Mike Wise has been appointed Kwik-Fit Fleet’s first dedicated European fleet chief as the company plans to accelerate its European expansion. This will involve opening more centres and identifying pan-European fleets, totalling two million vehicles in all, with who the company plans to expand and develop its business partnerships.
Leading UK wholesale and retail tyre supplier, Stapletons Tyre Services is mourning the loss of one of its very first employees, Stuart Masson.
Mr Masson sadly passed away peacefully on 29 October at the age of 84 – nine days short of his birthday. Born on November 7, 1920 in Eaton Bray, near Leighton Buzzard, Stuart approached Sydney Stapleton for a job at his new tyre shop on Watford High Street in 1937. At the tender age of 16, Stuart started his career at Stapletons as a clerk.
Following on from the success of the MPH show, the Fulda Exelero feature in a Drift Team demonstration run by Collins Autosport Ltd at the forthcoming Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris.
The Race of Champions pitches the best circuit racers against the best off road drivers in the world to determine who is the fastest. Using identical equipment and track, drivers can prove themselves based on their talent alone and a packed Stade de France will see the winner rewarded with the title “The Champion of Champions.”
Tyres & Accessories recently asked its diverse readership – comprising of manufacturers, wholesalers – retailers and everyone in-between, what they thought about the recent spate of price increases. For their part the manufacturers claim rocketing raw material prices have forced them into a corner, with regard to end-product price increases. However wholesalers and distributors are likely to feel that these increases are an attack on their margins, which can only be remedied by passing the cost onto the consumer, therefore making retail more difficult.
T&A asked readers: Are price increases a necessary evil, or just the result of prudent financial planning on the part of the manufacturing business? 60 per cent of those that responded put price increases down to the nature of supply and demand, while the remaining 40 per cent said manufacturers had more ‘business orientated’ motives.
From the 1 January 2006 Cooper-Avon Tyres Ltd, will be known as Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd. The news follows the launch of a new international corporate image at the SEMA show in November and is seen as an effort to unify the company’s global operations. While the move is clearly linked to the company’s efforts to enhance the global recognition of its Cooper brand, this will not be at the expense of the Avon brand, according to Cooper.
Dexel Tyre Co Ltd has appointed Gary Bird as its new managing director. In his new position Bird will have responsibility for overseeing the company’s thirteen tyre sites. Bird joined the Dexel group from ATS some five years ago, initially to run City Tyre Experts. Paul France, the retiring managing director will assume the role of chairman. The former managing director said he “welcomes the opportunity of taking things easier, after fifteen years at the helm.”
Bridgestone Corp has announced that it plans to build a technical centre beside its existing tyre plant in Wuxi in Jiangsu Province. The US$14 million facility, Bridgestone (China) Research & Development Co, will be responsible for testing raw materials supplied to the company’s Chinese tyre factories, according to a statement issued by the Japanese manufacturer.
The centre is expected to go into operation next July with some 20 employees and will be Bridgestone’s fourth technical centre worldwide in addition to facilities in Tokyo, Rome and Akron in the US state of Ohio.
The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has visited InterKomShina JSC in Shymkent, South Kazakhstan. This company is engaged in the production of tyres for light vehicles and road freighters, agricultural machines and special equipment. InterKomShina claims to be the only tyre manufacturer in central asia.
A survey conducted by Michelin has found that one in three drivers get lost when on holiday in France. In response the company has given its advice for the safest way to drive to the slopes this year.
“Regular UK ski/drive holidaymakers have adopted the same policy as many motorists in France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria and fit their cold weather tyres when there is an R in the month. In fact London is the second largest sales area for Michelin cold weather tyres behind Scotland, indicating that ski fans are purchasing tyres especially for their journeys to the slopes. If you are planning a similar trip prepare your car with cold weather tyres, de-icer, anti-freeze screen wash, a blanket or two and some reserve refreshments,” the manufacturer explained.
Delphi has appointed Lúcia Moretti as managing director, Delphi Product & Service Solutions Europe, Middle East and Africa. In her new role, Ms Moretti heads up a new structure within Delphi’s aftermarket division, designed to drive the growth of aftermarket business in the region.
Continental AG is to spend RM200 million (£30 million/44 million euros) on expanding its Malaysian units’ Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and Alor Star, Kedah, factories. According to reports, the plan is for these facilities to double output. Furthermore, Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dieter Saar said the company plans to export 30 to 40 per cent of its output beyond 2006, up from less than 15 per cent now.
Renault driver Fernando Alonso has become the youngest ever Formula One world champion after coming third in the Brazilian Grand Prix. “I am the youngest champion in Formula One and now I need to find new targets because this one is done,” said the 24-year-old.
Trelleborg has acquired the French company Cimap Roues Industrielles SAS, which is part of the family-owned CIMAP Group, through its Trelleborg Wheel Systems business.
Cimap Roues Industrielles, which holds a leading position in industrial tyres in France, has been a distributor of Trelleborg’s industrial tyres since 1999. The company has annual sales of approximately 40 million Swedish Krone and some 10 employees at its head office in Paris and at a distribution centre in Bordeaux.
When it comes to online tyre sales, Delticom claims the position of European market leader, with 47 business to consumer (B2C) online shops in 21 countries. Alongside its core tyre business, Delticom is expanding its range of car products to include spare parts, roof racks, garages, motor oil and batteries for both private and business customers.
Delticom’s recent financial results reflect the company’s confidence. In the first-half of 2005 Delticom increased turnover to 56 million euros, compared wit 34 million euros in the same period the previous year. This 65 per cent increase means the company expects its full-year sales to total some 110 million euros.
Michelin has announced that it plans to compete in the UK’s developing cold-weather tyre market. And the fact that the French company has brought in Dutchman Frank Tanke to head the campaign gives a clear indication of how seriously the manufacturer is taking its latest marketing project. After all, the weather in the Netherlands is not a lot different to the UK, and yet 12 per cent of the total Dutch market is made up of cold-weather sales.
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