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Elite Direct.Com Limited – Providing a Better Customer Experience

Elite has gone out of its to make the purchasing of wheels a pleasant experience. At its conveniently located 20,000 sq. ft premises on the A1306 near Rainham and Dagenham in Essex, the company not only has a large and well-appointed showroom open to the public, but also a waiting area complete with a café serving hot food and drinks – so waiting for a new set of wheels need not be a tedious event. And while the customer enjoys some refreshment their vehicle is seen to in one of Elite’s 19 fully operational service bays.

The large and modern facility Elite operates today is far removed from the company’s humble beginnings, when partners Steve Eldridge and Sean Soyka opened for business in 1987, operating out of a cramped former car showroom in Hornchurch, just a couple of miles from the company’s present position. Today the company specialises in wheels and tyres for passenger cars, 4×4 vehicles and light commercials, but also stocks exhausts, shock absorbers, suspension kits, and brakes amongst other items.

30th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Supplies Brennan’s Bakery

Dublin-based Brennan’s Bakery is operating a 100 per cent Michelin new and replacement tyre policy across its fleet of commercial vehicles, which are used to deliver fresh bread throughout Ireland. Operating under the famous slogan “today’s bread today”, the Brennan’s Bakery fleet comprises 16 tractor units and trailers, together with two 18 tonne rigids, each fitted with E-segment regional tyres which are managed using Michelin’s Four Lives tyre policy.

Tom Brennan, Distribution Manager at Brennan’s Bakery, explains: “Vehicles in our fleet cover approximately 100,000 km a year, operating primarily during the night to ensure fresh bread is on the shelves of the major retail establishments each morning.

28th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Race and Road – Suppliers of Leading Brand Wheels

Established in January 2003 and initially specialising as an online retailer, Race and Road Ltd and its partner company Automotive Wheels are today the official UK suppliers of the premium European Borbet and Ronal alloy wheel brands. As most people will be familiar with these wheel manufacturers through their OE activities – the two players combined produce in excess of 21 million wheels and their client list reads like a who’s who of Europe’s automotive marques – it is hardly necessary to mention that Borbet and Ronal wheels, whether OE or aftermarket, are of the highest quality.

27th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop to ‘Renew’ Passenger Car Product Range

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company may have had a difficult time in the recent past, but the company’s management is irrepressibly optimistic about the future. At the beginning of the year the company won what had become a war of attrition with the United Steelworkers Union in the US – a fight that cost the company approximately $370 million. However, despite the upheaval on the global scale, European president Arthur de Bok told Tyres & Accessories that Goodyear Dunlop is increasingly becoming known for its drive, determination and strong brand portfolio.

Arthur de Bok is not only confident about Goodyear Dunlop’s future, he also is also quick to put the wider ramifications of the strike into perspective. In his words “there has been no impact” on the production and distribution of Goodyear Dunlop products in Europe.
Instead, perhaps representing a wider corporate philosophy, de Bok suggests taking a look at the bigger picture. While the strike face-off cost Goodyear Tire $370 million, the reaction from the stock markets (not to mention various financial analysts) has been uniformly positive. “The world around us sees the progress and drive of Goodyear despite the tough calls we have had to make,” he explained.

23rd March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Maxxis to Build “Centres of Excellence” Network

Maxxis given details of plans to grow its PCR business in the UK by setting up a series of retail ‘centres of excellence’ which will actively promote the brand to the tyre buying public. These centres will be developed throughout 2007 in conjunction with leading independent wholesaler Group Tyre (UK) Ltd, with whom Maxxis has signed an exclusive distribution agreement. The first participating centres are expected to be signed up “very soon.”

“Purchasing is significantly influenced by over the counter advice provided at the point of sale,” says Derek McMartin, managing director of Maxxis International UK plc. “A network of retail centres will provide consumers with a reason to purchase, as well as great prices, and will give us much wider exposure. It will therefore be the major focus of our brand development in the UK during the next couple of years.”

15th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

GAAS Panel Looks at Impact of Aftermarket Changes

(Akron/Tire Review) Automotive aftermarket industry leaders will discuss how the changing automotive aftermarket impacts global sourcing, collaboration and customer relationships at the upcoming Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, set for May 8 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago. “There are many challenges inherent in today’s automotive aftermarket,” said Steve Handschuh, president and COO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and panel moderator. “We have truly become a global industry and changes and transitions are happening with almost blinding speed.”

14th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sunny Days

(Akron/Tire Review) Mexico and Kumho Tire U.S.A. have become rather synonymous. For the past several years, the tyremaker has chosen Cancun or Puerto Vallarta as destinations of choice for its annual dealer meeting. This year’s meeting, held Jan. 5-9 in Cancun, was another successful event at a pleasant resort setting.

This time, Kumho added a minor twist to the festivities: dealers got to meet the newly installed CEO and president of Kumho Tire North America B.K. Kim. Don Hun Ham, recently named president of Kumho Tire U.S.A., was unable to attend.

Also on hand were Dave Hudrlik, vice president of sales and marketing; Mike Leverington, director of marketing; Kelvin Oh, general manager and sales coordinator; and Rick Brennan, brand director, all of whom spoke to dealers about the company’s 2006 accomplishments and its plans for 2007.

Parent company Kumho Tire Co. is currently ranked 10th among tyre manufacturers worldwide, with revenue of $1.6 billion in 2006. In the U.S. alone, Kumho has gone from just under $100 million in sales in 1997 to $465 million in revenue in 2006 and is aiming for what it feels is a reachable target of $610 million for 2007. In terms of tyres, Kumho hopes to reach 9.3 million units in the U.S. for 2007, according to the management team.

14th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

General Tire Sales Could Grow 10 per cent in 2007

Distributed exclusively in England, Scotland and Wales by the UK’s leading 4×4 tyre wholesaler (Micheldever/Southam Tyres), the General brand is reportedly the fastest growing 4×4 range in the UK market. According to Alan Baldwin, Micheldever’s sales director and 4×4 specialist, General’s awareness of the market and desire to produce products that consumers want, will result in an increase in market share of about 10 per cent in 2007. General Tire, a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Tyre AG, is the specialist arm of the well-known German premium tyre manufacturer.

14th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Changes in Retreading Forcing Independents to Adapt

(Akron/Tire Review) They expected it to happen eventually. It was just a matter of time, industry insiders said. So, it wasn’t a total surprise when Bridgestone Americas Holding (BAH) announced its intent to purchase retread giant Bandag.

12th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Open First US Retail Store

Michelin announced on March 7 that it will open its first North American retail store, Michelin on Main, not far from the site of its US headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina. The store will offer Michelin branded mobility and lifestyle products, as well as advice on the company’s tyre products. Customers will be able to obtain information on the tyres best suited to their vehicles and then be referred to a local Michelin dealer to complete their purchase.

8th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

South Pacific Tyres Appoints new Sales Vice President

South Pacific Tyres, Goodyear Dunlop’s Australian and New Zealand operation, has appointed Wayne Johnston to the role of the company’s vice-president, sales. In his new position he is responsible for all Goodyear and Dunlop tyre sales throughout Australasia. This covers 450 retail stores and 150 licensees trading under various names including Beaurepaires, Goodyear Auto Service Centres and Frank Allen Tyres. Johnston also has responsibility for the company’s nine retreading factories and for its participation in motorsport.

Johnston will also continue in his existing role as national manager for New Zealand, and will spilt his time between there and Australia.

5th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Rubber for your Laptop

When people think of green – or interesting – products, they rarely think of laptop bags, but one company has chosen to fly in the face of this general perception.

Environmentally aware bag manufacturer Tread has produced a range of laptop bags that are tailored from recycled Columbian truck tyres. The bags are lightweight and very rugged, a reflection upon their ancestry, and provide a unique alternative to adding to the world’s growing stockpile of waste tyres.

28th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sixth Consecutive Record Year For B-Quik

International News

2006 was the 6th consecutive record year for B-Quik, the Thailand-based tyre and car services retailer. The company serviced 250,000 customers through its total of 45 centres, of which three were new stores opened during 2006.

22nd February 2007/by Peter Gardner

NTDA Backs ‘Right to Repair’ Campaign with Brityrex Seminar

According to a press release distributed by Brityrex and the NTDA, the retail tyre industry is putting its weight behind an aftermarket campaign to highlight restrictive and anti-competitive practices by vehicle manufacturers, which, according to the NTDA, the tyre industry believes is preventing members from servicing and repairing some newer car models.

22nd February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli’s New Hero

Not many people are given the opportunity to co-star on screen alongside Uma Thurman, and even fewer tyres are afforded this privilege. So it is safe to say that the Pirelli’s new P Zero – christened ‘P Zero the Hero’ and subject of Mission Zero, Pirelli’s new short film starring the glamorous actress – is not your everyday run of the mill tyre.

22nd February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors