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Thule Launches Snow Chains into UK market

Thule has added a line of snow chains to its UK vehicle accessories range. Produced in Thule’s Italian manufacturing facility, the extensive range of snow chains will be available from selected recognised dealers from October. The UK launch coincides with a reported rise in demand across Europe and the UK for high quality snow chains.

Peter Barker, UK general manager, commented: “For Thule, the manufacture and distribution of snow chains is a welcome addition to our sports and leisure equipment transportation range. Snow chains are a vital part of ski-drive holidays and are required by law in many destinations. We have seen a demand for a high quality chain by our customers, and are confident the Thule snow chains will not disappoint with their quick and easy application and durable, superior materials.”

The K-Summit snow chain is a key model in the range. With a patented rachet system the chain is designed to fit over 250 wheel sizes, with just eight chain lengths, mounting to the wheel in three steps. Once fitted, the ratchet system centres itself as you drive. The K-Summit has zero clearance, which means no part of it touches the inner side of the tyre, so it can be used on cars with limited space around the wheel arch.

14th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ATS Euromaster ‘Reviewing’ 80 Branches

ATS Euromaster is embarking on a consultation exercise “reviewing” as many as 80 of its UK centres. According to a company spokesperson, the tyre retail chain currently runs 456 centres, but is looking into the viability of continuing to run some in their present format. Therefore mergers, redundancies and some degree of reorganisation are all being discussed. However the company is apparently not currently looking into the sale of branches.

8th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Merityre Uses Uniflate Nitrogen System to Stay Ahead

After five years of partnership, Nitrogen inflation specialists at Tyre Bay Direct are reporting that using their Uniflate system has helped Merityre Specialists Ltd, the largest independent tyre specialist in the Home Counties, stay ahead of the game. Established in 1963, Merityre now has nineteen service centres across the region. Staying ahead of the market is clearly a big consideration for the company, with their stated aim to exceed customer expectations and the presence of a well-established customer care programme to back this up.

4th September 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Nordisk Daek to Offer Winter Pattern Excellence at a Competitive Price

With the 2009 winter season fast approaching, Denmark-based Nordisk Dæk Import A-S (NDI) will be presenting an extensive selection of quality winter tyres to suit all European markets.

14th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Blackcircles.com Aims to Grow Network 30%

Blackcircles.com is aiming to increase its garage network by 30 per cent by the end of 2009, adding as many as 400 garages. Announcing the news the company vowed to help independent garages “fight back”, saying it offers “additional revenue, customer footfall and national marketing, helping [independents] compete with major high street brands.”

13th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti North America Acquisition Strengthens S. America Position

Continental Tire North America has announced that it has acquired the majority ownership of a leading passenger, light truck and commercial tyre company in Latin America, Compania Ecuatoriana del Caucho S.A. “Majority ownership of ERCO provides Continental with the ability to improve our entire value chain — from the rubber plantation to the retail stores — throughout the Americas region through ERCO’s strong competence in the tyre business,” said Matthias Schoenberg, chief executive officer of Continental Tire The Americas. “Our plan is to have ERCO manage the six countries of the Andean region so that we can expand our business in these critical growth markets which, together, have a larger population size than that of Mexico, but with faster growth.”

3rd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

PK Commercial Tyres Enters Earthmover Market

Ashford, Kent-based PK Commercial Tyres recently entered the heavy industrial/earthmover tyre market with the purchase of a 26 ton (6×4) Renault truck complete with a sleeper cab, 38 ton crane, tyre handler and London emissions. The latest addition to commercial tyres’ fleet has over £10,000 worth of the heavy tools, and the latest tyre fitting equipment. For example, the new UHL tyre handler, alone cost in excess of £18,000. The vehicle is capable of handling 85 per cent of all the Earthmover tyres in the UK market.

Upon further investigation, the reasons behind Kuske’s decision to move into the EM tyre business are clear. After a series of bad experiences contacting out the work, necessity proved to be the mother of invention and Kuske appears to have decided that his company could do a better job.

1st July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Datamonitor: UK Car Consumables and Accessories Sales Flat

Value growth in consumables and accessories fell from 2.4 percentage points in 2008, to nearly flat growth this year, according to research compiled by Datamonitor. The inference is that the value of distress purchases such as tyres and exhausts (in addition to big-ticket satnavs and stereos) is falling as consumers defer replacement and as total average mileage falls. The consumables and accessories (C&A) segment is said to account for the largest share of the European retail aftermarket in the UK (8.3 per cent).

16th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Planning Around Success

When Tyres & Accessories spoke to Watts Tyre Group, it was only natural that the year we’ve just experienced – a particularly difficult period for the industrial tyre market – would be reflected upon. Yet times such as these also present an opportunity for companies that can capably adapt to their customers’ changing priorities. Watts, already a very strong player in the segment, is making the necessary adjustments needed to remain competitive in a depressed market.

5th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Woods to Lead Snap-on Diagnostics’ Workshop Equipment Range

Snap-on Diagnostics has appointed Julian Woods as Under Car Product Lead with specific responsibility for Snap-on’s recently introduced new workshop equipment range. In his new role, Julian will be responsible for the new Snap-on range of lifts, tyre changers, wheel balancers and wheel aligners which were introduced in January this year as a result of strong customer demand. Snap-on Diagnostics’ VOSA-approved Sun VIC 3000 ATL Automatic Test Lane has now been added to the under car range and this now also becomes Julian’s responsibility.

21st May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental and Schaeffler aim to Leverage Joint Purchasing Power

Continental AG and the Schaeffler Group have initiated a joint global purchasing project, which was contractually agreed on 27 March 2009. According to the two companies the project’s goal is to optimize the cost of materials and achieve an annual triple-digit million benefit through access to the steel markets and component suppliers as well as investments and non-manufacturing materials. The combined purchasing volume of Continental and Schaeffler totalled approximately 20 billion euros in 2008, with the amount expected to benefit calculated at 6.6 billion euros. The companies are hoping to achieve total savings of between 350 and 400 million euros for the period between 2009 and 2011 alone.

According to a company statement announcing the cooperation, both companies follow the principle of acting in the market as independent entities but “creating synergies through cooperative actions.” Purchasing is an ideal area for this cooperation because this is where the strengths of Continental and the Schaeffler Group complement one another. While Schaeffler’s annual purchasing volume of as much as 1 million tons of steel brings it direct access to steel producers, a high level of competence in this segment and also very good purchasing conditions, Continental’s strength lies in the purchase of mechanical and electronic components. Both companies have a well established portfolio of suppliers. The joint access to the partner’s purchasing expertise makes it possible for both companies to benefit from the improved purchasing conditions.

6th April 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Point S – From Private Brand to Leading Brand

International News, News, Product News

In 2005 Point S operated in nine different European countries. Four years later it is almost double that. Currently the group consists of 1700 tyre outlets, run by 1000 different owners, commanding a 6 per cent retail market share in both the passenger car and truck tyre segments across Europe. Since the first Point S was opened in 1971, the network has used the same business model in every country its has grown into – allowing independent tyre entrepreneurs to control their business while allowing everyone to benefit from the strong brand and economies of scale that come with a large group.

However, the group’s private brand strategy is also a key part of the company’s business and by the time Point S development announced that the France-based international tyre retail group had expanded into Bulgaria (its 17th country) in January 2009, this part of the business had become an exemplary model in the tyre market. Tyres & Accessories recently interviewed Point S Development’s international operations director, Fabien Bouquet, and found out why private brands are so important.

25th March 2009/by Chris

Kwik-Fit Warns ‘Eco-Coasters’ Not to Lose Control

What risks would you take to save money? Kwik-Fit has expressed its concern about a growing group of motorists who chance damage to their vehicles (and themselves) do to just that. The fast fit chains calls such drivers ‘eco-coasters’, and its caution comes in response to research that shows some 5.4 million “financially prudent motorists’, 15 per cent of all UK drivers, have taken to selecting a neutral gear when going downhill – just to cut their fuel bills.

26th February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Australian Pirelli Motorcycle Tyre Distributor Named

Australian based motorcycle parts and accessories importer and distributor Link International has been granted Australian distribution rights to the Pirelli motorcycle tyre range. Pirelli thus joins a product portfolio that includes Thailand’s Vee Rubber plus a number of motorcycle component brands including Motul Oils, RK Chains, Ferodo Brake Pads, JT Sprockets, Excel Rims and Polisport Plastics. Distribution of the Pirelli motorcycle range begins on February 2, 2009.

26th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kraiburg Installs New 3.6 million euro Internal Mixer

Kraiburg Austria recently powered up a new internal mixing line. According to the retreading material supplier, the new machinery will primarily be used to produce high-performance compounds for tyre retreading. The new equipment is said to be more efficient and capable of mixing compounds with little or now oil. This means polymer chains are maintained better, which has a positive effect on mileage.

The new line is now producing K_base, K_tech, and K_plus products. Prior to the installation of the new machinery the K_tech and K_plus products, which are said to be “very demanding from a technical perspective,” have only been available in limited capacities.

2nd December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors