Tyrepress Archives - Page 11 of 16

Global Recession Costs UK Tyre Manufacturers and Distributors £299 million

The recession has cost the UK tyre manufacturers and distributors £299 million in lost profit during the last year, according to new research by Plimsoll Publishing. David Pattison, senior analyst and author of the Plimsoll Analysis – Tyre Manufacturers & Distributors, commented: “The recession has hit the sector hard with more than half of the companies analysed in our new report making less profit than they were a year before. The bill in lost profits stands at £299 million”.

When pressed for a reason for this collapse in the bottom line of companies throughout the market, Pattison suggested: “With demand so subdued and the resultant competition, many companies are unable to charge the price they need to make healthy profit margins. In the absence of pricing power many companies will have to make painful but necessary cutbacks in the next 12 month”.

3rd December 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrepress.com e-Newsletter Readership Breaks the 10,000 Barrier

News

Tyrepress.com is celebrating the fact that more than 10,500 individual tyre industry email addresses now receive the trade publication’s leading e-Newsletter email product. The unique collection of industry news and analysis, which is produced by the experienced and award-nominated team at Tyres & Accessories and sent every working day, has seen the number of email subscribers virtually double from 5750 in December last year. To get yours free of charge, simply register for a free, no obligation 7-day trial of the website using the "Subscribe" link in the main toolbar above. No credit cards are needed and no payment will be taken.

30th November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

F1 Should Go Back to Competing Suppliers – Last Chance to Vote

News

Its seems virtually no-one likes the idea of having continuing with a control tyre in Formula One. As voting for this month’s tyrepress.com Question of the month draws to a close, an overwhelming majority of respondents said “competing tyre manufacturers make for more interesting race.” At the time of writing 93.1 per cent of voters chose this option. Therefore a mere 6.9 per cent support the concept of the world’s most prestigious motor racing series continuing with just one tyre supplier when Bridgestone bows out of this role at the end of the 2010 season.

30th November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Drops Plans for Run-Flat Line at Hungary Plant

News

Hankook has cancelled plans to include run-flat production in the current phase of expansion at the company's Racalmas, Hungary tyre manufacturing plant. Despite announcing that the company would include run-flat tyre production in this round of expansion as recently as 9 September, executive vice-president and COO of Hankook Tire Jin-Wook Choi told Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com that the company is now prioritising standard tyre production due to demand continuing to outstrip supply in Europe, particularly in terms of UHP sizes. Hankook Tire Europe managers conceded that the decision will result in cost savings and that this was a consideration in the discussions leading up to the decision, however they also pointed out that the company is on course to invest as much as 10 per cent more than the 500 million euros initially earmarked for the total project. The current second phase of construction at the Racalmas site, which started production in 2007, will see the company double current capacity from 5 to 10 million passenger car tyres annually over the next 18 months at a cost of around 230 million euros.

25th November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

The Who to Play Bridgestone-Sponsored Halftime Show

Career Tracks

Tire Review reports that venerable British band The Who – well, the two surviving members at least – is being lined up to provide the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLIV. Bridgestone Americas are the exclusive sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime.

19th November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Today is Pirelli Calendar Launch Day

Company News

Regardless of whether you view ‘girlie calendars’ as art worthy of prolonged admiration or frown upon the exposure of bare flesh, there’s no denying the influence the Pirelli Calendar – the ‘Cal’ to its friends – has imparted upon the genre. In Pirelli’s own words, the Cal is “the icon of Pirelli's communication. A symbol that for over forty years not only celebrates female beauty, but also celebrates the complexity of an art that has been able to transform itself over time.” This evening, the 2010 edition of the famous wall adornment will be launched in London – bookmark tyrepress.com to ensure you don’t miss our coverage of the prestigious event.

19th November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hawleys Tyres to Celebrate Centenary in 2010

News, Premium

Following Hawleys Tyres Ltd’s winning of the oldest tyre dealer in Britain title, Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com has compiled this overview of the company’s extensive history: Hawleys Tyres was formed by Ernest Hawley, a taxi driver who established the business by selling tyres to other taxi drivers in the area in 1910. The business grew gradually as vehicle take-up increased, before Ernest’s son Reg Hawley took over during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. During this period more depots were opened before Reg's sons David and Martin expanded the business in the 1970s. The company is now managed by Martin Hawley, his son Simon and David’s son Tim. The business employs 50 people at five branches in and around Sheffield.

According to company literature, Ernest always had an interest in motorcars, and was one of the few who pioneered motoring in its earliest days. A foreman engineer at Oughtibridge Silica Works by profession, his links with the tyre trade began when he started a motor taxi service from outside a shop that the family owned in Wadsley Lane, in the Owlerton district of Sheffield. The taxi side of the business thrived and Hawley became known for doing a lot of his own repairs. This includes the mending of punctures, which were numerous in the early days, and the fitting of new tyres he obtained. The tyre business began when car owners came to him for help with punctures and even brought tyres bought elsewhere to him for fitting.

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17th November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Hawleys is the Oldest Tyre Dealer in the UK

News, UK News

It’s official, Hawleys Tyres Ltd Company is the oldest independent tyre dealer in the UK. And in recognition of the company’s prestigious position as the nation’s longest established tyre dealership, Tyres & Accessories today awarded Martin Hawley and directors Tim and Simon Hawley with a certificate marking the achievement and a case of wine. The prize was presented by Pirelli Tyre UK managing director Dominic Sandivasci, who presented the 12 bottles of prestigious Pirelli P Zero red wine to the Hawleys.

16th November 2009/by Chris

Plimsoll: 45 UK Companies Will Finish 2009 in Difficulties

News

At the end of a turbulent 2009 analysts of Plimsoll are predicting 45 UK tyre manufacturers and distributors will be struggling to see 2010 out: “Having clung on through the bad times many of these struggling companies are going to run out of time and fail just before the recovery really takes hold. Sadly, some of them are just too weak to carry on and there will be a spike of failures in the New Year. On the flipside, their demise will bring a welcome reduction in competitive pressure for those left”.

Pattison is convinced the market is due a prolonged period of consolidation with the number of companies in trouble leading to heightened takeover activity. He explains: “With too many companies chasing weakened demand it is inevitable that there are likely to be a number of high profile mergers and takeovers. In all honesty it’s long overdue. Once demand started to flag it was inevitable companies would be caught out. This period of consolidation is needed to sort out the dead wood. We have named 21 companies as the best acquisition prospects in the market”.

3rd November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Should F1 Return to Competing Tyre Suppliers?

News

Following Bridgestone's announcement that it will walk away from Formula 1 when its current contract comes to an end at the end of the 2010 season, Tyres & Accessories' website (tyrepress.com) wants to hear your views on what should happen next. So, in order to canvas the widest possible cross-section within the tyre trade, we have posted a new question of the month and invite you and your colleagues to cast your vote. This month's question:
Now Bridgestone have ruled themselves out of F1 from 2010, how should tyres be supplied to the series?

2nd November 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Countdown to Brityrex 2010

News

With Brityrex International 2010 now less than a year away Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com introduces the first in a regular monthly series of exhibitor profiles. As part of our role as media sponsor, this new feature marks the beginning of our coverage in preparation for next October’s show. With industry observers suggesting things are looking up for the tyre business since the phrase “green shoots” was first mentioned a few month’s ago, many inside the industry are looking forward to a future bounce in the market.

In light of this one company, which has remained loyal to a dedicated UK tyre exhibition is Kings Road Tyres (KRT). Over the past 37 years Kings Road Tyres has developed into one of the UK’s leading national wholesalers, offering the trade an inventory covering the entire spectrum of product.

28th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Mytyres Adds Number-plate Fitment System

News

Delticom AG-owned Mytyres.co.uk has added a number-plate fitment option allowing drivers to find suitable tyres using just a car’s registration. Mytyres is obviously aiming to demystify the tyre buying process by offering an easier way of finding out which consumers need. Adopting this style means Mytyres joins the list of companies already using similar systems (including National Tyres’ online presence amongst others). The move also marks the beginning of trend in the market towards offering this. Tyres & Acccessories/tyrepress.com understands that some of the business’ leading online and bricks and mortar names are in advanced discussions with number-plate fitment system service providers regarding adding this facility.

28th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Watts Tyre Group Sold in Management Buyout

News

Premia Group Ltd, a private consortium led by Watts Tyre Group chief executive Jean-Paul Mindemann, has bought the Lydney, Gloucestershire-based industrial tyre producer and distributor. According to the company, Premia is owned by Jean-Paul Mindermann, Paul Morey and Andreas Karnein (Watts’ finance and technical directors) and the company will continue to trade under the Watts name.

A company spokesman told Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com that, prior to the completion of the deal, talks had being going on for a period of “weeks or even months” and the move was “a question focus” for both companies. Watts of Lydney Group apparently wants to focus on its commercial vehicle franchise business, Watts Truck & Van, Watts Urethane Products and Plysolene (its extruded plastic sheet manufacturing business).

27th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

BTMA Offices Move to New Location

News

The British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) is moving to offices outside central London. BTMA chief executive Graham Willson wrote to members this week explaining the reasons behind the move: “The way we all do business has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. An office in London is no longer a prerequisite for effective operation as a trade association,” he wrote. The decision is said to have been made after careful review we have decided to relocate our offices within easy reach of the capital. This will open new gains in efficiency and cost effectiveness whilst maintaining service to the membership.

13th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

König Wheels Boasts Video Game ‘Fitments’

Motorsport, Premium

With a raft of new motorsport video game releases comes the opportunity for top brands to score some novel recognition points within the market. König Wheels distributor, Varga Trading Company, contacted tyrepress.com to let us know that its wheels are currently optional fitments to the high performance machines featured in recent title, ‘Need for Speed: Shift’. The brand also features as part of the Audi models’ in-game livery. The ability to modify vehicles has become more prevalent in recent games, prompted by the pretty incredible choices offered by virtual racing simulator series, ‘Forza Motorsport’ (Xbox 360) and ‘Gran Turismo’ (Playstation 3). With the latest editions of both of these series due over the next few months, auto manufacturers seem to be realising the impact appearances in video games can have in brand conscious markets.

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12th October 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

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