Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD) has appointed Alex Kitzen to the position of European sales manager. The Manchester-based wheel distributor is targeting further growth in the trailer original equipment market.
Simon Limbrick, former business manager of Autoglass, has joined Auto Windscreens as national sales manager.
Kings Road Tyres (KRT), one of the largest specialist distributors of truck tyres in the UK, has reported substantial growth in sales of its budget ranges of TBR fitments, with volumes up 20 per cent year-on-year. KRT sells a number of exclusive budget brands including Aeolus, Antyre, Fullrun and Blacklion.
The Polish tyre and accessory racking manufacturer, Arcom has appointed Richard Ryder to the position of sales manager. Based at Arcom’s offices in Rzezawa, near Krakow, Ryder will deal mainly with UK customers, but with additional responsibility for other English-speaking customers in Europe.
First Line Group has rewarded Dominic Cox from DC Car Repairs, Oxford, and Alan Hurdley from CRM Express, Cowley, in its sales promotion for its comprehensive range of First Line branded turbo hoses. The former received a £500 Snap-on professional tools voucher, and the latter a Bose SoundLink Air digital music system after they supplied the winning turbo hoses.
On the back of an expanding original equipment portfolio and higher ultra-high performance tyre sales Hankook Tire has reported increased operating profits and sales in its third quarter, reversing a year-long downward trend. The manufacturer has global sales revenues of 1,250 million euros (KRW 1.72 trillion), with operating profit of 208 million euros (KRW 276 billion).
Kwik-Fit GB has reported operating profits of £22.922 million – almost double the 2013 figure of £11.918 million – despite annual sales remaining relatively flat (the company posted just a 1 per cent increase over 2013).
At the start of November 2013, Goodyear Dunlop appointed Nick Harley as director Consumer Tyres for Goodyear Dunlop UK and Ireland. At the end of July 2014, Tyres & Accessories caught up with him to hear – nine months in – his reflections on the current state of the tyre market and what he can foresee in the future.
It seems 2014 could be the year that tyre e-commerce hits maturity. It doesn’t seem that long ago that the NTDA published research showing that the number one method of ordering was phone and – wait for it – fax. Internet was a minority method, but e-mail (a medium of communication that is buckling under the pressure of increased demand for more and faster contacts) was showing some signs of growth. In fact it was November 2005, and therefore will soon be a decade ago. In 2014, virtually every significant wholesale and direct distribution operation is supported by a sophisticated online ordering system that is simply backed by other methods of communication.
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