Wheels
Based in East Yorkshire, point-S member, Tyremen is conspicuously active in the seasonal winter market. Not only is there a dedicated winter tyre and wheel section on the company’s website, but banners advertise both specialist seasonal products and all-season rubber in prominent positions. The retailer says it is “well prepared” for what it predicts will be “a busy winter season in 2012/13”.
In a recent press release, Italian machinery manufacturer Corghi declared that ‘revolution’ is occurring. This particular upheaval is taking place in the alignment business; on 21 January this year, after a six-year development period, Corghi released the R.E.M.O. – short for Robotic Equipment for Measuring by Optics. The R.E.M.O., whose name is also a nod to Corghi co-founder the late Remo Corghi, was conceived in response to the need to avoid all contact between a vehicle’s rim and an aligner’s clamps during measurement. Corghi says R.E.M.O. meets this goal completely, using artificial vision technology to measure toe-in, and complete 3D scanning of the wheel. This new product will be on display at Corghi’s Automechanika 2012 stand next week.
This year's Tyre & Fast Fit Awards are proving as popular as ever, with votes reaching the NTDA thick and fast, both by post and online. Voting ends on 14 September, so if you haven't yet voted for the main categories click on the link below, or copy this link into your address bar: http://www.ntda.co.uk/taff_voting_form.html.
When Reifen China opens the doors to the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center for the show between 14 and 16 November 2012, it will mark the sixth time that international tyre trade event has been held. And it comes at a good time for European buyers looking to connect with Chinese manufacturers as it is set against a backdrop of continuously increasing capacity and the relaxation of import tariffs against Chinese passenger car tyres bound for America.
Earlier this summer Speedline Truck announced the latest extension to its range, with the addition of a new product for trailer applications. The newest wheel in the Speedline Truck portfolio is the 17.5×6.75 SLT 3086, with 10 bolt holes. The wheel is designed for trailer applications with a particular focus on low platform trailers for construction and special application transports.
Kirkby Tyres’ philosophy of stocking large quantities of high quality on and off-road highway tyres and wheels to cover every possible application for both OE and replacement markets has reportedly earned the company increased business. The exclusive importer of Double Coin tyres, Kirkby reports that it has sold over a million tyres to the replacement market to date.
AlloyGator, designer and manufacturer of a British-made alloy wheel protection system, has announced the appointment of Auto4 as its UK distributor. The company says the agreement will help strengthen its UK distribution and support significant growth. Curt Rathbone, managing director of AlloyGator, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Auto4 as a key distributor. Auto4 is an organisation with a well established reputation for service and commitment to the trade which is well placed to provide support and advice to stockists and fitting centres – we look forward to a long and successful partnership.
When Rhys Millen finished his journey through the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course in a record time of 9:46, he ran on Hankook tyres – and these tyres were wrapped around HRE Performance Wheels. In congratulating Millen on his win, the German wheel manufacturer notes that he and his team have ”been relying upon HRE Performance Wheels as their trusted partner of choice for years.”
Nordisk Dæk Import A/S (NDI) reports that as of August 2012 RDP Industria de Peças Agrícolas Ltda. will serve as exclusive distributor in Brazil for the Danish company’s range of AP+ Dual wheels. RDP has been involved in Brazil’s agricultural sector since 1974 and primarily distributes to tractor and machinery producers in Brazil; the company also supplies the aftermarkets in Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.
No, Continental’s Herbert Mensching and Dr. Frank Walloch cannot conceive that a tyre maker could solely focus its development on label-related areas just to achieve sales through high ratings. The two men, respectively managing director sales and marketing at Continental’s Commercial Vehicle Tires unit and director of product development for commercial vehicle tyres in the EMEA region, believe a one-sided preference for specific development priorities will evaporate after around nine months at the very latest, as professional truck tyre users are competent at evaluating these products. Instead of placing a focus on criteria such as wet braking or rolling resistance, what is of key importance for commercial vehicle tyres, most likely more than in the passenger car tyre segment, is balanced product development in which other criteria – such as mileage and retreadability – will rank high on the list of priorities.
Yokohama HPT has expanded the size ranges of its Mugello and Rivage wheels in the UK. Sized from 17-20”, both wheels are available in staggered fitments to suit a wide range of cars. The Mugello is suited particularly to those requiring wider rims at the rear and is available in Hyper Silver or Matt Black. The Rivage can be specified in either Hyper Silver or Gloss Black with milled edges to the spokes.
The nature of business communication has changed profoundly over the half century since Starco was founded, both in terms of technology and how the workplace as a whole has evolved. Like many long-established businesses, Starco has progressed from the world of the typewriter and the fax to a world in which communication and the availability of information has become the most essential business operating parameter. During the last few years the company has operated legacy systems dedicated to separate administrative, communication and sales functions, but now Starco says it has recognised that implementing a unified online IT platform is essential for the company’s global development.
Treadsetters approached Reifen 2012 with the specific objective of introducing the passenger car range of its established Torque brand in Europe. UK based Treadsetters (part of the TIA Group) said that it had been overwhelmed by the positive response from visitors to the stand, on which the company displayed both its latest PCR and TBR ranges.
Singapore’s Stamford Tyres announced the entry onto the winter tyre market of its Firenza brand, introducing the company's initial sizes of its Nu Ice Firenza winter tyre range. Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW), a subsidiary partner of the Stamford Tyres Group, used its portion of the Stamford stand to display a new alloy wheel collection. SSW launched its latest range of Soleil alloy wheels in Europe for cars, 4×4/SUV's and light trucks.
HiQ says that the results of its latest car maintenance habits survey suggest that young motorists are putting themselves at risk by failing to take their cars in for annual services. The fast fit network cites not being able to afford the cost or ignorance of the concept of an annual service as the main reasons for this trend. 34 per cent of 500 drivers questioned opted against paying for a service, relying instead on their cars passing their MOTs in a penny saving measure. 57 per cent of those deciding against a service were drivers aged between 17 and 30, suggesting that the trend is rife amongst younger motorists.
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