The managing director of Yokohama’s UK distributor, David Seward, has been appointed president of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association. Commenting on his appointment, Seward said; “Yokohama has been a long-standing member of ITMA and I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed President of the Association. ITMA has a vital role in the UK and it is a responsibility I will give my full commitment to.
Sales of the Veco brand, available from automotive parts distributor Universal Automotive, are reportedly “growing steadily”, with year-on-year sales predicted to increase by 10 per cent in 2010. According to the distributor, this growth is to come from garages looking to their suppliers to provide “reliable products with matching OE quality, but at competitive prices” – the company says that the Veco range “ticks all of these boxes”.
Stapleton’s Tyre Services, one of the largest distributors of passenger car tyres in the UK, reports offering one of the largest selections of private and exclusive brands out of any distributor, and furthermore says it has a product suitable for every retailer and in every price bracket. The company recently added two new exclusive brands – Matador, a mid-range brand produced by Continental, and Primewell, manufactured by GiTi. Stapleton’s is also backing both up with dealer support packages to reward valued loyalty.
Hammond Group’s tyre department manager Keith Manders is taking his wife on a shopping spree after winning a £500 Red Letter Day experience in the national promotion organised by Grouptyre, the UK’s leading independent tyre wholesaler and exclusive UK distributor Federal. Having signed up to take part in the promotion and purchased Federal tyres during the second phase, Hammond Tyres automatically received entries into the prize draw based on the tyres purchased.
Movie deaths involving cars are nothing unusual. Be it driving into a canyon ('Thelma and Louise'), driving into other cars carrying sassy ladies (Quentin Tarantino’s quite horrible 'Death Proof'), or enjoying a crash a bit too much (David Cronenberg’s infamous twist on auto-erotica, 'Crash'), motoring fatalities have become a large and varied part of film history. But Quentin Dupieux, otherwise known as the French dance music producer behind ‘Flat Beat’ and its accompanying puppet Flat Eric, has filmed a twist we never saw coming: a slasher film in which the serial killer is – wait for it – a tyre. Named Robert.
Wheelquip was established in 1984 as a distributor of wheel service equipment, tyre and tube repair material, tyre valves and tyre tools. Initially known as Tyre Maintenance Suppliers, the company’s management saw the need for supplying the tyre industry with the most technically advanced equipment, consumables and tools and providing the industry with service excellence. Today the firm supplies many international brands and boasts the sole South Africa agency for Corghi automotive equipment from Italy. Corghi recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Wheelquip was awarded a 20-year service excellence award from the Italian manufacturer.
North Carolina, US based wholesaler American Tire Distributors Holdings has lodged registration documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to initiate proceedings for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The company, who claims to be the largest replacement tyre distributor in the United States, intends to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ATD", however it has not yet determined the number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering.
Distributor Cambrian Tyres has announced that it has introduced the ready to ride Continental RoadAttack 2 to its range. The latest bike product from the German tyre manufacturer is its first tyre to offer complete riding safety as soon as it is fitted, according to Conti. The ContiRoadAttack 2 is available now from Cambrian Tyres, coinciding with the start of the 2010 season. Continental will be producing the tyre in six front sizes and seven for the rear (see below). Approvals have already been obtained for over 250 bikes (from manufacturers including BMW, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha).
Al Saeedi Automotive TRD Co (LLC), the exclusive distributor of Gallant brand truck tyres in the Middle East and Africa, has added 1200R24 20PR GL 885 to the range of sizes it offers. The new tyre is described as an all-position radial optimised for highway and on/off road applications. According to the distributor, the special features of this tyre include ultra-high tyre bead structure and a lateral block shoulder. “These features help enable lower heating, wear resistance, extended mileage and high speed durability,” company representatives explained. Further new sizes are expected to be added to the range with Al Saeedi reporting that Gallant is “currently in the process of manufacturing a complete range of truck and bus radials.”
In 2009 Maxxis significantly increased its online presence, adding to and improving the content on its corporate website and launching the Maxxis Babes website. Maxxis also saw the benefits from advertising on other websites, with links on Liverpool FC’s and Max Power’s websites drawing in traffic (amongst others). Managing director Derek McMartin has been impressed with an increase in traffic, commenting: “We are delighted that more and more people are actively seeking out the Maxxis brand online, whether they are consumers who want to know more about our products and where to buy them, or tyre retailers who are considering stocking Maxxis tyres.”
The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres and replacement alloy wheels from TSW, MAK and Advanti, Yokohama HPT Ltd, kicked off its new year this week at the annual Autosport International show at the NEC. The company is exhibiting its full range of Yokohama high performance road and motorsport tyres, its key ranges of alloy wheels while the centrepiece of its stand is the innovative Tesla Roadster Sport, the world’s first all-electric track day car.
After an exciting ACU British Short Track Championship season, which saw Pete Boast take the victor’s spoils, some of motorcycle racing’s most famous names headed to Essex for the final event of 2009, the Braintree Bonanza on 27 December. Manufacturer Maxxis began its association with Short Track UK four years ago when Triple A Racing, the Manchester-based Maxxis tyre distributor, supplied tyres to a number of competitors. In 2009 all riders used the Maxxis DTR-1 flat track tyre, thanks to an agreement between the organisers and Triple A Racing, who jointly sponsored the series.
Maxxis and Grouptyre, its exclusive UK distributor, recently supplied MA-Z1 tyres for Total BMW Magazine’s long-term test of the German auto manufacturer’s BMW 318ti Compact. The magazine features regular updates on upgrades and improvements it has made to the car and has reported (in the Running Reports section of the December 2009 issue of Total BMW Magazine) taking the 318ti to the Croft Circuit for a BMW Car Club Track Day, where journalist Andrew Everett switched from Pirellis to the MA-Z1 high performance tyre in size 225/50×16. Maxxis received excellent feedback following the switch, reports UK MD Derek McMartin.
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.
Watts Tyre Group has announced the launch of Interfit, the industrial tyre business' international service operation. From 5 January Watts Tyre Group service operations throughout Europe will begin the process of rebranding with goal of completing this by June 2010. According to the company, the launch of Interfit serves as a repositioning in the industrial tyre service market by formally creating a dedicated, specialist service division. Interfit will service the forklift truck market through its depot and mobile press operation acting as a service partner to the OEM dealer networks. Customers will be managed through regional offices in UK, France and Germany where administrative functions and local service desks are based.
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