News articles on the tyre retail business
At its second 2010 national conference, HiQ announced what it calls a number of historic milestones in the development of the UK’s only hard franchise fast fit network. Franchisees at the two-day workshop and business forum event were welcomed by recently appointed HiQ retail director Peter Tye, who shared news of developments within the network on the second anniversary of it becoming a fully franchised operation.
Between 27 and 27 November 2010, Interstate Tire & Rubber Co. hosted its augural Chinese Interstate distributor meeting at Nantong, China. Tyres & Accessories met up with vice president Theo de Vries and learnt that the company’s products, which are well-known in Europe, are gaining increased distribution in the Chinese domestic market.
Interstate’s first dealer meeting saw the company bring together more than 120 local Interstate distributors at the Grand International Hotel, Nantong. Distributors reportedly came from all over China and flew in from all several provinces across China -from the nearby Jiangsu to the remote Yunnan province. With Wholesale operations across all China and retail operations in the provinces of Jiangsu, Shanghai and Shandong, there is every indication that Interstate China is continuing to grow rapidly. For 2011 the company’s ambitious goal is to open 12 more retails outlets and increase sales by more than 40 per cent.
Despite tough external conditions Cooper Chengshan’s top line growth is said to be “progressing well” in 2010 and the firm’s “amazingly strong” domestic truck and bus tyre market growth in the first quarter of this year is a key highlight of this performance. Meanwhile the company’s passenger car tyres sales have reportedly continued on their “relatively consistent” recent trajectory. Looking forward, Cooper Asia general manager and Cooper Chengshan boss Allen Tsaur reports that the company is well prepared for the forthcoming 2012 tyre labelling legislation across all its brands.
From Cooper Chengshan’s perspective the new laws are a good thing that “drives us forward.” However, this is clearly not the case across the board in China, with Tsaur reporting that an estimated 80 per cent of tyre suppliers are not up to scratch when it comes to labelling legisaltion preparedness. Out of roughly 300 tyre manufacturers currently operating in China, only the top 30 are said to be of a “good quality” that is compatible with exports into the mature markets. Of these, only the top 10 (including Cooper Chengshan) are already set for the 2012 rules.
Tyre Bay Direct aims to be a one stop shop for all tyre fitting and consumable needs. The company reports the stocking of a complete range of valves, including exclusive customised valves available printed with a company’s details, plus balancing weights, repair materials, workshop tools, tyre changers and wheel balancers as well as other garage equipment. Much of the range on offer is exclusive to Tyre Bay Direct, the company adds.
Half a year after opening his HiQ outlet in Dorking, former British Touring Car Championship driver Jeff Allam has signed on the dotted line to open a second franchise centre. The fast fit network reports Allam is opening a centre in Leatherhead following a “productive six months” in partnership with HiQ. The ex-BTCC driver was the first UK dealer to secure a partnership with HiQ and his expansion is seen as a big show of strength for the network.
McConechys Tyre and Exhaust Centres has appointed Cam Systems to implement its Cameo software platform. McConechys Tyre Service Limited is now in its 54th year is one of the leading tyre distributors in the UK. It caters for all sectors in the replacement tyre market through its branch network covering Scotland and Yorkshire. McConechys will also implement Cam’s UniSerV for its commercial business operations, and Workshop Scheduler products across its 53 outlets once the transition to Cameo is complete.
If you were playing a word association game with a tyre executive and said “emerging markets” the chances are they would say “China.” However, while China is top of the tree when it comes to tyre production in the so-called emerging markets – and indeed the world – the recent investments of global players (such as Bridgestone and Michelin) in India, coupled with the rapid growth of the market’s domestic producers should make you sit up and take notice of what is happening in the sub-continent.
While most of the world, perhaps excluding China, was languishing under the shadow of the recent recession, India’s economy is positively booming with gross domestic product (GDP) currently growing at between 8 and 9 per cent in a global economic scenario that sees some of the world’s so-called superpowers pleased to report growth of anything more than zero and avoid the dreaded double dip. What separates India from the only other economy in the world that operates on this scale (China), is the fact that it is simultaneously growing fast, home to roughly a billion people and is also as much consumer as much as an exporter. And what’s more the very words that Apollo Tyres chairman Onkar S Kanwar and vice-chairman Neeraj Kanwar both use to describe their own staff, can also be used to optimistically sum up the population – “young, dynamic and innovative.”
Tyres & Accessories recently travelled to India to learn more about arguably the most globalised – certainly the most Europeanised – Indian tyre manufacturer, Apollo Tyres. During our whistle-stop tour of the company’s executive, R&D and production operations across India, the company demonstrated that it is moving towards its goal of becoming a global player and entering the top 10 within the next five years at a rate of knots with the news that it has joined the list of globally approved suppliers to German car marque Volkswagen. Apollo also revealed how it recently launched giant OTR tyre production at its Limda factory, truck and car radial production at its modern Chennai Greenfield plant and gave details of the construction of a new R&T (research and technology) centre at the Chennai site.
Just over a month after the news that Kwik-Fit owners PAI had appointed Credit Suisse to analyse the options for the sale of the company, newspaper reports have linked Japanese trading house Marubeni with a possible purchase. Marubeni’s other UK interests include ownership of Yokohama HPT tyres and a network of 24 car showrooms through its Marubeni Automotive Ltd subsidiary. It is also said to own one of the largest dealers for Toyota and Mazda in Europe.
Despite the reports, a company spokesperson told Tyres & Accessories that Kwik-Fit is “not in advanced discussions with anyone, specifically not Marubeni.” Rather the reported sale of the company is said to be in the very early stages, with the timeframe to completion unclear at this time.
A Worcester woman has beaten thousands of unsung volunteers and fundraisers to win the ‘HiQ Hero’ award. A month after selecting ten finalists in the campaign to ‘unmask’ the real-life heroes that live amongst us, the fast-fitter has selected Becky Hurd the UK’s number one hero. Ms Hurd, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 29 and now raises money for the Cure Parkinson's Trust, was presented with her award by Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell OBE in Birmingham. As well as gaining the accolade of being the 'HiQ Hero' for 2010, Ms Hurd was presented with a cheque for £500 and a £5,000 cash sum to be spent on a worthy charity or project of her choice.
Micheldever Tyre Services recently appointed Neil Schmid as its new Kumho brand manager. Having been with Micheldever for 15 years, Schmid has most recently worked as an area sales manager in the South West and will now take on the additional responsibility of marketing and developing the Kumho brand across the UK. According to the company, he has a wealth of experience in the tyre industry, having started work in his father’s garage at the age of 14. Neil Schmid has since worked in various different areas of the industry providing him with experience in fitting, fleet, retail and wholesale.
At the end of this year the chairman of the Bridgestone Americas (BSAM) Board of Directors, Asahiko “Duke” Nishiyama, is to return to Japan in order to commence a new assignment within Bridgestone Corporation. As of January 1, 2011, Nishiyama will be promoted to vice president and senior officer, responsible for International Tire Business Operations, Bridgestone Corporation (BSJ).
South Africa’s Tyre Dealer and Fitment Association (TDAFA) recently named Apollo Tyres South Africa its ‘Tyre Manufacturer of the Year’ at its annual gala dinner. The South African manufacturer of the Dunlop tyre brand received this distinction based upon its performance in a tri-annual TDAFA members’ survey in which manufacturers are nominated in five key criteria; product quality, customer service, stock rotation, availability and warranties.
The plans of international tyre buying and marketing cooperative Point S to fill in the gaps in its European market map with a UK operation are reported to be “ahead of schedule.” In less than a year since membership talks began and just four months after the news of Point S (UK) Ltd formation was announced, the company’s plans for the establishment of one of the largest retail networks in Britain are said to be running so well that they could meet next year’s target before the end of 2010.
Motor Codes Ltd is the self-regulatory body to oversee standards in the car and garage sector, set up by the SMMT. Motor Codes relies on feedback from customers to rate various aspects of the service they have received from participating garages across the UK. In October, 1,822 service or repair customers completed surveys and the results are encouraging, particularly in view of recent negative publicity in some parts of the press.
The recent Brityrex exhibition saw Tyresensors.com exhibit featured the company’s range of Schrader OE replacement sensors and service kits, not to mention the firm’s ATEQ line of TPMS trigger tools, which it exclusively distributes in the UK. So how did the exhibition go?
“A lot of people were interested in TPMS in generally as well as our parts in particular,” managing director Ian Smith told Tyres & Accessories, adding that the company’s ATEQ tool demos had the effect of drawing visitors in. As a result the company representatives report that they made “a lot” of good contacts, with a real emphasis on the quality of the leads gained.
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