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Chinese Tyremakers Increase Prices

Chinese tyremakers are being forced to increase their prices on the back of record natural rubber highs and US import tariffs. Domestic Chinese tyre retail prices have jumped by up to 10 per cent per unit, China Daily reported. Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co, purportedly the largest rubber maker in China, raised its tyre prices 5 per cent, according to the company. Meanwhile China Daily reported that competitors South China Tire & Rubber Co Ltd and Qingdao Double Star Tire Co Ltd have raised prices by 5 and 10 per cent respectively.

1st April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

NTDA Defends Retailer “Green Fee”

With talk of a tyre collection and recycling “crisis” in the air and with some sources pointing the finger at the retail business, the NTDA has responded by defending the so-called green fee charged by distributors. The association, which represents tyre retails and distributors, also released new survey results pointing to a slight decline in the incidence of tyre fly tipping.

In answer to accusations that some in the retail trade are profiteering from the green fee (widely accepted to be around £1.50/tyre), the recent NTDA e-zine pointed out that the process can be more costly than retailers are given credit for. Summarising the accusation against retailers and then countering it, the association wrote: “The retailer charges the motorist £1 (or maybe more) as an environmental/disposal charge. He then pays his collector 50p – ergo, he is making 50p profit. QED. Except that he isn't. If the tyre were to be removed and left where it was until the collector came and picked it up, there would be some truth in this, but if the retailer is to comply with legislation, things are a bit more complicated – and costly.”

1st April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Cam Systems Launches CAMWiki as Extension of 20:20 Customer Charter

The latest application taken on as part of Cam Systems’ software and support service, the 20:20 Customer Charter, is to be launched in April. CAMWiki will be available to customers who have signed up for Cam’s 32 Bit Cameo implementation and will give access to existing and new product information, general news, benefit commentaries, user documentation and ”how-to” guides as well as “Flash Traffic” service updates and product sheet downloads.

31st March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Cam Systems Wins 3-Year IT Service Contract with Lodge Tyre

Lodge Tyre Company has signed a three year service level agreement with Cam Systems. The agreement marks the first of Cam’s Commercial Service customers to adopt its EDP Fleet Inspection and Fleet Management software. The package, which Cam calls “class-leading”, will provide Lodge Tyres with an end-to-end commercial solution which caters for inspections (and consequent recommendations), service job completion and ultimately near-real time billing via Cameo. Cam has exclusive distribution rights in the UK for the package.

30th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Karbowiak Appointed BSAM Chief Administrative Officer

Christine Karbowiak, who currently serves in the role of executive vice president, Community and Corporate Relations and member of the Board of Directors at Bridgestone Americas (BSAM), has been appointed to the newly created position of BSAM chief administrative officer, effective April 1, 2010. In addition to her current Community and Corporate Relations’ responsibilities, which includes government, media and community relations as well as internal communications and overall brand oversight for the companies under the BSAM umbrella, Karbowiak will also be responsible for roles related to Environmental Affairs, Internal Audit, Safety and Industrial Hygiene, and Corporate Security.

30th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

GITI UK Appoints Passenger Car Tyre Marketing Manager

GITI Tire (UK) Ltd. has appointed Jenny Leeson as marketing manager – passenger car. Prior to working in the tyre industry, Leeson headed up the marketing department at one of the UK's most successful Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Prior to this she held a marketing position at a housing firm after starting her career at a media and communications company. During this time she gained a CIM Profession Diploma in Marketing, having graduated from university with a BA (Hons) in English Language Studies.

26th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Dunlop Regaining Lost UK Truck Tyre Market Share

2009 was a difficult year for the whole tyre business, but those selling commercial vehicle tyres had a particularly rough ride. With operators running fewer vehicles less often, and with the credit crunch biting at the heels of haulage companies already under pressure from sky-high fuel prices, there was considerable price pressure on premium tyre companies. As a result, last year saw the total UK truck tyre market shrink and some key changes take place in terms of market share. One key decline in unit share saw Goodyear Dunlop slip from 20 per cent in 2007 (third place) to estimated 9 per cent in 2009 (fifth place). With this in mind and in the context of the appointment of a new managing director at Tyre Fort, Tyres & Accessories visited Goodyear Dunlop’s UK headquarters for an exclusive interview with Nigel Sowerby, director commercial vehicle and off-the-road tyres.

25th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Forges First Main Dealership Agreement

The HiQ fast fit network has secured its first partnership with a large UK main car dealership, and the company believes this could pave the way for similar arrangements in the future and form part of the company’s attempts to revolutionise the way that fast fit is delivered to motorists. The partnership will see HiQ operate its services from Ford dealer David Harrison Ltd in Peebles.

25th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Offering Marangoni Puncture Guarantee

Kwik-Fit has been supplying Marangoni tyres since February 1. The fast-fit network is now offering extra peace of mind for consumers purchasing from the Italian manufacturer’s range – all Marangoni tyres sold at Kwik-Fit come with a free puncture repair and free road hazard guarantee. With this guarantee, Kwik-Fit explains any repairable punctures are fixed free of charge, including re-balancing, valves and nitrogen refill, and any Marangoni tyre suffering accidental damage can be replaced free of charge.

23rd March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Halfords/Nationwide Autocentres Increase Sales 5%

Just a month after Halfords bought Nationwide Autocentres for £73.2 million, the new owners have reported that like-for-like sales have grown 5 per cent since the buyout. According to the company, the integration plan is “progressing well” and the programme of rebranding the centres under the Halfords moniker will be rolled out during 2011.

David Wild, chief executive officer, commented: “Halfords retail performance continues to be robust, with full year earnings now anticipated to grow by approximately 25 per cent. The acquisition of Nationwide Autocentres, completed during the quarter, logically extends our successful service proposition and provides a further opportunity for future growth.”

23rd March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Fast-Fit Accreditation Added to ATA Scheme

According to the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), recent survey results indicate that more than 80 per cent of the population do not know how to tell a good vehicle technician from a bad one. To help UK motorists gain consumer confidence in the automotive repair industry, the institute has administered an Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme since June 2005. The ATA tests the current competence of individuals working in the retail motor industry, and following a pilot programme, the IMI has announced that two levels applicable to technicians working in the fast fit sector have now been added to scheme.

23rd March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrepac Aiming for £1.2 million in 2010

It may be barely two years old (having been founded in April 2008), but Tyrepac is vying for position as Asia’s first tyre e-tail portal. Currently operating in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and South Korea, the Singapore Hitwise report for the week ended March 6 ranked Tyrepac fifth on the Shopping and Classified listing, losing out only to the likes of eBay and Amazon. In terms of sales, the target for this year is 6 million Malaysian ringgits (£1.2 million, 1 million euros). This may sound small, but the company is already showing the rapid signs of growth seen in e-tailers from other continents. In its first year Tyrepac generated less than half of this, reporting a turnover of 2.5 million ringgits (£500,000; 400,000 euros).

16th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

European Zeetex Dealers Visits Thailand with S&H Tyres

European dealers of Zeetex brand automotive parts have returned from an all-inclusive trip to Thailand organised by Simon Klapwijk on behalf of S&H Tyres, on which the group visited the factory that produces Zeetex batteries and spent a day at the test track, sampling the new Zeetex HP102 tyre. During a welcome dinner, Klapwijk explained the marketing concept and the expansion of the size range for 2010 in both passenger car and truck and bus segments, opening the European Zeetex Convention 2010.

16th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

After Strong 2009, Hankook Looks to Take it to Another Level

During Hankook Tire America’s recent dealer meeting in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Tire Review had the opportunity to sit down and discuss a wide range of issues with its new president Soo Il Lee, Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications, and Todd Hershberger, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

12th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Nationwide Autocentre Crowned 2010 Customer King

Nationwide Autocentre has been crowned ‘Customer King’ following a search by Cisco and Real Business magazine to find best customer focused firms of 2010. The Customer Kings competition aims to find the UK’s best businesses for customer engagement. Nationwide Autocentre was named as the best ‘big’ business in the competition’s newly introduced commercial category.

The commercial category was introduced to see if smaller businesses can learn anything from ‘the big boys’ and judges declared it to have provided very valuable benchmark, and that Nationwide Autocentre had “…taught us how to give customer care an MOT.”

12th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors