Double Coin holdings Limited’s ownership of the Double Coin trademark in India has been confirmed in a dispute between the Chinese manufacturer and local distributor, Trans Tyre (India) Private Limited. The Hindu newspaper reports that the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) has ordered that the trademark registration granted to Trans Tyre in 2007 be nullified.
Pirelli Tyre SpA and Zafco have signed an agreement that will allow Zafco to use the previously mothballed Armstrong brand under license for five years. The UAE-based company has an understanding with Pirelli that it can acquire the brand from Pirelli within the five years of the licensing agreement, which was signed on 23 April, 2012. Asif Yusufzai, member of Zafco’s board of directors, described the deal as marking a momentous occasion for both Zafco and the Armstrong brand. Zafco said that Armstrong tyres will be manufactured at reputable factories commensurate with its internationally recognised high quality.
Brand representatives report that since its launch in 2005, Zeetex has developed a strong reputation for quality assurance, safety and compliance with environmental requirements, and holds an impressive range of certifications. However, manufacturing body ETRMA found at least one Zeetex branded tyre that was non-REACH compliant was found on the European market in March this year. However, speaking in a recent interview with Tyres & Accessories, the global product manager of Zeetex at Zafco, Zafar Jafri, explained explained the company’s perspective on this issue: “ETRMA found a so-called ‘dirty’ tyre. At that time we were running two production lines (one for international sales and one for Europe).” Explaining that the tyre question was certainly not intended for the European market, Jafri continued by pointing out that the mishandling that led to the aforementioned tyre’s arrival in the European Union could only have come as a result of the mishandling at the factory’s warehouse, similarly unintentional mishandling at Zafco’s distribution centre or via grey-imports.
Dubai-based Zafco has announced that it has extended its distributorship of the Zeetex tyre brand to a global scale after “the acquisition” of the role from Netherlands based S&H Tyres. Prior to this, the rights to Zeetex, which encompasses over 600 product units including tyres, batteries and lubricants, were jointly held between the two companies.
The distribution change came following Zafco’s participation at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas in November 2011, where the company showcased its Zeetex, exclusive brand.
The inaugural staging of Tyrexpo India 2011 in Chennai reportedly got off to a strong start, according to the exhibition’s organisers. The show was opened by guest of honour Sudarsan Varadaraj, managing Director of Elgi Rubber Company. He welcomed the show to India saying that the timing was right for an event that showcased the best of India’s emerging tyre and equipment aftermarket. He also pointed to a changing mind-set among domestic buyers, away from a purely price-led approach to one that was increasingly sophisticated and recognised the importance of overall value and long-term benefit.
Following a successful Tyrexpo Asia earlier this year, Zafco, the Dubai based tyre distributor of tyres, batteries and lubricants, opted for a second high profile exhibition stand at Automechanika Middle East. Tyres & Accessories was on-hand in Dubai to find out more.
Dubai-based Zafco, the only Dubai based company to exhibit at the Tyrexpo Asia 2011 held in Singapore last month, won the exhibition’s “gold award” for the most innovative stand design. Zafco’s premium brand Zeetex also participated, with all the categories of tyres including passenger, truck and bus. Visitors to the Zafco and Zeetex stands experienced interactive discussions, activities, multimedia advertisements and tyre patterns on display.
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