(Akron/Tire Review) Babcox Publications announces it has sold a majority position of the company to Alta Communications, a Boston-based private equity firm. Bill Babcox, current president of the company, retains a substantial ownership position and remains president and CEO, in addition to serving as chairman of the board.
With the Marangoni/Group Tyre (UK) Ltd marketing partnership now firmly in place, details of a new retailer support package have been revealed. Building on the ‘Intelligent’ theme of the 2006 Marangoni/Group Tyre marketing campaign, key dealers will be known as ‘Intelligence Centres’ and strongly branded with prominent exterior signage and themed point-of-sale material.
(Akron/Tire Review) As it has in recent years, Bridgestone Americas Holding (BAH) is sponsoring the media center at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, 10 – 19 February, and is using the event to showcase new technology and products. BAH plans appearances by Mario Andretti and 2005 Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon, and will display the 1911 Marmom Wasp that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the very first Indy 500.
(Akron/Tire Review) Yokohama Tire Corp.’s Advan Neova tyre brand has been named the exclusive tyre for Dinan’s modified BMWs and Minis. Dinan, which featured Advan Neova tyres on its cars at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January, will offer Advan tyres exclusively, according to Yokohama. More than 130 Dinan-authorised BMW/MINI Performance Centres will offer the tyres.
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Lexani Wheel Corp has moved into the tyre business, collaborating with South Korean manufacturer Nexen and distributor Zisser Tire. The ceremonial signing of the collaboration took place 20 January 2006 in Irvine, California. Zisser will market the tyres exclusively, worldwide.
As tradition dictates, the 2006 season is about to begin with the Monte Carlo Rally. As one of the most demanding and unpredictable events in the championship, the rally will see Pirelli aiming for a significant result in partnership with the works Subaru team.
The Impreza WRCs will be competing on Pirelli P Zero tyres once again this year and will be able to depend on a comprehensive and targeted development program with tyres matched to the specific conditions of each rally. Besides the factory Subarus of Solberg-Mills and Sarrazin-Prevot and the Impreza of the Subaru Rally Team Australia, to be driven by Atkinson-McNeal, the Pirelli technicians will also supply tyres and service to private and semi-private entrants.
Dunlop has been appointed as the sole supplier of bespoke tyres for the 19 and 20-inch fitments of the new Jaguar XK Coupe and Convertible. According to the company, the Dunlop and Jaguar partnership embraces many of the iconic successes in the history of both brands. Six Le Mans victories were shared between the two companies, with the success story spanning the 1951 Jaguar XK120C through the legendary D-Type era to the Jaguar XJR-9LM that won in 1988.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) said that its Continental brand medium truck tyres have earned standard equipment fitments on Autocar’s Xpeditor line of trucks. The OE contract includes CTNA’s Continental HSU and HDL steer and drive tyre lines.
(Akron/Tire Review) No sooner had the ink dried on the merger of Galaxy Tire & Wheel and Dynamic Tire Corp than the combined company – GPX International Tire Corp. – has sold a share of the company to private equity firm Sterling Investment Partners for a reported $41 million.
All-makes parts supplier Motaquip suggests that more independent garages are setting up motor factor operations to support their core business and the driving force behind this trend is the changes in Block Exemption.
Motaquip says that new business start-up enquiries to its Partnership Programme from garage owners have more than doubled as garages are looking to enter the parts distribution chain. This contrasts with 2003, when only one in 10 of Motaquip’s enquiries came from independent garage owners. Block Exemption has been cited as the major contributory factor in this growth, which has left many garages needing a good source of quality parts.
Hi-Q’s fleet operation has continued to forge links with local authorities by adding Salford City Council to those councils already involved with its North West based Local Authority Purchasing Partnership (LAPP).
The contract will see Hi-Q provide all tyres and tyre servicing to the entire Salford City Council fleet, which comprises over 300 vehicles ranging from large tippers to grass mowers.
Lombard Vehicle Management is taking a different approach to fleet tyre provision, which it says will give customers a marked improvement in the service they experience. The company has separated the tyre authorisation function from the actual fitting process. The authorisation and invoice auditing is being carried out remotely by tyre experts Fit4Fleet. Fit4Fleet is not a tyre supplier to Lombard Vehicle Management, so for the first time the service is being controlled by an independent expert.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) has entered into a joint marketing partnership with Wholesale Tire and Wheel Corp., North American marketers of the Giovanna custom wheel line. In the deal, CTNA will introduce a special limited edition ContiSportContact 2 Giovanna tyre. The new tyre will be launched at next week’s SEMA Show, and will be available in sizes 265/30ZR22 and 295/25ZR22.
The new Compass Group GT Radial National Distribution Centre was formally opened in October by Mr William Gozali, the Senior Export Manager of PT Gajah Tunggal tbk Indonesia.
SmarTire Systems Inc has announced that it has signed a contract with Dana’s Commercial Vehicle Systems group to market and sell SmarTire’s tyre pressure and temperature monitoring systems to the commercial truck, bus and RV markets.
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