National Tyres and Autocare has warned businesses to be aware of attempts to defraud unsuspecting traders using National’s name. Fortunately, the fraudulent activity was identified and National has initiated proceedings to ensure the false listing is removed as an infringement of trademark legislation. However the company is concerned that other organisations could encounter similar scams.
The last time Tyres & Accessories reported at length on EDIWheel the coverage provoked a welcome reaction. The healthy debate on the implementation of EDIWheel followed our publication of a report on the subject just over a year ago (January 2010), which featured a TIF hosted summit on the protocol. More than a year after the event, and after systems suppliers such as Tyreman made recent efforts to promote their EDIWheel compatible wares, Tyres & Accessories thought it was time for an update.
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The National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) is to sponsor the next staging of Brityrex International in 2012 after reaching an agreement with the show’s organisers, ECI International. The association has been a long-term supporter of the UK’s only dedicated tyre and workshop equipment trade show and believes it plays an important part in the industry’s business calendar.
Al Dobowi Group recently celebrated 35 years of operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This fourth generation tyre business was started in the Middle East with the aim of addressing the needs of a growing tyre management and service industry in the Middle East. Today, says the company, it has grown to become a leading global player in the industry providing clients with superior services and unique solutions to their problems across three continents. The group has grown beyond tyre management into providing clients with all the solutions they need with regards to motion. This includes batteries for motive power, lubricants, conveyor belt systems and technical rubber products.
Following a article in this week’s Auto Express magazine claiming that some insurers regard the fitting of winter tyres as a vehicle modification, resulting in high insurance premiums for drivers, tyre industry representatives (including TyreSafe, NTDA and Roadsafe) have voiced the concern and disappointment.
“Many independent tests have proven that winter weather tyres are the safest option for drivers throughout the entire winter period, not just when we have snowfall and ice,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “To penalise drivers for taking a positive step to improve their safety on the road seems absurd. With the high number of drivers still being killed or injured in tyre related accidents each year, we should be actively encouraging responsible behaviour, such as the fitting of winter tyres.”
Yesterday saw the Tyre Wholesalers Group Annual Lunch held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull. At the event, TWG chair Ashley Croft reviewed the year in UK tyre wholesaling, saying that “TWG members are fortunate within the replacement side of our market to have enjoyed a year of consistent market size, although the busy first half of the year has been balanced by a quieter period following.” Croft also looked forward to 2011, in which he forecasted “a year of challenges” for TWG members, commented on the rising interest in winter – or cold weather – tyres in the UK and the long-term potential effects of a consistent, large seasonal market; the persistently low availability of product throughout the year; his concerns about tyre labelling; and the education of non-NTDA member retailers. Below, tyrepress.com presents the transcription of his speech.
Nominations for this year’s Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Award were fairly evenly split between 2009 nominees vying for success this time round (Bridgestone, Continental and Michelin) and relative newcomers in this category Hankook and Vredestein. With some characterising this as a David and Goliath fight, in a twist that betrays the original story the UK part of the current world number one – Bridgestone – won out. Last year’s winners Continental were left to congratulate Bridgestone on its success, but with one of the two awards the German-based company won in 2009 now out of contention, would the company go home empty-handed?
The recent NTDA annual dinner held in Manchester saw Infinity Tyres donate two return air tickets from London to Dubai (home of the Al Dobowi Group– owners of the Infinity brand). The tickets were auctioned by Peter Gaster, former NTDA chairman and raised £1600 for the BEN charity, which is reportedly a record for the event.
Compared to the 2007 edition of Brityrex, ECI International says that the number of visitors rose by 5 per cent at the 2010 show earlier this month. Exhibitors at the UK tyre trade show told ECI that the show had been a success, with many reporting excellent sales and new business opportunities from the three-day exhibition at the Manchester Central convention centre. Representatives from diverse companies such as Point S, Apaseal and Kings Road Tyres were among those voicing their appreciation for the event.
The Tyre and Fast Fit Awards are now a well-established feature of the UK tyre industry calendar, with winners announced during the NTDA’s Annual Dinner in the grand environs of Manchester’s Beetham Tower. Bridgestone UK was awarded Tyre Manufacturer of the Year, while Stapleton’s was the winner of the coveted Tyre Wholesaler of the Year gong. Other awards presented during the evening were the Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year, which went to Apaseal; the Environment Award, going to Envirotyre; the Innovation Award, given to Michelin’s X One MaxiTrailer Tyre; and the Industry Advertising Campaign, awarded in conjunction with Tyres & Accessories as TAFF media partner to Continental for its Don’t Miss the Big Game campaign, based on the company’s World Cup football sponsorship.
Brityrex 2010 attracted a group of visitors from Shandong Province’s Guangrao County, which met with Tyres & Accessories on the Tuesday evening in Manchester’s Renaissance Hotel off Deansgate. The delegation included the president of Deruibotire (also known as Shandong Deribao Tire Co Ltd) Yuan Tingshu; Guangrao Shandong vice county magistrate Li Jianjun; and Bureau of Commerce of Guangrao County director and party secretary Zhu Hanqing. The delegation gave a presentation on the strengths of Guangrao County – a location described by Li as “an economic powerhouse within Shandong Province” and one of China’s major tyre and automotive accessory producing regions, as well as the host of China (Guangrao) International Rubber Tire & Auto Accessory Exhibition (ChinaGRTAE), which is due to be staged for the second time in 2011. Along with Tyres & Accessories and other representatives of the UK tyre trade, the delegation met with the NTDA’s Richard Edy and Peter Gaster, also of UK wholesaler Kings Road Tyres.
Ayce Systems has confirmed that the company will have two stand spaces at next month’s Brityrex International Exhibition in Manchester. The Yorkshire-based firm reports that it will be displaying a comprehensive range of wheel refurbishment products including the Wheelrite Pro and the flexible Wheelrite Combi machines on a 33 square metre stand, as well as having their LWB Mercedes Sprinter demonstration van on another stand alongside.
Products on-show are set to include the Wheelrite Pro, which reportedly incorporates “everything needed to repair and re polish kerbed scratched and corroded alloy wheels”, whilst the dual purpose Wheelrite Combi brings together, for the first time tyre fitting and alloy wheel refurbishment. Other products on show will be an Hydraulic Wheel Straightening machine, the Wheelrite Pro Spray Booth and a Dust Extractor unit.
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The National Tyre Distributors Association has revealed that its Annual Dinner and Taff Awards Gala night is a sell-out, with six weeks still to go until the event. “Interest in the Dinner has been unprecedented and we are delighted that we have a full house, although we have taken steps to limit numbers to ensure the room will be comfortable for guests,” said director Richard Edy.
MOT tests need tightening up not dumbing down, if the views of respondents to Tyres & Accessories’ August poll are anything to go by. Last month visitors to T&A’s tyrepress.com website were asked if tyre age should be inspected as part of MOT tests. A whopping 89 per cent of respondents said yes.
We asked the question following last month’s editorial on tyre age, which was triggered by the news that Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore wrote to the DfT recommending more attention be paid to tyre age during MOTs (see Tyres & Accessories August 2010, page 3) and in light of the government’s suggestions that MOT intervals should be increased to two years rather than the current annual requirement. However, our poll results would seem to suggest there isn’t much support for either government moves to spread out the time between MOT tests or its reticence to include tyre age in the MOT requirements.
Entrants to the final category in the 2010 NTDA Tyre and Fast Fit Awards – the Innovation Award – have been announced. As you would expect the eight entrants this year represent a complete cross section of the tyre industry with companies from the manufacturer/supplier (Continental, GITI and Michelin), garage equipment (Pro-Align), retail (HiQ) workshop consumables (Apaseal) and tyre recovery (Vellco Tyre Control) sectors represented.
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