Automechanika Middle East 2011
Messe Essen and Messe Frankfurt have announced a “far-reaching strategic partnership”, aimed at strengthening the Reifen and Automechanika trade fairs. The partners expressed a joint desire to exploit “synergetic effects in sales and marketing across borders,” the most obvious of which will be package solutions for exhibitors.
With 1,324 exhibitors from 56 countries and 20,715 visitors from 120 countries, the 10th Automechanika Middle East, held recently in Dubai, proved to be a very successful show. The upbeat trend at the exhibition was a direct reflection of the extremely positive outlook for the regional aftermarket, as underlined by Dubai's most recent trade figures.
Automechanika has added India to its range of international trade fairs. With ACMA Automechanika New Delhi, which will take place from 7 to 10 February 2013, Messe Frankfurt will be offering access to the much talked about Indian market. The fair will be held in Pragati Maiden, in Halls 8, 9, 10 and 11. Member of Messe Frankfurt's executive board, Detlef Braun explained: "In ACMA, we have found a partner, who will make our new Automechanika in New Delhi into a leading event for the sector in the region. Moreover, the association will help us to get our portfolio of Automechanika fairs better known among its members."
The July edition of Tyres & Accessories is now online our e-paper format. July's magazine features special reports on EDIWheel, EM/OTR tyres and manufacturing machinery, plus reviews of Automechanika Middle East, Autopromotec and a preview of the forthcoming CITExpo in Shanghai. Subscribers can simply click more to view the latest issue.
Indian-based industrial tyre manufacturer Emrald Resilient Tyres has opened a European operation. Based in Kalmthout near Antwerp in Beglium the business, which was founded six months ago, is headed by V I Srinivas. According to company representatives, the operation consists of a marketing office and warehouse, which contains 4-5 container loads of stock and achieves about the same amount in throughput.
Data released during Automechanika Middle East shows that the overall volume of aftermarket trade that passes through Dubai is heading back to historically record levels following the recession. According to the Dubai Ports and Customs import, export and re-export figures, Dubai experienced its market peak and then decline a year later than in Europe.
Automechanika Middle East 2011 concluded on 9 June with confirmation that it was the largest international automotive aftermarket trade fair in the wider Middle East region. According to data provided by the exhibitions organisers, 17,421 visitors from over 120 countries attended the show, with a 52 per cent of them described as international visitors. In addition there were 1,102 exhibitors from 52 countries.
Following a successful Tyrexpo Asia earlier this year, Zafco, the Dubai based tyre distributor of tyres, batteries and lubricants, opted for a second high profile exhibition stand at Automechanika Middle East. Tyres & Accessories was on-hand in Dubai to find out more.
One collaboration Tyres & Accessories experienced the benefit of during Automechanika Middle East was that of Auto Strategies and CIP Development Services. The two companies work together to produce insights in the automotive markets of some of the lesser reported markets, including many in the Middle East. As well as annual vehicle sales, which are relatively easy to get hold of, the companies reports also look at the car parcs of the markets covered. And data that looks at what vehicles are currently on the market wearing out tyres is obviously of great interest to tyre companies too.
Al Dobowi Group chairman Surender Singh Kandhari’s spoke on “the emergence of budget tyres” at the recent Automechanika Middle East his argument that there is no such thing as a bad tyre may have raised some eyebrows, but it certainly got the audience thinking. Highlighting that the combination of ambitious manufacturers based in emerging markets and increasingly tough legislation has seen so-called budget brands rapidly increase sales volumes and standards, his most memorable comment came when he posited: "There are no bad tyres; only good ones and better ones.”
Following the news in April 2009 that Shandong Wanda Boto Tyre Co., Ltd., was to build a passenger car production facility nearby its existing tyre manufacturing complex in China, company representatives have given a update of the construction process. Speaking to Tyres & Accessories back then, company representatives explained how, despite the ongoing economic downturn, Boto Tyre was planning to build a 15 million passenger car radial a year plant. Around 1 billion yuan was said to have been earmarked for the expansion work.
Currently Al-Saeedi runs six outlets around Dubai serving OTR, commercial vehicle, passenger car and industrial tyre consumers’ change and repair needs. However, Tyres & Accessories has learnt that the management is now considering further expansion in the capital city of Uganda, Kampala and in Kerala, India. Al Saeedi Group set up Tyrexpress (U) Ltd. in Uganda on 13 April 2010.
With temperatures ranging between 39 and 47’C during the week of this year’s Automechanika Middle East, Dubai might seem like a bizarre place to talk about winter tyres, but that’s the position Tyres & Accessories found itself in during a conversation with Deldo Autobanden NV’s international sales and marketing manager, Rutger Veerman. In addition there was also news of a new Deldo private brand tyre.
But first the winter tyres. According to Veerman, 2011 is the first year the well-known Belgian tyre wholesaler has pre-sold winter tyres to distributors in the UK. Sales of the ironically cold weather products are also said to be booming in general with many companies across Europe failing to get enough stock during the last winter season.
Shandong Deruibao Tire Co., Ltd., produces passenger car radial tyres under two Chinese brands plus the slightly more anglicized Deruibo international export moniker. Deruibao is currently looking for international distribution partners having embarked on an export programme last March. Initially things began with the export of the firm’s truck and bus radials, but moving forward, the company hopes to do the same with passenger car radials in 2012.
The company currently manufactures 3 million all-steel tyres a year across 100 stock keeping units (SKUs), but the company began building a 24 million unit a year plant a couple of years ago. The firm already produces 13 patterns and 13 sizes of truck and bus radials.
