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Soopa Toobs: 25 Years of Tyre Industry Specialisation

During a lifetime’s experience in the tyre trade, Mike Mansfield has created a dynamic family company that has established an outstanding reputation as a successful niche market tyre and specialised tube wholesaler.

Soopa Toobs (Tyres) Limited was founded in May 1983 and is still based at its original home in Colliers End, near Ware in Hertfordshire. “In conversation with Tyres & Accessories, Mike Mansfield said, “the business began, with some assistance from a sympathetic bank manager and the unwavering support of my very understanding wife, Tricia. After consulting with a number of tyre industry luminaries, and based upon some market research, the decision was taken to opt for the tube market.

8th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Sets 10% North America Price Hike

In the US Goodyear has joined the latest round of industry prices increases, announcing a September 1 price hike of up to10 per cent. The tyremaker said the increase would cover all of its Goodyear, Dunlop, Kelly-Springfield and associate brand passenger, light truck and commercial light truck and medium truck tyres. Separately, prices on Goodyear OTR tyres will increase by up to 7 per cent on September 1. (Tire Review/Akron)

6th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Unveils New Cornwall Regional Franchise Owner

St Austell tyre trade expert, Justin Roberton, has rubber-stamped a deal to own three fast fit centres in Cornwall, after his ambitious bid for a slice of a national franchise plan was accepted. Roberton has successfully applied for the Cornwall zone of the HiQ Franchise Programme, and will now run garages in Truro, Bodmin, and St Austell.

The regional manager is only the second man to be unveiled as a HiQ regional franchise owner following the decision by Goodyear Dunlop to group its existing, company-owned HiQ outlets into 15 regional zones.

5th August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

More Guilty Pleas in Marine Hose Price Fixing Case

A Milan, Italy-based marine hose manufacturer and the former president of its former US subsidiary have agreed to plead guilty and pay more than US$2 million in criminal fines for participating in a global price fixing conspiracy. The former subsidiary president had also agreed to serve time in prison. Furthermore, an Italian executive of another marine hose manufacturer located in Veniano, Italy has also agreed to plead guilty for participating in the same conspiracy.

A one-count felony charge was filed today in US District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida against Manuli Rubber Industries SpA (Manuli) and Robert L. Furness, the former president of Manuli’s former Florida based subsidiary. Under the terms of the plea agreements, which are subject to court approval, Manuli has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $2 million, and Furness has agreed to serve 14 months in prison and pay a $75,000 criminal fine. Both Manuli and Furness have also agreed to cooperate fully in the Department’s ongoing antitrust investigation. Manuli is the first corporation to be charged in the investigation.

30th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Zimbabwe Voices its Commitment to the Home Market

Zimbabwe’s sole domestic tyre manufacturer, Dunlop Zimbabwe, states it remains committed to continuing local operations. The company, now 100 per cent owned by Apollo Tyres, has maintained a presence in the country for 45 years, and its CEO, Mr. Kennedy Mandevani, states it will be guided by “business rationale” and won’t close up shop in Zimbabwe for political reasons.

The Zimbabwe government owned Herald newspaper quotes Dunlop Zimbabwe as saying it will “not join the multinational companies’ crusade against doing business in Zimbabwe.” An article published on July 28 specifically points to UK and US influenced multinational companies, including Tesco and Barclays, as pressuring local subsidiaries to cease operating.

28th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Mistaken Identity?

Is not even the tyre industry safe from cybersquatting? Tyres & Accessories was recently surprised by its attempts to view Dunlop’s UK website. Upon entering the address www.dunlop-tyres.co.uk, instead of viewing the expected Dunlop homepage, we found ourselves face to face with the website of rival tyremaker Michelin. Additionally, a search under www.dunlop.co.uk was equally unfruitful. The website is registered in the name of Essex based man named David Dunlop, and is reportedly available for purchase.

A representative from Goodyear Dunlop has pointed out that the correct website address for the company’s UK Dunlop site is www.dunloptyres.co.uk.

24th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop Embark on Charity Tour de Midlands

Thirteen employees of Goodyear Dunlop are staging a four-day, 320-mile endurance cycle ride to benefit Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The challenge will start from the company’s head office in Erdington on 18th September, and will see riders raising much-needed funds for the leading medical facility.

The manufacturer pledged to raise £50,000 to fund the development of a specialist play area for the Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) at the hospital earlier in the year, a target the company is on track to meet, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the firm’s thirteen Lance Armstrongs and Victoria Pendletons.

23rd July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Chris Kisby Wins Bid for 3 Regional HiQ Tyre Retail Franchises

Former HiQ Retail Director, Chris Kisby, has successfully bid for the South Midlands, East Midlands and West Midlands zones of the HiQ Franchise Programme. Kisby, who has 30 years experience in the tyre industry, leads an investment group who have been named as the preferred bidder for the region. He will step down from his current role of Goodyear Dunlop UK Director, Consumer Tyres with immediate effect to avoid any conflict of interest.

The announcement follows the news that a management buyout led by HiQ MD Neil Burrows and three other managers was not successful in its bid for a national retail franchise. According to a Goodyear representative, Kisby’s investment group operates independently of the quartet that proposed the management buyout. Prior to becoming Director Consumer Tyres, Chris Kisby held a number of key positions within the Goodyear group including UK Sales and Marketing Director, European Brand Director and Managing Director for Russia, Belarus and Central Asia, as well as leading the HiQ Retail network.

23rd July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop Names New Market Supply Chain Director

Goodyear Dunlop has promoted Market Planning Manager, Steve Carless, to Market Supply Chain Director – UK and Ireland. Market Supply Chain Director is a new role that has reportedly been created to improve effectiveness, reduce costs and give superior customer satisfaction. The new role’s main responsibilities will include order management, forecasting, warehousing and the Sales and Operating Plan process.

Steve Carless started with the company as an Undergraduate Trainee in Marketing in 1993. After graduating in Mathematical Business Analysis from Wolverhampton University, a year later, he rejoined the company. Carless began his career after graduation as a Market Analyst, moving into Sales for the Truck Tyre department as well as experiencing roles in the company’s Luxembourg offices covering Marketing and Sales Forecasting.

22nd July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop MD Discusses HiQ, Christian Salvesen and the Truck Tyre Business

Having spent 17 years working for Procter & Gamble in both national and European positions Mark Brickhill became Goodyear Dunlop UK managing director in May 2007. What followed was something of a steep learning curve. Headhunted from a senior management position overseeing laundry products in Geneva, it was only a matter of weeks before he faced the new challenge of tyres. One year on, and set against an impressive global Goodyear recovery, Tyres & Accessories met Mark Brickhill at the company's Tyre Fort headquarters in Birmingham and asked: How is the UK turnaround going?

Arriving at Tyre Fort in Birmingham, the first thing you notice is the still gleaming Norbert Dentressangle logo that now hangs on the adjacent distribution centre (the Goodyear and Dunlop brands on the side of the huge building excepted). Less than a month after his appointment as general manager was made public, Mark Brickhill encountered something of a sea change in the company's newly revamped distribution setup. In January 2006 Goodyear Dunlop decided to hand over the warehousing and delivery control of most its products to a third party logistics company (3PL). The idea was for Goodyear Dunlop and Christian Salvesen (as it was then) to work together to improve efficiencies and costs for everyone involved. To say feelings about this move in general were mixed would be something of an understatement. And to say the service wasn't as good as all the respective parties had hoped for would be similarly wide of the mark.

21st July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Truck Force Turns a Corner

Goodyear Dunlop’s detractors would have the truck tyre market believe that there are serious problems in the company’s commercial vehicle department. Goodyear Dunlop UK, managing director, Mark Brickhill, however, paints quite a different picture. In a recent interview with Tyres & Accessories (to be published in our August magazine) Brickhill gave details of progress in the truck business. Firstly, Brickhill told T&A that Truck Force is already showing signs of being a turnaround success story.

Since the commercial vehicle retail arm separated from the HiQ passenger retail business, and the two chains were each allowed to follow strategies tuned to the respective business areas, both operations appear to be better off. Perhaps the best sign of this is the fact that Truck Force, which was once a significantly loss making operation, is now at breakeven and on schedule to enter profit in 2009. But this doesn’t tell the whole story. From Mark Brickhill’s point of view, the fact that Truck Force has evolved into a service-led operation has had much to do with its improved performance.

21st July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Brickhill: Supporting Employees in the Community Drives Success

Goodyear Dunlop UK Group Managing Director, Mark Brickhill, has reinforced the company’s commitment to community projects, and has encouraged all employers to seek the benefits that come from supporting their employees in voluntary activity.

Brickhill was speaking following a garden party at Buckingham Palace in honour of the centenary of the Territorial Army which was attended by 6000 guests, including the HRH The Earl of Wessex and HRH The Princess Royal. Over four hundred TA Reservists were invited along to pay tribute to their employers by taking them to this very special event. The Goodyear Dunlop MD had been invited by John Braybrook, Wholesale Manager for the company, who returned from TA assignment in Afghanistan last year.

18th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Launches ‘Petrolhead Haven’

According to the tyre manufacturer, the Dunlop Drivers Club stand was one of Goodwood Festival of Speed’s highlights. As Goodwood sponsors, Dunlop Tyres brought Sir Stirling Moss back together with the C-Type Jaguar that he drove in 1953 and heard his fascinating thoughts on the introduction of Dunlop-invented disc-brakes and how life has changed for racing drivers over the last 60 years.

However, those that missed the live action at Goodwood can head to the newly launched web portal, www.dunlopdriversclub.co.uk where Dunlop will share their 120 years of experience on the road and track with driving and motorsport fans across the globe.

18th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Ruia Group to Build 4 Billion Rupee Assam Plant

The Ruia Group of Kolkata, India has revealed plans to local news sources that they are to build a new tyre plant on a Greenfield site near the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport in Guwahati. The site is currently being prepared for industrial development by local government and Ruia looks set to invest heavily, with four billion rupees earmarked for the project in the next year and a half.

The company expects the facility to open with a production capacity of 50 tonnes per day initially. Ruia hopes to double that figure over time.

17th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Reveals New Boeing Fitment

Currently exhibiting at the Farnborough Airshow 2008, which runs until Sunday, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres has displayed its three new tyres, approved in March for the new Boeing 737NG, alongside two new main gear bias cross-ply tyres and a new radial-ply nose gear tyre.

Aviation news sources have noted that the massive backlog of orders for Boeing’s latest plane – not to mention the 2,500 already in service – means that Dunlop’s latest creations have enabled the company to improve its share in the medium-haul market sector.

16th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors