Maxxis International (UK)’’s motorcycle distribution arm, Bickers has expanded its range of brake pads from Vesrah. Made in Japan to OE specifications, Vesrah pads give powerful, responsive braking dependable wet or dry, fast or slow, road or track according to the manufacturer. The three ranges available comprise the RJL pad for road and race; the JL road and off-road pad; and the standard semi-metallic/organic carbon pad.
Last year Continental made the decision to begin importing industrial and earthmover tyres manufactured by joint venture partner Simex into the UK and Ireland. The range available in this sector has now been expanded through the launch of the Simex SE65, a product designed for the construction industry.
Federal Tires has debuted a new series of videos on YouTube. The Taiwanese manufacturer hopes to utilise what it calls “the social media communication approach” as a premier platform for the distribution of its “high quality footage of events in all forms of motorsports.” This is the beginning of a new marketing strategy for Federal in 2010, in which it seeks to increase its “presence in an increasingly competitive and crowded web space”. The tyre-maker says it will encourage visitors to interact with the brand either through submitting ideas to suggest product improvements, or spreading the word about Federal virally using self-generated content.
As one of the largest distributors of passenger car tyres in the UK, wholesaler Stapleton’s prides itself on being able to offer tyres suitable for every retailer and every price bracket. This means stocking all major brands of 4×4 and SUV tyres. However this month the company also pointed out that the current “high fuel prices and doom and gloom of the economy will undoubtedly affect the already high running costs associated with 4×4 vehicles.” Some consumers may be monitoring their spending more closely and looking to make savings on their purchases, company representatives commented, explaining that the breadth of tyre range the company offers should ensure that Stapleton’s can support retailers in offering a wide range of 4×4 tyres, “at both the premium and quality levels.”
The Michelin Group and the Group Taquipneu have signed a cooperation agreement that sees the global tyre manufacturer take “a minority stake” in commercial vehicle and industrial tyre distribution specialists Taquipneu SA. Details of the size of the stake and the value of the deal have not been released.
The strategy is for the two companies to work together in a mutually beneficial partnership that sees Michelin transfer some tyre and trade know-how, while Taquipneu Group offers what Michelin representatives called its customer facing “operational excellence.” The intention is said to be for Michelin to grow in the segment, with Taquipneu strengthening its sustainability and the two companies respecting each others’ independence.
Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres Limited has been awarded a contract to supply all the retreads for Royal Mail Group Ltd’s trailer fleet. The agreement, which runs for two years with an option to extend for a further two years, will see Vacu-Lug Duramold retreads fitted on a rolling basis as replacements for all worn or damaged 385/65 R22.5 tyres on the Royal Mail Group's 22.5 inch trailer fleet.
According to a statement detailing the news, environmental concerns were an important factor behind Royal Mail Group's decision to opt for Vacu-Lug Duramold Tyres. As an organisation committed to reducing its environmental impact, Royal Mail Group said it recognises the need to work with suppliers which also regard the environment as a key consideration through out the lifecycle of its product.
Transense has announced that its sensor sales division, Translogik RFID Limited, has signed an exclusive global distribution agreement (excluding China) with Qingdao Mesnac Co. Ltd. for its range of RFID products. The tag has been developed to be embedded within the tyre during the manufacturing process, where it will last the lifetime of the tyre, or alternatively in a patch which attaches to the tyre wall, as an aftermarket solution.
Cambrian Tyres has reported a healthy growth in sales of its sole bicycle tyre brand Continental. With year on year unit increases of 30 per cent since 2007, Cambrian reports it is now selling four times as many Continental tyre units as it was in 2000. “Not only tyres, but our tube business has also seen a dramatic rise as we’ve strived to make the Continental brand more attractive both in terms of margin and depth of range,” commented Cambrian’s bicycle brand manager Shelley Childs.
With testing now well underway in preparation for the start of the Formula One season, new Renault driver Robert Kubica has suggested that the introduction of narrower front tyres in 2010 will mean that drivers “will have to be careful not to wear them out too quickly”, while teams “will need to adapt the set-up and weight distribution to cope with this.” Kubica gave a lengthy Q&A session at the launch of the team’s new R30 chassis in Valencia.
Nokian Tyres reports that its Vianor retail chain reached an important milestone in December 2009 with the opening of its 600th outlet. The store, located in the Ukrainian city of Kharkov, is what Nokian refers to as an ‘entrepreneur-led partner outlet’. The Ukraine, the company adds, now ranks second behind Russian in terms of countries with the largest number of Vianor outlets.
High performance motorsport technology supplier Cosworth has renewed its partnership with Beru specialist division bf1systems for the exclusive distribution and ongoing support of bf1systems’ DigiTyre products in the USA. The renewed agreement now includes the new Infra Red Tyre Pressure and Temperature Monitoring System, which utilises infrared elements built into the wheel sensors to give engineers what is said to be the most accurate tyre carcass temperature data.
Titan Tire Corporation has attained the new ISO 9001:2008 certification with Design Standards for the company’s facilities in Des Moines, Iowa; Freeport, Illinois; Bryan, Ohio; Dublin and Pendergrass, Georgia. “Independent testing is an important step in fulfilling our customer satisfaction goals,” said Titan Tire president Bill Campbell. “This certification affirms the quality of the design, manufacture, assembly and distribution of Titan tyres, tyre and wheel assemblies and brakes and actuators.” The company has held ISO certification since 1994.
Les Smith Haulage Limited’s decision to switch to Continental from another premium brand is said to be delivering 25 per cent longer life on its front steer tyres. According to the company these tyres are achieving over 100,000 kilometres before being changed. Those on the rear axle are reportedly giving up to 400,000 kilometres of life.
The 18 vehicle fleet is made up entirely of Mercedes-Benz Axor two-axle 18 tonners. These typically cover between 80,000 and 100,000 kilometres a year on work throughout the UK which includes both motorway and A road running. A policy of only ever fitting new tyres, correct tyre selection and careful monitoring of tyre condition lie behind the good performance of the Continentals.
Parts distribution company FPS has opened a new warehouse branch at the Blochairn Industrial Estate in Glasgow to serve Scotland. The new FPS facility officially opened its doors on the 28 September, although the full stocking process took another month to complete. This included the addition of Klarius type-approved exhaust and CAT systems, including over 2,500 exhaust references and 600 CAT references. The additional warehousing has allowed FPS to add these popular, but typically bulky products to the same-day delivery service offered throughout the UK.
Pirelli Tire North America has announced the addition of Western Power Sports as a selected aftermarket distributor for Pirelli motorcycle tyres in the United States. Western Power Sports is a wholesale/distributor of motorcycle parts and accessories with warehouses in Idaho California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.
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