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Micheldever Develops Two-Wheel Efforts

The Micheldever name is well known across the tyre trade. As one of the leading UK wholesalers, Micheldever reports a turnover of £230 million, generated by selling a total of 7 million tyres each year. However, the fact that 70,000 of these are two-wheel products is something could easily be overlooked amongst all the masses of passenger (PCR) and 4×4 tyres that pass through the company each year. To those in the PCR tyre trade, this kind of volume may sound relatively small for a leading wholesaler, however in terms of the national two-wheel tyre market, this 70,000 tyres equates to just under 10 per cent share of the market. What’s more, the business has been operating at this level for the last three to four years, and as a motorbike tyre wholesaler for a decade.

4th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Preliminary Figures Show Strong Revenue Growth at Delticom

Leading European online tyre retailer, Germany’s Delticom AG, has delivered news of greatly increased 2007 financial year revenues. According to preliminary consolidated IFRS figures, year on year revenues have jumped by about 24 per cent, from 173 million euros in 2006 to 214 million euros last year. This figure is at the upper end of Delticom’s forecast (210 – 215 million euros). At the same time, EBIT of between 12.0 million and 12.5 million euros is anticipated for 2007, up from 10.2 million the previous year.

From this total revenue figure, eCommerce revenues totalled 194 million euros, an increase of 25 per cent. Revenues in Delticom’s wholesale division were up year-on-year from 18 million to 20 million euros. Delticom attributes what it views as strong growth in 2007 to the ongoing positive growth in business at its online shops, of which the company now has a total of more than 86 in 30 countries. More than 600,000 new customers were acquired in 2007, raising the total number of customers to more than 1.8 million. There has also been constant growth in the number of partner workshops: right now customers can have their tyres fitted in more than 20,000 workshops worldwide.

31st January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

The Tyre Company with a Difference

Formed in the early 1970’s, Compass Group Ltd has been involved in the UK and international tyre industry for more than three decades. And yet the significant role the Group’s tyres play in the market is perhaps underestimated. With passenger car sales of 2 million units and being a leader in the non-premium truck-tyre segment, Compass Group plays a significant role in the UK market. However, in addition to tyres, the Compass Group has a number of other strings to its bow which makes it a rather unusual player in the mainstream tyre markets. Tim Chesney, managing director of the Compass Group Ltd, told Tyres & Accessories about the breadth of the company’s operations and exciting plans to develop its tyre businesses over the next few years with GT Radial being the focus of this expansion.

30th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Amtel-Vredestein Sales Up but Debt Issues Remain

Figures released by Amtel-Vredestein for the first nine months of 2007 show increased net sales during the period, however a statement released by the company on January 29 also points to the possibility of supply disruptions resulting from difficulties in refinancing short-term debt.

For the nine months ending September 30, 2007 sales rose by 26 per cent to US$691 million, from $548 million for the same period in 2006. From this figure, sales for the company’s Russian operations (excluding the AV-TO unit) increased 18 per cent to $274.3 million, while European sales from Vredestein Banden B.V. grew 20.1 per cent to $275.4 million. Much of Amtel-Vredestein’s overall sales growth has taken place, the company reports, through increased sales at its AT-VO unit due to the acquisition of tyre and automotive parts wholesale businesses Pigma and Megashina, and the increased number of retail stores included in the consolidated results.

30th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNT’s Gamauf to Retire

The vice-president of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT), John K. Gamauf, will retire from the company effective as of May 1, 2008. Gamauf, who also holds the office of president, Consumer Replacement Tire Sales, will be replaced by John Baratta, who currently serves as vice president, North American Consumer Tires Sales, BFNT. Baratta’s successor has yet to be named. Gamauf will continue to serve on BFNT’s board of directors.

Mark A. Emkes, chairman and CEO of BFNT and its parent company, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) said: “I would like to thank John Gamauf on behalf of the entire Bridgestone Americas team for the great job he has done during his long, successful career with our company. Under his leadership, he and his team have developed the best consumer tyre dealer network in the country. Not only has he grown our consumer replacement tyre sales to record levels, he’s also done a tremendous job developing the individuals who make up his team. The result is the deepest and most talented bench in the industry. John’s truly ‘done it all’ when it comes to retail tyre sales.”

25th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Fowler Welch Coolchain Gives Michelin the Thumbs Up

Specialist food distribution company Fowler Welch Coolchain has reported an increase in operating hours and less tyre related breakdowns after switching to a Michelin X-Terminal T tyre policy for its fleet of Terberg tugs. The company operates tugs across its five distribution hubs to move trailers on and off loading bays. The move to a Michelin policy follows a six-month tyre trial using a Terberg RT222 tug fitted with X-Terminal T tyres. This in-house trial saw the Michelin-shod tug carefully monitored, with weekly tyre inspections to check for wear and damage.

22nd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

KRT Appointed Michelin UK Agricultural Tyre Wholesaler

After over 30 years of specialising in the marketing and distribution of agricultural tyres, the latest news from Kings Road Tyres (KRT) is that the Michelin recently appointed the wholesale specialist as its Agricultural Tyre Wholesaler for the UK. The announcement comes two years after Michelin appointed Kings Road Tyres as the sole supplier of its Taurus agricultural tyres to the UK. And this move in itself followed KRT’s appointment as sole supplier of the Stomil-Olsztyn / Kormoran range of products, another Michelin Group brand.

4th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Makes Sales & Marketing Appointments

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has made five key sales and marketing appointments that are as follows: Phil Kortokrax moves into the newly created position of vice president, dealer channel sales, and will be responsible for realigning the sales and marketing team with a channel and market-facing focus. Currently the general manager of Cooper’s Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, Kortokrax started his career with Cooper in 1990 and has worked in computer programming, production management, as director of internal audit. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.

Adam Zickert has accepted the position of director, wholesale channel. Zickert joined Cooper in 2005 as Great Lakes regional sales manager and most recently worked as business development manager for the North Central region. He previously worked as sales and marketing director for Rockford Products Corporation. Zickert earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rockford College, Rockford, Illinois.

17th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Who Wears the Trousers?

Editorial/Comment, News, UK News

The subject of grey marketing raises the hackles of wholesalers and manufacturers alike, with each blaming the other for its existence. So imagine my surprise when Kumho UK managing director, Steve Tidmarsh tackled the subject head-on, telling delegates at November’s Tyre Wholesaler’s Group (TWG) lunch that it is “the manufacturers who drive the grey market.”

4th December 2007/by Chris

‘Manufacturers…Drive the Grey Market’

Almost six years to the day after the Levi versus Tesco ruling (see page three for more on this), Kumho UK managing director, Steve Tidmarsh, used his recent NTDA Tyre Wholesalers Group (TWG) speech to address the subject of grey importing in a refreshingly direct fashion. “The grey market,” he observed, “always seems to increase when supply rates are poor.” He continued: “For some reason this enrages wholesalers, but let us be fair, it is often exploited by them. However, to balance that, it is also right to state that it is the manufacturers who drive the grey market and currently with the weak US dollar products are a-plenty,” he explained.

29th November 2007/by Chris

China to Play a Role in SRT’s Growth

The attendance of Russian tyre major Sibur – Russian Tyres (SRT) at CITExpo 2007 was perhaps indicative of the unique position the Shanghai show holds as the largest specialist tyre exhibition in the world’s most watched market. Exhibiting alongside the Xarello Group, an important export agent for Sibur – Russian Tyres, the Russian manufacturer and the overseas wholesaler were not seeking to raise their profile with Chinese consumers, nor were they looking for local agents to distribute tyres. So what exactly then attracted the two companies to an exhibition in Shanghai?

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Sentaida International Acquires ZT Wholesale

International News, News

The Zisser Tire Company has entered into an agreement with Sentaida International for the purchase of the Zisser Tire Wholesale operation. The acquisition by Sentaida International will be limited to Zisser’s wholesale division, and the transaction is scheduled to be completed on November 21. Sentaida International, part of the China based Sentaida Group, is currently headquartered in Southern California and owns the private brands Sentaida and Delinte. It also acts as the agent for a number of brands in the US, including Linglong UHP.

20th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Independent Thinking – Bridgestone UK’s retail strategy

Bridgestone UK’s general strategy of focusing on independent dealers is clear with 90 per cent of its sales going through this channel and only 10 per cent going through equities such as Kingsway, ATS Euromaster and HiQ. If anything the management sees its relationships with key independent dealers as even more important to truck tyre sales. Sales figures given at the Truck Point conference seem demonstrate this: 94 per cent of Bridgestone CV products are supplied through Truck Point dealers.

6th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Compass Group Appoints New Senior Sales Manager

Compass Group Ltd has announced the appointment of Raymond Attiwell to the role of senior sales manager in its Compass HD Tyres Ltd tyre wholesale division, working alongside sales director David Wragg.

Tim Chesney, Compass Group managing director, explained that this senior appointment had been made to booster the sales team in light of the recent expansion of the Group’s warehouse facilities and continued sales growth of the Company’s main GT product lines. Mr. Chesney commented “Raymond is a seasoned tyre industry professional with over 15 years of experience. He has had a senior sales role at Lassa tyres for the past 10 years and before that he was with CPK so he has the experience and in depth knowledge of the tyre industry that we require’. Raymond takes up his new position in November and says he is “delighted to be part of this dynamic sales team and I look forward to working for Compass Group and helping to build on their great successes achieved to date.”

2nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrexpo Asia: Wholesalers Keep a Strong Presence

It appears that Tyrexpo Asia – like other leading international tyre shows – represents a must-do for wholesalers from Europe. At a minimum members of these companies’ top management come to Tyrexpo Asia as visitors, but many companies each year book floor space in the Singapore Expo Centre for Tyrexpo Asia. Counted amongst the latter is the commercial tyre specialist Heuver Banden from the Netherlands, which displayed its products together with the manufacturer of the new “Maitech“ OTR tyre brand. The distribution rights of this brand have been granted to Heuver Banden for major parts of Europe by Uzmai International from Verona, Italy – however, the tyres are produced in Turkey, as Oskar Snijders, director wholesale with the Dutch distributor, explained.

26th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors