News articles on the tyre retail business
Delphi has announced the appointment of Brian Lavery as commercial director for Delphi Product & Service Solutions in the UK. Based at Delphi’s UK headquarters in Warwick, Lavery will be responsible for ensuring the company’s sales and market share targets are met. He will report to Gael Escribe, sales and service director, Delphi Product & Service Solutions, Europe.
(Akron/Tire Review) After its first year of operation, Russian tyremaker Amtel-Vredestein NV ended up in the black, posting net income of $5 million in 2005 against sales of $671 million. Net sales jumped 40 per cent for the year versus 2004’s results, the company said.
(Akron/Tire Review) Goodyear’s Dunlop brand group is looking to leverage podcasting to enhance brand image, awareness and, hopefully, sales. Dunlop’s free podcasts – available on Apple’s iTunes site, podcastalley.com and Yahoo! Podcasts – will feature information about Dunlop’s new Signature tyre line, drifting, information about upcoming retail promotions, and reports from the Dunlop Drivers Cup’s World Finals.
Automotive Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the retail motor industry, has welcomed Marc Matthew and Ken Keir as the newest members to their Board of Directors.
Nokian Tyres has recorded pre-tax profits of 10.1 million euros in the first quarter, compared with 13.7 million a year ago. In the period January to March 2006, Nokian Tyres Group recorded net sales of 149.4 million euros, an increase of 15.4 per cent on the corresponding period a year earlier. Net sales in Nordic countries increased by 6.9 per cent, in Russia and other CIS countries by 35.2 per cent, in Eastern Europe by 8.7 per cent and in North America by 25.4 per cent from the previous year.
The Nokian-owned Vianor AB tyre retail chain is to partner with Amring Verkstäder AB in Sweden. Following the agreement, nine Amring outlets have joined the Vianor tyre chain and become Vianor Partner outlets as of 2 May 2006. The agreement gives Amring outlets the rights to utilize Vianor brand and chain marketing, Vianor’s call centre services and personnel training programmes.
David Price Food Services Ltd is enjoying an average 27.8 per cent increase in mileage performance from each of the Michelin drive axle tyres on its fleet of 26 commercial vehicles by regrooving them in-line with Michelin’s recommendations. According to the manufacturer, the company fits new Michelin 295/80 R22.5 XZE 2+ and XDE2+ tyres as standard across its fleet, with each tyre regrooved by the local ATS Euromaster branch when the tread depth reaches two to three millimetres.
The ERMC-compiled Europool figures report that the total UK passenger car tyre market amounted to 16,111,696 units in 2005 (down 1.9 per cent on 2004). This compares with a slightly larger drop in the Europe-wide total of 117,242,516 (down 2.9 per cent on 2004). However, due to the way these numbers are compiled (excluding tyres that are not produced within reporting countries) they are perhaps overly optimistic. As industry insiders will be aware, the total market is actually more than 10 per cent larger and has fallen significantly more than one to two per cent in recent years. New figures compiled by market research company GfK put the total market at 18.49 million units, down 13 per cent over 2004 in terms of volume (21.33 million in 2004 and 22.58 million in 2003).
One European tyre manufacturer that clearly is expanding at the moment is Brisa-Bridgestone Sabanci Tyre Manufacturing and Trading Inc. Since 2003 the Turkish joint venture company has invested about $174 million into the expansion of its local production capacities which will eventually increase by 55 per cent to more than 10 million units.
In order to distribute this growing production capacity the Turkish tyre manufacturer is looking for new customers that should come from Russia, says Haldun Kuran. Right now there is no market for Brisa in Russia, the international sales director continues. But very soon the company will sell its first Lassa branded tyres on the Russian market through the “Pole Position” francise, which is linked with Bridgestone and operates about 100 point of sales.
Blackcircles has secured its first franchise outlet in Edinburgh. Seafield Coachworks’ boss Bill Neish said he is so impressed with the business that he has agreed to use his industry contacts to help the Peebles-based company expand its new franchise format across the UK.
Goodyear Dunlop has announced an increased investment in Actionline – the 24 hour, 365 day service that will ensure TruckForce customers receive the best emergency roadside assistance support in the industry. The opening of the centre coincides with the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, where Goodyear Dunlop is also announcing the signing of what is believed to be Europe’s biggest Truck tyre service contract with TIP trailer services.
Goodyear Dunlop UK is investing in and reorganising its TruckForce network in a move designed to enhance customer service, company executives told Tyres & Accessories today. In England and Wales Goodyear’s truck business will now be served by 16 hub outlets and 45 so-called “spokes.” These company-owned and franchised dealerships will be supported by a wider network of 250-280 TruckForce partners.
Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Limited has announced the appointment of Peter Tye as Franchise Development Manager. This new role has been created to spearhead the company’s recently-announced move towards developing franchise opportunities in the vehicle servicing and tyre fitment market. Goodyear Dunlop is investing in its Hi-Q retail chain, and will complement the core of company-owned stores with a relaunched network of franchises, offering the consistent high standards to consumer and fleet customers across the UK. This follows the company’s decision to separate the Hi-Q and Truck Force businesses into two distinct business units in a strategic move to offer focused, dedicated service to satisfy the different needs of both markets.
At first sight it is difficult to tell whether the Tires & Rubber show, held for the ninth time in Moscow recently, is a show for the industry or the trade. Compared with the number of new tyre manufacturers, material suppliers, machinery and equipment providers, the tyre trade seems to have gained some ground at this year’s show compared to 2005. This statement applies to Russian as well as European companies.
For example this year Dutch company Van den Ban Autobanden was exhibiting in Moscow for the very first time. The goal was to introduce the company and sound out the market. “First we want to present ourselves here,” explains commercial manager Cyril Versteeg in an interview with Tyres & Accessories. In fact, there have been business contacts with Russian companies in the past but Van den Ban concentrated mainly on the Eastern markets of the recently enlarged European Union. “These markets are more accessible,” Versteeg adds. At Van den Ban’s headquarter in Hellevoetsluis there are sales personnel that speak all the local languages of these markets, he adds.
In the past three years Goodyear has improved its position amongst the growing number of importers supplying tyres to the Russian market, not to mention the replacement market itself. In 2002 the American manufacturer exported some 960,000 Goodyear, Dunlop, Fulda and Sava branded tyres to Russia. According to the Discovery Research Group based in Moscow, this has already grown to 1.39 million units. At the same time Goodyear’s share of the total number of tyres imported into Russia has increased from 12 per cent in 2002 to 17 per cent now, based on a total import market of 8.2 million units each year.
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