ECP expands in Northern Ireland
Car parts distributor Euro Car Parts (ECP) has increased its presence in Northern Ireland with the opening of a new branch at Diviny Drive, Portadown in County Armagh.
Car parts distributor Euro Car Parts (ECP) has increased its presence in Northern Ireland with the opening of a new branch at Diviny Drive, Portadown in County Armagh.
British Gas states that the Michelin CrossClimate has “exceeded expectations”. Britain’s largest energy provider’s 13,000-strong commercial vehicle fleet has been running on the tyre for more than a year; it switched in mid-2015 after fleet manager Colin Marriott tested the tyre at a launch event in Geneva, comparing the technology to Michelin’s winter and summer tyre ranges, as well as competitors’ all-season tyres. The British Gas deal is symbolic of Michelin’s success in rethinking a tyre to be fitted year-round in moderate climates like the UK’s, set against the sustained failure to increase the share of winter tyres in the country.
Following on from the purchase of Jetyres at the end of last month, the company has shared further details of its recent growth and investment.
Universal Tyre & Autocentres is now a third and fourth generation family business with a trading history of 93 years. The company services tyre needs from cars right through to earthmovers. Latterly the company has upgraded it service offering within the car sector, as Wright explained:
Yourtyres.co.uk, an exclusive British online platform for B2B professionals from Europe’s leading online tyre retailer Delticom AG, has encouraged dealers and workshops to plan for winter in advance and ensure a competitive advantage for themselves. The platform states that it has already stocked up with winter tyres from all product segments.
Developed in conjunction with the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers at the company’s winter test track in Sweden, Yokohama offers a comprehensive range of premium winter tyres. Yokohama says its winter tyres are particularly suited to those driving high performance and rear wheel drive cars, enhancing cold weather performance when road conditions vary from cold and damp to being covered in ice. The company adds that it holds an extensive range of its winter tyre stock in its central UK distribution centre – past UK consumer behaviour suggests that winter tyres are in demand only after snow falls, so availability on a next day delivery service could be a key to picking up business.
Production capacity for passenger car and light truck tyres at Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ (SRI) Tonawanda factory in the US will double by the end of 2019 as part of a US$87 million investment the company will make over the coming four years. The Tonawanda site came under SRI ownership following the dissolution of the Japanese manufacturer’s global alliance with Goodyear Tire and Rubber last October, and the capacity increase will facilitate the tyre maker’s growing reliance upon the plant for meeting North American market demand.
K&M Tyres is the newest member of Michelin’s Exelagri dealer partnership programme. The Suffolk-based business gained this status after passing an independent 48-point quality audit that looked at key aspects of its operation, and as an Exelagri partner it has pledged to offer an extensive range of Michelin agricultural sector products and services, 24/7 breakdown support, quality tyre repairs, wheel alignment checks and the ability to fit tyres both on-site and in the field. Exelagri status also includes a commitment to offering customers a tyre delivery service, backed up by the provision of expert technical advice and aftersales support.
ZC Rubber has opened its first Westlake store in Brunei. It is also the first one in Southeast Asia and comes as part of an expansion strategy targeting Southeast Asia.
The number of commercial vehicles serviced using Goodyear’s FleetOnlineSolutions (FOS) internet-based tyre management programme is about to hit 350,000. According to the company, this is a 75 per cent increase in just three years and a new milestone for Goodyear.
ATS Euromaster’s Dunstable centre has won an International Safety Award from the British Safety Council. The centre was nominated by Andy Drake, Health and Safety Advisor at ATS Euromaster, following a routine assessment where the team was found to have an exceptional commitment to safety.
Regional European tyre wholesalers have faced several tough years, and perhaps none more so than those based in Germany. The level of transparency within this market, strong competition from online operators and low shipping costs have conspired against German tyre wholesalers and devoured turnover. We saw the country’s largest wholesaler, Reifen Ihle Baden Baden, snapped up by Michelin in 2014, and the following year the French tyre manufacturer also acquired another struggling independent wholesaler, Meyer Lissendorf. Business remains tough for independent players, and five regional wholesalers are now joining forces to take advantage of synergies and maximise their chances of survival.
For a nation so interested in weather that its obsession has become a national cliché, the UK winter tyre market has continued to elude growth, yet this is not preventing wholesaler Stapleton’s from continuing to make the case for winter tyres. The company stocks a range of premium and house brand seasonal fitments, in which it continues to see potential from both a driver safety and dealer profit perspective. Following the UK’s wettest June since records began in 1910, giving us the impression of a very short-lived summer, Stapleton’s suggested that perhaps it won’t be too much of a wrench to turn our thoughts to the coming winter, the challenges it brings for drivers, and the opportunities for tyre retailers that come in the form of winter tyre sales.
Launched at Reifen 2016, Giti Tire’s objectives for its new winter van tyre, the GT Radial Maxmiler WT2, included improvements in wet performances and safety within commercial operations, UK managing director Brian McDermott told Tyres & Accessories. At the same time, the manufacturer wanted to maintain good winter performances proven in press tests, and its high mileage in comparison with competitors. “The tyre achieved all the above targets,” he said.
Following the launch of its Reifen 2016 Innovation Award winning runflat tyre for almost every car fitted with TPMS, Bridgestone has added the DriveGuard Winter. The extended mobility and safety benefits enjoyed by drivers fitting the DriveGuard have been given a new seasonal dimension, with the technology now available in a winter tyre. Bridgestone adds that, like the summer version, the DriveGuard Winter offers high standards of cold weather performance.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has reported second quarter 2016 net income of US$71 million, an 18.3 per cent year-on-year increase on the net income achieved a year ago. Commenting on the tyre maker’s Q2 2016 result, chairman, chief executive officer and president Roy Armes noted that “Cooper closed the first half of 2016 with another outstanding quarter.”
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.