The NTDA has named Anthony C. Gruppo CEO of Marsh Commercial, motivational speaker and author, as the opening keynote presenter at its 7th Tyre Industry Conference to be held at the ICC in Birmingham on Thursday 7 October. As CEO of Marsh Commercial, Anthony now has responsibility for leading over 2,500 colleagues based in over 50 branches throughout the UK.
The 7th Tyre Industry Conference to be held at the ICC in Birmingham on Thursday 7 October 2021 (sponsored by GB Tyre UK Ltd in association with Linglong Tyres) will close-out with rugby union referee Nigel Owens speaking. According to the NTDA, Nigel Owens MBE is widely acknowledged as the best referee in rugby union. “His decision-making, approach to dealing with players, knowledge and interpretation of the rules is universally acclaimed by players, coaches and commentators”, the association stated in its announcement, adding: “He is also the sport’s only openly-gay official.”
Only one in six drivers remembered to check their tyre pressure before setting off on a long journey, according to research commissioned by Highways England. Yet one in five motorway breakdowns are caused by worn or incorrectly inflated tyres and nearly a third of drivers confessed that they’re not confident checking tyre pressure.
A coalition of trade associations (including the NTDA) and commercial organisations (including Halfords and Kwik Fit) has been formed to lobby the UK government to uphold “the rights of the independent aftermarket and consumers in the post-Brexit era.” The UK Alliance for the Freedom of Car Repair (AFCAR), which derives its name from the European group of the same name, will primarily lobby on the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulations (MV-BER), Vehicle Type Approval (including access to Repair & Maintenance Information) and Cybersecurity.
The 2021 Tyre Industry Awards finalist shortlist has been published by the NTDA. The awards are due to be presented at a ceremony sponsored for the seventh consecutive year by Sailun Tyres, during the association’s 92nd Annual Dinner on Thursday 7 October at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Birmingham. The dinner is sponsored by long-standing NTDA supplier member, and Tyre Industry Awards supporter, Maritime Cargo Services, while the awards will be hosted, once again, by popular TV personality and Rugby Union pundit Mark Durden-Smith. The 2021 finalists include many former award winners, finalists, and some new nominees.
The media might have picked up on the rhetoric of “freedom day”, but the NTDA’s recent “Keeping Tyre Centres Safe” report highlights the fact that businesses will still be required to take responsibility for managing health and safety risks: “All employers will continue to have a legal responsibility to protect workers and others from a risk to their health and safety and have a legal duty to consult workers on health and safety matters.” Here, Tyrepress.com takes a close look at the responsibility and choices facing tyre retailers.
Data in the NTDA’s “Keeping Tyre Centres Safe” report shows that 95 per cent of tyre centres keeping some or all Covid-19 measures. Providing useful insights into consumer and retail thinking on subject, the NTDA report highlights that: two-thirds of drivers are concerned about Covid-19 restrictions being lifted (this trend was most noticeable in Scotland where the figure was 69 per cent); that the majority “want to see safety measures REMAIN in tyre centres”; and that “63 per cent of the nations’ drivers would be more likely to choose (and 65 per cent more likely to trust) a tyre centre that continues to enforce safety measures”.
With the 19 July 2021 relaxation of Covid-19 legislation fast-approaching, some have dubbed next Monday as “freedom day”. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stressed that the pandemic is not over and in practice the government is passing responsibility for health and safety and social distancing onto businesses and households. With this in mind, the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) commissioned the “Keeping Tyre Centres Safe – Insight Report” and is launching a “Safe Tyre Centre Scheme” in order to help tyre distributors with the challenging choices they face. At the top of the list of difficult decisions is “which (if any) COVID-19 restrictions they will relax in their branches and workshops” after 19 July, as NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay notes in his foreword to the report.
At the end of March, UK trade association, the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) announced that it is launching a new Responsible Repairer Group (RRG) for companies providing major repairs for commercial vehicle, OTR, agricultural as well as plant and equipment tyres. The establishment of the new RRG picks up on the precedent of a similar committee that ran for 20 years until a decade ago and sought to represent the views of those offering major repairs and the companies supplying them – two areas of the tyre business that overlap with the wider retreading segment.
Halfords Autocentres has joined the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), bringing all of its 358 branches into the NTDA network. The NTDA has also confirmed that in line with the ‘Rules of the Association’, Halfords Autocentres will also have two representatives joining the NTDA’s executive council, the governing body of the association.
Michelin Tyre will sponsor the inaugural Responsible Recycler Scheme (RRS) Member of the Year Award in 2021. The National Tyre Distributors Association has added the accolade to its suite of Tyre Industry Awards, recognising its closer ties with the Tyre Recovery Association. The TRA’s Responsible Recycler Scheme has promoted best practice in tyre recycling for many years, while the sector has been generating increased interest with several key investments announced over the past 18 months. The award reflects the rising profile of tyre recycling in the UK, with the associations recognising the need to promote the best performing companies in this vital industry. Michelin’s sponsorship of the award joins the manufacturer’s commitment to switch to 100 per cent renewable, recycled and bio-based materials for its tyres by 2050, restated recently as part of the manufacturer’s strategic framework.
Several leading tyre repairers have joined the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) following the launch of the association’s Responsible Repairer Group (RRG) on 23 March. Midland Tyre Control Ltd, TRS Tyres Ltd, TS Tyre Repairs Ltd, and Jade Tyre LLP have all joined the NTDA over the last three weeks. The team in Aylesbury adds that many more membership enquiries from across the UK have been received from repairers too.
After hiatus last year, the NTDA’s Tyre Industry Awards will be back in 2021, according to the association’s chief executive Stefan Hay.
The Awards are scheduled to be presented to the winners at a ceremony sponsored by Sailun at the NTDA Annual Dinner, which is due to take place on the evening of Thursday 7 October 2021 at the ICC Birmingham, following the daytime Tyre Industry Conference sponsored by GB Tyres Ltd in association with Linglong Tire.
The National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) is launching a new Responsible Repairer Group for companies providing major repairs for commercial vehicle, OTR, agricultural as well as plant and equipment tyres. Tyres & Accessories understands that “several major repairers” have expressed interest in the group.
On 1 May 2021 new tyre labelling rules take effect across Europe. Now, the Tyre Industry Federation (TIF – the umbrella body for UK tyre associations BTMA, ITMA and NTDA) has published details of its proactive response to the rules and specifically to their implementation in the post-Brexit environment. In short, cross-industry cooperation means the latest information will be available for the market from 1 May. The UK government Department for Transport (DfT) has welcomed the tyre industry’s approach to the implementation of the new tyre labelling regulations since the solution allows the continued flow of labelling information to consumers despite initial regulatory differences between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
NTDA
NTDA
Highways England
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NTDA
NTDA
NTDA
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