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Green Shoots or a False Dawn?

Recent positive economic indicators coming out of Europe, Asia and the US have given analysts reason to forecast a recovery in the global logistics industry. However for global freight and parcel volumes and revenues to rebound significantly – and therefore the tyre sales which rely on logistics firms’ prosperity – analysts at Datamonitor suggest there will need to be “major improvements in consumer confidence, industrial output and subsequent international trade volumes.”

27th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

ATS Euromaster Offer In-Store Discount Vouchers Online

ATS Euromaster are offering a series of discount vouchers redeemable at any ATS Euromaster centre in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland online. Consumers can access the deals by logging on to www.atseuromaster.co.uk and include discounts on a range of different car and van tyres, including Michelin and Pirelli, as well as great savings on an array of popular fast-fit parts and services such as wheel alignments, batteries and exhausts.

26th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

TGI & GITI Tire USA Announce Distribution Agreement

International News

Group International and GITI Tire USA have announced a distribution arrangement through which TGI will distribute GT Radial branded tires in South Florida. TGI will carry the full line of GT Radial tyres, including the Maxtour line, Champiro 128, Champiro 228, Champiro 328, Champiro 528, Savero H/T, Adventuro A/T II and Adventuro M/T lines. The GT Radial line up will be stocked in the company’s Miami distribution centre.

25th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Nokian Moving US Headquarters

International News

Nokian Tyres will move its headquarters from LaVergne, Tennessee, to Colchester, Vermont, in an effort to consolidate its operations. The relocation, which the company expects will be finalised by spring 2010, will place the headquarters near Nokian’s wholesale operation, University Wholesalers Inc. Nokian Tyres, the North American subsidiary of Finland-based Nokian Tyres P.L.C., also owns […]

25th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Feeling Deflated? It’s Time to ‘Go Nitro’, says Kwik-Fit

The one pound per tyre cost attached to Kwik-Fit’s newly launched nitrogen tyre inflation service could reduce, according DFT figures, the nation’s fuel bill by £1.2 billion a year. You can thank the size and dryness of nitrogen molecules for this at the pump frugality – these two qualities make them less prone to leaking or evaporating from a tyre, and therefore correct tyre pressure can be maintained for much longer.

25th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Improving Recommendation Rates the Key, says J.D. Power

According to the findings of the latest J.D. Power and Associates Retail Tire Experience Report, improving recommendation rates amongst sales staff at independent tyre retailers is one of the most effective means of increasing market share. This conclusion was reached after compiling the results of more than 4,000 ‘mystery shopper’ telephone calls to 2,100 retail tyre locations in the US during 2008 and 2009. The report examines which tyre brands are recommended by salespeople at major tyre retailers and how effectively retailers handle telephone shoppers.

20th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrepac Extends Online Presence into Malaysia

Asia’s first online retail tyre portal, Tyrepac, was launched in Singapore last February. Since that time the website has extended its presence into Hong Kong, China and South Korea. The company has now officially added Malaysia to the growing list of countries covered.

19th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Philippines Launches UHP Concept Store

Goodyear Philippines has launched its first Goodyear Racing Zone concept retail outlet for ultra-high performance tyres in Iloilo City.

13th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Blackcircles.com Aims to Grow Network 30%

Blackcircles.com is aiming to increase its garage network by 30 per cent by the end of 2009, adding as many as 400 garages. Announcing the news the company vowed to help independent garages “fight back”, saying it offers “additional revenue, customer footfall and national marketing, helping [independents] compete with major high street brands.”

13th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

First Stop Runs Primary School “Green Machine” Competition

Six pupils from schools across the country have beaten off stiff competition to win prizes in a national art competition to design the car of the future.

13th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

First Stop Unveils Latest Model Store

The Exhaust Tyres Batteries (ETB) group, which has branches across the Midlands and is part of the First Stop network of tyre dealerships, has recently seen its head office re-developed to become the latest ‘model store’ for the network. ETB and Bridgestone have made a significant investment in the refurbishment of the head office, based in Worcester, including the complete overhaul of the exterior and a new reception area to provide a more appealing environment for customers.

12th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Franchisees Raise £4000 for Breast Cancer Care

A pair of HiQ franchisees, who got in the pink for Breast Cancer Care, raised £1,500 for the charity at Snetterton racing circuit. Phil Cowell and Robert Brown were on hand for the latest round of British Touring Car Championship action on August 2 and spent the day raising funds for the charity. The pair, who own six HiQ centres in the east of England under their P & R Tyres Ltd company, gave away specially made pink baseball caps in return for charitable donations and carried buckets at the track for the thousands of motorsport fans to give to.

7th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Expands Servicing and MOT into Corporate Sector

Kwik-Fit Fleet has announced plans to expand its servicing and MOT operations into the company car and van markets. According to the company, the decision was made in response to “booming demand for the services.” Currently 452 centres offer fleet servicing and MoTs, however this number will increase to 500 in the next few months. The extra 48 centres are likely to complete Kwik-Fit’s roll out to its 650-branch strong network. Some of the new centres will be equipped with two MoT bays, thus further increasing centre capacity. In order to facilitate the move, Gary Ralph, operations manager, London and the South East, has been seconded to Kwik-Fit Fleet from Kwik-Fit GB to lead a major project to accelerate the growth of fleet servicing and MoTs.

6th August 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hurricane Damaged Firestone Retail Centre Re-Opens

Four years after Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage throughout the city of New Orleans, Firestone Complete Auto Care has celebrated the reopening of one of its centres in the city. The outlet on Carrolton street was forced to close its doors due to damage received on August 29, 2005, and to-date has been one of only a handful of automotive retailers to have returned to the area.

“Our Firestone Complete Auto Care stores are important parts of their communities,” said Ottis Lewis, vice-president, South Central Zone, Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO). “Our teammates not only care about our customers, but we care about the communities that we call home. Since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it has been BSRO’s goal to reopen this store – we are thrilled to be able to serve this close-knit community once again.”

24th July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Reports: Axle Group Recorded £3.2 million Operating Loss in 2008

Axle Group Holdings reported an operating loss of £3.2 million in 2008, compared with operating profit of £4.2 million in 2007. However, sales from Axle’s National Tyres & Autocare retail chain and its Viking tyre wholesale business grew 13.4 per cent to £153 million. According to the Herald newspaper, Axle Group generated a £3.8 million profit on the sale of properties to another company controlled by chief executive Alan Revie and this is believed to have helped the company achieve a pre-tax profit of £3 million in 2008, down from £5.2m in 2007. The pre-tax profits came off the back of gross profits of £60.5 million in the 2008 (39.5 per cent of sales in 2008). However in 2007, Axle Group made a gross profit of £56.7 million, or 42 per cent of sales.

15 months ago Alan Revie unveiled plans to inject £12 million into the National chain and increase its UK estate from around 200 branches to 320 over five years. However, according to the Herald’s report, the head of the National Tyres auto repair chain appears to have enjoyed a 400 per cent increase in pay in the past year. The newspaper points out that accounts for Axle Group Holdings, which owns National Tyres, show the total emoluments of the highest paid director, soared to £2,126,000 in 2008, from £540,000 in the preceding year. The total boardroom payroll jumped to £4,057,000, up from £1,335,000 in 2007.

22nd July 2009/by Tyrepress Editors