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Taunton HiQ Extends Business, Recruits Technician

Fast fit retailer Gary Thomson, owner of Taunton’s Priory Bridge Road HiQ, has invested £15,000 on an extension to his business, also acquiring a highly experienced technician. Thomson invested the five-figure sum on new and improved automotive facilities, merging his store with the adjacent Saab dealership. New recruit Dan Wormer, who started working in the automotive industry in 1972, spending over 35 years working for various Saab dealerships, most recently worked on the site that has become the subject of the merger. Additionally Thomson is employing two additional apprentices, as the centre seeks to capitalise on what it describes as “some excellent trading results”.

2nd July 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Franchise Marketer Raises Cancer Research Funds

The marketing manager at HiQ’s largest franchise has raised £500 from a 5K run completed with her sister for Cancer Research UK. Emma-Jane Kisby, marketing manager for Easy Autocentres, and her sister Claire Murray, completed the Sutton Park Race for Life, to the delight of their friends and family.

22nd June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Stuart Carr Appointed as New HiQ Fast Fit Manager

The HiQ network has announced the recruitment of Stuart Carr, who has been appointed as a new fast fit manager. Carr comes from IN’n’OUT Services, where he worked as an operations project manager for three years. His immediate goal will be to increase sales opportunities for franchisees in their servicing, mechanical, and repair offerings, says HiQ.

11th June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop BTCC Hosts Motorsport Masterclass for Technicians

Cheshire’s Oulton Park was the latest venue for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, hosting around 35,000 racing fans. Among those fans were more than 25 of the North West region’s top tyre experts, attending the Dunlop BTCC Masterclass; an exclusive course for technicians run by the same Senior Engineers that service the Dunlop tyres for BTCC stars such as Jason Plato and Matt Neal.

8th June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Employee Brings Cartoon Hero to Life

HiQ reports that one of its employees has become animated about Cars. Stuart Harris, who works at the fast fitter’s West End centre in Bodmin, is said to have become the talk of the town after transforming his treasured car into an iconic children's cartoon hero. Harris has brought hotshot rookie racing car Lightning McQueen from the Disney/Pixar film to life, following an imaginative redesign of his prized Subaru Impreza.

20th May 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Exmouth Entrepreneur Opens HiQ Centre

An Exmouth entrepreneur opened a new HiQ centre on 1 May, saying that “Having the backing of HiQ’s national brand is like working with a big brother. The network helps to open doors that you could never open as an independent retailer”. Martin Price, along with business partner Mike Pickering, has become a franchisee with the HiQ network and will now operate a centre in St Andrew’s Road. Price has 17 years experience in the tyre trade. He was recommended to the network by local franchisees Gary Thomson and Justin Roberton, who used to be Price’s area managers when he was a centre manager at HiQ Honiton six years ago. HiQ has stated that it intends to expand its network to 185 sites by the end of the year.

6th May 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

If Fast Fit Be the Food of Love…

Friends, Romans, motorists, lend me your ears…Tyre technicians at a fast fit centre in Bath have been brushing up on their Shakespeare in a novel celebration of the Bard’s birthday with drivers in the city. Staff at HiQ wrote Shakespeare’s most famous lines on the windscreens of all cars on Friday 23 April – the date widely believed to be Shakespeare’s birthday. And what, you may ask, does Shakespeare have to do with the world of rubber, save his love letter to the black circle, 'Pericles, Prince of Tyre'? It is suggested that HiQ Bath’s forecourt was the ground from which Shakespeare recited his soliloquies in the city.

28th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ ‘Welcomes’ TPMS Legislation

HiQ has commented on European Commission plans for compulsory tyre pressure monitoring systems on new vehicle types form 2012 and all new cars from 2014. Noting safety and reduced fuel consumption benefits, the fast fit network states that the implementation of this legislation provides a “clear signal” that TPMS are important and necessary for consumers. A further benefit, says HiQ, is that the adoption of TPMS will enable a greater number of cars to be fitted with run-flat tyres, which also contribute to increased safety.

20th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Discussing Expansion Plans at Franchise Conference

HiQ’s fourth annual franchise conference is taking place over the next two days at Albrighton Hall, Shrewsbury. All of HiQ’s franchisees will join retail director Juergen Titz and members of the brand’s lead team on Tuesday and Wednesday (20 and 21) to discuss performance and growth opportunities. HiQ also promises “the network’s most exciting announcement of the year;” a high profile PR campaign with the help of an exclusive ambassador. This is the first time the conference is taking place over two days; an innovation that will “allow HiQ to discuss its plans to increase the network to 185 points of sale by the end of the year, while revealing footfall and turnover figures,” the network states.

19th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Start to BTCC Season ‘Fast and Furious’ – HiQ

The HiQ fast fit network says it expected a ‘fast and furious’ start to the British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton on April 4 – and it wasn’t disappointed. The former title sponsor, whose name is now attached to the Teams' Championship, notes that a great deal has already changed since last October’s race at Brands Hatch. However, one thing remained the same in ominous style – Fabrizio Giovanardi made a spectacular return to the grid at the 11th hour under the Uniq Racing with Triple Eight banner, and the Italian two-time winner made easy work of the Thruxton circuit, winning two out of three races. The third and final race was won by Northern Ireland’s Steven Kane, who was back behind a touring car wheel for the first time in a year.

9th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Franchisees Raise £4000 for Breast Cancer Care

A pair of HiQ franchisees, who got in the pink for Breast Cancer Care, raised £1,500 for the charity at Snetterton racing circuit. Phil Cowell and Robert Brown were on hand for the latest round of British Touring Car Championship action on August 2 and spent the day raising funds for the charity. The pair, who own six HiQ centres in the east of England under their P & R Tyres Ltd company, gave away specially made pink baseball caps in return for charitable donations and carried buckets at the track for the thousands of motorsport fans to give to.

7th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Frachisee Appoints New Marketing Manager

HiQ franchisee, Easy Tyre & Autocentres has appointed Emma-Jane Kisby as marketing manager for all 27 of its retail centres. According to a statement detailing the appointment, Kisby is taking on the challenge of driving the business forward across the network, while re-branding every store in the process. The branches recently became part of the Easy Tyre & Autocentres franchise when HiQ launched its accelerated franchise programme.

Emma-Jane Kisby has spent the last eight years working on prestigious designer brands for Aspects Beauty Company, gaining annual promotions until becoming area sales manager in charge of 35 sales consultants three years ago.

30th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Kettering Show ‘Slick’ Response Times

HiQ Kettering, based in Telford Way Industrial Estate, recently stepped into the fast lane by offering their services in response to a plea Honda Team Dynamics’ plea to fit 28 sets of tyres for a driving day with some of the nation’s biggest names in motorsport, at Rockingham race circuit. HiQ, which was recently purchased by Easy Tyre & Autocentres Ltd, was contacted by Team Dynamics, who were in need of a specialist team to fit the slick race tyres this week. HiQ immediately sent for mobile technician Russell Hickford, who drove the short distance to Rockingham and got in the pit lane for some fast fit action.

Team Dynamics marketing manager Richard Tate-Harris said: “We had organised a number of laps around Rockingham with racing slicks, which meant we had to find a team of fast fitters at extremely short notice to replace and fit them. I immediately went to HiQ, as they sponsor the British Touring Car Championship and have specialist motorsport experience. It is fair to say that they saved the day and, without them, we would have been looking at a postponement of activity.”

24th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Mechanic Given BTCC Tyre Changing Opportunity

Brian Hurman, a mobile tyre mechanic with HiQ in Longlands Road, Middlesbrough will celebrate his 30th anniversary at a HiQ fast fit centre in style, when he swaps the forecourt for the fast lane of the British Touring Car Championship. Hurman will be working trackside at Croft race circuit this weekend (13 and 14 June), changing tyres for Matt Neal, Jason Plato, and all the stars of the series, which HiQ supports as a title sponsor.

The 30th anniversary gift represents a gesture of thanks for all his work at the centre and the North-East area over the period. Hurman said: “It’s a dream come true to be changing the tyres for Vauxhall and all the teams in the touring car championship. I am a huge fan of the BTCC so it was such a lovely shock when I was told I had been given this opportunity.”

9th June 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ On-Track for 175 Branches in 2009

Tyre manufacturers, especially those with large OE commitments, have really felt the pain of recession with most announcing double-digit falls in year-on-year sales for the first quarter of this year. However, the continued development of the revamped HiQ chain exemplifies how the downturn hasn’t been all bad for the wider tyre industry. In fact, in the retail business there are even examples of the ‘down’ market actually helping companies grow. Tyres & Accessories recently met with HiQ retail director Juergen Titz and found out how the network’s expansion plans are progressing.

There are currently 140 HiQ centres across England and Wales, however the plan according to Juergen Titz is to establish 175 by the end of 2009 – and another 100 by 2012. When you consider that HiQ franchised off the 106 formerly Goodyear Dunlop owned sites only last year, clear progress is being made towards the HiQ rapid expansion goals. Despite the fact that Goodyear Dunlop’s decision to run the network as a hard franchise operation represents a significant change in direction for the company, there is real sense of optimism (amongst both managers and franchisees) about the company’s future.

29th May 2009/by Tyrepress Editors