UK prestige pen manufacturer Sheaffer has added the Ferrari name to a new line of products for the first time. The iconic Italian brand was unveiled on four new Sheaffer pen models, which all include the Scuderia Ferrari Shield. The new collection features: the Ferrari VFM, the Ferrari 100, 300 and 500, all with the Scuderia Ferrari name engraved on the band, along with the Sheaffer White Dot symbol of prestige.
Writing in the UK newspaper The Times, Robert Lea says "One of the great names of the British motor industry, renowned for building high performance engines for racing teams and sports cars, has been put up for sale.
Paul Searle has recently moved into Bandvulc’s sales team to take on the role of account manager. Paul joined Bandvulc in 2003, firstly in Bandvulc Tyre Contracts (BTC) and then the company’s sales operations team. According to the company he has supported the sales team for the past seven years and will continue to work on some of the current projects such as dealing with tenders, quotes and business proposals, but will also play a bigger role within the sales activities.
To celebrate 10 years of the Performance and Responsibility Michelin programme (PRM), the Michelin Man is embarking on his first official tour to pay a special visit to some of the projects the tyre manufacturer has helped over the past decade.
A late addition to the Tyre Talk series of seminars held at Brityrex was Jane Whitelaw, senior adviser on Enforcement at the Environment Agency, whose subject was tyre disposal. Her talk, she said, would be based on two messages – are you clear about your responsibilities and how can you help the EA in its enforcement efforts?
Danish company, Nordisk Daek Import A/S (NDI) signed a significant contract with the tyre importer, Desmond Simpson & Sons Ltd of Cookstown, Northern Ireland. As of 1 October 2012 Desmond Simpson will handle exclusively the Nordexx brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the last six months, Desmond Simpson has imported a significant number of containers, boosting the sales of Nordexx in the British Isles, NDI says, leading to the decision to make Desmond Simpson the exclusive distributor.
SMMT figures show that commercial vehicle sales in September rose slightly – the 43,787 sales represented a rise of 0.8 per cent. Van registrations for the month were 39,060; up 1.1 per cent, but truck sales were down 1.5 per cent to 4,727 units.
UK tyre manufacturers and distributors are risking their long-term sustainability in order to increase sales, according the latest report issued by Plimsoll publishing. Yet while sales have seen an upsurge, the 127 companies continuing with their current business model are said to be “in danger of spiralling out of control and are heading for rocky ground. “
The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) has announced the resignation of Graham Threlfall as Head of the National Association of Bodyshops (NAB).
Commenting on the announcement, Threlfall said "I have very much enjoyed my time as Head of NAB and having played a lead role in the launch of NAB as an independent association under the RMI umbrella. I look forward to seeing the benefits of the wider initiatives NAB are launching soon.
There appears to be a collapse in the number of British towns supporting World Car Free Day on 22 September – the annual event that encourages motorists in over 1,000 towns around the globe to leave their cars at home in favour of bicycles, trains and buses. The lack of support can be blamed on slashed budgets for local government and dwindling interest in the environment, according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA); the organisation that first coordinated the event in Britain.
The latest new motorcycle and scooter figures show last month sales overall were up 3.1 per cent against August 2011. Under 50cc scooter sales were down 10.6 per cent per cent in August, while all over 50cc motorcycle sales have increased by 6.7 per cent.
The winners of a silent auction enjoyed a trip to the Formula One in Monza last weekend where the prize winners received paddock passes and hospitality courtesy of Italian tyre firm Pirelli. The auction was held in July at Evolution in Battersea as part of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity’s annual Formula One party. Pirelli donated two paddock passes to the individual who placed the highest bid on the night.
Former NTDA president and BMTR chairman Don Smith died recently at the age of 89.
Don Smith’s long and influential tyre career began after the war, when he took over the running of the family business – Birmingham Motor Tyre Repository, one of the longest established tyre businesses in the country – from his father, J. J. Smith. He was a staunch supporter of the NTDA, and was the association’s president in 1969. Later he was appointed an honorary member and also served as a trustee of the association in the early nineties.
Stamford Tyres brand, Firenza has an established presence in UK and European markets, with patterns across the PCR, UHP, light commercial and truck sectors. The brand expanded its purview in 2012 to include a recent range expansion into specialist cold weather products. Its growing portfolio now includes the winter tyre range, Nu Ice.
Sumitomo brand, Falken has launched its newest winter tyre, the Eurowinter HS449. Falken says the new tyre has an innovative tread pattern and compound to improve control and grip. It is available for delivery in the UK this month, meaning it is ready for the start of the cold weather season.
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