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Fleets Increasingly Switching to Non-Franchised Servicing

With a new report rating customer care at franchised dealers at just 6.3 out of 10; it is no surprise that 39 per cent of companies are switching to non-franchised dealers for routine servicing.

The 2007 Business Car Perceptions Report by business and management consultants BearingPoint suggests that the traditional franchised dealer network, which car manufacturers depend on as their key channel to market, is under strain as a result of a growing fall-off in aftersales business. reveals that fleet servicing business, which provides an important source of revenues for car manufacturers and franchised dealers alike, is being lost to non-franchised dealers.

The research, which was conducted by Professor Peter Cooke, the recently appointed Professor of Automotive Management at the University of Buckingham, in association with BearingPoint, shows that almost two-fifths (39 per cent) of companies already use non-franchised dealers for routine servicing. This number is set to grow, as nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of those respondents still using franchised dealers expect to switch to non-franchised dealers in the future.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres and Tubes for Today’s Market

Through almost 60 years of trading, the company, a major player in the UK Tyre Wholesale sector, has experienced many changes in this ever-evolving industry, from the early days of crossply tyres, to the now, commonplace radial tyre. Coupled with this the extensive development of the varying aspect ratios now required to meet the many needs and applications of not only road transport, but for all pneumatic tyre equipped vehicles, such as agricultural, industrial, construction, earthmover, open space management, plant & machinery and much more. In meeting the present day requirements R H Claydon offers tyres for all these requirements and being solely a wholesaler, with no retail outlets, there is no conflict with its customer base.

The exclusive brand, BKT, manufactured in India, forms the greater part of this supply for all products outside Car, Van, 4X4 & Truck, The range could be stated as meeting all needs pneumatic, indeed this is signified in BKT’s own advertising strapline “Off-Highway Tyre Solutions”. In this year, there have been many additions to the BKT Range including, 70/65/90&95 Agrimax Radial Tractor, Tele Handler sizes in 460/70R24 (17.5R24) and 19.5R24. BKT Armaturf KV Tyres for the professional ride-on mower, now offer an estimated 90 per cent protection from punctures. The year has also seen the growth in earthmover units; in this sector sizes such as 1800-25 40pr & 1800-33 40pr Rock Grip E4, both sizes also produced for Port & Terminal operations. The BKT range fully justifies Claydon’s own slogan “All- Season All- Reason Agricultural & Industrial Tyres”.

14th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Launches New-Look Website and Text Services

Kwik-Fit, Britain’s number one fleet and retail fast-fit specialist, has launched new-look fleet and retail websites and a locate-a-centre text service. Kwik-fit.com details the independent fast-fit chain’s service and gives comprehensive information on tyre safety and reducing your transport carbon footprint through the company’s ‘Go Green’ initiative.

The site also provides an online MoT and service booking facility so drivers can take advantage of the two of the most recent additions to Kwik-Fit’s plethora of services. In fact, Kwik Fit is now the country’s largest chain of car servicing specialists and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency-approved MoT testing centres.

Additionally a ‘Tyre Search’ facility on both the company’s fleet and retail sites enables fleet operators and drivers to book an appointment at their local Kwik Fit centre or with Kwik Fit Mobile to fit tyres on their car or van.

13th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Graduation Day at National

Congratulations to the latest graduates of National Tyres and Autocare’s Apprenticeship programme. The 12 graduates recently passed the two year course, giving them a professional qualification in motor vehicle fitting. The course, designed for 16 year-olds looking for a qualification and with an interest in the motor trade, enables apprentices to work alongside qualified technicians and also includes a twelve week off-the-job training course to study for an NVQ in Motor Vehicle Fitting (Fast Fit). Once completed, apprentices are given the opportunity to participate in the City & Guilds of London Institute Skills Tests.

11th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

National Starts Tyres Refurbishment Programme

National Tyres and Autocare has embarked on a refurbishment programme for a number of branches across the country. The refurbishment will see investment into branch exteriors and signage, and the upgrading of branch interiors. This follows on from National’s recent investment in MOT centres and a brakes programme which was rolled out last year to all branches as part of National’s development strategy for the company. The company remains silent about £100 million auction for ownership of the company that began two month’s ago.

Tony Neill, Managing Director for Retail commented “We are constantly striving to offer customers the best possible service and by investing in our branches we can ensure that anyone visiting National will receive a consistently first-rate and professional service experience from all of our branches.”

10th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tiger Auto Mauls a 19 Per Cent Headline Earnings Increase

Tiger Automotive has thrived since its unbundling from Tiger wheels last December, and the company’s latest financial bear testimony to the wheel and tyre distributor’s good health. Tiger Automotive reports that in its first full year as a company listed with South Africa’s JSE stock exchange in its own right, it has achieved a 19 per cent increase in headline earnings, to Rs 1.242 (£0.085) a share. Revenue has risen 17.3 per cent to Rs 1.1 billion (£75.3 million). The company reports that these results counter the typical pattern of lower earnings in the second half. At the half-year stage, headline earnings were 15.2 per cent up at Rs 0.61 (£0.042), and the forecast was for a slight increase in full-year earnings.

“This pleasing rise in earnings was achieved because we were able to rectify – although not completely – problems that impacted on the first half,” said group managing director Keith Rivers.

Pre-tax profit (for the year to 30 June) increased 15.5 per cent to Rs 101.3-million (£6.9 million), while attributable profit was up by almost Rs 10 million to Rs 73.7 million (£5.04 million). In lieu of an annual dividend, the company is making a capital distribution of Rs 0.49 (£0.03) a share.

7th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Nationwide Autocentres Open Branch in Gateshead

Nationwide Autocentres, the UK’s largest independent chain of car servicing and repair centres, has opened a purpose built centre in Gateshead. The new centre is located in Retail World, Team Valley, and is able to service and repair all makes and models of vehicles, including prestige marques and fleet vehicles. It will be officially opened in August with a raft of special offers for local residents to enjoy, details of which will be announced shortly.

Nationwide Autocentres, the car repairer of the year 2007, a position held by the company four times in the last five years, is also the UK’s only AA approved service, MOT and car repair specialist. The AA will independently audit the centre every 6 months to maintain its “AA Approved Service Centre” status.

Commenting on the new centre, Duncan Wilkes, CEO of Nationwide Autocentres, said: “The new Gatshead centre is an exciting development for us. We currently operate over 200 service and repair centres in the UK and hope to have increased this to 230 by the end of the year. The new Gateshead Centre will be the flagship of our new centres and its opening marks an exciting period of expansion for us.”

4th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Expanding Retail Business a Priority for Nokian

Finnish cold weather tyre specialist Nokian has told the daily newspaper Aamulehti that it plans to expand its retail business. The company has made no secret of its desire for its retail tyre chain, Vianor, to be the leading chain in its home market, however comments made by CEO Kim Gran hint at ever greater ambitions.

“One could say our final aim is to have a retail chain which covers the globe in the lands of ice and snow,” said Gran. He further indicated that the tyremaker is considering drawing on the resources of a second company in order to accomplish its plans. “It could well be that we have a partner that then utilises our retail chain to sell its own products.”

At present the Vianor chain is present in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Russia, and the company is working at growing in Russia and the CIS countries through a partner network.

3rd September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Opens Largest Oceania Truck Tyre Store

Bridgestone has opened what they believe to be the largest truck tyre retail centre in the Australia/New Zealand region. The centre is operated by the company’s retail business, Bridgestone Select, and is located in the Adelaide suburb of Wingfield. The facility covers an area of more than 15,000 square metres and offers seven dedicated B-double work bays.

Manager of the new store, Justin Purdie, reports that the planning process for designing the Wingfield site was very thorough. “Because we can cater for all sizes of trucks up to and including road trains, we put a lot of work into ensuring access to the site is easy for all trucks. All of our bays are totally under cover and offer convenience without the hassle of uncoupling. There is no question that, with this facility, we can now maximise speed of operation and minimise down-time for drivers.”

Bridgestone Select outlets also stock a comprehensive range of products including Bridgestone and Firestone truck tyres and Bandag retreads.

31st August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop SA Introduces Hi Tech Sales Tool

Today people expect more than a basic over the counter ‘buy and sell’ retail experience. In our technology-driven world, where a cell phone doubles as a video camera, home computer and music player, where we can pause and replay television programmes at the push of a button, there is no such thing as a passive consumer anymore. Instead people demand to be entertained, involved and informed every step of the way. No wonder interactivity has become the latest buzzword in the modern sales environment internationally.

In South Africa, Dunlop Tyres has responded to this new phenomenon by initiating a new dimension to the customer experience. At Dunlop dealers countrywide, they have developed and launched a state-of-the-art Dunlop Interactive Display Module. It is claimed to be the first of its kind in the region’s tyre business.
Jenny Soons, advertising manager at Dunlop elaborates. “Enhanced interaction with the consumer is a global retail trend, providing product information in an entertaining way, and this is what the Dunlop Interactive Display Module does – it adds interest and provides consumers with an enjoyable interactive experience.”

17th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Eurostone from NDI –Tyres for Wet or Dry Winters

Nordisk Dæk Import AS (NDI) is a major supplier of tyres and wheels to European markets. The Danish company was established in 1970 and today its headquarters in the town of Brørup occupy more than 56,000 square metres of office and warehouse space. The company boasts a sizeable presence in its home market of Denmark – throughout the country NDI also operates nine strategically located branches and 50 company owned “Super Dæk Service” retail outlets, employing a total of approximately 750 people.

The company also produces wheels to order for industrial and agricultural applications, specialising in adapting rims to individual customer’s requirements. A third related field in which NDI operates is retreading. The company’s retreading subsidiary, Euroband, is Denmark’s largest manufacturer of retreaded tyres for trucks, buses, tractors and earthmovers. The Euroband facility is also located in Brørup.

17th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Improved Online Ordering at Viking

Viking is reporting that it has “vastly improved” its website and online ordering facility. The overhaul includes a special tool that allows customers to customise the website for their own use. Customers are able to upload their own logo, change the colour-scheme to match their own and display their own retail prices on screen. Special options include the ability for customers to set their valve, balance and casing disposal charges plus setting their margin levels by either percentage or value.

The improved online ordering facility allows products to be displayed by size, speed rating or price according to the customer’s preference. Special offers are highlighted and the site is constantly updated, providing the latest stock and pricing information. Customers can see what stock is immediately available from their local warehouse.

Kevin Peck, Sales Director for Viking International said: “We at Viking International want to ensure that our customers can get access to all the products they need at their convenience. Our focus is on improving and expanding that access online and the improved site is another tool to enable customers not only to make orders easily and quickly, but to use the website to their own advantage too.”

14th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Consolidating in China

International News, Product News

(Rubber Asia/sg) The aggressive forays of Korean tyre major Kumho into China, carried out with a view to establishing the country as its major overseas production base, will go a long way towards realising the company’s vision to emerge as the world’s 5th largest tyre maker by 2015. The booming Chinese tyre market is to become the most important overseas production base for the Kumho Tire Company, if its ongoing activities, the latest being the recent launch of its US$220 million wholly-owned radial truck/bus project in the Nanjing Economic and Technical Development Zone, are any indication. This is the Korean’s fourth major Chinese project, and the company hopes to ultimately produce 1.4 million tyres there annually. The groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed plant was held in May, and the first phase of the project, with an installed capacity of 300,000 tyres per year, is expected to go on stream by June 2008.

10th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

What the HiQ “Revolution” Looks Like

On the same day that Which? Magazine published details of disappointing car franchise dealer inspections, HiQ has started what it calls a “revolution” in fast-fit retail. According to the company, the launch represents much more than simply a new look, and is rather a completely new concept in tyre retail, designed to counter negative consumer perceptions of the industry. Currently HiQ sells in the region of 700,000 tyres, but the plan is increase this to 1.4 million during the next three years. This is mainly expected to be achieved through the expansion of its brand-new franchise network from 150 branches at the moment to 250 in three years time. Overall, Goodyear Dunlop is said to have invested a figure in the high single-digit millions of pounds into the HiQ overhaul.

10th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook’s Explosive Growth

Company News, International News

With so much recent media coverage of Hankook’s European activities and new state of the art facility in Hungary, it is easy to forget that Europe is only one market in which the South Korean tyremaker has plans. And while those living in Europe will naturally pay more attention to activities taking place close to home, Hankook is by no means neglecting its Asian markets, and is in fact paying particular attention to China. Recently Tyres & Accessories was given the opportunity to interview Hankook global CEO Suh Seung Hwa and find out more about the company’s aims for the large and still growing Chinese tyre market.

“China is a vibrant market,” declared Mr. Suh when asked if Hankook’s recent activity in Europe signalled any shift in priorities. He added that the tyremaker expected a large increase in sales from its Chinese operations in 2007. Between 2002 and 2004 the Chinese tyre market experienced what Mr. Suh called “explosive growth,” and by 2006 the passenger car tyre market was still increasing by more than 15 per cent per year, the largest growth of any market the tyremaker participates in.

8th August 2007/by Arno