Awards
The 2010 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise will open for entries on 20 July 2009, organisers announced today. Businesses of all sizes and from any industry sector are being urged to apply for The Queen’s Awards – widely regarded as the UK’s highest honour for business success, and the equivalent of a company knighthood.
On 1 July Bandvulc won the Low Carbon and Efficiency Award at the Motor Transport Awards in London. Bandvulc was up against stiff competition from companies such as Tesco, United Biscuits, John Lewis, DPD and A F Blakemores, but was judged to be winner by an independent panel of experts drawn from the industry. According to the company, these annual awards are the ‘Oscars’ of the Motor Transport Industry and recognise companies demonstrating innovation, outstanding service, efficiency and quality.
The Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane played host to some 1,300 road transport professionals on the evening of 1 July. The reason for this gathering of senior industry figures was of course the 23rd Motor Transport Awards, in which approximately 70 contenders vied for victory in the 16 award categories. Amongst this elite group was Michelin, who on the evening walked away with the Innovation Award, having beat off stiff competition from a trio of fellow finalists – white goods manufacturer Indesit UK, asset management specialist Amey, and a joint entry from B&Q and Ceva Logistics.
Bridgestone UK group companies Bulldog Remoulds (Holdings) Ltd and Kingsway Tyres Ltd recently achieved the Investor in People Standard. Both companies have been awarded the status for the first time and are said to be thrilled to gain public recognition of their achievements, after a rigorous audit of their working practices.
The Ford Motor Company recently held its 11th Annual World Excellence Awards, during which 36 suppliers were recognised for helping the company achieve superior quality, delivery, and cost performance, and for initiatives that improve customer satisfaction. One of the firms singled out for this honour was Michelin, recipient of the Corporate Responsibility award. The tyre major reports it received the Recognition of Achievement-Corporate Responsibility award for demonstrating innovation in reducing the environmental impact of Ford’s products and for leadership in three key areas: environmental and social considerations in business; human rights and working conditions; and corporate governance.
The National Business Group on Health – a US based non-profit organisation that works with large employers to find solutions to health care and related benefits issues – has acknowledged Michelin North America as a corporation with innovative programmes that promote a healthy workplace and help employees make better choices about their own health and well being.
The tyre manufacturer was among 63 companies that received the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award at the National Business Group on Health’s annual health care summit in Washington, DC. Michelin received a Silver Award for the design and concept of its ‘Choose Well-Live Well’ programme. This is the first year Michelin has been selected for this award.
Nominations will be accepted until 1 July for the Tire Industry Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is open to individuals in the tyre industry, including manufacturers, inventors, publishers, equipment suppliers, tyre association executives, tyre dealers, tyre and rubber recyclers, and retreaders. In addition, TIA is accepting nominations for its Friend of the Industry Award, which recognizes allies and proven supporters of the tyre industry.
The deadline for nominations for the Tire Industry Hall of Fame and Friend of the Industry Award is 1 July. A nomination form for both awards is available on www.tireindustry.org or by calling TIA at 301-430-7280 ext. 109. (Tire Review/Akron)
ECI International, the organiser of leading UK tyre trade exhibition Brityrex 2010, has welcomed the decision by the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) to sponsor next year’s show. At the same time Tyres & Accessories will continue in its role as media sponsor, informing the market of all the latest product, exhibitor and show developments across its print magazine, e-Newsletter and online www.tyrepress.com portfolio of products.
“The NTDA is a high profile and important partner in helping to spread the Brityrex message throughout the UK industry so it’s great news that the Council has given its full backing to next year’s exhibition,” said ECI managing director Paul Farrant.
New business agreements with a number of existing and new customers are being received with gratitude by a financially beleaguered Hayes Lemmerz International. On June 5 the company announced its Saraburi plant in Thailand will produce 16-inch alloy wheels for the Toyota Scion. This new award, Hayes Lemmerz notes, provides additional volume for the company, which is already a major supplier to Toyota in many parts in the world. In addition, the Thai plant has received new business awards to produce 14-inch alloy wheels for existing customer Nissan as well as 15-inch alloy wheels for a new customer, Nissan subsidiary Autech Japan, Inc.
The entry deadline is fast approaching for the 2009 Tire Review Top Shop Awards presented by Ammco/Coats. Now in its third year, entries will be accepted until midnight on 10 July, 2009. Entry forms and information are now available via the Top Shop Awards Web site at www.tirereviewtopshopaward.com. Complete entries can be made right online. US and Canadian dealers can nominate their own businesses, or others can nominate tyre dealer businesses. The entry process is simple: Those making the nomination need to provide basic information about the dealership being nominated and write a short (300-word maximum) essay explaining why that dealership should be considered.
From there, all entrants will be reviewed and a group of semi-finalists selected. Those semi-finalists will be asked to provide additional information for judging. A panel of judges, including industry professionals and a member of the Tire Review staff, will select the four finalists and, ultimately, the 2009 Top Shop Award winner.
The awards are as outstanding as the dealers selected:
• The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Coats APX90 tyre changer, $1,500 in cash, airfare and hotel for two (2 nights/3 days) to the 2009 SEMA Show, a feature story in the October issue of Tire Review, and a Top Shop trophy to display in their dealership.
• Three Finalists will each receive a Coats 1250-3DV tyre/wheel balancer (featuring on-board training), $500 in cash, a feature story in the October issue and a specially designed finalist trophy. (Tire Review/Akron)
Bandvulc Tyres Ltd has been recognised as one of the Top 60 Best Green Companies in the UK by the Sunday Times. At the annual awards ceremony in London, Bandvulc’s managing director Patrick O’Connell received the award from Alistair McColl (Sunday Times Supplements Editor) for achieving a top 60 placement.
Patrick O’Connell commented: “This is fantastic recognition of the hard work and commitment everyone at Bandvulc makes to ensuring we all have a sustainable future. To be in the top 60 companies raises the profile of tyre recycling to a new level and shows that this can be done to a high quality ensuring safety and sustainability in one package, bringing a complete solution to our customers that is second to none.”
Kumho Tires won two “Best Buy” awards in a recent tyre test run by Consumers Digest magazine in the US. Kumho’s Solus KR21 and Ecsta STX were honoured in the Touring Cars and Performance SUV categories respectively. The Consumers Digest evaluation ranged from all-season passenger and performance tyres to those for light trucks and SUVs.
“The Solus KR21 is an outstanding touring tyre and the Ecsta STX is an exceptional performance SUV tyre and all of us at Kumho are excited about the recognition these tyres have received,” said Rick Brennan, Kumho’s vice president, sales and marketing. “Earning Consumers Digest’s ‘Best Buy’ award is a key indicator of Kumho’s pledge to value and performance.”
Admit it – you just can’t get by without your mobile phone. When it’s not glued to your ear you are busy prodding the thing with your texting thumb or downloading the latest must-read e-mails. And now, thanks to Michelin, the mobile can also offer sterling service should you wish to whet your appetite. Following the successful introduction of its ‘Michelin guide Restaurants’ iPhone applications for France and selected other European locations, the company has extended its offering to the UK and three other European countries plus two US cities.
Developed by ViaMichelin, the applications list all restaurants selected by the Michelin guide, including starred restaurants and Bib Gourmand eateries offering excellent value for money. The European titles, which cover the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, are available in five languages (French, English, German, Spanish and Italian) while the stateside titles, covering New York and San Francisco, are available only in English.
Korean manufacturer Kumho’s US division has been awarded two “Best Buy” recommendations by US magazine Consumers Digest following the publication’s latest round of tyre tests. The Solus KR21, an all-season tyre made primarily for coupes and sedans and the Ecsta STX, a tyre for sports utility vehicle and light truck drivers, were given the gongs in the Touring Cars and Performance SUV categories based on independent test results in addition to technical expert opinion and road-based evaluations.
Rick Brennan, Kumho Tires vice president, sales and marketing stated, “all of us at Kumho are excited about the recognition these tyres have received. Earning Consumers Digest’s “Best Buy” award is a key indicator of Kumho’s pledge to value and performance.” The awards add to the company’s previous success in Europe, where British consumer magazine Which? told its readers that the company’s Solus KH17 represented “Exceptional Value”.
Leading motoring organisation RAC has teamed up with Blackcircles.com to create RAC Tyres, an online tyre retail portal offering “hassle free online tyre service” to RAC’s seven million members and any visitors to the RAC website. Blackcircles.com will power the motoring organisation’s new tyre retail operation, RAC Tyres (accessible at both www.rac.co.uk and www.ractyres.co.uk). The service will enable visitors to order tyres through the website and have them fitted at any of the over 900 garages in the Blackcircles network.
Announcing the news, company representatives described the agreement as a “landmark deal” and pointed out that the move follows a period of sustained growth for Blackcircles.com. According to an interview with the Financial Times published in early April, company founder Mike Welch believes the recession could benefit Blackcircles as customers seek a lower cost tyre alternative.
Blackcircles.com has grown to a turnover of in excess of £10 million since it was launched in 2001. In the earlier report, FT quoted Welch as saying sales were as much as 80 per cent up year-on-year. While year-on-year sales growth is currently quoted at 60 per cent it remains nonetheless impressive.
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