provide for unparalleled service in the industry.” (Tire Review/Akron)
A new channel forecast predicts US aftermarket sales to increase 4.5 per cent in 2010. The study was funded jointly by three major automotive aftermarket trade associations and is included in the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) Digital Factbook 2010.
Taking the US economy into account with widely fluctuating gasoline prices, reduced miles driven, tightening credit markets and growing unemployment, total US motor vehicle aftermarket sales in 2008 were about even with the previous year rising only 0.2 per cent.
As the recession continues to hold down consumer spending, a decline of 1.3 per cent is anticipated for the 2009 calendar year followed by a rebound of 4.5 per cent in 2010, the forecast said. The model was created AAIA, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). (Tire Review/Akron)
Evo Corse has released its ‘Dakar’ wheel into the aftermarket. According to the company, the 16 x 7-inch wheel has also proven its worth on the Land Rovers of the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Each wheel is low pressure cast in a permanent steel mould from A356 Primary aluminium alloy, before being receiving a T6 heat treatment to avoid imperfections. The wheels are then CNC machined both front and rear to get the precise spoke profile and to eliminate any possible imbalance. The Dakar is specified up to a load index of 1500kg per corner, meaning that light armoured applications and full loads are both safely within Evo Corse’s stringent design criteria.
The first-ever Virtual Aftermarket eForum is set for 30 September. The eForum is an educational symposium focused exclusively on e-commerce and business technology in the automotive aftermarket. The planners chose to apply the latest web conferencing and virtual event technology to the eForum this year as a way of delivering the same content with significant savings to attendees and vendor participants. The eForum will be conducted completely on the web through a virtual event portal powered by ON24 of San Francisco, www.on24.com. The ON24 technology will provide a scalable and seamless experience for participants from the moment they register until the conference shuts down in March 2010.
30 September will kick off the eForum with four streaming keynote presentations on leading technology topics with online interaction and Q&A with the presenters. Registered attendees will have access to download exclusive white papers, videos and other presentations from the eForum archive, which will be available for six months. Attendees can network and participate in discussion chats in the eForum lounge. Individuals will be able to search for others with similar interests and start discussion threads about the presentations or other topics. (Tire Review/Akron)
MAM Software has announced a brand new release of EMI+, a powerful business intelligence module that helps business managers develop a deeper understanding of their business. In today’s competitive and congested aftermarket, MAM believes that EMI+ version 2.1 can deliver the reliable, up-to-date information that managers need to respond to challenging conditions and make informed decisions.
“EMI+ is designed to help businesses improve their bottom line” said Mike Jamieson, MAM’s Managing Director. “It enables managers to quickly and easily analyse their business, identify trends and highlight opportunities for improvement. At a glance, they can instantly detect gaps in buying patterns or isolate sales that are affecting margins.
Motaquip, one of the leading aftermarket parts suppliers in the UK, is to use MAM Software’s latest electronic parts cataloguing solutions in a bid to reduce its reliance on paper parts manuals. As well as recommending Autocat+ to its customers, Motaquip will use MAM’s new Catalogue Data Tool (CDT) to maintain the Motaquip product data that Autocat+ holds.
Motaquip currently produces 54,000 paper catalogues a year, spread over eighteen product categories. By actively encouraging the use of alternative electronic mediums such as Autocat+, Motaquip is aiming to not only save money, but also improve the quality of product information its customers receive.
Continental Industrial Tire, a division of Continental Tire North America, named Equipment Depot, located in Irving, Texas, as the 2008 Dealer of the Year. Ed Fritz, Equipment Depot executive vice president, received the award at the Material Handling Equipment Dealer Association Convention, held at the JW Marriott Desert Spring Resort in Palm Desert, California, on 2-6 May.
In its first year as a Continental Industrial distributor, Equipment Depot became Continental’s largest aftermarket distributor in North America, according to the tyre-maker. Joe Pauli, Continental’s US BUIT market manager, presented the award. “Equipment Depot has embraced the concept that industrial tires are the fastest wearing part on today’s forklifts,” said Phil Lannon, Continental’s U.S. Business Unit Industrial Tire sales manager. “We are pleased to award them the 2008 Dealer of the Year and consider them one of our most valuable aftermarket distributors.” (Tire Review/Akron)
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