2024 marks 50 years of Bulldog and 20 years of Bridgestone partnership
The Bulldog operation was founded in 1974 as part of the Sleaford Tyre Company Group and first supplied retreads to Bridgestone in the mid-1990s, before Bridgestone purchased it outright in 2005. A significant part of Bulldog’s recent history is made up of an increasingly close collaboration with Bridgestone. To be more specific, the two companies started working together in 1992, when Bulldog began making test tyres for Bridgestone. By 1995, Bulldog had become a major Bridgestone retreading partner. 10 years later, the working relationship became closer still when Bridgestone bought Bulldog. And next year market the 20th anniversary of Bridgestone’s Bulldog ownership. In the intervening years, Bridgestone global bought leading pre-cure retreading franchise, Bandag. Meanwhile, in the UK, Bridgestone grew to a position of market leadership in the bus tyre segment around 2017.
Continue ReadingAlba Tyres expanding in a contracting market: Premium retreads plus new distribution strategy equals growth for Scotland’s only retreader
Roughly two years ago, Tyres & Accessories visited Alba Tyre Management Ltd for the first time and found a professional retreading operation taking on an increasingly influential position in the Scottish retreading business by following a premium retread strategy. 24 months later, the company has grown by something like 30 per cent. We spoke to director David Wilson as well as company found Alex Wilson in order to find out how Alba has grown at such an impressive rate.
Continue ReadingMarangoni bucking market trends: 18% growth achieved in the UK in 2023
Towards the end of 2023, Phil Robinson, Marangoni senior country manager for the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and United Arab Emirates, explained the importance of the UK tyre retreading sector to sustainability as part of the annual NTDA Tyre Industry Conference. A few months later the specific impact of Marangoni’s success on the wider retreading business in the region is now becoming apparent.
Continue ReadingKraiburg Austria a Kununu Top Company again
Retreading supplier, Kraiburg Austria has been awarded the Kununu Top Company seal again in 2024 after also doing so in 2023. The seal recognises companies with high employee satisfaction and is awarded exclusively based on independent reviews on Kununu. Kununu means blank slate in Swahili and, according to the operators, stands for all companies that have not yet been rated. The platform, which was founded in Vienna, has been online since 2007 and currently employs around 130 people in Vienna, Porto, Berlin and Hamburg.
Continue ReadingBridgestone offers complete package to meet commercial fleets’ economic, sustainability goals
With commercial fleet customers facing unenviable cost pressures, Bridgestone has sought to demonstrate why its lowest total cost of ownership philosophy makes financial sense for fleets. The tyre supplier offers a complete package of fleet commercial support to promote maximum efficiency, convenience and sustainability, beginning with its premium truck tyres.
Continue ReadingLCA shows significant advantages for Marangoni Ringtread
Supported by the University of Trento’s Department of Industrial Engineering, Marangoni recently conducted a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of one of its pre-cure retreaded truck tyre products, the Ringtread Blackline WSS 300 M. It compared this with a new tyre intended for the same application. Marangoni and the department tested both tyres in size 385/65R22.5.
Continue ReadingBrenno Benaglia, a pillar of the retreading business, has passed away
After a brief illness, Brenno Benaglia, former sales director of Marangoni Pneumatici and a well-known leader in the world of retreading and tyres in general, passed away on 24 February.
Continue ReadingKraiburg Austria preparing for future retreading with “targeted measures”
As managing director Stefan Mayrhofer asserts, Kraiburg Austria believes that “retreading will become even more important in the future.” The company is “proactively preparing” for this future with “targeted measures,” including investments of nearly ten million euros over the next one and a half years.
Continue ReadingBTMA and NTDA support retreading in position statement
BTMA and NTDA support retreading in position statement
Continue ReadingR&D, TIP and Alphatread amongst Hankook’s sustainability and retreading achievements
Hankook reports that it “is committed to investing in sustainability across every aspect of a tyre’s life from sourcing sustainable raw materials to R&D focus on materials, product performance and new product developments”. When you add in the production Alphatread-branded retreaded tyres, you can see how Hankook has attained a number of sustainability achievements.
Continue ReadingBridgestone invests ~£5 million in Bulldog Bandag plant and refreshed retread range
Bridgestone is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Bulldog retread factory in Bourne, Lincolnshire with a multi-million-pound investment designed to “mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the site’s history”. Specifically, executives said the investment equates to “close to £5 million”.
Continue ReadingVaculug regains Fred Sherwood Group tyre contract
Vaculug reports that the company welcomed Fred Sherwood Group back in December 2023 after the two parties reached a long-term agreement for fleet management services and tyre supply.
Continue ReadingStuart Nicol Transport’s first driver showcases decades-long support for Michelin tyres
Stewart Peoples was the first truck driver employed by Lanarkshire logistics firm Stuart Nicol Transport. While the transport company is celebrating its 20th year in business, Peoples’ driving career stretches back more than 40 years, the majority of which have been spent rolling on Michelin’s commercial vehicle tyres. Fitted to his customised Scania S730, Peoples has proudly displayed Michelin branding on his vehicles and regularly painted his tyres with the manufacturer’s name, since he joined the company in 2004. Stuart Nicol Transport fits Michelin X Multi and X Works products on its more than 70 vehicles, with Michelin Remix retread tyres fitted to all of its 114 trailers.
Continue ReadingThe importance of the UK tyre retreading sector to sustainability
During this year’s National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) Tyre Industry Conference, Phil Robinson, Marangoni senior country manager for UK, ROI and UAE gave an impassioned and illuminating presentation on the subject of “The importance of retreading to sustainability”, which highlighted both the pressures and the opportunities associated with retreading. The word “sustainability” has become something of a by-word in the tyre business during 2023, which makes it all the more important that we take heed of what that term means.
Continue ReadingCOP 28: Rema Tip Top emphasizes importance of maintenance standards for sustainability
Rema Tip Top advocated for industrial maintenance to prioritise repair and reuse over replacement to reduce material waste at the recent COP 28 summit in Dubai. “Extending the life of industrial equipment is vital for both sustainability and efficiency,” said Michael Labbé, executive director at Rema Tip Top. Sustainability does not just involve being kind to the environment but also being smart about resources and costs. And that’s where Rema Tip Tops maintenance experts come in. According to the company, experts agree
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