News articles on the tyre retail business
Dr. Rainer Landwehr, group managing director of Goodyear Dunlop’s ‘DACH’ (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) market region, has announced his resignation. The tyre maker reported on 10 July that Dr. Landwehr will work with his successor in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth changeover period before leaving to engage in new challenges outside the company.
When the Pneuhage Group began retreading using the Bandag process at its Karlsruhe, Germany plant in 1988, it was not yet fully apparent how the company would develop in this market segment over the coming years. Today – exactly quarter of a century later – Pneuhage is positioned as one of Germany’s largest retreaders and is now a Michelin Recamic partner. A key factor in its business success has been the 88 outlets Pneuhage operates. Of these, the majority are active in the commercial vehicle tyre segment. They are the foundation upon which future growth also seems possible, explains managing director Erwin Schwab during a visit to the Pneuhage rereading facility in Nossen, near Dresden.
Gap insurance provider Aequitas Automotive has announced the addition of tyre insurance to its product portfolio. Its new tyre insurance brand, TyreInsurance 123, will be rolled out this year and a retail website launched in the coming weeks.
The theme of globalisation loomed large over Chinese tyre manufacturer Triangle’s latest Global Business Summit, held in the China Hall of the older Grand Tower of Pudong, Shanghai’s Shangri-La Hotel. While the chairman of the board Ding Yuhua’s conference starting theme speech riffed on the theme with regard to manufacturing processes, employee base and international trends, the presence of delegates from around the world reinforced the message the world’s 16th largest tyre manufacturer’s message – Triangle suppliers from three continents travelled with Tyres & Accessories to the Shangri-La from Pudong International, to underline a point. In the coming year, Ding Yuhua said that Triangle is seeking to “speed up the transformation and upgrade [its] manufacturing to synchronise with the global economy,” while focusing on the environmental standards Triangle now characterises as part of the “mainstream” in the post-REACH, post-labelling landscape – in China as well as the rest of the world. This involves greater investment in green production technology that he says is yielding a “four per cent increase in energy efficiency yearly”.
The voting process for the 2013 NTDA Tyre & Fast Fit Awards has already begun and ends on 27th September. The big difference this year is that voting is only via the NTDA website (ntda.co.uk/TAFF) and not by post, as in previous years. For the second year running, the TAFF Awards are sponsored by speciality chemicals company Lanxess.
Over the next week, Tyrepress.com and the daily Tyrepress.com newsletter will present each of the five voting categories of the NTDA Tyre & Fast Fit Awards, featuring profiles of each company's bid for 2013 glory. The voting process for the TAFF Awards has already begun and ends on 27 September. The big difference this year is that voting is only via the NTDA website (www.ntda.co.uk/TAFF) and not by post, as in previous years. For the second year running, the TAFF Awards are sponsored by speciality chemicals company Lanxess.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) recently held a Centenary Lunch for its past presidents and current and past board members. Held at the prestigious RAC Club in London, the Lunch offered its attendees the opportunity to meet and share memories of the RMI and the industry.
If you offer a premium “premium product” then you need to be offering a “premium service” – not just before and during the sales experience, but after it as well. That’s the philosophy held by Continental, a mindset that is increasingly resulting in upgraded processes and procedures and further use of technology to support customers and consumers after they have made their purchases. Along with the aim of offering a premium level of aftersales service to match what the company believes are the highest premium levels of its products. Several steps forward have already been made and several more are set to follow; they are all part of the company’s goal to lead the industry in this respect. And with aftersales performance amongst tyre manufacturers in general being variable, the company sees this as a particularly key way of demonstrating its overall value.
Giti Tire has appointed former Michelin director, Rainer Harter as general manager D-A-CH with lead responsibility for German, Austrian and Swiss markets. He is tasked with developing passenger car business following the manufacturer’s structured retail approach across its GT Radial, Primewell and Runway brands, along with building truck and bus business in the mid-range segment with a focus on creating added-value services for fleets.
After seven years as chairman of the Automotive Aftermarket Divisional Board at Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Hanser is stepping down on 30 June. The company says he is doing so due to his age. From 1 July, Hanser will join the Bosch Management Support GmbH board of management, a body of senior experts who act in an advisory capacity for Bosch across the world.
The Department for Transport (DfT) hgas announced plans to merge the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) into a single agency. According to the announcement, these services will be delivered by the two agencies under a single chief executive and transitional board from July this year.
Just Tyres has opened a new centre in Newbury, Berkshire on the site formerly run by A&B Tyres. The independent garage reportedly invested more than £500,000 in the new centre, creating six new jobs in the process. This investment, including extensive renovation work and new state-of-the-art machinery, is being backed by Bridgestone, which is offering a series of sales incentives to coincide with discount offers on its range at the store.
Retail Motor Industry Standards and Certification (RMISC), a subsidiary of the RMI, announces the launch of the RI-MARK logo following its UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) approval.
Stuart James, RMI Director commented, "We are pleased with the positive response to our PAS125 accreditation service and our new logo allows accredited companies to demonstrate their compliance by displaying the RI-MARK that will become recognised as the definitive certification mark in the automotive industry.
With a product range encompassing a good range of high and ultra high performance fitments at an economical price-point, Taiwanese manufacturer Nankang’s potential in the UK market has always been clear. However, the brand’s UK representatives believe that its profile and perceived brand positioning in the country could be raised in line with its European activities. Committing to achieve these goals, the brand’s dis-tributor in the UK, Westlands Ltd, has taken up the new name Nankang Tyre UK, and joint managing directors Steve Smith and Scott Graham will head up the project.
Goodyear has released its latest all-season performance tyre in North America. Initial sizes of the Eagle Sport All-Season are now available, and the tyre maker says the full line-up of 47 sizes will be on offer by the end of 2013. Goodyear says the Eagle Sport All-Season is suited for a wide range of vehicles, from the Honda Accord to the Audi A4 and Ford Mustang.
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