Vaculug former directors sue new owner
Following initial claims earlier this year, a group of former shareholders and directors of retreader and commercial vehicle tyre supplier Vaculug have denied that financial accounts were manipulated ahead of its sale to Grantham Capital and launched their own legal action against the new owner.
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Bridgestone Bulldog reopening ‘in June’
Following the news at the end of April that Bridgestone Europe has restarted its new tyre manufacturing following the widespread coronavirus-related lockdowns, Tyres & Accessories asked Bridgestone UK truck and bus product manager Terry Salter to confirm reports that the Bridgestone Bulldog retreading factory in Lincolshire will reopen in June. But will that be a full opening or a gradual opening? And what about Bridgestone’s Bandag network of retread franchisees?
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Vipal Machinery aims to expand internationally
Vipal’s tyre retreading equipment development has sold 56 machines since the start of its operations in 2016. According to the company, these were sent to countries in North America, South America and Oceania. Now, the plan is planning to expand internationally.
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Bridgestone acquires former Fintyre Germany tyre trade group Reiff
Bridgestone has acquired German specialist tyre trade group, Reiff Reifen und Autotechnik GmbH. The company, part of the collapsed Fintyre Germany group, includes the Reiff, Netto and ABS brands. Reiff runs a network of 42 retail stores in the south of Germany, as well as a tyre retreading plant, all of which are part of the acquisition deal. It has more than 500 employees.
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Michelin UK resuming production at Stoke retreading factory
Michelin UK Plc is restarting operation at its retread manufacturing plant in Stoke-on-Trent, UK following as part of a pre-planned stoppage that coincided with other coronavirus-related closures around the country on 26 March 2020. In practice this means the company is planning to start receiving materials from 27 April 2020, with phased tyre production restarting from 29 April 2020.
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Berwin Industrial Polymers wins Queens Award for International Trade 2020
Berwin Industrial Polymers, which is part of Hexpol AB, was recently named amongst the winners of the Queens Award for International Trade 2020.
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Marcus Kirkness joins Vaculug operations team
Vaculug has announced that Marcus Kirkness, has joined the well-known independent retreader as fleet operations manager. Kirkness brings with him years of experience at ATS Euromaster.
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Vaculug names new MD, fleet appointments
When Zenises Group chairman Harjeev Kandhari bought Lincolnshire-based retreader Vaculug in July 2018, some questioned the logic of buying a British manufacturing business while the country was on the brink of Brexit. However, shortly afterwards he told Tyres & Accessories that the circumstances only added to the opportunity and that he had plans to invest in the business via its staff, products and production lines. 18 months on, before the Coronavirus outbreak, T&A asked Kandhari how the transition has progressed and what the company is doing to celebrate its 10th anniversary. In short, the Vaculug transition is said to be going “absolutely wonderfully”, with a new MD appointed from within the ranks of Zenises, a number of other new personnel as well as new products and a developing van tyre business.
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Bibby chose Bandvulc for third consecutive contract
Prior to Bandvulc’s contract with CSG, in autumn 2019, the fleet tyre and retread specialist entered its third contract term with distribution giant Bibby.
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CSG renews two-year tyre contract with Bandvulc
Waste management group, CSG, has committed to a further two years with Bandvulc, the retread subsidiary of Continental. The decision takes the tyre management contract between the two companies into its seventh year, at a time when fleet numbers across CSG and sister company J&G have risen to close to 150 vehicles.
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Retreader Seryt Tyres reports growth in a time of consolidation and attrition
Goodyear’s decision to exit UK retreading in 2015, followed by Continental’s 2016 takeover of Bandvulc and Vaculug’s 2018 acquisition by Zenises Group changed the face of the UK retreading business in just three years. However, while the market has both contracted and consolidated in recent years, a core group of key retreading production bases remain. And while the largest retreading businesses often gain the spotlight, it is worth mentioning fast-growing operations as well. Sussex-based Seryt Tyres is one such company, so Tyres & Accessories got in touch with director Kevin Gillin and marketing manager Olly Townsend in order to find out more.
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