Awards
One of the UK’s leading tyre wholesalers and a globally renown brand in motorcycle braking products have become the latest big names to confirm their involvement at May’s Brityrex International 07, according to a recent press statement released by the exhibition’s organisers.
Members of the NTDA have voted for their favourite companies in the six categories of the prestigious TAFF Awards and the winners will be announced at the TAFF Awards Dinner in Manchester’s Palace Hotel on 2 May. The nominations are:
Tyre Manufacturer of the Year
-Bridgestone UK Ltd
-Continental Tyre Group Ltd
-Goodyear/Dunlop Tyres Ltd
-Kumho Tyre
-Michelin Tyre plc
Product Innovation Award
-Bridgestone UK Ltd
-Continental CS Easy
-Goodyear/Dunlop Tyres
-Michelin Tyre plc
-Rema Tip Top UK Ltd
(Rubber Asian, Kerala, India) Pelican Rubber Pvt. Ltd., which began as a small-scale industry just a decade ago in 1996 for the manufacture of automobile butyl tubes, is today one of the most sought after brands across India and abroad.
(Akron/Tire Review) Snap-on won seven 2006 Technicians’ Choice Awards from global consulting company Frost & Sullivan. The awards, which measure the tool preferences of automotive technicians in the U.S. and the U.K., will be formally presented at Frost & Sullivan’s annual 2007 Best Practices Awards Banquet on Feb. 7 in Anaheim, Calif.
Kwik-Fit Fleet, Britain’s number one fast-fit supplier extended its run of victories in the annual BusinessCar Awards to an unprecedented 14 years – making it the only organisation to have walked off with first prize each year since the event was launched in 1994.
The United States military has awarded Michelin Americas Truck Tires a 10-year $1.7 billion contract to provide ground tyres for every type of wheeled vehicle for all military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) around the world. This contract is in addition to the recently awarded $700 million-plus contract for military aircraft tyres. Michelin is already the majority supplier of US Army tactical tyres. The company invested $16 million to increase military tyre production in order to meet the surge in demand related to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
As the World Economic Forum got underway in the Swiss resort town of Davos, Swiss globalisation opponents held their own ‘Public Eye’ awards, in which companies they have identified as being environmentally or socially irresponsible were given an “award” in recognition. This year tyremaker Bridgestone was the recipient of one such award.
Shock absorber company KYB was named “Supplier of the Year” at the 2006 Automotive Distribution Federation (ADF) awards ceremony, which took place at the Hilton Metropole hotel in Birmingham.
Said Matthew Robinson, Sales Manager for KYB UK, “We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award, the result of continued hard work and dedication by all members of the team to ensure our customers receive the best possible experience of KYB and its products.”
This year’s Firestone Young Farmer of the Year Award has gone to 30-year old Cambridgeshire man James Peck. Peck, of Scotland Farm in Dry Drayton, received this distinction from the tyre maker at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor House in London late last year. He was awarded his trophy by BBC TV presenter Fiona Bruce and Barry Coleman, Firestone’s marketing manager.
Apollo Tyre’s new UHP Aspire has been voted Automotive Product of the Year by NDTV Profit and Car India magazine. The W-speed rated tyre – safe to up to 270km/h – was awarded this distinction by India’s leading business television channel and the popular car magazine at a function in Mumbai attended by leading representatives of India’s automotive industry.
At a separate awards ceremony, this time in New Delhi, Apollo was awarded a commendation for its road safety campaigns. Throughout the past year Apollo has undertaken to increase road safety awareness by highlighting correct tyre maintenance procedure. The commendation was given by the Institute of Road Traffic Education as part of their 2006 awards programme, and Apollo was the only commercial entity, alongside seven individuals and non-profit groups, to be granted such a distinction. Apollo intends to continue its road safety programmes in 2007.
Engineers and designers at Goodyear Tire & Rubber are in high spirits after receiving word that the vehicles voted to be North American Car and Truck of the Year both ride on their products.
The announcement was made at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The Car of the Year, the Saturn Aura (a US version of the Vauxhall/Opel Vectra), comes fitted with Eagle LS2 tyres inP225/50R18 size as OE equipment, while the Truck of the Year, Chevrolet’s Silverado, comes with 20-inch Eagle LS2 tyres as standard fitment for the Silverado SS model.
French tyremaker Michelin received several prestigious accolades in the important Chinese market during the closing months of 2006. Most significant of these was from Auto Magazine, claimed to be China’s leading automotive publication and possessing a monthly circulation of 150,000 copies, who voted Michelin as their Brand of the Year for 2006.
On top of this, Michelin’s Onway campaign received the South Urban News’ – a general interest magazine with a print run of 800,000 copies – Annual Marketing and Innovation Award in a ceremony described as being the “Oscars of the automotive industry.” Furthermore, the campaign received a runners-up prize in the Chinese Effie awards for effective advertising campaigns.
Michelin’s Stop Thirsty Tyres campaign, aimed at helping hauliers reduce their fuel bills through better tyre management, has beat strong competition to win the ‘Best use of creative’ award at this year’s B2B Marketing Awards. The Stop Thirsty Tyres campaign was launched in May 2005 and has been promoted industry wide through a variety of mediums.
Bridgestone South Africa’s Firestone range scooped the coveted ‘Best Tyre’ award at the inaugural FOCUS on Excellence awards evening, held in Johannesburg in November. Candidates for this top honour were chosen by four hundred owners and managers of road transport fleets operating more than 10 vehicles, selected at random from 22,000 records on a fleet owners’ database.
Last year, IMI the maker of truck balancing powder, Equal, launched a product aimed at the passenger car market. XactBalance, distributed in the UK by Rema-Tip Top, is a new style of dynamic balancing weight and is aimed at premium level fitments.
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