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The UK Winter Tyre Market Debate Continues

The industry has been debating the possibility of a substantial UK winter tyre market for years. The technical benefits and commercial advantages are well documented. If consumers are fully aware of the reasons why they should fit winter tyres – then why don’t they? At a time when winter tyre sales should begin to take off, Tyres & Accessories compares the success of some existing markets, to determine what the UK winter tyre industry is lacking. But more importantly asks market representatives what they predict for the future of the UK winter tyre segment.

Winter tyres are a mere three percent of the UK’s total tyre market. This poor statistic compares with 10 per cent in the Netherlands, and 50 per cent in Germany. However, both countries began with a similar market share as the UK. The Netherlands’ winter tyre market rose from three per cent in the late 90s, to its current 10 per cent, while Germany’s market share has climbed to almost 50 per cent in the last 10 years. How is it that countries which share similar winter conditions to the UK, have achieved such a comparatively strong hold in the winter tyre market? And can the UK look to them as a working model?

25th August 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Western European Car Market Performs as Predicted

The western European car market has moved in line with estimates from automotive market analysts Polk, to 5.6 per cent.

The Japanese and Korean manufacturers were way ahead of the rest, having now captured a 16.1 per cent market share. Ford also fared well with 10.5 per cent yoy, thanks to good sales volumes of its C Max.

14th July 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Firestone Pulls Through

An article in the Detroit News holds up Firestone as a prime example of the “never say die” school. At the time of the tyre recall, the Firestone brand was considered by many to be dead in the water, but the company’s latest research shows that there’s life in the old dog yet. First quarter replacement market sales are up 15 per cent for passenger car and 28 per cent for light trucks against 1Q 2003 figures. Market share has stabilised at 7.2 per cent, which is lower than the 1999 figure of 10.2 per cent, and the company says it is gaining consumer sales. As an indication of this new sense of optimism, the advertising budget has been quadrupled to $18 million and the first brand campaign in four years – including TV slots – is running. The adverts feature Firestone’s memorable “where the rubber meets the road” slogan (last used in 1988) and include an appearance by the famous racer Mario Andretti.

13th April 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper will focus on HP, UHP this year

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. plans to substantially boost its high performance and ultra-high performance tyre market share in 2004, Cooper Chairman, CEO and President Tom Dattilo told analysts. The 2003 figure of 2 per cent market share is a half per cent ahead of 2002 and the company is said to be selling out of its Zeon UHP product. Meeting demand will depend upon increased reliance on Asian partners, but a 32 million dollar investment in the three USA plants will also contribute to meeting demand. Sales for the last quarter were a record 967 million dollars and tyre Group sales were up 6 per cent on the previous year.

13th February 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Alliance Tire: The agricultural specialist

Alliance Tire has some unusual barriers to overcome in its search for continued success. However the Israeli tyre manufacturer is focussed and determined to grow.

Most tyre manufacturers have the ability, in today’s global market, to sell anywhere in the world, certainly to their neighbours. Alliance is denied that opportunity by being an Israeli company. Yet despite being perhaps a key industry in Israel, Alliance still has to operate on a free market basis. Denied access to the obvious Middle East market, for reasons we may not always comprehend but certainly cannot have failed to have noticed over the past 50 plus years, Alliance has to work doubly hard to gain market share. That takes determination. It takes loyalty. There is no possibility of failure, therefore everyone must work to win. To understand that drive is to understand why Alliance Tire, a small, single plant manufacturer in a beleaguered state, has the potential not only to survive but to take a leading role in its chosen market sectors.

Alliance has long taken the view that developing niche products for specialist markets is the way to proceed. It has therefore developed its own technology and products to gain respect and a leading market share in its chosen agricultural sector. The requirement to develop and refine placed a burden on the company loans. However, with the appointment of Joseph Anglister as General Manager there was a turnaround in fortunes at Alliance and once more the company was back in operating profit. The turnaround came as the result of efficiencies created by the investment allied to a reduction in the workforce. Today the Alliance workforce has vastly improved its efficiency in production. However, the investment continues and next year will see the installation of a new state of the art calendaring line for inner liners.

28th January 2004/by Tyrepress Editors

Hayes Lemmerz in majority ownership of Turkish JV

Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. has acquired an additional 35 per cent of its joint venture, Jantas Jant Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., in Turkey. Hayes Lemmerz now owns 60 per cent of the company, which is part of Hayes Lemmerz’ European Wheel Group. The remaining 40 per cent is held by Inci Holding A.S., Cevdet Inci, and members of his family. The joint venture has been renamed Hayes Lemmerz Jantas Jant Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.. Jantas has the capacity to produce over 1.2 million wheels annually. “Jantas supplies over 175 customers in 50 countries,” said Curtis Clawson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hayes Lemmerz International. “We are confident in the tremendous opportunity Jantas provides to increase our market share in Western and Eastern Europe and Asia.”

14th November 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Car tyre sales in Poland reach record

The total number of car tyres sold in Poland in the first nine months was a record 5.4 million, or eight per cent higher than the same period last year. Sales of tyres H-rated and above grew by 21 per cent, and off-road vehicle tyre sales were up 54 per cent. The biggest sector – budget tyres – saw sales rise two per cent and winter tyre sales were up 13 per cent. Analysts expect the figures to have positive effects on the share prices of the two tyre companies on the Warsaw Stock Exchange; Stomil Olsztyn and Debica, which has a market share of over 50 per cent. Also, as exports account for the majority of their turnover, the two companies will benefit further from the strong Euro.

17th October 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Franchised Dealer moves to exploit end of Block Exemption

Reg Vardy, the car dealer, is planning on opening a range of branded repair shops, not attached to its showrooms. The company will be spending 10 million pounds and will focus on cities where it already has a strong presence. Each repair shop will cost in excess of 1 million pounds but the company expects that the expansion will allow the Group to increase its market share. The new regulations will allow authorised repairers to shop around for cheaper parts for the first time, buying parts directly from third party suppliers.

2nd October 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Ups and Downs for Goodyear in August

Goodyear claims to have increased replacement tyre shipments by 4 per cent over the previous year’s level. In August industry shipments of tyres to OE declined by 11 percent, Goodyear’s decline was less than the industry average. However shipments of commercial replacement tyres declined by more than the industry level of 10 per cent. Additionally product mix was unfavourable due to market share gains by Dunlop, Kelly and associated brands. Goodyear shipments of commercial OE tyres fell at the industry rate of 10.5 per cent.
Outside the North American market Goodyear performed well in all other areas with increases in aftermarket car and tyres in every region, but some decline in most markets for commercial vehicle tyres. OE supply varied depending upon the application of the company’s selective OE strategy.

24th September 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Edouard Michelin Named A “Star Of Europe”

Edouard Michelin (40) has been named as one of 25 “Stars of Europe” by Business Week magazine. This is a list of 25 European managers at the forefront of change and Business Week comments: “With his zeal for cost-cutting and technological innovation, he has kept the world’s No. 1 tyre maker on a roll, boosting margins and gaining market share even in a downturn.”

4th July 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Work Begins On Slovak Factory For PSA

The cornerstone has been laid for Peugeot Citroen’s new factory in Trnava, Slovakia. Vehicle production should begin in 2006, with an annual capacity of 300,000 units, employing 3,500 staff. The project represents an investment of 700 million Euros and is part of PSA’s strategy to move manufacturing closer to expanding markets. In March this year, PSA’s market share in the six Central European countries of Croatia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia was 13.6 per cent, compared to five per cent five years earlier.

18th June 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop UK Announces Intention To Restructure

Goodyear Dunlop UK Limited has begun a consultation process with the unions and public authorities regarding the restructuring of its UK Sales Operations at Tyrefort, Birmingham. Andreas Niegsch, General Manager, said the move was necessary “to become a more flexible, dynamic and responsive organisation in a highly competitive marketplace.” He added that the restructuring would mean job losses, with up to 116 associates affected at Tyrefort and 100 in field operations. The consultation process is scheduled to run for 90 days.

22nd April 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone UK Shows Market Share Gains

Bridgestone UK says that independent industry figures show that the company made market share gains in all sectors of the commercial vehicle tyre business. Figures released by the company are as follows: UK replacement market shares for van tyres have risen from 11 per cent in 2001 to 13 per cent last year, truck (22 per cent to 24 p.c.), agricultural (15 p.c. to 16 p.c) and off-road (37 p.c. to 39 p.c.). Truck tyre sales topped 300,000 pieces last year and Bridgestone claims a market share of 16 per cent for steer tyres and 26 per cent for drive tyres.

18th February 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Keegan Plays It Cool

Goodyear CEO Robert Keegan told a meeting of 1,000 independent US tyre dealers that he had no “grand plan” to turn the company round. This, he said, would be achieved by listening to customers, eliminating bureaucracy, producing quality products and keeping down costs, although he did say that 2003 would be “a year of changes”, which some have taken to be a hint of further upheaval to come.

12th February 2003/by Tyrepress Editors

Bekaert Grows In Central Europe

NV Bekaert SA (Kortrijk/Belgium) has announced that it has made an agreement with Penta Investments Limited and Majetkovy Holding a.s. to acquire 100 % of the shares of Drotovna Droty a.s. and Drotovna Kordy a.s. in the Slovak Republic. Both Drotovna Droty a.s. and Drotovna Kordy a.s. were incorporated in 1999 as a result of a restructuring of Drotovna at Hlohovec, 75 km North East of Bratislava. The present owners have been going through a rationalisation process which will give Drotovna Droty a.s. a capacity of approx. 60,000 tonnes of various steel wires for the Central European market and Drotovna Kordy a.s. a capacity of approx. 9,000 tonnes of tire cord and approx. 8,000 tonnes of bead wire. The acquisition of both companies will increase Bekaert’s market share and strengthen its competitive position in the fast growing Central European market. The completion of the purchase is subject to the approval of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic and the full implementation of the rationalisation programme.

10th January 2003/by Tyrepress Editors