News from the tyre wholesale sector
Heuver Tyrewholesale is well known for its distribution of the Aeolus brand in eight key European markets, however the wholesaler is active throughout most of Europe and also offers a number of competitive ranges for the countries where it doesn’t deal in Aeolus. This year, another brand has been added to this portfolio.
The economies in the Americas are picking up, and US-based wholesaler Tire Group International therefore anticipates achieving 15 to 20 per cent growth this year. Helping the company achieve this target are several key distribution agreements including regional distribution of the Mastercraft and Galaxy brands, increased investment in marketing, and the release of new products.
Recently, Denmark-based wholesaler NDI decided to establish a warehouse in China near to where its Nordexx private brand is manufactured. From this warehouse the wholesaler will directly supply Nordexx-brand and other products to its European and international customers. Last week the first shipment of Nordexx tyres arrived in the new Qingdao warehouse, and NDI says it will have the full Nordexx range in stock there within three weeks.
During a management meeting in late February, Marangoni CEO Massimo De Alessandri discussed the company’s recent performance. In terms of the economy, he described last year as a “very tough year in Europe and above all in Italy.” Despite these conditions, he reported a rise in profitability for the Marangoni group thanks to the performance of its core retreading and tyre industry machinery businesses.
Nexen and Stapleton’s have released details of the two companies’ holiday promotion after what they have described as “an overwhelming response that exceeded all expectations…” The seven lucky winners and their travel companions are now said to be looking forward to “some serious globetrotting, in considerable style”.
Gordon Brookes, 53, has returned to Michelin’s agricultural division in Stoke-on-Trent, taking over the role of technical manager for the UK and Republic of Ireland from Laurent Mozziconacci. Brookes started his career in the early 1980s running his own company building racing and rally cars. He joined Michelin in 1987 as a multi-product line sales manager and after six years he moved into the agricultural division, where he spent three years, before progressing into the OE and wholesale side of the agricultural department.
Dunlop’s motorcycle tyre management team in the US has been expanded by the appointment of Cary Budzinski as its new general manager of sales. Budzinski begins his new role with more than 26 years at Goodyear’s retail store and consumer business units behind him; most recently he served as general manager of dealer development for Goodyear’s Consumer business unit. In his new position, Budzinski will report to Mike Buckley, Senior vice-president sales/marketing & R&D. Reporting to Cary will be Scott Dewey, Phil Waters, Fred Hassen and the rest of Dunlop’s sales force.
"The shock rise in wholesale costs is just one of the reasons why the Petrol Retailers' Assocation (PRA) has been knocking on the door of the Office for Fair Trading (OFT), since this time last year, to demand a full investigation into the workings of the UK market for road fuel" said Brian Maddersion, PRA Chairman.
The traditionally upbeat tone of Delticom’s financial reporting was slightly muted upon release of the company’s 2012 preliminary full-year figures on 23 January. The German-based online tyre retailer described 2012 as a “challenging year” and the market environment as “difficult.” Full-year revenues amounted to 456.4 million euros, a 4.9 per cent decrease on 2011.
Stapleton’s Tyre Services shares that its iPad promotion has received glowing praise from Primewell Key Dealers. Over the last three months, any Primewell Key Dealer who ordered at least 12 tyres during a single week from the brand’s UHP, high performance, comfort and van tyre ranges were entered into a weekly draw to win the coveted prize. Overall there were 11 weekly winners.
Treadsetters (part of the TIA Group) was listed in The Sunday Times 2012 Fast Track 100 Companies, which is jointly sponsored by The Sunday Times and Sir Richard Branson. Treadsetters is placed in 76th position having achieved a 60.51 per cent sales growth since the beginning of the recession in 2008 and are the only tyre company to be named in the report.
The Petrol Retailers' Association (PRA), representing the UK's independent forecourt retailers, welcomes the Deloitte Report 'Study of the UK petroleum retail market'. The report indisputably confirms that the majority fuel forecourts are running with dangerously low levels of stock and that the continued closure of forecourts is reducing onsite storage capacity across the country. The study found that independent forecourts are being forced to cut back stock levels to control working capital costs.
Micheldever wholesale director Alan Baldwin virtually declared war on illegal tyres recently, with a media campaign designed to generate considerable media interest. This resulted in him undertaking some 13 radio interviews recently reaching over 1 million radio listeners in the UK.
Kings Road Tyres (KRT) has launched a new corporate website, bringing together its full portfolio of brands online for the first time. kingsroadtyres.co.uk is designed to allow customers to identify hundreds of applications for the Truck and Bus, Agricultural, Industrial and Construction, Consumer, OTR and High Speed Crane, Pneumatic Industrial and Tubes and Flaps ranges stocked by KRT. It also provides dealers with access to KRT’s online stock enquiry and ordering system and a facility to lodge trade enquiries.
Kings Road Tyres (KRT) has announced that it will open its 2013 programme of trade show and exhibition appearances at the two-day LAMMA show in Newark, Nottingham, on 16 and 17 January.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
