Maxxis International’s large ATV and 4×4 range makes the company’s tyres a suitable option for agricultural workers’ lighter transport needs. Maxxis is an accredited original equipment supplier to Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Polaris and Suzuki, giving it a track record of producing all-terrain tyres which perform across a variety of applications. In the Trailermaxx range, Maxxis also offers a line of high-speed trailer tyres.
When financial analysts said that 2009 was a “banner year” for Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd. in a report published back in May, the market watchers weren’t overstating the facts. But in 2010, when the 2009 results were made public, the Taiwan-based tyre manufacturer which is responsible for the Maxxis brand and Maxxis International companies, announced plans for two new factories, an international standard proving ground and some high profile OE contracts. It was also the year that saw the company move into 10th place in Tyres & Accessories’ annual ranking of tyre manufacturing companies. With all this in mind T&A recently visited Cheng Shin/Maxxis’ Kunshan tyre production plant near Shanghai, China and asked if 2010 was the real breakthrough for Maxxis? And if so what happens next?
The Autosport International Show will take place this year on 13-16 January, and tyre manufacturer Maxxis International is preparing a new tyre UK launch, a presentation of its sports sponsorship and the unveiling of its new corporate website. The “2-in-1” Maxxis 2011 calendar and a new mobile phone app will comprise the promotional materials on show, while the ever-present Maxxis Babes will meet visitors to the show, pose for photographs and give away Maxxis merchandise. The Autosport Show is clearly an important event for Maxxis, giving the brand increasing its visibility in the aftermarket, and allowing it to communicate with the motorsport enthusiasts the show tends to attract.
Recently Maxxis announced its continuation as headline sponsor of the ACU British Motocross Championship by signing up for the 2011 to 2013 seasons. To mark a decade of commitment to the series – the tyre maker first served as sponsor in 2001 – Maxxis has decided to take stock of how its presence in the motorcycle sector has grown over the years.
As well as rolling out a new website at the start of next year, Maxxis International is taking of smartphones to promote its brand. In the new year the company will launch a mobile phone app developed for Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices. This Maxxis app will enable people to research Maxxis products and get the latest news about the Maxxis Babes and Maxxis- sponsored sports events teams and drivers and its calendar of performance/tuning shows.
Tyre manufacturer Maxxis International has received original equipment accreditation from PSA. The company says it has developed its MA-510 tyre in conjunction with PSA specifically for the European OE market – it already complies with the European type approval standard 661/2009 – and is supplying the tyre in size 175/65R14 on the Peugeot 206+.
Maxxis is aiming to promote its credentials as a specialist in the field of off-road motorcycle tyres through sponsoring an editorial feature in the UK consumer magazine MOTO. The tyre maker describes the eight-page article as one that “spells out everything riders need to know about tyres to get the best out of their motocross bikes.” The article, ‘Tyre 101: the ultimate guide to rubber’, appears in the November issue of the magazine and explains why the failure to select of rubber fit for the intended purpose could lower a bike’s performance and potentially ruin an otherwise perfectly good set of tyres.
Maxxis has extended its sport sponsorship through its signing of a two-year deal to sponsor the Australian Open, the largest sports event in the southern hemisphere and the first of the annual Grand Slam tennis tournaments. In addition to being an official sponsor of the first Grand Slam event of the calendar year, Maxxis will be the official tyre of the Australian Open, which next takes place in Melbourne from January 17 to 30, 2011.
Software house TecDoc has released the 2.0 version of its Web Catalog parts identification portal. According to the company the latest version provides VRM users with the full vehicle details with “all of the back-up and usability of the ‘classic’ version, but with some distinct benefits when interrogating the data, which makes searching for the correct part easier and quicker.”
The 2010 Maxxis British Drift Championship reached a thrilling climax at Knockhill, Scotland over the weekend of September 25-26. It proved a stern test of vehicles and drivers, with BDC newcomer Phil Morrison eventually emerging victorious in his 700 bhp S15, shod with Federal 595 RS-R high performance tyres, making it a day to remember for both Phil and his Team Driftworks.
What do the Under-9 teams at Sprowston Football Club have in common with Premier League greats Liverpool and Aston Villa? The answer, you may or may not have already suspected, is tyre related. The Norwich based team has become the latest football club to gain sponsorship from Maxxis. The tyre maker is sponsoring the boys in conjunction local Grouptyre member We Sell Tyres (Wholesale) – a member of Grouptyre, which distributes Maxxis tyres throughout Norfolk.
Grouptyre and its 13 member companies report that as they continue to invest in key areas such as warehousing, distribution and IT, they are achieving key operating efficiencies. And this is said to be making it easier for retailers to do business with Grouptyre, which the company believes played a part in Grouptyre’s nomination for the 2010 TAFF Wholesaler of the Year Award.
“We are delighted to be in the running for Wholesaler of the Year once again,” says Grouptyre’s managing director Karl Naylor. “It is a major achievement and a good indication of how our ongoing investment in many areas of the business, our commitment to developing the supply chain and our continuing efforts to capitalise on our service offer are being received by the trade at large.”
Drifting driver Oliver Harrsch recently competed in a round of the Dutch Open Drift Championship held in Kalkar, Germany (held 11 – 12 September) equipped with Infinity tyres. Harrsch was supplied the tyres by Venlo-based Infinity distributor Euro-Tyre and according to the company, the small and technical course was suited to lower powered cars and the more skilled drivers.
On the first day, dry conditions allowed Harrsch to push the Infinity 050 UHP tyres to their limits and to experiment with tyre pressures. He commented: “Lots of grip and very smokey! Infinity are unbelievably good tyres!" In extremely wet conditions on the second day, Oliver took a very commendable fourth position.
Following the recent tyre tests in Auto Express, Maxxis noted what the company brands a “grossly unfair” reaction in “some newspapers”, which suggested that budget tyres pose a threat to the lives of drivers and their passengers. Maxxis International’s managing director Derek McMartin released a statement to address the “sensationalist language” used to brand budget tyres “bottom of safety league”, pointing out that secondary reports had missed the complexity of Auto Express’s comprehensive testing and that the company’s MA-Z1 Drift had performed creditably in most areas despite being a road-legal speciality drifting tyre. The tyre was given a rating of 94.8 per cent of the winning Continental SportContact 3’s overall performance in the 2010 Auto Express Tyre Test.
For the eighth straight year, Maxxis has been listed on Interbrand’s ranking of Taiwan’s top 20 global brands, reports Tire Review. The company placed seventh for 2010, and was again the only tyre-maker on the list. Maxxis’ brand value was assessed at $391 million, an increase of 13 per cent from the previous year.
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