Awards
A member of Continental’s North American tyre range, the ProContact with EcoPlus Technology, has been awarded “Best New Product” at the 2010 Special Equipment Marketing (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. In acknowledging its receipt of this distinction, Continental notes the tyre’s low rolling resistance and fuel-saving qualities were the main factors behind the all-season tyre’s selection.
Michelin has developed a new “sound logo” as an integral part of its corporate identity. Designed in collaboration with Sixième Son, the 32-second sequence of musical notes is designed to support the brand’s “image, message and baseline.” It will now be deployed across all media platforms (television, radio, telephone hold systems, advertising campaigns and trade fair stands). The audio brand was unveiling in parallel with the 2010 Paris Motor Show as part of a project begun in 1998 to enhance the Michelin brand and its identity.
The Continental Corporation is predicting it will achieve sales of more than 25 billion euros and an adjusted pre-tax profit margin (EBIT) of 9 per cent when it publishes full year financial results for 2010. The margin target had previously been 8 – 8.5 per cent. Continental released the projections in parallel with its third quarter results which show that the automotive supplier posted sales of 19.1 billion euros and an adjusted EBIT of 1.79 billion euros after three quarters, exceeding the pre-crisis level of the first three quarters of 2008. At 9.4 per cent, the nine-month adjusted EBIT margin also exceeded the comparable 2008 level.
Shortly before the surreal comic quips of this year’s after dinner speaker (popular TV and Radio comedian Milton Jones), the hundreds of industry opinion makers gathered for the 2010 TAFF Awards and NTDA annual dinner heard the customary speech from association chairman David White. In it he succinctly observed recent changes in market condition and suggested that if the business is ready to embrace change with necessary attitude and enthusiasm “success will surely follow.”
This year’s Innovation Award, which is decided upon by a jury of industry experts as opposed to the popular vote held for all other categories, this year saw eight entrants come from a complete cross section of the tyre industry with companies from the manufacturer/supplier (Continental, GITI and Michelin), garage equipment (Pro-Align), retail (HiQ) workshop consumables (Apaseal) and tyre recovery (Vellco Tyre Control) sectors all represented.
In this final polled category only two companies – Credential Environmental and DME Tyres – survive from last year's finalists and they are joined by previous winners Kingpin Tyres, Envirotyre and Hardings Vans, a company providing a localised service. The awards, which recognises which tyre collection and recycling-related company members of the wider tyre industry considered most worthy in a popular vote, went to Envirotyre – a company that bills itself as being “one of the largest collectors of end of life tyres in the UK.”
A field of nominees that featured four of the top six tyre manufacturers and new entrant to the top ten, Maxxis, was always going to be competitive. In the end Continental won out over Bridgetone, Goodyear, Maxxis and Michelin claiming the prize for the second year on the trot. The tyre manufacturer won the honour for its World Cup campaign, ‘Don’t Miss the Big Game.’ The successful campaign promoted Continental’s ongoing sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup with a distinctly South African theme to match the host country of the 2010 tournament. With striking visuals of South Africa’s big game, Continental gave consumers the chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to the World Cup finals including a Safari tour – so that they wouldn’t miss any of the big game.
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Apaseal won the Tyre & Aftermarket Supplier award, with the award said to represent the acknowledgement of Apaseal’s commitment to continuous improvement, quality of product and service. In order to achieve this feat the company had to outperform well known names Auto 4, Harvie Tyres, Pro-Align and Rema Tip Top Automotive UK. One possible reason why voters opted to support Apaseal is because the firm continues to play a leading role in the development of British Standards’ guidelines on repairs, and have been active with the introduction of what are seen as the norms today including – says the company – fitting valves, enhancing wheel balancing techniques and consistently providing the distributors with opportunities to achieve additional revenue and provide better tyre and wheel maintenance for the customer.
Nominations for this year’s Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Award were fairly evenly split between 2009 nominees vying for success this time round (Bridgestone, Continental and Michelin) and relative newcomers in this category Hankook and Vredestein. With some characterising this as a David and Goliath fight, in a twist that betrays the original story the UK part of the current world number one – Bridgestone – won out. Last year’s winners Continental were left to congratulate Bridgestone on its success, but with one of the two awards the German-based company won in 2009 now out of contention, would the company go home empty-handed?
Michelin North America’s truck tyre division was recently honoured by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) with the 2010 Mike Russell “Good stuff” Trucking Image Award as the industry supplier winner, reports Tire Review. The award, which recognizes those that creatively generate positive awareness of the trucking industry, was presented to company officials at the annual ATA Management Conference and Exhibition last week in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today posted its highest third quarter 2010 sales and tyre unit volumes since the third quarter of 2008. Yet under pressure from spiralling raw materials cuts, alongside charges for refinancing debt, the manufacturer ended up with a $20 million loss largely due to consistently high costs throughout the quarter, especially in raw materials. The company made a net profit of $72 million in the same period in 2009.
Stapleton’s beat off stiff competition to be named as Tyre Wholesaler of the Year at the NTDA Tyre and Fast Fit Awards 2010, which was held at Manchester’s Hilton Deansgate alongside the Brityrex International exhibition in the Manchester Central conference centre on 6 October 2010. The title tops a positive year for the company, which has seen it acquire previously Pirelli-owned wholesale operation CPK and achieve total sales of over £300 million.
Korean manufacturer Kumho has been recognised in conjunction with Manchester United Football Club – which the company sponsors – for their ‘Play Safer’ programme; a road safety scheme run with a football theme and backed by Greater Manchester Police. The tyre-maker received a Special Commendation Award in the Best Club Sponsorship category at the Northwest Football Awards 2010, held at Lancashire County Cricket Club’s conference and cricket-watching venue The Point.
Recent growth at the Micheldever Group has driven the firm up to 90th place in the prestigious Sunday Times Top Track 250 list of the most successful mid-market privately owned companies. With just the Top Track 100 of the biggest private companies in the UK above it, this puts progress in the business into context. Micheldever first entered the Sunday Times list in 2006 in 184th position and in the intervening three years has jumped an amazing 94 places with the group’s sales in the last financial year reaching over £275 million.
The Tyre and Fast Fit Awards are now a well-established feature of the UK tyre industry calendar, with winners announced during the NTDA’s Annual Dinner in the grand environs of Manchester’s Beetham Tower. Bridgestone UK was awarded Tyre Manufacturer of the Year, while Stapleton’s was the winner of the coveted Tyre Wholesaler of the Year gong. Other awards presented during the evening were the Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year, which went to Apaseal; the Environment Award, going to Envirotyre; the Innovation Award, given to Michelin’s X One MaxiTrailer Tyre; and the Industry Advertising Campaign, awarded in conjunction with Tyres & Accessories as TAFF media partner to Continental for its Don’t Miss the Big Game campaign, based on the company’s World Cup football sponsorship.
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