NTDA names DTM as new Tyre Industry Conference partner
DTM is the headline partner for the 11th NTDA Tyre Industry Conference taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Milton Keynes on Thursday 9 October 2025.
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NTDA appoints Yokohama UK managing director to executive council
YokohamaThe National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) has appointed the managing director of Yokohama HPT, Marisa Hever-Smith, as a new executive council member. Hever-Smith will draw on 15 years’ tyre industry experience to increase the strength of the association and its members. Calling the appointment “a real honour,” Hever-Smith said her appointment would “continue and extend the close bond between Yokohama and the Association, which has been built up over many years of working together.”
21st century recruitment, cybersecurity, AI and more: NTDA heads address 2024 Tyre Industry Conference
Opening the 2024 Tyre Industry Conference, National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) chief executive, Stefan Hay, and NTDA national chairman, Martin O’Brien, drew attention both to the NTDA’s achievement and the benefits of ongoing collaboration but also to the increasingly technological challenges and opportunities facing the tyre business.
Rema Tip Top Automotive UK crowned Aftermarket Supplier of the Year 2024
NTDARema Tip Top Automotive UK was honoured with the prestigious NTDA Aftermarket Supplier of the Year 2024 award, recognising the UK division’s exceptional dedication and significant contributions to the automotive aftermarket sector. Mark Insley, chief executive of Rema Tip Top UK, expressed his delight at receiving the award: “It is extremely satisfying that all our hard work has once again been recognised by the NTDA. We truly have a great team of individuals within our organisation who care passionately about the quality of products and service we provide to our customers, and this helps to ensure the safety of millions of drivers on the roads every day.”
Pirelli sustainability measures, UK commitment seals Tyre Manufacturer of the Year award
NTDAPirelli UK was named Tyre Manufacturer of the Year at the Tyre Industry Awards 2024, recognising the company’s excellence in product innovation, sustainability, and beyond. The NTDA Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of manufacturers that have made significant contributions to the tyre industry, with the winner decided by a select panel of independent industry experts. Pirelli’s success stems from its unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability, exemplified by products like the P Zero range, including the P Zero E tyre: the first UHP tyre on the market with more than 55 per cent bio-based and recycled materials.
Red lamps, cybersecurity, labelling and the online tyre business headline 2024 NTDA conference
The themes of the 2024 Tyre Industry Conference were first outlined by NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay, who framed the current moment for the tyre trade as a time of flux. This period of change is characterised by opportunities to achieve strides forward in areas such as digitalisation, training, roadside safety and sustainability, but also significant threats to the sector, like cyberattacks and the difficulty in recruiting younger people to tyre industry roles. Hay said that the need for highly skilled workers has intensified, due to an ageing workforce, declining interest in engineering jobs, and increased demand for hybrid and remote working from the younger generation. Ultimately, it may be that progression in the evolution of the tyre industry may be realised by embracing perceived threats, Hay suggested.
Tyre Recovery Association’s vibrant forum demonstrates necessary focus on UK sector
When DME Tyres’ Bill Clarke, the Tyre Recovery Association’s president, addressed the impressively large number of delegates from across the tyre sector at the 2024 Briefing Day (Tuesday 24 September, Leamington Spa), he was in no mood to mince his words. “I don’t think the UK recycling industry can survive in its current form…with one hand tied behind its back,” he said, summing up many years of frustration for the TRA and its members. With a new government slowly – too slowly, perhaps – setting out its legislative agenda, his dramatic rhetorical tone was understandable. With several issues coming to a head, led by an end-of-life tyre (ELT) export situation that is, in every sense, unsustainable, and evolving UK legislation governing waste carriers, brokers and dealers (CBD), the association and its forum speakers demonstrated an increased urgency about the tyre recovery situation.
2024 NTDA awards nominees named
The NTDA has announced the finalists for some of its 2024 Tyre Industry Awards, which will be presented at a ceremony sponsored for the 10th consecutive year by tyre manufacturer Sailun, during the association’s 95th Annual Dinner on Thursday 10th October at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Milton Keynes. The dinner is reportedly already sold out and, once again, sponsored by Maritime Cargo Services, while the awards will be co-hosted, by international ventriloquist, comedian and TV personality Paul Zerdin.
NTDA elects new board members and executive officers
At the 95th AGM held on Thursday 25th April, the NTDA appointed two new directors to the board of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA).
The first new company board appointment, ratified unanimously by the executive council, was that of Roger Griggs communications director at European Tyre Enterprise Ltd.
Rear-facing red flashing lamps approved for tyre roadside assistance and recovery workers
The tyre roadside assistance and rescue and recovery industry have been granted permission to use rear-facing red flashing lamps. The DfT said it was considering such plans in October 2023. Prior to the latest decision, the only industries able to use red-flashing lamps were government agencies as well as Police and National Highways Traffic Officers. The final stage is a wider consultation and for the principles of the final document to be shared with the Department for Transport.
Peter Duckworth dies
NTDA Honorary Life Member Peter Duckworth died on Friday 23 February 2024 whilst on holiday in Gran Canaria. Tyres & Accessories learnt of Peter Duckworth’s passing via NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay, who gave this tribute:
BTMA and NTDA support retreading in position statement
BTMA and NTDA support retreading in position statement
Richard Edy dies aged 79
Richard Edy, who was NTDA director for 25 years, died on Tuesday 13 February aged 79. He leaves behind his wife, sister, three children and eight grandchildren. Edy served as director of the association from 1989 to 2014.
BTMA and NTDA to push for review of MOT tread depth advisories
The news that the government is maintaining annual MOTs in the present 3-1-1 regime was universally welcomed by the industry. But tyre retailers up and down the country continue to highlight the appalling reality that many tyres are changed past the legal limit and in shocking states of disrepair. For many motorists, the MOT is an annual driving sanity check, reminding them to change their tyres and other safety-critical car parts. That reality and the increasing prevalence of electric vehicle and ADAS technology have prompted calls for an upgraded MOT – not least from the BTMA and the NTDA.
NTDA welcomes UK government’s decision to retain MOT gap
NTDAThe UK’s National Tyre Distributors Association has welcomed the publication of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) response to the extensive consultation on modernising MOT testing for cars, motorbikes and vans. The association was vocal in its opposition to any extension to the current gaps in required MOT tests, namely three years after a new car’s registration and an annual test thereafter. The NTDA said its position was based “primarily on safety grounds, but also based on years of independent statistical information demonstrating that the current model works and is, overwhelmingly, supported by both the trade and UK motorists.” The consultation was launched in January 2023, with the aim of seeking views to ensure roadworthiness checks continue to balance the cost to motorists, road safety, advances in vehicle technology and tackling vehicle emissions.
