Half a year after opening his HiQ outlet in Dorking, former British Touring Car Championship driver Jeff Allam has signed on the dotted line to open a second franchise centre. The fast fit network reports Allam is opening a centre in Leatherhead following a “productive six months” in partnership with HiQ. The ex-BTCC driver was the first UK dealer to secure a partnership with HiQ and his expansion is seen as a big show of strength for the network.
Trelleborg has signed an agreement for the acquisition of the UK’s Watts Tyre Group through its Trelleborg Wheel Systems business area, an action the Swedish company believes will strengthen its industrial tyre segment position through geographic expansion and an increased presence in the aftermarket. Watts has annual sales of approximately £27.4 million and about 230 employees. The purchase consideration amounts to approximately £21 million.
A foundation laying ceremony for Michelin’s new Shenyang factory in Liaoning Province, China was held on November 21, marking the official start of work on the Michelin Shenyang Tire expansion project. When the US$1.457 billion expansion is complete the factory will hold the capacity to produce ten million passenger and light commercial vehicle tyres per annum plus 1.8 million truck tyres and 295,000 retreaded truck tyres.
During the first six months of its current financial year, India produced some 28 per cent more tyres than a year earlier. Data from national industry organisation the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (produced using information supplied by its eight member companies, who account for around 90 per cent of the country’s tyre production) states that 9.53 million tyres rolled out of ATMA member factories in India between April 1 and September 30 this year; in the same months of 2009 just 7.44 million tyres were produced. According to ATMA, production increased across all tyre market segments, the largest expansion being seen in the motor scooter segment, where production grew 67 per cent year-on-year. Passenger car tyre production in India increased 41 per cent to 2.09 million, while light commercial vehicle and truck/bus tyre production grew two and five per cent respectively. A total of 1.27 million truck/bus tyres were produced in the April to September period.
North Eastern Tyre and Exhausts has set aside £2 million for a two-year growth strategy centring on its wholesale division. As a first phase of this strategy the company has acquired a 69,000 square foot warehouse in Stockton for its NE Wholesale Operation. The storage site relies on 1400 stillages and three forklift trucks to manage its stock base of 100,000 of tyres, and next on the company’s agenda is to invest in state of the art automated technologies which will enable faster picking and stock optimisation.
As Tyres & Accessories' November issue went to press President Barrack Obama and David Cameron were out banging the drum for American and British business in India and China respectively. 24 hours after Obama set foot in the subcontinent, the Sunday Telegraph's resident cartoonist was portraying the leaders of two of the richest countries in the western world as beggers seeking scraps from two so-called “emerging markets.”
The plans of international tyre buying and marketing cooperative Point S to fill in the gaps in its European market map with a UK operation are reported to be “ahead of schedule.” In less than a year since membership talks began and just four months after the news of Point S (UK) Ltd formation was announced, the company’s plans for the establishment of one of the largest retail networks in Britain are said to be running so well that they could meet next year’s target before the end of 2010.
APT Tyre Distributors Ltd of Goole in Yorkshire has become the 800th tyre service provider to enrol into the Infleet network. APT Tyres owner Alan Payling signed the service agreement after successful negotiations with the Infleet sales manager David Tattler. The news marks rapid expansion for the fleet business which announced its 500th provider just over 18 months ago.
Yokohama Tire Corp. is investing $13 million in expanding operations at its Salem, Virginia manufacturing plant, reports Tire Review. The project will include new tiremaking machinery, upgrading and modifying existing machines and an increase in high-performance and light truck tyre manufacturing flexibility. The expansion, which will result in a 10-12 per cent increase in production capacity, is slated for completion by August 2011, the company said.
The Independent Tire Dealers Group says 2010 is shaping up to be a record year, with an increase in purchases from existing members, several new key vendors and the expansion of its geographic footprint through the addition of new members, according to Michael Cox, president and CEO. He noted ITDG, which has 125 members representing 341 tyre and service center locations in 25 states, will exceed its forecasts for both top and bottom line growth.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems is relocating its North American Headquarters and distribution centre, reports Tire Review. The move from Hartville, Ohio, to Fairlawn, Ohio, allows space for further expansion, greater warehouse capacity and more efficient logistics, the company said. “This was a difficult decision after 80 years in our Hartville location,” said Ydo Doornbos, managing director of Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas Inc.
Transense Technologies plc has formed a joint venture company with SenGenuity, the sensors division of Vectron International Inc. The joint venture company, Bulldog Innovations Limited is a 50/50 partnership between Transense and SenGenuity that is designed to enable “closer cooperation in order to accelerate the development of specific applications based on the companies' existing [battery-less sensor] technologies.”
Ceat has reportedly increased tyre production capacity at its Nashik, India plant by over 1,000 tonnes a month. The plant produces truck, light commercial vehicle (LCV) and agricultural tyre products. Local news reports said that as a result of the expansion the Nashik facility’s truck tyre capacity has increased by 1,700,000 units, LCV tyres by 96,000 units and rear tractor lines by 50,000 units annually.
After opening new distribution centers in Ohio and Indiana – new markets for its vast operations – American Tire Distributors is now eying expansion into New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and the entire New England area, reports Tire Review.
Occupying a sizeable booth towards the front of the exhibition hall at Brityrex, Stamford Tyres is exhibiting its proprietary ranges of wheels – branded SSW Wheels – and UHP Sumo Firenza-branded tyres, its stand divided logically between the products. The company is particularly promoting the continued addition of new sizes for its new ST-05A pattern, with the range due to be completed in November.
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