Shinjiro Tanaka takes over as ETEL CEO
European Tyre Enterprise Ltd (ETEL), which includes Kwik Fit GB and Stapleton’s Tyre Services, has announced that Shinjiro Tanaka will replace current Group CEO Yasuyuki Harada, who is returning to Japan.
European Tyre Enterprise Ltd (ETEL), which includes Kwik Fit GB and Stapleton’s Tyre Services, has announced that Shinjiro Tanaka will replace current Group CEO Yasuyuki Harada, who is returning to Japan.
Following the news that Kwik Fit has chosen Children with Cancer UK as its charity of the year, the leading fast-fit firm has announced that it is utilising its BTCC sponsorship over the 2019 season to raise funds for the charity.
The announcement is being made at the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) stand at Autosport International, the first public event for the BTCC under the new title sponsorship for 2019.
Kwik Fit has selected Children with Cancer UK as its first ever Charity of the Year. The UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people was chosen following a vote open to more than 5,000 Kwik Fit employees across the UK.
When the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) returns for the 2019 season, it will have a new title sponsor. TOCA has announced that automotive servicing and repair company Kwik Fit is succeeding Dunlop in this capacity; Goodyear Dunlop will remain tyre supplier to the BTCC under its current contract, which runs until at least 2022.
The winners of the 2018 “Tyre Industry Oscars” have been announced at the 89th National Tyre Distributors Association annual dinner, with a Bridgestone double in the tyre manufacturer and staff training and development categories headlining the event. More awards were added this year for excellence in tyre retail, with small, medium, and large business categories, as well as an overall winner. Presenting was television personality Mark Durden-Smith, who injected welcome energy and humour into procedings. Tyrepress also announced the results live via its Twitter feed.
The NTDA has announced that Paul Binks has joined the line-up of speakers for its 4th Tyre Industry Conference, sponsored by DG International, to be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Milton Keynes on 4 October.
The method of determining company car tax in the UK will change in April 2020 when the government switches over to the World Light-duty Test Procedure (WLTP) for measuring CO2 emissions, and Kwik-Fit suggests that the adoption of the WLTP could lead to larger diameter rim and tyre sizes falling out of favour.
In last year’s ranking of the top tyre retailers in the UK, Tyres & Accessories predicted that the pace of change in the top 20 chains by branch count would result in some jostling for position. This has proved entirely accurate, as two major acquisitions have brought two of 2017’s top 20 into the fold of higher ranked companies, leading to both Micheldever/Protyre, leapfrogging HiQ into fourth place as predicted last year, and Lodge Tyre, into the top 10 from joint-14th last year, making significant jumps in this year’s table. Most other retailers have held relatively stable positions in terms of the number of stores, while our most recent additions to the table, Eden Tyres (15 stores) and Elite Garages (13) were identified as narrowly missing out on places last year.
Communication and clarity with company car and van owners and drivers will be more critical than ever with this month’s introduction of MoT test changes with the new rules potentially contradicting the established Road Traffic Act, according to Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest automotive repair company.
A survey performed for Kwik Fit indicates that the pothole problem is getting worse in the UK, a trend that will surprise very few people. Based upon feedback from 2,049 respondents, it has been determined that pothole damage to vehicles last year cost a total of £915 million to repair. This is 34 per cent more than the cost calculated from a similar survey two years ago – and the rise can’t be explained away by increasing repair costs.
Leading UK tyre group, European Tyre Enterprise Ltd (ETEL), has announced a series of promotions within its senior management, including the appointment of a new CEO following Kenji Murai’s promotion to a global position with parent company, Itochu.
Almost 40 per cent of cars in the UK are running on at least one tyre that is “dangerously” or “very dangerously” underinflated.
The figures come after Michelin and Kwik Fit inspected more than 500 vehicles in Tesco car parks around the UK.
Michelin classifies tyres that are between 7psi and 14psi below the manufacturer’s recommendation as “dangerously underinflated”, while 14 psi or more underinflation is deemed to be “very dangerous.”
After a gap of some three years, Kwik Fit has regained the contract to exclusively supply a range of tyre-related services to British Gas, which operates one of the UK’s largest owner fleets. Under a new three-year contract, Kwik Fit takes over from ATS Euromaster.
Lex Autolease, the UK’s leading vehicle management and fleet leasing company, named Kwik Fit its Service Provider of the Year at its recent annual Supplier Conference. The honour comes as the two companies celebrate a 20-year sole supply arrangement.
CDG-ONE Srl, the tyre distributor owned by Segema S.p.A. (Magri Gomme Group) has reached a milestone in the expansion of Kwik Fit in Italy.
The two companies launched a partnership to introduce Kwik Fit, the largest automotive service and repair company in the UK and Holland, into Italy in March 2016. Now, at the end of October, the 10th centre has begun operations under the Kwik Fit brand.
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