At the start of March, Starco increased its involvement with Schaad products throughout much of the Nordic region. The group’s home market distribution company, Starco A/S, took over the range’s distribution in Denmark and Starco has also taken on a sales and support role for Schaad throughout the Scandinavian market, aside from certain products in Sweden that will continue to be handled by Gripen Wheels.
Bridgestone UK Ltd has announced that it has extended its tyre supply agreement with NR Evans, based at Cross Hands. NR Evans Distribution is one of the biggest temperature controlled distribution companies in the UK, operating over 300 commercial vehicles and trailers from eight depots across the UK. They deliver over £500 million of chilled products every year.
Exports of minerals and agricultural products are significantly growing in Morocco due to free trade agreements the North African country operates with the European Union and United States. On top of this, Morocco is actively establishing additional infrastructure along the Mediterranean Sea coast in the hope of becoming a major hub for the distribution of goods in and out of North Africa. For this reason, Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE (BSMEA) sees Morocco as a key region in which rapid economic expansion can be anticipated and has established a new tyre sales company based in Casablanca. The name of the new company is Bridgestone Tire Sales Morocco SARLAU (BTSM). Through the company, which began operation on April 1, BSMEA intends to further strengthen its business in Morocco's “highly promising” market by “increasing its ability to offer high quality products and services to the region.”
Available in various fitments for 18 and 19-inch diameter rim sizes in the UK and mainland Europe from March 28, 2011 is the Avon ZZ5 ultra high performance tyre, following high speed durability testing at the Nürburgring, among other places. The tyre has what manufacturer Cooper Avon terms an “Intelligent Asymmetric Tread Design” and “Optinoise” technology for a quieter ride. The company says the tyre’s development on European roads and racetracks have given it improved handling and grip capabilities. The tyre is aimed at the small-medium high performance sector, typified by such models as the Audi S4 and Lotus Evora.
Drawing inspiration from sources that include the “teeth of predatory cats,” the next generation Hankook Ventus premium comfort tyre has pounced onto the European market. The all-new Ventus Prime2 follows on from its similarly-named predecessor, a tyre that achieved European sales of more than ten million units during the seven years it was available. Hankook describes the new tyre, intended for “frequent drivers with a high safety awareness and maximum demands, as an evolution of a format “Ventus Prime drivers have known for many years and grown to love.” The lion’s share of the range will be produced in the company’s Rácalmás, Hungary factory.
Fulda has launched its new ultra-high performance summer tyre, the SportControl. Designed for “sporty driving”, in the brand’s words, the tyre features “progressive humps throughout the width of the tread, which help to optimise stiffness and force distribution from tyre to road.” The tyre has a full silica tread compound and new “Aqua Flow” tread grooves provide enhanced grip and shorter braking distances in wet conditions. The tyre also has a low weight carcass to reduce rolling resistance.
The last time Tyres & Accessories reported at length on EDIWheel the coverage provoked a welcome reaction. The healthy debate on the implementation of EDIWheel followed our publication of a report on the subject just over a year ago (January 2010), which featured a TIF hosted summit on the protocol. More than a year after the event, and after systems suppliers such as Tyreman made recent efforts to promote their EDIWheel compatible wares, Tyres & Accessories thought it was time for an update.
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Sailun has stated its satisfaction after receiving plaudits for its new Sailun Atrezzo Z4+AS high performance tyre in a recent independent tyre testing event in Toronto, Canada. Canadian automotive journalist John Mahler of the Toronto Star put three BMW 3-series through a number of tests on the Mosport facility, utilising the skid pad, an adjacent giant exercise area and a short public road loop. Tyre longevity was not part of the test. The Atrezzo Z4+AS performed particularly well in the ride quality (where it was placed first of six) and noise tests, where it was the equal quietest. The drivers also said they were impressed with the sporty, aggressive-looking tread pattern.
A bright new office environment and the company’s relatively young team make CDP Group’s enthusiasm palpable. The impression is that they work with commitment to a project they believe in and are proud of. Based in Forlì, Italy, CDP Group SpA, which started from scratch only three years ago, is now amongst the top ten tyre distributors in Italy, with 2010 revenues of more than 38 million euros.
So what’s the secret of the company’s success? Andrea Reggi, CDP Group CEO, explained: "Our business is founded on the idea of a public company: we all work as if the company is a fund with the sole objective to create profitability, not sales. What counts for us is to create value."
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres has announced the signing of a major deal with Korea Aerospace Industries. The Birmingham-based manufacturer will be the exclusive supplier of tyres for its new Korean utility helicopter, the Surion. The aircraft is being developed to replace South Korea’s aging fleet of 500MD and UH-1H aircraft. The Surion made its first flight early in 2010 and more than 245 are on order.
Despite it being Valentine’s day, there was no love lost between Auto Windscreens and the HMRC on 14 February 2011. That’s the day the UK's second largest windscreen repair company went into administration, threatening 1,100 jobs, apparently owing money to the good old Inland Revenue.
Tire Group International (TGI) has opened a new logistics office in Xiamen, China. The location will be overseen by Emma Luo, who comes to TGI with experience in international freight forwarding and logistics operations, having spent 7 years with Schenker & Bax Global logistics, the company said.
Denmark’s Starco has announced the formation of a joint venture with Buco S.A., a family-owned company located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buco specialises in the development of rubber parts for agricultural machinery, and under the joint venture’s terms the Starco Group receives exclusive European distribution rights for the entire Buco product range – including a comprehensive range of semi-pneumatic tyres and wheels, corrugated hoses and telescopic tubes for seed drills. Starco Europe group marketing manager Brian Lorentzen states that with the joint venture both companies will “benefit from their combined product expertise and market knowledge, all of which supports a strategy of expanding further into the agricultural segment in Europe.”
Alcoa Wheel Products has appointed James Crampton as the business’s new UK sales manager. Appointed in a moved that the company said was designed to strengthen its UK position, Crampton brings with him 15 years of experience in the commercial vehicle industry.
Tire Group International (TGI) is expanding its tyre marketing and distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean by opening a new sales office in the Peruvian capital, Lima. The sales office will be headed by Fredy Montoya Soriano, who has more than 35 years’ experience in the tyre and automotive industries.
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