Last week, North American tyre dealers got the opportunity to preview Nokian Tyres’ new winter tyre, the Hakkapeliitta 7, reports Tire Review. Touted as the most technologically advanced Hakka yet, the tyre is currently available in Europe, but won’t be widely available in North America until 2011, in time for the 2011-12 winter season.
During Hankook Tire America’s recent dealer meeting in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Tire Review had the opportunity to sit down and discuss a wide range of issues with its new president Soo Il Lee, Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications, and Todd Hershberger, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
Dunlop has launched its High Performance Centre retail concept with an event at the first of its outlets in Northampton. The centre will be operated by existing Goodyear Dunlop customer Tyres Northampton, encompassing many of the features that the company says will distinguish these centres from the rest of the company’s nationwide network. These include a Dunlop-branded reception and lounge designed in a similar style to Dunlop’s VIP racetrack hospitality areas. The Dunlop High Performance Centre partnership programme also includes training for technicians, exclusive Dunlop promotions and quality standard auditing for the stores. The event was attended by leading tyre dealers.
Michelin is to promote the benefits of premium tyres with a premium brand training and incentivisation programme for dealers. The programme’s name is an acronym that stands the marketing strategy’s key areas of focus – Fuel, Longevity And Grip. The idea is that in exchange for meeting sales and training objectives tyre dealers will be able to accumulate flags, which by the end of the four-month programme could put them in line for “significant prizes.”
Speaking to Tyres & Accessories in an interview that will be published in the March issue of the magazine, new UK and Ireland car, van and 4×4 marketing manager Jianni Geras explained that the finer details of what kind of prizes the winners can expect are due to be confirmed in the next few days.
Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions has introduced two new products – the Bandag brand BDR-HT3 tread and the Firestone FT455 Plus trailer tyre – in addition to a new marketing campaign, reports Tire Review. The BDR-HT3 tread is designed for LTL fleet customers operating single-axle tractors. Used in the drive axle position, it incorporates an innovative tread compound and tread pattern that resists tears and delivers outstanding mileage and exceptional wear, the company said.
Following the success of the programme it introduced early in 2008, Federal Tire has further developed its marketing plan for tyre dealers. In order to strengthen its market position, the company has released an “image corner” – a move it hopes will help consumers gain a better understanding of Federal. The company says it aims, through the introduction of these displays in its export markets, to create a presence that “established the essence of the Federal brand” and helps the company sustain a competitive edge while improving business.
Last November, when he took the presidency of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), one of Wayne Croswell’s goals for his term was to increase the organisation’s presence in tyre recycling and other “green” issues. To achieve this goal, on January 14 TIA announced the creation of its new Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). The EAC, says the organisation, will provide strategic information, advisory services, educational programnes, and governmental assistance that promote environmental awareness throughout the tyre industry.
In the USA, the TireJobs Company has announced an upgrade to its “Post Jobs” section of the TireJobs Classified website to make posting jobs a much easier process. A “one time” free job posting is available if contact is made directly with Carl Koester, the company president. TireJobs also provides comprehensive job searches and customised employment referral services for the tyre industry at www.tirejobs.com. It is a division of TAF Management, Inc; a consulting and project management company that helps commercial tyre dealers with sales promotions, business planning and other services.
Toyo Tires has announced the agreement of distribution deals with Micheldever Tyre Services and N.E. Wholesale. The manufacturer says that the move is designed specifically to further assist its sales efforts in the UK for 2010 and beyond by increasing the presence of Toyo products among a wider number of UK tyre dealers. The deals are not exclusive brand arrangements with either distributor, but are designed to provide greater coverage for Toyo products. It says the deals will seek to present Toyo Tires in regions currently without Toyo dealers, with both Micheldever and N.E. Wholesale increasing the number of stocking points for the brand.
In December, around 70 members from the tyre industry gathered together at Coventry to attend a seminar, organised by the TIF. The seminar had only one subject – EDIWheel, or Electronic Data Interchange Wheel.
The 70 delegates represented a true cross-section of the industry and, in his introduction, David White of Kwik-Fit, said that 21 per cent of the audience were from the e-commerce sector, 20 per cent were wholesalers, 37 per cent manufacturers, 10 per cent from trade associations and 14 per cent were tyre dealers.
Two more international companies have joined TRIB, reports Tire Review. Nino Llantas S.A. is a large, well-established retreader with many locations throughout Honduras, joined the association. The company was founded in 1974. International tyre import/export form Resources International Network Inc., based locally in Florida but with headquarters in Germany, also joined. “We continue to add members as more and more companies in the new tyre and retread industries throughout the world realise that TRIB is the only international retread industry association representing new tyre manufacturers, retreaders, tyre dealers, suppliers to the retread industry and tyre repair companies,” said Harvey Brodsky, TRIB’s managing director.
Following on from its successful activities in France, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, which began in summer 2009, Euromaster is rolling out plans to expand in the German market through the introduction of a franchise system – and the company reports that numerous tyre dealers have already shown interest in working together with the tyre and wheel service provider.
When Malcolm Scovell was appointed commercial director at Michelin Tyre Plc earlier this year, his appointment marked a significant change in the company’s management as it followed the almost simultaneous appointment of Bill Schafer as commercial director of Michelin’s UK truck and bus operations in July. Now Scovell’s predecessor (Hervé de Froment) has transferred to take on a new role with Michelin in sunny Spain, Scovell – himself the former managing director of Michelin Nordic – has taken the opportunity to move to warmer (if not drier) climes. In his first full interview since taking over at Campbell Road, Tyres & Accessories asked what he brings to the role and what the market can expect in the next 12 months.
According to Malcolm Scovell, premium brands have managed to maintain their overall market share despite the pressures of the down market. However, it is clear that some have faired better than others. As far as Michelin is concerned this year is said to have been pleasingly stable: “We are confident we have been able to maintain our position…[But] if we hadn’t have taken such a broad approach to the market – fleets, distribution, OE etc – we could have lost ground.”
CGS Tyres, the international sales company for Czech Republic based Mitas a.s., has introduced a new agricultural and industrial tyre brand into its product portfolio. Known as Cultor, the new brand was first introduced to the public at this year’s Agritechnica show in Germany and is intended to occupy the budget segment of the CGS Tyres range, replacing the licensed Semperit brand on a phased introduction with immediate effect.
TRIB, the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau, reports the addition of German retreading machinery manufacturer Collmann GmbH & Co to its ranks. The Lübeck based company, which began manufacturing buffers and other retread related machinery more than 70 years ago, is today recognised as a world leader in retread and other tyre related machinery.
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