Giti Tire
Stapleton's (Tyre Services) Ltd has teamed up with Giti Tire to launch a consumer competition featuring the exclusive Giti brand Primewell.
Any customer who buys a pair of Primewell tyres from a participating key dealer and answers a tyre safety question will be entered into a prize draw to win a new Citroen DS3 Sport, fitted with Primewell Sport 910 tyres.
GT Radial has announced its plan to make its debut at Coach & Bus Live 2013 in support its recently launched all-position urban city-bus tyre, the GAU861. The flagship Giti Tire brand will also display the GAR820 regional all-position tyre and the GT629 regional drive axle model. Tony McHugh, sales and marketing director at Giti Tire UK, said: “The GAU861 was very well received when it was launched at The CV Show in April, and interest and demand since means that the participation of GT Radial at Coach & Bus Live 2013 is a must.” GT Radial will be located at stand M138.
Giti Tire has created the new role of business system manager based in Manchester and augmenting its European growth strategy. Sujata Achuthan has been appointed to the position, and has been tasked with the introduction of the Oracle Enterprise Business Suite (EBS) to provide the platform for increased finance and distribution requirements, as well as further improve the company’s hardware and software. She has 15 years of global IT experience.
Giti Tire has announced the appointments of Robert Koutny as sales director Eastern Europe, and Maurizio Moleri as truck and bus manager for Spain and Portugal. The manufacturer has been building its European team throughout 2013 since officially launching its GT Assist commercial vehicle roadside service assistance programme in the UK and Republic of Ireland in January.
Giti Tire has appointed former Michelin director, Rainer Harter as general manager D-A-CH with lead responsibility for German, Austrian and Swiss markets. He is tasked with developing passenger car business following the manufacturer’s structured retail approach across its GT Radial, Primewell and Runway brands, along with building truck and bus business in the mid-range segment with a focus on creating added-value services for fleets.
Established as a leading Chinese tyre brand, GT Radial continues to develop higher performance products through an increasing emphasis on R&D investment, and, in the UK specifically, with its brand experience days for dealers hosted by the company’s European Testing Centre at Mira. Tyres & Accessories’ visit, where the performance of TBR and off-road 4×4 products were demonstrated by the company’s test drivers alongside the highest performing PCR models that are the focus of this article. When T&A spoke with ETC head Eddie Young, who is involved with GT Radial manufacturer Giti Tire’s R&D operations around the world, he played up the growing strength of the brand in this area, which now has close to 300 full-time R&D personnel. The strategy of hiring ex-pats from premium brands has led to an experienced, multinational knowledge base, which is allowing GT Radial to pursue cross-segment original equipment goals in Europe, where it “is already competing for PCR” deals, according to Young.
Having made a considerable impression in the UK segment, Giti Tire has designs on increasing to 10 per cent its share of the German truck and bus tyre market. The manufacturer has recently restructured its sales operation in the country, making several new appointments and seeking to strengthen the position of GT Radial. Richard Lyons, managing director – Europe, said: “While the truck and bus operation has performed well in recent years there has been key senior staff appointments in the German office, and it was felt the sales force needed to be more closely aligned to their vision for the business.
GT Radial has added two new sizes to its GAR820 regional all-position pattern tyre, increasing its medium sized truck portfolio. Initially available in 215/75R17.5, the brand has added 205/75R17.5 and 225/75R17.5. Two more sizes, 235/75R17.5 and 245/70R17.5, are currently in development and due for release later in the year.
Giti Tire (UK) has appointed Craig Tominey as Area Sales Manager (ASM) Scotland as the company continues to add staff to its commercial tyre sales team. Tominey joins from BSUK Limited where he held the position of ASM from 2006, before which he spent five years selling commercial vehicles for Arnold Clark.
Last year the Giti Tire Group increased its revenue by 2.1 per cent while its net income remained virtually at 2011 levels. The company told our sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung that revenue increased year-on-year to 3.02 billion euros; in 2011 the total revenue for Giti Tire and PT Gajah Tunggal, with their factories in China and Indonesia, was 2.96 billion euros. Operating profit jumped 42.9 per cent to 258.53 million euros, a figure that represents an 8.6 per cent yield on turnover. Net income decreased 0.3 per cent year-year to 113.17 million euros.
Giti Tire has helped an employee at Thwaites Brewery to achieve the fundraising target for his first London Marathon, following a request made to a local dealer while fitting GT Radial’s Champiro UHP1 tyres. Gary Ackerley’s request reached managing director Europe, Richard Lyons, who was happy to offer a donation towards his fund for Children with Cancer UK.
The new Primewell Sport 910 has been hailed “a true ultra-high performance (UHP) flagship tyre for the quality sector” by Giti Tire’s country manager UK, Brian McDermott.
Speaking ahead of the product’s UK launch, he cited the main characteristics of the Sport 910, including the new asymmetric tread pattern design, exclusive compound and manufacturing advancements as being key to delivering excellent handling and ride comfort.
Bartrums Warehousing and Distribution has received 10 Wilcox 70 cubic yard plank sided tipping trailers fitted with the company’s specification GT Radial GT876 tyres. Bartrums has completed a two-year tyre test programme in which various GT Radial patterns were compared across different vehicle types and wheel positions. Following these performance results the brand was made main supplier to the entire fleet, GT Radial says.
Giti Tire has been named ‘Top Commercial Vehicle Tyre Brand’ in a countrywide study organised by China’s leading commercial vehicle magazine. Commercial Motor World’s survey involved live interviews with 110,000 participants over a six month period, covered 24 tyre brands and utilised the expertise of several leading Chinese universities. At its conclusion, Giti Tire won the Customer Satisfaction Award.
The GT Radial brand currently contains three tyres to cover the range of 4×4 applications – the Adventuro M/T, Adventuro A/T and Savero HT Plus. Manufactured by GiTi Tire, the brand says that the current range offers its best performance yet to the segment, with fitments available for the lower and middle ranges of the 4×4/SUV market.
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