Cooper Tire and Rubber Company has entered into a new tyre distribution arrangement in Southern and Eastern Africa. Following the agreement, a newly established company called Top Draw Tyres will import the company’s full range of SUV, 4×4 and passenger Cooper manufactured products for sale Southern and Eastern Africa.
Shares in Transense Technologies rose on Friday 15 June after the sensor systems maker announced its trading division secured a strategic distribution deal with a Saudi group. The group told investors that its IntelliSAW business, a provider of wireless sensor systems for smart grid applications, has entered into a strategic distribution agreement with the energy projects and services division of Saudi Arabia’s Al Mashariq Trading and Contracting Co. The company also makes systems and tools for use in tyre TPMS and RFID applications.
Well known retail chain and buying cooperative Point S has partnered with Däckarna in Sweden to complete its collection of Scandinavian tyre operations. Founded in the 1970s Däckarna is believed to be the first purchasing group aimed at unifying the strength of independent dealers. More than 40 years later the group has 39 branches in its partnership, collectively occupying a 5 per cent market share.
Transense Technologies plc reports that its Translogik division’s iTrack tyre temperature TPMS for OTR vehicles has successfully completed field trials and is now an approved product for deployment in the southern African region. According to the company, the Customer is initially focussing on fitting the iTrack system to its haul trucks while also considering fitment to its ancillary mine vehicles, more than doubling the potential number of vehicles requiring the system.
Goodyear Wrangler AT/SA tyres have been chosen by The Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative – part of the Wild Foundation in South Africa – as the tyre of choice for its vehicles. The initiative champions anti-poaching activities in several regions of south-eastern Africa.
Apollo Tyres chairman, Onkar S Kanwar, recently inaugurated a new Component Preparation Unit at the company’s Ladysmith tyre manufacturing facility in South Africa. This 6500 square metre unit came by virtue of 300 million rand (28.461 million euros, £23.031 million, US$35 million) investment and has a new calendering machine and triplex extrusion line. According to the company, the new addition has the potential for further expansion to facilitate future growth.
Over 70 Point S UK members, staff and suppliers gathered in Solihull yesterday to reflect on the independent retail network’s development in 2011 and plans for 2012. At the end of 2011 Point S UK had 45 members and 125 points of sale. And although the group opted to slow down additions to its membership in order to ensure high standards, this is still ahead of initial goals of 100 plus points of sale within two years of the network’s inception. That said the group is now revving up its membership once again, with ambitious targets and plans for national coverage. Looking around the mini-exhibition hall next door to the conference presentations you can see that that Point S UK is still growing and gaining influence in the market.
Retail franchise operation point S has confirmed an agreement with Unity Tyre Trading, a group of 11 independent tyre dealers in South Africa. The company announced that it was pursuing international development opportunities outside Europe at Las Vegas’ SEMA show in November, and its launch in the new African territory has confirmed point S’s ambitions in this direction. Point S also strengthened its Central European operations, by signing an agreement with the Slovenian firm, Span.
South Africa’s Competition Tribunal has confirmed a 9.356 million rand (£721,712.31, 899,154 euros, US$7,241,070) penalty handed down to Maxiprest Tyres by the Competition Commission for “price fixing, division and allocation of markets and collusive tendering”, according to local news reports.
A plan by government-backed REDISA (Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa) to help deal with the growing problem of waste tyres in the country is “back on track”, according to local news sources. The government announced that the Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IIWTMP) had been signed by Minister Edna Molewa, and will deal with close to 200,000 tons of waste tyres produced in South Africa per year. The country currently recycles an estimated five per cent of tyres.
Tyrecor has announced that it will display Infinity’s branding on six taxis in the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg. The South African distributor of the brand says that it wants to increase and promote Infinity Tyres brand awareness; the campaign will last 12 months with the taxis placed strategically around the cities.
Singapore’s Stamford Tyres was awarded the 'Gold Award' for the most innovative stand at the recent Tyrexpo Africa Show 2012 in Johannesburg. Stamford says it prioritises visual presentation and the latest accolade further emphasises its dedication to the highest standards in its show stands. Daniel Eng, Stamford Tyres assistant vice president for international distribution says: “Receiving this prestigious award is a rewarding conclusion to a very successful show for Stamford tyres and South East Asia in the global tyre industry.
Michelin is running a web-based competition offering motorcyclists the chance to win a trip worth more than €20,000. The competition runs from 1 March to 30 April 2012. Michelin will also offer cashback to motorcyclists buying one or a pair of its Power Pure, Pilot Road 3, Anakee 2 or Commander II tyres in the next two months. The offer means that riders buying one tyre will be able to claim £10 and those buying a pair will be entitled to claim £25.
Net sales at Apollo Tyres increased 36 per cent year-on-year to Rs 32.28 billion (£404.75 million) in the third quarter of the 2011-12 financial year. In the three month period, which ended 31 December 2011, the tyre maker also achieved an operating profit of Rs 3.28 billion (£41.13 million), a rise of 18 per cent. Net profit, at Rs 980 million (£12.29 million), was 18.3 per cent down on the corresponding quarter a year earlier. Breaking net sales down by geographic region, the Indian tyre maker’s domestic operation generated revenue of Rs 20.93 billion (£262.43 million) during the quarter, up 46.2 per cent year-on-year, while European revenue rose 26 per cent to Rs 8.20 billion (£102.78 million) and South Africa revenue grew 28 per cent to Rs 3.83 billion (£48.04 million).
Hankook Tyre UK recently supplied 12 all-terrain Dynapro MT RT03 tyres which were fitted to two Land Rover Defenders in support of the Bhubesi Pride Project. The Bhubesi Pride Project is part of an initiative which involves a team of qualified coaching staff who shall spend six months driving through tricky terrain as they visit 15 schools in 10 African countries. The highly qualified coaching team shall be using rugby as a tool to help to educate schools and communities in Africa, both empowering teachers and uniting children through sport.
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