Tyrenet launched on 9 January 2004. Initially located in Sutton Business Park in St Helens, Tyrenet’s journey began from humble beginnings. Founded by Mike Riley 20 years ago, the fleet service support business now handles 300 calls daily and delivers over 200 jobs both emergency and routine fleet maintenance, throughout the UK. After an impressive 57 years in the tyre business, managing director Mike Riley retired in July 2023.
Vaculug reports that the company welcomed Fred Sherwood Group back in December 2023 after the two parties reached a long-term agreement for fleet management services and tyre supply.
UK fleet transactions through epyx’s 1link Service Network service, maintenance and repair (SMR) platform rose by 6 per cent during 2023. It was also strong year internationally, with the quantity of invoices raised by users in Denmark rising by 22 per cent in Ireland by 12 per cent, in France by 8 per cent and in Portugal by 7 per cent.
At the end of October i247 published a white paper highlighting what fleets need to know in “The Evolving Tyre Landscape”. Tyres & Accessories got in touch with i247 Group director of Tyres, David Legg, and learnt how his company deploys a data-driven approach to tyre selection.
Worcestershire-based Dawson Tyre Service Limited has signed-up to Fitter-Force (incorporating e-jobsheet) to support its growth strategy. Adding to Dawson Tyre Service’s suite of CAM solutions, Fitter-Force is designed to enable the independent commercial tyre dealer to capitalize on the breakdown and tyre service opportunities they can be connected to via TiDaeX and e-jobsheet’s connections with tyre manufacturers and national breakdown services.
Van rental company Redde Northgate has reportedly presented a £1.4 billion merger to Halfords. According to multiple reports, the two companies have held “detailed talks”. Redde Northgate owns 130,000 vans and corporate cars in the UK and Spain.
Fleet use of independent garages is around a quarter higher for company cars and vans aged four years old compared to their one-year-old counterparts, research shows.
New data from epyx shows that buying of service, maintenance and repair (SMR) shifts from 30 per cent independent garage and 70 per cent franchise dealer at 1-2 years old to 35:65 at 2-3 years old, 40:60 at 3-4 years old and 38:62 at four years old and over.
i247 Group has published a white paper designed to help fleets better-understand the changing tyre industry and to stoke conversation relating to the tyre sector’s greatest challenges and opportunities. Titled ‘The evolving tyre landscape – what fleets need to know’, the white paper covers six areas: The evolving automotive landscape; Cost challenges; Sustainability – how green is your fleet policy?; The rise of electric vehicles (EVs); Supply chain challenges; And Industry innovation – future trends and technology.
ATS Euromaster has launched a web app that allows drivers to book mobile tyre work on their fleet vehicles in real-time. According to ATS Euromaster, it is the first publicly available app that provides this service and follows nine months of research and live trialling. ATS Euromaster expects the app will account for as much as 50 per cent of all of its mobile tyre fitting requests in future.
Vaculug’s second Sustainable Thinking Fleet Forum of the year is officially sold out. Vaculug representative report that they are “excited to be hosting this exclusive event, as it demonstrates their commitment to promoting sustainability and driving positive change within the tyre industry and fleet management sector”.
18 months ago, David Almazan joined the Bridgestone North Region as commercial business unit director. During that time the commercial vehicle sector in general as well as the UK fleet business proved their resilience and creativity and the market has experienced a number of shifts. Tyres & Accessories caught up with Almazan at the company’s relatively recently refurbished Warwickshire headquarters in order to find out more about how the leading tyremaker’s commercial vehicle strategy is evolving.
Michelin started retreading tyres back in 1923. In the years that followed, the process was refined and demand grew, with the Michelin Remix process (REmould, MIchelin, and X the designation for the French tyremaker’s radials) born in the 1960s. Demand for retreads continued to increase, leading to the expansion of production at the Stoke-on-Trent plant in 1968. Since then, around 30 million worn tyres have been remanufactured at the Michelin plants in Stoke-on-Trent, UK and Homburg, Germany. With around 10 million of those retreads manufactured at the Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent operation, Tyres & Accessories went to see the latest developments at the largest retreading facility in the UK and arguably one the most modern retreading facilities in Europe.
Yodel, one of the UK’s leading parcel carriers, has awarded a five-year tyre management contract to Halfords Commercial Fleet Services. Halfords Commercial Fleet Services’ position as the UK’s largest commercial service network with 104 depots and over 500 dedicated mobile vans was cited as a major factor behind decision.
Earlier this year we found that Halfords Autocentres is neck-and-neck with Kwik-Fit for the title of largest car tyre retailer in the UK, with 650 centres a piece. However, what that figure doesn’t tell you is just how influential the company’s commercial vehicle tyre business has become. Tyres & Accessories recently met up with Halfords Commercial Fleet Services director, Greg Ward in order to find out.
Following the news that Nexen Tire and Grupo Soledad are partnering to supply the Korean tyre maker’s products to the Spanish Policia Nacional, Nexen representatives have confirmed the details.
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Tyrenet
i247 Group
epyx
ATS Euromaster