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Halfords Aims to Add 200 Nationwide Branches, Double EBIT

With 224 branches already and another 200 on the way following Halfords’ acquisition of the business, Nationwide Autocentres is on the brink of truly becoming a nationwide operation. And while the company’s core business is MOT and servicing rather than just tyres, the scale of the new business alone is likely to have some degree of impact on national tyre sales.

Nationwide currently reports that it serves 500,000 customers each year. These are a mixture of fleet (25 per cent of revenues) and private (75 per cent). The company’s strategy is to differentiate itself within its market by being the only national operator to provide dealership quality service at lower prices. And this customer proposition is supported by a strong website. With companies like Kwik-Fit increasingly offering a wider range of services and companies like Nationwide increasing their interest in tyres, the gap between the traditional tyre specialist and autocentre is narrowing.

18th February 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Nationwide Autocentre Purchase Brings Halfords Full Circle

Company News, News, UK News

The latest developments in Halford’s complex car servicing history (see Halfords Buys Nationwide Autocentres for £73.2 million – 18/02/10), bring with them a distinct sense of déjà-vous and highlight the cyclic nature of ownership in this industry. From Halfords point of view the latest venture represents a new beginning for a business that is radically different to when it last tried car servicing.

18th February 2010/by Chris

Halfords Buys Nationwide Autocentres for £73.2 million

Company News, News, UK News

Halfords Group has bought Nationwide Autocentres in a £73.2 million deal, which managers described as the next “logical step” in its expansion plans. Nationwide, which has been owned by private equity group Phoenix since 2006, employs 900 mechanics and serves roughly 500,000 customers a year. Nationwide offers customers and fleets MOTs, servicing and repairs, but also recently increased the emphasis on tyres at its 224 outlets.

18th February 2010/by Chris

Blackcircles Launches New Website

Peebles-based Blackcircles.com has launched a new version of its website. Blackcircles, which has been operating in the tyre market for nine years, says it has overhauled its website to make the buying process more straightforward and to complement the launch of its new online servicing business.

The company launched its servicing facility in December 2009, joining up with national car parts distributer Unipart, with the aim of saving motorists up to 60 per cent compared to manufacturers’ dealerships. This services is provided via a number plate recognition system that assists consumers in booking their service. According to the new website, a similar number plate/tyre database system is due to be added to the site in “early 2010.”

15th February 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Fleet Awarded 300,000 Vehicle Lex Autolease Contract

Two of Britain’s largest suppliers to the nation’s company car and van market, Kwik-Fit Fleet and Lex Autolease, have signed what Kwik-Fit believes to be the most valuable fast-fit deal in UK fleet industry history. The three-year solus contract, estimated to be worth at least £150 million over its duration, will see Kwik-Fit Fleet supply and manage all tyre repair and replacement plus deliver a range of ancillary services, including vehicle servicing and MoTs, to the Lex Autolease fleet of more than 300,000 vehicles. The fast-fit provider won the contract, which goes live on March 1, in a competitive tender.

12th February 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

New National Sales Manager at Exide

Exide has appointed a new national sales manager. Effective February 8, this position rests in the hands of Heath Ghent, who, according to the battery supplier, brings with him a wealth of experience. Ghent’s previous roles include senior sales and marketing positions in a variety of companies, including Aggreko Ltd and Air Products PLC, servicing customers in a wide cross section of market sectors.

11th February 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Strathclyde Tyres Wins Exel Scotland Contracts Supported by Cameo

Tyre supplier Strathclyde Tyres has won the West Dunbartonshire and South Lanarkshire local authority Exel contracts. Strathclyde reports that the use of Cam Systems’ Cameo software platform has assisted Strathclyde’s account management and reporting, allowing it to develop its communication with customers. Cameo provides a foundation line-of-business application suite for tyre wholesalers and retailers. Debbie Tracey, manager at Strathclyde Tyres says: “Our partnership with Cam Systems has enabled us to improve the way in which we manage accounts and streamline our reporting process. This has allowed us to improve the way we communicate with our clients and, in turn, make us more marketable. We selected Cam as we had been looking for a software package which is specifically built to meet our needs and have been impressed with the increased visibility it has given our company.” Cameo reportedly helped to increase visibility across its two divisions – private and commercial – provided by Cam Systems, the leading software solutions provider to the independent tyre industry.

10th February 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bush Tyres Opens Second Retail Centre in Spalding

Tyre retail group BA Bush & Son and its wholesale arm B.A.B. Distribution has acquired the former Enterprise Tyres in Spalding. The move means that the family-owned business – which is a member of Grouptyre – now operates from two prime sites in the town, while it has increased its network of retail depots throughout Lincolnshire, Humberside and East Yorkshire to 16.

10th February 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Sales up 10.4% in 2009, says Kwik-Fit Fleet

In defiance of recession trends, Kwik-Fit Fleet has reported record sales, a phenomenon it attributes to an increased use of its range of services, notably mechanical work, by ‘value-for-money focused’ companies. The fast-fit firm also has benefited from companies lengthening fleet replacement cycles since the onset of the recession, which has led to increasing demand for a variety of replacement parts, including tyres. As a result, Kwik-Fit Fleet reported a 10.4 per cent rise in sales in 2009 – up to £203.6 million from the £184.4 million recorded in 2008 – due to MoTs on company cars and vans increasing 89.7 per cent year-on-year and fleet vehicle servicing rising 54.2 per cent.

22nd January 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bekaert Inaugurates Russian Tyre Cord Plant

The inauguration of Bekaert’s new steel cord facility in the Russian city of Lipetsk took place on January 20, and to mark the occasion Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev visited the plant. The Russian President and three Deputy Prime Ministers were accompanied by Bekaert CEO Bert De Graeve during their time at the site, which is located within the Lipetsk Special Economic Zone (SEZ), some 400 kilometres south of Moscow.

21st January 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Snap-on Equipment Invests in New Customer Service Van Fleet

Snap-on Equipment, whose brands include Hofmann, John Bean, Cartec and Blackhawk, has invested in a new nine-strong fleet of Vauxhall Vivaro customer service vans. Providing mainland UK-wide coverage, Snap-on Equipment’s specialist engineers offer installation, calibration, servicing and training for the company’s entire garage equipment portfolio.

20th January 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Sivik – One Of Russia's Largest Suppliers

For over a decade, the Sivik Engineering and Production Group has been manufacturing professional automotive quality repair equipment. Today the company is one of the largest suppliers in Russia of products such as wheel balancers, lifts and tyre service equipment such as tyre changers, with ISO-9001 compliant factories.

12th January 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bauer Built Builds New Iowa Tyre Centre

Durand, Wisconsin-based Bauer Built Inc. has expanded and relocated one of its oldest tyre centres, reports Tire Review. The tyre distributor, retailer and retreader moved into a new facility in Mason City, Iowa, earlier this week. The new full service tyre facility will allow Bauer Built to better serve commercial customers, including the addition of truck and bus alignment capabilities. Bauer Built originally entered the Mason City market in 1979 with a new location after servicing the market through associate dealers for a number of years.

16th December 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Fleet ‘Optimistic’ Business Will Expand in 2010

Mike Wise believes the tough times of 2009 has given companies a ‘work out’ that will enable them to be stronger and fitter in 2010. Talking about the coming year, the Kwik-Fit Fleet head comments “companies are leaner and meaner as 2010 dawns, having already cut operating costs, and that means the industry is in good shape to face up to the challenges of the New Year. Despite the impact of the January 1 implementation of the VAT rise back to 17.5 per cent, we do not expect to see the significant increase in tyre prices that we witnessed towards the end of 2008 and the early months of 2009 as the recession took hold.

11th December 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Recession-hit Motorists Skimp On Maintenance, Says Survey

Motorists may be neglecting essential vehicle maintenance in an effort to reduce their expenditure during the recession, according to research. Car expert Glass's has conducted a survey which reveals that 46 per cent of those polled have chosen to put off servicing their car or paying for repairs to tyres or bodywork. In addition, many are now choosing to avoid other car-related expenditures such as purchasing satnavs or alloy wheels.

1st December 2009/by Tyrepress Editors