New Vredestein Winter Sizes
Vredestein Tyres has further expanded its varied range with a number of new sizes. Vredestein has an excellent reputation as winter tyre specialist. The most new sizes are in the Wintrac Xtreme UHP winter tyre and its SUV/4x4 cousin, the Wintrac 4 Xtreme. There are no less than 11 new sizes for the Xtreme Until now, the Wintrac 4 Xtreme was available in 16 different sizes, but Vredestein has now added an additional five sizes to the range.
Continue ReadingGetting it Right
Few people in the tyre business would argue against the fact that cold weather tyres confer significant safety benefits when temperatures fall – the figure of 7ºC is the usual benchmark quoted – and yet the cold weather tyre market in the UK is a fraction of the overall total.
Continue ReadingCompound Growth
Marangoni Pneumatici has been active in the industrial tyres sector for 20 years with percentage growth figures around the double-digit mark for each of those years. Now in order to fulfil growing demand for its products, Marangoni is evaluating the possible expansion of its total production capacity through a project in “a competitive labour cost country.” Marangoni’s existing industrial tyre capacity offers a range of products including resilient solid tyres, press on bands tyres and pneumatic tyres. The current manufacturing site is ISO 9001 certified.
Continue ReadingSafe Lifting With Michelin Jacks
Motorists who work on their own vehicles at home often want to lift the car to remove a wheel or even carry out an underbody examination, perhaps of the exhaust system. The emergency jack provided with the car is designed specifically just to enable a wheel change, lifting the vehicle at the correct point by the minimum amount required only to change a flat tyre. So having a robust small trolley jack at home is a useful aid to safe lifting for more extensive work.
Continue ReadingBridgestone to Release Wireless TMPS System
According to FCC records, Bridgestone is close to releasing a wireless tyre pressure monitoring system. The system uses sensors embedded just under the tyre rim to sense tyre pressure and temperature to a handheld device. A 1.5 second alarm is sounded if the pressure is too high or too low.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Dunlop UK to List New Winter Tyres in Catalogue
Goodyear Dunlop UK is listing winter tyres in its trade catalogue this season. The best-known product in Goodyear range is the UltraGrip 7, which has won awards including the prestigious ADAC test, and is on sale for the first time in the UK ahead of this winter. “Our Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D was runner up in this test, so the company is very well prepared for winter,” corporate communications manager James Bailey told T&A, adding: “Our most recent new product is from Fulda, the Kristall. This tyre is designed for SUVs and 4x4s - ideal for the skiing holiday!”
Continue ReadingPirelli Stock Packs for Winter 2006/7
With the range of cold weather tyres becoming increasingly diverse, having knowledge of the most popular sizes is critical in making a sale. This is where Pirelli says it can help. Pirelli have prepared cold weather tyre stock packs designed to assist dealers in selecting the most popular sizes to put on their shelves. Cold Weather tyre stocks have started to arrive in Pirelli’s UK warehouses and will continue through September and October. Any company wishing to get more details can contact their Pirelli Sales Manager or email contactcentertyres.uk@pirelli.com.
Continue ReadingThe Long Arm of the Law
The legislation regarding winter tyres is diverse across Europe, but the distinctive safety advantages of winter tyres are convincing drivers and national governments to consider making the use of winter tyres compulsory. In turn this provides retailers with a strong selling point for customers that plan to drive abroad to enjoy ski holidays for example. The reasons for increased legal recognition is not only the advantages of winter tyres on snow and ice. The tyres safety benefits on slushy, wet and dry but cold roads are getting more and more recognized.
Continue ReadingFar From Frozen
With less than 1 per cent of the total UK market, no-one is saying the cold weather segment is huge, but speaking to influential market representatives reveals that the last couple of years have seen the industry make renewed efforts to raise awareness, emphasising both the safety benefits and profitability that cold weather tyres offer. Some manufacturers are even expecting the segment to total 3 million units “in the medium to long term.” Tyres & Accessories spoke to the leading cold weather players and asked what progress they have made and what’s happening next? In short the answer is growth. Many of the manufacturers surveyed by T&A said 2005 was a good year for cold-weather sales, while all were positive about their performance this year. T&A estimates, based on Europool figures suggest that almost 54,000 non-truck winter tyres were sold in the UK last year, up almost 15 per cent on 2004.
Continue ReadingRenault Business Finance Signs With Kwik-Fit Fleet
Kwik-Fit Fleet has won a rolling tyre repair and replacement contract with Renault Business Finance, which operates a fleet of over 11,000 vehicles. The contract, which went live on 1 August was won from a so-far unnamed rival supplier. The new arrangement will mean that Kwik-Fit Fleet, together with the Renault Dealer Network, will be the principal supplier of tyre services to Renault Business Finance. Michelin and Continental will be the primary tyre manufacturer suppliers under the terms of the new arrangement.
Continue ReadingSapphire Expands UK Collection Coverage
Sapphire Energy has named NW Tyres Ltd as its regional tyre collector for the North West. NW Tyres, a sister company of DME Tyres, will manage Sapphire’s tyre collections for the whole of the North West region, collecting car, van and truck tyres for processing at Sapphire’s recently opened Manchester facility. Ken Plaster, managing director of NW Tyres commented: “Sapphire has an excellent reputation in the tyre collection industry for its knowledge of tyre reprocessing, service and training and we are looking forward to a long association with them.”
Continue ReadingSapphire Processes 50 Millionth Tyre
Sapphire Energy Recovery is celebrating the recovery of its 50 millionth end of life tyre at its processing facility in West Thurrock, Essex. Sales and marketing manager, Ryan Mifflin explained: “Fifty million tyres represents a saving of more than three quarters million cubic metres of landfill space, enables tyre manufacturers to meet their producer responsibility obligations and provides tyre change depots with a sustainable disposal route.
Continue ReadingConti Narrows Search for China Production
Continental AG has narrowed the search for its first Chinese production facility to two possible locations, Tyres & Accessories has learnt. Both plots are greenfield sites and the selection is expected to come down to which area offers the best economic incentives. Continental AG board member Dr Hans-Joachim Nikolin told T&A the plant will follow the same model as the company’s recently opened, Camacari, Brazil, factory and will produce 4 to 6 million passenger car tyres and between 400,000 and 600,000 truck tyres using “standard” Continental technology.
Continue ReadingMichelin Dundee to Receive Multi-million Pound Investment
Tyres & Accessories has learnt that Michelin is planning to investment a double-digit million pound figure in its Baldovie, Dundee production facility. Yesterday the manufacturer announced the Dundee factory is to keep annual production at 6.5 million units, but plans to lay off almost 10 per cent of its workforce. Michelin’s Baldovie production plant produces Michelin, BFGoodrich and Kleber passenger car tyres exclusively in the 13 – 15-inch range.
Continue ReadingAmtel-Vredestein Obtains Credit
(Akron/Tire Review) Amtel-Vredestein is taking a 350 million ruble credit line loan at 13 per cent from Rosbank, according to a report out of Russia. The credit facility was taken by subsidiary Amtel-Chernozemie OJSC, which pledged 20 per cent of its assets (about 1,78 billion rubles) as loan security.
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