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John Bean Unveils ‘Prism’ Mobile Alignment System

John Bean, a brand within Snap-on Equipment, has introduced the Visualiner Prism, a mobile wheel alignment system ideal for workshops with lift bays unsuitable for a full 3D alignment machine. Prism is a hybrid of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) and 3D alignment technology and enables a run-out compensation procedure to be undertaken to ensure precise wheel alignment.

Accurate wireless data communication is ensured through the use of Bluetooth technology, which provides uniform alignment readings on vehicles ranging from small cars through to vans. The system also features long-life rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, with sufficient power reserves to last three days, based on three to four alignment checks per day. Furthermore, the batteries are software-controlled, providing an early low power warning to prevent interruption of an alignment procedure.

1st August 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Reports Booming Business

Kwik-Fit Fleet reports that corporate demand for its range of non-core services – vehicle servicing, MoTs and brake inspection and replacement – has soared in the first six months of 2008. In addition an increasing number of businesses and company car and van drivers are reported to be turning to Kwik-Fit Mobile for tyre repair and replacement and tyre safety checks taking demand to unprecedented levels. Kwik-Fit Fleet anticipates this demand will continue to rise as companies review their fleet operating policies in light of the continuing credit crunch.

Kwik-Fit Fleet introduced vehicle servicing and MoTs to fleet cars and vans two years ago, following a retail pilot. Earlier this year, growing corporate demand for the company to regularly service company cars and vans led to it improve its offering to businesses with the launch of its ‘While U Wait’ manufacturers’ service initiative. The 275,000 strong vehicle fleet belonging to Lex, the UK’s largest contract hire and leasing company, was the first to benefit from this new initiative.

28th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Hidden [Auto]Gem

Product News, UK News

In the last few years Autogem Motor Concepts LLP has grown rapidly from a faltering supplier to an influential player in the tyre and workshop consumable business. The turning point came in September 2005 when the Invicta group of companies took over the reins at Autogem. Initially, the new owners embarked on the project with a team of just 10.

The first major move the new managing partners, brothers Prashant and Adit Chopra, made was to consolidate Invicta and Autogem’s existing four warehouses into one bespoke distribution centre in Park Royal, London. They have been in their current warehouse/offices since April 2006 and closed Autogem’s inefficient old Leeds telesales operation in July 2007, after winding down the business’s dependency on this location. Here, the staff of 50 was reduced to just two, with the rest taking redundancy. This rapid reduction in headcount could be seen as harsh, but from Autogem’s management’s perspective it just demonstrates how inefficient the company they took over had become.

24th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Chris Kisby Wins Bid for 3 Regional HiQ Tyre Retail Franchises

Former HiQ Retail Director, Chris Kisby, has successfully bid for the South Midlands, East Midlands and West Midlands zones of the HiQ Franchise Programme. Kisby, who has 30 years experience in the tyre industry, leads an investment group who have been named as the preferred bidder for the region. He will step down from his current role of Goodyear Dunlop UK Director, Consumer Tyres with immediate effect to avoid any conflict of interest.

The announcement follows the news that a management buyout led by HiQ MD Neil Burrows and three other managers was not successful in its bid for a national retail franchise. According to a Goodyear representative, Kisby’s investment group operates independently of the quartet that proposed the management buyout. Prior to becoming Director Consumer Tyres, Chris Kisby held a number of key positions within the Goodyear group including UK Sales and Marketing Director, European Brand Director and Managing Director for Russia, Belarus and Central Asia, as well as leading the HiQ Retail network.

23rd July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bandvulc Trials Win Trailercare Contract

Bandvulc has won a tyre contract with Midlands-based trailer servicing company, Trailercare, after extensive trials of tyre products. Trailercare managing director, Mark Hemus said he had no hesitation in choosing Bandvulc and is confident that this is the right choice for his work to his blue chip customers. Hemus commented: “Trailercare has a reputation of providing quality service levels at the right prices. The selection criteria for our tyre agreement had to meet these same exacting standards, which Bandvulc achieved and exceeded.”

This arrangement also sees the tyre division of Trailercare (Total Tyre Care) being added to BTC’s list of providers in the West Midlands; a ‘win-win’ for both organisations. Total Tyre Care’s Director/Manager, Carl Falconer comments: “With the experience Bandvulc has in the tyre support network – it was an obvious choice to go down the Bandvulc route, their TSU is one of the best in the industry and is growing all the time. It assists us to be part of that growth”.

17th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Britain Turns its Back on Big Cars

Rocketing fuel prices, emissions-based car tax and climate change are taking their toll on drivers who are turning their backs on gas guzzlers and choosing smaller cars as well as public transport, according to research by insurance retailer Swinton. Swinton has analysed its motor insurance quotations database over the last 12 months and reports a dramatic increase in the numbers of motor quotations for smaller-engined cars.

Motor insurance quotations for the very largest cars on the roads including Hummers and Range Rovers have fallen by 16 per cent compared to 06/07 quotes, with Swinton also seeing a decrease in drivers seeking insurance quotes on more everyday Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), down 11 per cent in the last year. Quotes for cars with engines below 1.5 litres (diesel and petrol) have risen by an astonishing 20 per cent, a statistic that Swinton’s analysts lay squarely at the door of higher fuel prices, car tax bands and driver concerns over climate change.

17th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tecalemit Launches New HGV Pit Jacks

Tecalemit Garage Equipment Co Ltd, a UK supplier of MoT and vehicle servicing equipment is set to launch its new range of heavy duty Pit Jacks for the HGV market.

The new SS 8708 Pit Jack is developed to feature a host of safety and operating features: the new model includes a ‘quick-stroke’ device which brings the lift pads rapidly up to the load point. It also benefits from a mechanical safety latching system and mechanically assisted descent. The 15,000 kg Pit Jack has a compact design, and provides a lifting stroke of 310mm.

16th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Ray Darcy Retires After 37 Years in Tyres

After 37 years in the family business, Ray Darcy is handing over the reins to a non-family member. Ray Darcy has been with the company firstly on a part time basis, then as full time manager, since his parents set up North Eastern Tyre and Exhausts in 1971, and is now retiring from the position of Retail Director. Roger Griggs, who brings with him 27 years experience in the industry, takes up the role with immediate effect.

The company, originally known as Melbourne Tyre and Exhausts was based in Brotton but expanded quickly and today boasts 11 bases across the retail and warehouse sectors, across the entire North of England. Having run the Marske and Brotton outlets for 23 years, Ray then took over the entire retail operation and took up the reigns of chairman in 1997.

27th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Beissbarth UK Release Online Alignment Tutorial

Automotive servicing equipment manufacturer and distributer Beissbarth UK have released an online tutorial, bringing together the basics of wheel alignment in a Flash animated presentation. The guide provides an interactive education in the subjects of suspension geometry and tyre technology, taking visitors through the terminology particular to each subject with detailed explanations of concepts such as rear wheel thrust, toe adjustment and the “basic rules” of alignment. Each section of the guide provides much of interest for those needing to know more about wheel alignment.

Meanwhile, Beissbarth UK’s concern with educational matters is reflected in managing director Philip Hodges’ website statement on the shortfall in skills within the UK servicing industry. He says that the advances made by the industry in new technology are “not being matched by the availability of suitable technicians and apprentices.”

25th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Unipart Top In Workshop Survey

Unipart Automotive has been voted the most recommended brand for braking in an independent aftermarket survey about brand perception that ranked Unipart brakes as the number one choice by Workshops. The survey listed six leading aftermarket brands and asked respondents what braking brand they would recommend to their customers for fitment on a vehicle; overwhelmingly 59 per cent stated the Unipart brand. GiPA, the aftermarket intelligence organisation, conducted the poll and surveyed workshops including independent garages, auto centres, national and independent fast fits.

Unipart Automotive has launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness of its braking range and the fact that all service products, supplied by Unipart Automotive, have an Original Equipment matching quality guarantee and meet the requirements of Block Exemption. This allows independent garages to carry out servicing and maintenance on a car without invalidating the vehicle manufacturer’s warranty, provided the garage follows the vehicle assembler’s schedules.

18th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Roadrunner Tyres Invest £5000 in Refurbishing its Reception Area

Roadrunner Tyres, part of Bridgestone’s First Stop network of tyre dealerships, has invested over £5000 on the refurbishment of its reception area. The refurbishment of the site, which is based in Cabus near Preston, follows a recent expansion into servicing for cars, vans and 4x4s. These add to the facilities already on offer which include brake, suspension and exhaust repairs.

The depot has also taken advantage of the Toyota Aygo courtesy car scheme, which is available to high performing First Stop dealerships. The vehicle can be used by Roadrunner employees to go to and from work, as a courtesy car or as a general run-around for collecting parts.

Andrew Hodgkinson, managing director at Roadrunner Tyres commented: “Although our customers have always been our number one priority, these recent developments allow us to provide new and existing customers with an even better experience when visiting Roadrunner Tyres.

16th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Fleet Awards for Michelin and Kwik-Fit

Michelin and Kwik-Fit were among the companies who picked up awards at the 2008 Van Fleet World Honours ceremony, held at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, in mid May. These annual awards are presented to those companies, individuals and organisations that are judged to have achieved “the highest possible level of excellence” in the opinion of the judging panel – a panel made up industry professionals.

Van Fleet World editor John Kendall presented Michelin with the Environment Award for the tyre manufacturer’s latest Agilis van tyre, for light CVs between 2800 and 3500kg. He said that most drivers view their tyres as “round, black and not very interesting, but fitting the right tyre can have a notable impact on a fleet’s carbon footprint.”

5th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Aims to Increase Fleet Share With ‘While U Wait’ Servicing

Kwik-Fit Fleet is officially launching a new “while u wait” servicing option at the UK’s first Fleet Business Show, at the Business Design Centre, London, (29-30 April). The service will be available a roughly half of quick fits 700+ depots.And the first company to sign up to use Kwik-Fit Fleet’s new ‘While U Wait’ manufacturers’ service initiative is Lex, which, with 278,000 vehicles on its fleet, is Britain’s largest contract hire and leasing company. Lex is making the service available to all of its drivers and is the first ‘While U Wait’ service that it has adopted. The service means customers will be able to book a service at a minimum 48 hours notice, significantly quicker than at franchise dealers where up to 14 days notice could be required.

Head of Kwik-Fit Fleet Mike Wise said: “Our new vehicle servicing offering will radically shake-up the entire fleet sector as an increasing number of vehicle owners look to reduce costs and speed up service scheduling by turning to Kwik-Fit.”

29th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

NE Wholesale – Delivering High Performance

For NE Wholesale, the ability to provide three times daily deliver to customers has become a firm emphasis. To achieve this level of service, the company has built up a fleet of more than 120 vans that operate out of five distribution points, infrastructure that despite the cost of developing, has, comments NE Wholesale, been worth the expense and effort. The company has seen a growing number of customers making the switch to NE Wholesale after seeing the benefits offered by the wholesaler’s ‘Rapid Response’ one-hour service, currently enjoyed by around 65 per cent of NE Wholesale’s customers.

“This is a just-in-time service offer that works on the principal of delivering the tyres within one hour of them being ordered,” comments Ben Darcy, NE Wholesale sales & marketing director. “Our delivery service works hand in hand with our high performance tyre stock. Customers cannot afford to have large amounts of expensive premium brand product on the shelf gathering dust, and they don’t need to when they can receive the tyres within an hour of ordering.

24th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Conti Previews Upcoming New Braking System

Continental plans to launch a new-generation electronic brake system in 2011. Named the MK100, this new system will centre around a modular product family possessing a range of functions that can be scaled to suit whatever functionality and level of performance is required, from a motorcycle ABS system with or without an integral braking function right up to high-end ESC electronic stability control designs with powerful, low-pulsation pump variants. Conti believes this design concept will produce added functional value even for price-driven, entry-level versions of the system.

The MK100 ESC system even in its basic form is said to provide precise, comfortable and gentle control interventions, and the system can be readily extended in terms of functionality and performance. The range of safety and assistance functions that, depending on what a vehicle manufacturer specifies, can be incorporated into the MK100 ESC extends from Active Rollover Protection (ARP) via Trailer Stability Assist (TSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Full Speed Range ACC (FSA) through to complex, autonomous overlay functions for stabilising the vehicle. The MK100 also makes servicing much simpler, says Conti – the braking system is permanently monitored by the electronics, which will automatically detect and configure any components that have been exchanged. There is thus no further need for time-consuming calibration procedures, thereby adding to the system’s robustness and reducing time spent in the workshop.

22nd April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors