News articles on the tyre retail business
Continental has adopted the now commonplace acronym ‘EMEA’ – Europe, Middle East and Africa – as the name of business formerly known as Car Tyre Aftermarket Sector Europe and Africa. This change of name is said to have taken place an organisational response to the company’s enlargement of its aftermarket importer and dealer network in the Middle East and Africa regions.
Helping to communicate recent changes taking place within the organisation, the Michelin MBA independent truck dealer programme held its fourth annual event this year at the Caledonian Hilton in Edinburgh on Friday 23 April 2010. Russell Bowyer was introduced as the new full-time manager of the programme along with the promise of a new name for MBA and a new focus on the independent dealer channel. Commenting on his new role, Russell said that his appointment would bring “a consistent focus on the independent dealer channel” and that he will “invest time and resources in re-establishing and invigorating MBA”.
Friends, Romans, motorists, lend me your ears…Tyre technicians at a fast fit centre in Bath have been brushing up on their Shakespeare in a novel celebration of the Bard’s birthday with drivers in the city. Staff at HiQ wrote Shakespeare’s most famous lines on the windscreens of all cars on Friday 23 April – the date widely believed to be Shakespeare’s birthday. And what, you may ask, does Shakespeare have to do with the world of rubber, save his love letter to the black circle, 'Pericles, Prince of Tyre'? It is suggested that HiQ Bath’s forecourt was the ground from which Shakespeare recited his soliloquies in the city.
Pneus Online’s turnover grew 40 per cent in the first quarter of 2010. According to the company, “a harsh winter and a difficult economical environment enhanced the growth of the discounter.” The company has not released any details of its profitability. Pneus Online made a 14.7 million euro turnover in 2009 selling in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italia and Ireland.
Following the onset of the harshest winter driving conditions in years during the 2009-2010 season, there has been much speculation – and some evidence – over the likelihood of growth in the UK market for specialist tyres in 2010. For example, Finnish manufacturer Nokian has recently reported “strongest growth” in winter tyres (see ‘Nokian Preparing for Growith in 2010’). ATS Euromaster is positioning itself for a run on winter rubber having launched a dedicated cold weather tyre offering for car and light commercial fleets up to 7.5 tonnes, in which it will label and store off-season tyres for customers. The company says it will build on “a wealth of expertise within the Euromaster Group”, which already supplies, fits and stores cold weather tyres for fleets across northern Europe. ATS-E says it supplies 300,000 cold weather tyres to Holland every year – a significant number, especially considering this is in a country with a similar climate to the UK.
Following a half-year absence from the world wide web, UK based motorcycle and car tyre online retail portal www.fasttyres.co.uk has returned under new ownership. The company behind the resurrected website is Fast Tyres Direct, and company owners Gary Kay and Michael Webb say the site has been retained in its original format to ensure the same high standard of user experience. While some changes to the site are planned, Kay and Webb emphasise its ‘traditions’ will be maintained.
Michelin continues to promote the weight advantages it says its Power Pure motorcycle tyre offers to sportsbike riders – the French giant says that a set of the tyres in sizes 120/70 ZR 17 and 190/50 ZR 17 saves two pounds (around 900 grams) in weight compared to tyres produced in the same category by four of Michelin’s major brand competitors. In the promotion, motorcyclists buying and fitting a pair of Michelin Power Pure tyres between 1 May and 30 June will receive a free Michelin Man digital pressure gauge, and have a chance to win one of 20 Akrapovic slip-on exhausts, making their bikes lighter still.
One of the Middle East’s leading tyre distribution companies has announced its plan to open 65 automotive service outlets by 2012 at a dinner for its United Arab Emirates partners. ZAFCO is a supplier to the UAE domestic market, and a global supplier to customers in the USA, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Australia, has revealed details of its ambitious expansion plans. The Dubai-based company is set to launch its own chain of premium quality retail outlets across the GCC.
Cooper Tire & Rubber has appointed Jon Huffman to the role of director, Pricing and Program Management. In his new position, Huffman will oversee all aspects of pricing, and will also assume responsibility for Cooper's three retail stores in Findlay, Ohio, Texarkana, Arkansas, and Tupelo, Mississippi.
GITI Tire group of companies (that is GITI Tire and Indonesian manufacturing arm PT Gajah Tunggal Tbk) have appointed Micheldever Tyre Services as exclusive PCR, LTR and 4×4 distributor for the company’s GT Radial and Runway Enduro tyre brands in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Previously GT Radial and Runway Enduro were distributed by Compass Group.
According to the companies, the agreement was completed recently at a signing ceremony held at the head office of Micheldever Tyre Services, attended by Micheldever CEO Paul Fox, GITI Tire (UK) Ltd general manager Richard Lyons and Tim Chesney managing director of Compass Group. Tim Chesney commented: “We have worked very closely and successfully over many years with the GITI Group; to market and promote the two brands. We believe, for the mutual benefit of all parties, it is now time to hand the baton to Micheldever Tyre Services, a long term customer of Compass Group and the leading tyre distribution and retail company in the UK.”
The first HiQ National Franchise Conference of 2010 – taking place today and yesterday at the Mercure Albrighton Hall Hotel near Shrewsbury – saw the launch of the fast fit network’s latest national advertising campaign to find the UK’s “local heroes”. The new promotion is designed to deliver HiQ’s concept of itself as a “national brand driven by local business, local heroes” by allowing local communities to recognise the contribution of local people, said marketing manager Geraldine McGovern, introducing the eight month public relations programme. In addition, the local hero campaign will be represented in national media outlets by new brand ambassador and British Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell, who spoke to the franchisees about being “able to champion the work of others.” Gunnell talked of the value of others’ support in helping her achieve sporting success, drawing comparisons with the relatively unrecognised contribution of selfless people to the local area. The campaign, she said, will offer communities the chance to “recognise the people that often we don’t really think about.”
Delticom AG has published preliminary figures for the first quarter of 2010, which provide further evidence for the increased influence of the Internet on the tyre business. According to a preliminary results statement published 20 April, Delticom achieved first quarter 2010 revenues of 74 million euros (£64.5 million; $99.44 million), up 45 per cent compared with the 51.0 million euros reported in the same period in 2009. However, e-commerce revenues for the first quarter great faster still, totalling 70 million euros (£61 million; $94.08 million), up 50 per cent from 46.7 million euros in the first quarter of last year.
Tyremen Hull Ltd is expanding into new 26,000 square foot (2500 square metre) premises, reportedly creating “a new one stop shop for tyre services.” The new site in Witty Street, west Hull, just a few yards from one of the firm’s current sites, means the well established family tyre business in Hull is bringing all its services together under one roof. Currently, the company is split between three units in Witty Street, Anlaby Road and Argyle Street, however after the move is completed the three sites will be consolidated into one “huge” facility offering services such as tyres, alloy wheels, batteries, exhausts and wheel alignment.
By centralising all its work at the former Swedecor premises, Tyremen representatives say the company hopes to improve efficiency and increase work capacity. Tyremen was set up more than 40 years ago and is run by co-directors Lindsay Carlin and his son Phil.
HiQ’s fourth annual franchise conference is taking place over the next two days at Albrighton Hall, Shrewsbury. All of HiQ’s franchisees will join retail director Juergen Titz and members of the brand’s lead team on Tuesday and Wednesday (20 and 21) to discuss performance and growth opportunities. HiQ also promises “the network’s most exciting announcement of the year;” a high profile PR campaign with the help of an exclusive ambassador. This is the first time the conference is taking place over two days; an innovation that will “allow HiQ to discuss its plans to increase the network to 185 points of sale by the end of the year, while revealing footfall and turnover figures,” the network states.
When you consider that they paid £85 million for Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) in 2006, it is no surprise that equity house Graphite Capital is willing to sell the company now it is in the position to command a £200 million price tag. Back then Graphite were cast as the backers for a management buy-in/buy-out that kept the independent tyre wholesaler in independent hands and out of the corporate grasp of ‘big business.’ Now it seems that the motivation to sell the UK’s largest single tyre wholesaler (along with its 50 Protyre retail depots) emanates primarily from the same equity house that kept it in the hands of its managers four years ago.
Micheldever Tyre Services is said to have started out in a shed in 1972. Over the next 34 years Tony Todd grew the company into a market leading independent wholesaler with a loyal customer base. By the time he sold it in 2006, MTS had become a truly multi-million pound business, with the staff count reaching over 550 people, sales reaching £148 million annually and pre-tax profits amounting to £5 million a year. Since then turnover and staff levels have almost doubled to £275 million and 900 people in 2009, with MTS particularly benefitting from its exclusive distribution of some leading upper mid-range products during the recession.
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