Tim Hercock, who was managing director of well-known Grantham-based retread manufacturer Vacu-Lug, died recently. Summing up the feelings of many colleagues, on 2 August 2024, John Chatfeild-Roberts, High Sheriff of Leicestershire 2024-25 wrote: “Deeply saddened to learn of Tim’s sudden death. High Sheriff in 2019-20, he was a glass half-full man, seriously competent and widely loved. An absolute tragedy. Rest in Peace.”
It was with profound sadness that we learned of the death of former RMA Administrative Director Sheila Ikin on 10 July, following a lengthy battle with cancer.
The rise of low-cost Chinese truck tyre imports in Europe has been well documented in the pages of various issues of our ongoing series of Retreading Special supplements. The resultant risks affecting the industry have led to pan-European awareness-raising and lobbying efforts at a European level. This in turn resulted in a European Commission (EC) investigating and on the impact of Chinese truck tyre imports on European retread sales, which began late last year. Then product registration began in February 2018. The latest news marks something of a victory for retreaders in their bid to revive the business as now we know that tariffs of between 52.85 euros and 82.17 euros per tyre are being applied to all truck and bus radials imported into Europe from China.
Considering the evolution of the retreading market in the UK to fewer and larger players, the Retread Manufacturers’ Association (RMA) has been faced with somewhat dwindling numbers of members. Consolidation has meant fewer distinct companies, which has in turn made for a reduced membership base. However, this does not necessarily equate to the reduced vitality of retreading in the UK – while certainly facing many challenges from the availability of lower-cost new tyres imported from the Far East, retreading has continued to prove relevant to a greater or lesser degree depending on prevailing macroeconomic winds.
One of the latest additions to the Tire Cologne programme is the Global Retreading Conference. According to its organisers, the European retreading association BIPAVER, “the best experts from around the world, the most important technologies, trends and developments and the best cases from all important markets” will be discussed.
The Tyre Industry Awards have been presented for 2016 during the sold-out NTDA Annual Dinner, this year hosted by the Vox Conference Centre on the site of Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre. In addition to the various gongs, the NTDA presented Sir Tom Farmer with the National Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Tyre Industry, sponsored by Hankook UK, while Brian Funnell and Lennie Wells were also made NTDA Honorary Life Members. Presented by television personality Suzi Perry, the winners were decided by a panel of leading industry judges, and the results live-tweeted by Tyrepress via its Twitter feed.
A sobering message has been issued by the Retread Manufacturers Association – the future of 2,500 employees across the UK’s tyre industry is under threat unless something is immediately done to support the local industry. The RMA has spoken out in response to this week’s announcement that Tata Steel is to cut 1,050 jobs in the UK – including 750 at Port Talbot, the country’s biggest steelworks – as a result of a slump in global demand and cheap imports, particularly from China.
Several representatives of the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the tyre industry have met with Department for Business ministers to discuss the impact of low-cost new tyres on the UK and European retreading industry, and its direct implications for employment in the retread tyre industry, the tyre recovery programme and the environment. The association said it would “press for urgent measures” to address what it argues is evidence of ‘dumping’.
The Tyre Recovery Association’s (TRA) Recycling Day, a one-day conference and dinner organised in partnership with the Retread Manufacturers Association, was held at the Ardencote Manor, Warwickshire on Friday, 19 June. Attended by representatives of the tyre and waste recycling industries, the conference included presentations covering the key themes of regulations and enforcement, best practise and innovation, and common causes and issues facing the industry. The unity of the various trade bodies struck a particularly strong note throughout the day, not just through the joint organisation of the event between the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the TRA, but with strong backing given to the event by association directors representing the whole of the UK tyre industry. The Recycling Day also marked an occasion for celebration, as the TRA celebrated its tenth anniversary.
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) us officially opposing apparent tyre registration language in the “Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America Act” or “GROW AMERICA Act” that was released on 30 March 2015. At the crux of the issue is the way which the it opens the possibility that independent tyre dealer must register who buys which tyre and send this information to the government at no cost to the consumer.
The Tyre Industry Federation (TIF), reports that it is aiming to raise awareness of its operations and the progress on matters of national importance through high-profile educational campaigns, engaging with stakeholders and fostering collaboration on key business and sustainability issues. The new plan, follows a comprehensive strategic review undertaken by TIF in order to pinpoint […]
Tire Industry Association has promised to fight a proposal by the US Rubber Manufacturers Association to reinstate a mandatory tyre registration programme, US journal Tire Review reports. During a panel on tyre registration and recalls at the Passenger Vehicle Tire Safety Symposium held by the National Transportation Safety Board, the RMA cited low registration rates of tyres sold by independent retailers as the reason behind the proposal. RMA reported that overall fewer than 20 per cent of all tyres are registered.
The latest so-called “WISH” Proposals for the storage of waste tyres would decimate the important UK retreading industry if adopted in their current form. That’s the view of Patrick O’Connell, president of the Britain’s Retread Manufactures Association (RMA) and MD of Bandvulc Tyres one of Europe’s largest independent tyre retreading businesses, who stated: “This ‘WISH’ document has been developed without any consultation whatsoever with Britain’s retreaders.”
David Wilson has stepped down from his role as Director of the UK’s Retread Manufacturers Association, a role he has filled since January 2005. He will now be taking the opportunity to focus on the management of his publishing interests including Retreading Business, Tyre & Rubber Recycling and Commercial Tyre Business.
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