Dutch wholesaler, Van den Ban, has announced that it will add a new exclusive brand to its tyre portfolio. The new brand, Clear, is already available in a number of sizes. Van den Ban says it intends to introduce further sizes in the coming months ultimately leading to 30-size strong high performance portfolio. A further range expansion is planned for next year.
Two fully loaded trailers, with over 2,000 tyres, were stolen from Van den Ban’s headquarters in Holland last Friday. The company is appealing to members of both the UK and European tyre markets to provide any information that may lead to the recovery of these tyres.
Brityrex International aims to deliver what its organisers, ECI International, promised from the beginning – an exhibition dedicated to the tyre and related industries.
Van den Ban has upgraded the summer tyres from its Flamingo programme by replacing the 2000 Sport and 2001 Performance patterns with three new alternatives, CD1000, CD2000 and CD3000.
The company has made a further move towards establishing greater manufacturing links with Europe, as once again a European manufacturer has produced the new tread designs. Van Den Ban explains that its latest move in adopting a new manufacturing supplier has been “established to create the initial foundation for further improved, high quality tyres offering impressive technological benefits.”
Together its VDB 2010 pattern, which is produced in Japan, and the now complete Flamingo range represent what the company describes as “a popular stable of modern tyres which offers something for all sectors of the market.” VDB can now offer a range that caters for severe winter conditions right through to the highly competitive high performance sector.
In keeping with the current atmosphere of tyre industry trade events, exhibition organiser, ECI International, has released further statistics in response to both its Tyrexpo Asia and Brityrex International events.
Dutch wholesaler Van den Ban has undergone considerable changes in the past couple of years, not least of which is a change in management, with Frans van Lenten becoming managing director. The company undertook a review of all its business activities and the decision was made to concentrate purely on core activities, which in Van den Ban’s case meant tyre wholesaling and logistics. Van den Ban recently introduced a new private brand, called Novex, and other own-label brands will be added later this year. The company prefers private brands to exclusive, yet manufacturer-owned, brands, as the former allows Van den Ban total control and different brands can be aimed at different sectors of the market, or sold through different distribution channels. Last year the Van den Ban group sold around four million tyres and plans are under way for the construction of a new 24,000 square metre warehouse, capable of holding 1.2 million tyres.
Shortly before Christmas, it was announced that the two Dutch wholesalers, Intersprint and Van den Ban, were to co-operate in areas such as logistics, warehousing and transport. Under the agreement, Intersprint will purchase a number of shares from Van den Ban and it is possible that Van den Ban will buy a small amount of Intersprint’s shares. The founder of Van den Ban, Mr. Arie van den Ban, stressed that the amount of shares to be purchased by Intersprint has not yet been determined, but it will be less than fifty per cent. The two companies share up to 70 per cent of customers but want to continue to act independently in the market. Van den Ban’s managing director Simon Klapwijk and commercial director Henk van Dijk will leave the company this week; a parting which was described as “amicable” by both sides.
Under the terms of the agreement Reedijk Banden Import will operate autonomously and current managing director, Marcus Reedijk will retain responsibility for the day to day running of the company. The Van den Ban group expects to realise a much stronger market position for its wholesale tyre activities. As a result of the acquisition the turnover of Van den Ban Autobanden B.V. is expected to rise to Euro 160 million.
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