Euro Car Parts asks how will VW scandal affect UK garages?
Following Klarius’ take on the Volkswagen emissions scandal, UK parts distributor Euro Car Parts has asked other experts in emissions-related repairs what they make of the VW ‘defeat device’ scandal affecting Audi, Seat, Skoda, VW and VW Commercial vehicles. Tony Wilson, managing director of Klarius, said that the “upside for the aftermarket” is the wider […]
Continue ReadingAvis: UK business drivers rent most cars
Avis UK has released findings from business traveller behaviour and attitude research showing that UK businesses are the most frequent renters of cars. While the results do not refer to tyre consumption directly, the trends picked up in the research do inform the tyre market.
Continue ReadingLogistics companies’ optimism fuels CV finance
Commenting on the Finance & Leasing Association’s figures showing increased demand for commercial vehicle finance, Carl D’Ammassa, group managing director, business finance, at Aldermore Bank, said: “Based on what we are hearing from our clients, we are not surprised by the figures from the Finance & Leasing Association showing that finance for commercial vehicles on lease and hire-purchase agreements rose 10 per cent to the year ending August 2015.
Continue ReadingEuro Car Parts to supply diagnostics equipment
Euro Car Parts is teaming up with Autologic to supply diagnostics equipment to independent workshops. The deal will see the independent parts supplier distribute diagnostics into garages in direct completion with franchise networks.
Continue ReadingTracker supports Bangers4BEN
Telematics expert, Tracker (part of the Tantalum Corporation) is getting behind BEN’s annual fundraising car rally Bangers4BEN for the very first time. To celebrate its support, Tracker is fitting complimentary battery-operated fleet telematics units to every car taking part. Friends, family and rival competitors will be able to keep track of the progress of participating teams here.
Continue ReadingNMDA ‘disappointed’ by September registrations increase
Commenting on the September figures for motorcycle registrations, released by the Motorcycle Industry Association, Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK, said: “Motorcycle registrations continued to increase with a year-to-date growth of 12.3 per cent, however it was disappointing to see that September sales were only up by 7.2 per cent following the 65-plate change.”
Continue ReadingMicheldever supports Audi at MIRA tyre event
Audi UK recently staged a three-day tyre training session for over 200 of its service advisors at MIRA support provided by Micheldever Tyre Services. According to the company, the training event was specifically designed to give attendees an insight into how tyres impact the performance and handling of vehicles, specifically the differences between new and worn tyres, summer and winter tyres, as well as the significant difference between premium and budget tyres.
Continue ReadingUnity Tyre talks 40 years of budget brand experience, potential wholesale contraction
Bristol’s Unity Tyre distributes budget brand tyres in the UK, having established itself as an independent wholesaler with the objective of providing a “one-stop-shop” service. Unity’s spokesperson said the company works closely with “tyre manufacturing suppliers including SD International to ensure we meet the demands of our customer base with continuous quality products.” Unity also commented on major issues in the UK tyre wholesale sector covered in October’s Tyres & Accessories feature, and suggested that further volatility could lead to its contraction in the near future.
Continue ReadingSava widens truck tyre range
Sava Tyres is increasing the number of truck tyre tyre sizes it offers, aiming them at giving “cost-conscious operators a greater choice”. Five new truck tyres are added to the latest generation of the Avant 4 steer, Orjak 4 drive and Cargo 4 trailer tyre ranges, covering increasingly popular low aspect ratio sizes.
Continue ReadingKirkby ‘not interested’ in adding budget products to long-standing range
Speke-based tyre wholesaler Kirkby Tyres is not concerned with the high production levels and low prices currently coming out of China at the present time, not least because it does not play a role in the car tyre market. The OTR specialist comments that it expects “more and more tyres to come in at lower prices” within the PCR market, but adds, categorically, that: “we have absolutely no interest in buying or adding budget Chinese tyres to our brand offering” within the segments in which it does operate.
Continue ReadingPirelli supports apprenticeship charter
Pirelli has announced its support for the Apprenticeship Charter from Unite and TUC. On Thursday 01 October, Pirelli representatives signed the Apprenticeship Charter at the firm’s Carlisle facility in front of members from Unite, TUC and Cogent as well as a selection of current Pirelli apprentices and managers within the engineering, maintenance and quality departments.
Continue ReadingTyreClick, CORE programme helping Micheldever support independents
Micheldever Tyre Services’ wholesale business, worth £230 million in annual sales, has taken significant steps to support the on and offline operations of its independent tyre dealer customers in 2015. The added value of MTS’ services has become increasingly important in the light of continued growth in the number of retail branches controlled by the top 20 multiples (as noted in our Tyre Retail feature in the May magazine), and the increased online competition provided by internet specialists, big retail brands from within and outside the traditional tyre sector, and now, with Michelin’s acquisition of Blackcircles.com, major tyre manufacturers themselves. Alan Baldwin, sales director at Micheldever Tyre Services, told Tyres & Accessories, “I’m confident that there isn’t another wholesaler, distributor, and in many cases, manufacturer, in the UK that invests as much money, time and resources in supporting dealers as we do.”
Continue ReadingKings Road Tyres expands portfolio with Blacklion PCR, Kingstone Turf/ATV ranges
Kings Road Tyres has added the Blacklion passenger car range and new Turf/ATV tyres from its Kingstone house brand to its portfolio. Already the exclusive distributor of Blacklion’s TBR range, KRT has extended its stock with the Sailun-produced brand’s PCR products. KRT describes Kingstone, first introduced in 1987, as being among the very first house brands developed exclusively by a UK wholesaler. The development of a new range of 50 turf and all-terrain vehicle tyres is a reflection of KRT’s strategic decision to grow its business in this specialist market.
Continue ReadingStapleton’s investment targets further growth, TPMS opportunities
Stapleton’s investment in recent years has been focused on its nationwide distribution operation – including new regional hubs and a larger delivery fleet – the wholesaler said. “It’s all been in response to the retailers’ needs – and we’re gratified by their response to the flexible and responsive operation we’ve created, with faster and more frequent deliveries,” comments Nigel O’Hara, Stapletons wholesale director. Retailer feedback has confirmed Stapleton’s customers want to stock a variety of tyre solutions at every price point, but especially in the fiercely competitive mid-market sector. The wholesaler has a range of exclusive brands in this segment, including Maxxis, Nexen, Matador, Event and Riken.
Continue ReadingManchester wholesaler exclusive GRI materials handling tyres supplier
Specialising in the production of solid and pneumatic industrial tyres and operating out of a warehouse in Manchester, Wholesale Industrial Tyres (WIT) was set up to offer more value and choice for businesses with large fleets of warehousing vehicles. WIT is the exclusive UK distributor for Sri Lankan materials handling tyre manufacturer Global Rubber Industries (GRI), importing a range of tyres suitable for heavy duty warehousing tasks. WIT currently employs five people.
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