Bridgestone has presented Rugby fast-fitter TW Tyres with an award recognising the company’s 35 years in business. TW Tyres, based in Paynes Lane, and owner Mike Furner were presented with a cut-glass accolade from the manufacturer to recognise decades of hard work in the town.
Grouptyre member Kenway Tyres, which services the northeast of Scotland, is celebrating 30 years in the tyre business in 2013. In addition to congratulating its member on reaching the milestone, Grouptyre discusses its long term evolution, and explains why it is introducing the Online Tyre Catalogue (OTC) from Cam Systems.
Pirelli may be Italian, but its world-famous calendar began life here in the UK, the baby of the company’s British marketing team, which was given the task of producing a calendar for Pirelli’s most valued clients and associates. This year, the British-born ‘Cal’ celebrates its half-century, and Tyres & Accessories spoke with Pirelli Calendar project coordinator Julie Naylor about the origins of the Cal’s success, how it has developed over the course of five decades and what meaning it maintains in Pirelli’s marketing mix alongside the Italian firm’s Formula One involvement.
Dunlop has confirmed its reappointment as official tyre supplier by the MSA British Touring Car Championship. This extends the sole-supplier partnership that began in 2003, and continues a relationship between Dunlop and the BTCC that can be traced back to the championship’s creation in 1958.
Arron Newby has become the youngest ever Intenational Rally Isle of Man winner after winning in the event’s 50th anniversary year. Newby is supported by Pirelli, and the 18 year old took his TEG Subaru Impreza with Manx co-driver Rob Fagg to victory on the Italian tyre manufacturer’s RX and RE asphalt tyres. Pirelli UK Motorsport operations manager Matthew Corby said: “The Manx is one of the most prestigious events in British rallying with the likes of Colin McRae and Roger Clark having won this rally in the past.”
The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northampton this weekend, as rounds 22, 23 and 24 all take place on Sunday. With nine of the 30 races remaining the top four drivers are separated by 30 points, with over 200 points still up for grabs. Honda Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal only six points clear of Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan at the top. The weekend marks the tenth anniversary of BTCC’s landmark first visit in 2003. Tyre supplier and title sponsor Dunlop is anticipating an exciting weekend following 15 year high attendances at Knockhill in Scotland, where 2009 BTCC champion Colin Turkington scored twin victories in his eBay Motors BMW on the tight, twisty Scottish track. Rockingham provides an excellent contrast, with fast sweepers and tight hairpins sure to provide some of the best overtaking opportunities of the season. The entire race day will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4 from 10:45, providing the sort of branding opportunity that has made the series so attractive to Dunlop.
Ryan Naughton has been appointed Cam Systems’s general manager with the aim of reinforcing the company’s service-oriented culture and “driving up its results-led organisational approach”. According to Cam, Naughton demonstrates “in-depth analytical and strategic expertise”, and will build upon the company’s operational and procedural planning.
On 15 August, tyrepress.com reported that fashion photographers Peter Lindbergh and Patrick Demarchelier have been commissioned to photograph Pirelli’s 50th anniversary Calendar. We almost got it right, too – the duo is indeed working with Pirelli to produce a special golden anniversary Calendar photo series, but this project is quite separate from the 2014 Calendar.
Few calendars command media attention like Pirelli’s, and next year marks the 50th anniversary of the first edition. Preview photos taken during production of the 2014 calendar are now doing the rounds, and this peek at next year’s ‘Cal’ suggests Pirelli has decided to continue the more conservative approach photographer Steve McCurry adopted for the 2013 Calendar.
Porsche set a world record at the Silverstone Classic, as more than 1,000 911s took to the track in a parade to celebrate the model’s 50th anniversary. Pirelli sponsored the parade, as part of its Porsche Club Great Britain partnership agreement signed earlier this year, which stipulated that Pirelli will support Porsche Club GB financially and with tyres and on-event expertise. 1,208 Porsche 911s, which included an array of Carrera, GT, RS, RSR, Speedster, Targa and turbo variants, took part in the parade, which helped raise funds for national cancer charity, Hope for Tomorrow.
North-east Scotland Grouptyre member Kenway Tyres has celebrated 30 years in the tyre business, wholesaling tyres into the 8,000 square mile region and operating three retail sites in Aberdeen and Dundee. Kenway has expanded during its lifespan to capitalise on the success of its original site in Aberdeen. “We’re extremely proud of our achievements here at Kenway Tyres”, says managing director Alan Kennaway.
Marking the anniversary of its two-year/24,000 mile guarantee, Apec Braking is giving away four iPad Minis. Each time a guarantee is registered at the company’s website for every axle set of matching Apec discs and pads before 31 August 2013, the technician will be entered into its prize draw, offering the chance to win an Apple iPad Mini.
Pirelli is back at Silverstone this weekend following its recent Formula One visits for the Silverstone Classic. The manufacturer will sponsor a Porsche 911 parade of the GP circuit on Sunday 28 July to commemorate its 60th anniversary, having signed a minimum three-year deal to sponsor Porsche Club Great Britain. Pirelli’s financial support of Porsche Club GB, as well as providing it with tyres and on-event technical expertise, are part of this agreement, makes it the official tyre supplier to the 16-race Porsche Club Championship series for production-based Porsches. Pirelli will also bring its F1 simulator and hospitality unit to the annual three-day event, from which it will run a number of competitions with prizes including drive experience days at Thruxton race circuit.
Vipal has been recognised for its activities in international markets in an awards ceremony hosted by Porto Alegre trade association ADVB. President Arlindo Paludo received the 2013 Export Award for Market Diversification on 8 July, joining other exporters from the state of Rio Grande do Sul in a variety of categories. Paludo said: “This award is one of the fruits of Vipal’s entire 40 year history. We have always bet on developing products featuring high quality and technology, and have never set environmental preservation aside. It’s a great pleasure to see important competitions like the Export Awards recognizing that.”
In June Hankook Tyre UK marked the ongoing service of its staff and presented members of the team with awards for outstanding service. The lunch recognised the 10 year anniversary for two members of its senior staff who both started work at the company in 2002.
UK sales director, Barrie Horrocks, was awarded for his outstanding service after celebrating 10 years with the company last year. Horrocks joined the company as commercial sales manager, a role he was in for 9 years before being promoted to sales director in 2011.
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