With the signing of a three-year contract, Interpneu has taken on exclusive distribution of Yokohama truck/bus and OTR tyres in Germany. This arrangement takes effect in 2019 and is a further step in an established partnership between the Pneuhage Group wholesale business and Yokohama.
With the recruitment of a new layer of management completed over the last 12 months, Manchester based commercial wheel supplier Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD), best known as the distributor of Xlite and Xlite+ forged aluminium wheels, signalled its intention to raise its profile and to convey an impression of the additional expertise now offered by the company. The most immediately obvious sign of this is the company’s new corporate identity – arriving at its headquarters in Sharston, South Manchester, past visitors to the company will notice the new MWheels logo.
Under an agreement entered into with ZC Rubber Group Co. Ltd. and the Pneuhage Company Group, Danish transport and logistics company DSV A/S has gained exclusive distributor rights for the Westlake tyre brand in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. DSV will cooperate closely with official ZC Rubber European distributor Pneuhage to offer Westlake tyres to contracted hauliers and the wider commercial vehicle market in the four countries.
The European Commission has approved the joint venture proposed by Bridgestone and German tyre firm Pneuhage Management GmbH & Co. The approval granted under the EU Merger Regulation sees Pneuhage Management GmbH & Co. KG and Bridgestone Deutschland GmbH take joint control over Pneuhage Partners Group GmbH & Co. KG. Bridgestone Deutschland, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, will acquire 25 per cent of the shares in Pneuhage Partners; Pneuhage Management already holds a 75 per cent share.
A week ago we reported Bridgestone’s plan to roll its First Stop tyre retail operation in Germany into a joint venture, with a 75 per cent share in this operation to be acquired by independent retailer Pneuhage. News of this pending ownership restructure has been accompanied by a change in leadership of the national First Stop network, however the two events are not related. Frank Fuhrmann, who held the post of managing director for First Stop in the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland since 1 September 2015, has been succeeded in this role by Daniel Giroud, Bridgestone Europe’s vice-president of retail operations.
Just over a month after sharing details of growth plans for its First Stop network in the UK, Bridgestone has announced a major change in its German First Stop network. Pending approval from the relevant authorities, Pneuhage, one of the country’s largest independent tyre retailers, will acquire a 75 per cent share in a joint venture with Bridgestone Deutschland. The intention is for First Stop in Germany and its subsidiaries – retail outlets, retreading operation and partner network – to be operated by this joint venture.