Awards
Michelin North America has been honoured with a 2011 Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) Award, reports Tire Review. The award was presented to the French manufacturer at a ceremony last week at the Aerospace Industries Association Fall Product Support Conference. MNA’s aircraft tyre unit was a PBL Component-Level Award recipient for supplying tyres to the US Navy.
The 2011 Avon Tyres British GT champions, Jim and Glynn Geddie, and the 2011 Cooper Tires British F3 Series champion, Felipe Nasr, have been honoured at the SRO awards evening in Oxfordshire. Cooper Avon has enjoyed another successful season of supporting the events, celebrating a joint landmark with the British Formula Three International Series – Cooper Avon’s thirtieth and the championship’s sixtieth – and seeing busy grids for the GT series. Cooper Avon is signed up with both championships until at least 2014.
Dunlop’s launch of its latest touring tyre, the RoadSmart II, is a move from the manufacturer to meet “tougher expectations” in the two-wheel segment. Developed to succeed its RoadSmart, Dunlop says the new premium tyre uses Jointless Belt and Multi-Tread technologies derived from the brand’s motorsport involvement to deliver class-equalling or class-beating performance in key handling areas, alongside the substantial mileage traditionally required of tyres in the segment. “The sport touring market has seen a lot of changes in recent years,” says Sharon Antonaros, marketing director Dunlop motorcycle tyres EMEA.
Westlake Tyres, which are manufacturer by ZC Rubber (China largest domestic producer and number 10 in the world), has confirmed that it will exhibit at next October’s Brityrex International exhibition in Manchester. The latest news is being interpreted as a real boost for the 2012 Brityrex exhibition as ZC Rubber is a fast-growing international player with annual sales in 2010 of more than US$ 3 billion.
Infinity Tyres is seeking to promote its position as one of the leading premium economy tyres in the UK market by exhibiting at next year’s Brityrex International exhibition. Announcing the news, Infinity Tyres’ managing director, Harjeev Kandhari, said: “Infinity is a very successful brand which already enjoys a high trade and consumer profile in the UK. We are committed to continuous investment in brand development and believe that exhibiting at Brityrex will provide many opportunities to meet existing and new customers in a focussed business environment.”
Pirelli has thanked customers and staff after being named Tyre Manufacturer of the Year at the National Tyre Distributors Association’s 2011 Tyre and Fast Fit (TAFF) Awards. Dominic Sandivasci, managing director of Pirelli UK commented: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award which recognizes the hard work and effort of the entire Pirelli team in delivering the premium products and services demanded and deserved by the UK industry. I am extremely proud of our UK team for their contribution towards this prestigious accolade, and would like to place on record our grateful thanks and appreciation to everyone who voted for us.”
After announcing the winners of this year’s TAFF awards, the NTDA’s David White used his annual chairman’s speech – which has become a bit of a “state of the union”-esque moment for the UK business – to announce the news that the association has decided to make its REACT licence to fit qualification mandatory for members. According to the chairman, this decision was agreed in the association board meeting that preceded the evening dinner. However reporting always sits better in context, so here is an edited version of the complete speech for those that couldn’t make the event in person:
Well known suppliers Autogem Motor Concepts and Rema Tip Top are celebrating their wins in last week’s NTDA TAFF awards in the Tyre & Aftermarket Supplier of the Year and Innovation categories respectively.
Last Thursday Hankook won the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) Tyres & Fast-Fit Awards (TAFF) ‘Industry Advertising Campaign’ award. According to the company, the success of Hankook’s ‘Be One with It’ TV advertising which features eye-catching and adrenalin pumping extreme sports has helped to highlight the company’s focus on ensuring optimal performance, unrivalled quality and the best possible driving experience.
Plymouth HiQ franchisee Pilgrim Tyres Ltd claimed the inaugural Tyre Retailer of the Year TAFF Award at this year’s ceremony last week; an achievement the fast fit network is calling its “biggest success story of 2011”. The victory was the result of its performance in an assessment programme including a 30-point mystery telephone call, and a clandestine branch visit designed to observe how the branch operates in real-life conditions. The award was supported by Encircle Marketing. HiQ Plymouth’s franchisee Bob Saunders said: “I am absolutely over the moon. I am delighted to win this award and it is with great thanks to the team I have around me.
Stapleton's has reponded to the news that it recently beat stiff competition to be re-named as Tyre Wholesaler of the Year at the NTDA Tyre and Fast Fit Awards 2011 held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham on 20 October.
Stephen Childs, head of range planning and marketing said that the award demonstrated the company’s continued commitment to its customers and the efforts made to cement strong relationship with its trade customers, as well as the hard work of its staff to ‘go the extra mile’. “To be voted as number one Tyre Wholesaler for a second year running is a great achievement, made even more special as the award is given based on the support of our customers. Our focus continues to be on developing strong customer relationships and delivering a first class service across the business,” he said.
Over 500 guests filled the King’s suite at the Birmingham Metropole hotel last night (20 October 2011) as members and guests alike celebrated recorded attendance at the 82nd National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) annual dinner and Tyre and Fast Fit Awards (TAFF). After announcing the winners NTDA chairman David White used his speech to announce the news that the association has decided to make its REACT licence to fit qualification mandatory for members. According to the chairman, this decision was agreed in the association board meeting that preceded the evening dinner. David White continued his chairman’s speech by highlighting the newly launched “proMOTe” pro-MOT campaign, which sees the industry galvanise its energies against government plans to move the ministry of transport testing system to 4-2-2 frequency and away from annual tests. There was also talk of the winter tyre market growing to the point that it is now a significant fixture in the UK market. And finally the NTDA chairman announced that Westlake and Infinity have become the first two tyre manufacturers to commit to next year’s Brityrex 2012 exhibition.
Continental has won the 2011 Auto Express winter tyre test, published this week (12 October). A parallel test in Auto Express’s high performance sister publication Evo awarded Continental top marks. In both titles, Continental's ContiWinterContact TS830P 91 H took the top spot in this year’s winter tyre awards.
Including a Continental summer tyre, which was used as a reference point, and a Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D that was curiously described as a “pre-production” product and was not rated, Auto Express tested 10 tyres. For reasons described above 8 were given ratings. Six were winter tyres, three all season and one summer. All were H – V rated 225/45 R17 sized products.
Just 0.7 per cent behind Continental’s winning score (100), second place was taken by Goodyear’s UltraGrip Performance 94 V. While no official mark was given, Auto Express explained that the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D would have come third if it was not a “pre-production” model. As it happens Pirelli’s Sottozero Winter 240 Serie II took third place with a score of 98.9. Michelin’s Alpin 4 94V came fourth and scored 98.7.
ECI International, the owner and organiser of Brityrex International 2012, is sponsoring the new TAFF Tyre Centre of the Year Award at the NTDA Dinner in Birmingham next week (20 October). As a new category in the NTDA’s popular TAFF Awards, the Tyre Centre of the Year has proved extremely popular, with 30 member companies nominated. The winning centre will be selected from a short list of five of these retailers and unveiled to guests at the sell-out annual dinner.
A self proclaimed ‘basic Basingstoke housewife’ will be transformed into a glamorous grid girl for the day after winning a prestigious motorsport competition at Silverstone with the HiQ fast fit network. Mother-of- three Beverley Edwards was chosen as HiQ’s Pink Grid Girl following an intense online vote (she was 149 votes ahead of the nearest rival), meaning she will line up with Team Aon, representing one of their three drivers on the day.
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