Inter-Sprint meeting old & new customers at TTC

We caught up with the team at wholesaler Inter-Sprint on the final day of The Tire Cologne 2024. International brand manager Patrick Laros shared his experiences from the event as well as the latest additions to the Inter-Sprint team and product portfolio.
The first days of the Cologne show were exceptionally busy, and Laros comments that the heavy volume of traffic visiting the Inter-Sprint stand not only included familiar faces, but also resulted in a significant number of spontaneous leads. Even in this era of ubiquitous digital communication, in-person interactions remain a key part of doing business. “The human touch is very important to Inter-Sprint, and that’s why we’re here as an exhibitor,” Laros emphasises.
Growth across the entire portfolio
No new private labels have joined the Inter-Sprint portfolio this year; instead, the focus has been on extending existing ranges such as Roadhog and Mastersteel. Both have benefited from significant updates, including new all-season profiles. Inter-Sprint has been releasing these new lines in phases over the past year, and Laros is now confident of full availability for these products.
In the commercial vehicle tyre segment, Inter-Sprint prominently featured the Double Coin and Groundspeed brands during the Cologne show. Hans Bijl, who joined the company in 2023 as the International Accounts Truck Tyres and Wheels specialist, was present to offer expert advice to customers and other interested parties.
Inter-Sprint is also making strides in the motorcycle and scooter tyre market. Historically, a sister company sold these products on a small scale, but Inter-Sprint is now expanding this segment. “Our motorcycle and scooter tyre business is growing, and we offer all premium brands,” Laros notes.
The heavy volume of traffic visiting the Inter-Sprint stand included both familiar faces and a significant number of spontaneous leads (Photo: Stephen Goodchild / Tyre Industry Publications Ltd)
Challenging logistics & new regulations
Discussing logistics, Laros pointed out that prices are on the rise again, partly due to the ongoing Red Sea crisis. “Compounding logistics issues is the fact that so many containers are now sitting in harbours on the wrong side of the world, which has led to a container shortage in locations where they’re needed,” he adds. Despite these challenges, which its local partners factories are also facing, Inter-Sprint is managing to bring sufficient container loads of tyres to Europe, though it requires considerable effort to arrange.
New and upcoming EU regulations, such as the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), are also keeping Inter-Sprint’s purchase department extremely busy. The scale of the new requirements and the complexities of compliance will impact costs, making some price rises inevitable. In addition to this cost factor, Laros points out that updating databases and paperwork to reflect new rules is a major task in its own right. “We’ve conducted many meetings with companies who specialise in regulations. We need to be sure we’ve covered everything, as the regulations not only cover Inter-Sprint itself but also our customers’ activities.”
A growing team
As Laros mentioned to us, the human touch is very important to Inter-Sprint – and this extends to its own team. The company has bolstered this team of late with strategic appointments. Jeff Mansveld has joined the team as its global marketing manager. Additionally, in 2024, Wieke den Hollander came on board in a sales support role at Inter-Sprint. Both new additions are expected to strengthen Inter-Sprint’s capabilities and support its growth trajectory.
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