Tyres & Accessories July 2013

July 2013

The magazine for the tyre and wheel industries

Tyres & Accessories July 2013 www.tyrepress.com

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EDITORIAL

Explosive action – a life lesson for tyre buying consumers?

TO SAY THAT JUNE WAS AN INTERESTING MONTH US grand prix. Eight years for the tyre industry is something of an understatement. It was explosive - and in at least one case literally so. But the drama of it all offers consumers a challenging life lesson.

Of course Apollo Tyres’ agreement to purchase Cooper Tire & Rubber for US$2.6 billion is one of the biggest changes at the top of the global tyre market for more than a decade, with the smaller Indian manufacturer acquiring the larger and longer established US firm. In the process a company ranking 7th in the world is expected to be formed in a move that will have global repercussions for some time (turn to page 38 for exclusive coverage and in-depth analysis of this news). At the same time, and closer to home, certain directorial appointments in the UK wholesale business mark both the end of one era and the beginning of another, with the balance of national wholesale power shifting. But neither development are what we are focusing on here.

Then there was the literally explosive British grand prix with its five or six complete tyre failures (team sources report that even more were on the verge of going), most of which seem to have coincided with turn four of the Silverstone course.

However while the negative headlines associated with Silverstone must have some at Pirelli prayerfully repeating the “all publicity is good publicity” mantra while the latest Formula One tyre storm blows over (see page 64 for T&A first hand reporting of all the action from Silverstone), is there a hidden message for the tyre business at large?

For the tyre industry as a whole we can take the optimistic view that the striking image of a disintegrating race tyre or two raises the profile of tyre awareness in general and the need for tyres that are fit for purpose in general. Whatever went wrong at Silverstone, Pirelli remains a high performance tyre specialist with its factories routinely producing millions of tyres for some of the highest performing road vehicles in the world without any trouble at all. Remember it wasn’t so long ago that Michelin experienced similarly and arguably worse negative publicity at the ill-fated 2005

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

later no-one is suggesting that incident had any material long-term negative effect to the company’s global performance or on its product or OE reputation.

What this incident does point to is the precise importance of having the right tyres for the job.

If indeed the Silverstone punctures were produced by a sharper than expected one-inch concrete lip at turn four as has been suggested, it is not like Pirelli is unable to produce tyres that can deal with adverse conditions. Just think of the hundreds of thousands of premium 4x4 tyres the company churns out at the firm’s Dalton Road, Carlisle plant each year destined for Land Rover. And with many top range 4x4s never riding on anything other than tarmac it’s not a question of speed either. No it’s just that F1 tyres are expected to take corners like turn four faster (220+ km/h) than the landing speed of a jet plan and slide sideways across a raise lip, while at the same time gripping, offering interstellar g-force support and providing entertaining racing for all involved.

My general point is nothing to do with F1 in particular and everything to do with the importance of quality and application in general. Seeing tyres explode as they did during the grand prix weekend is good for the British public because it forces them to recognise that even some of the highest technology products available are far from indestructible. Factor that down to those consumers who are buying part worn tyres with no discernible compliance or provenance and low-cost products that barely attain labelling standards and hopefully such graphic images will make them think twice about what they fit to their car.

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Apollo Alnac 4G

Recommended ADAC:

“Good performance in almost all disciplines” TCS:

“Good on dry roads, in fuel consumption and in wear” ÖAMTC:

“Very good performance on dry roads” Aspire 4G

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Alnac 4G

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06-03-13 12:37

NEWS IN BRIEF

Westlake, Vacu-Lug host first UK Partners Day Hangzhou Zhongce flagship brand Westlake Tyres has held its first UK Partners Day with authorised UK distributor for TBR tyres, Vacu-Lug at the Land Rover Experience Centre, Rockingham Castle, Leicestershire. The brand and its distributor combined the presentation of Westlake’s TBR tyre line-up with some “serious off-roading.” Tim Hercock, from Vacu-Lug said: “Since our distribution of the Westlake brand began earlier in 2013, demand for Westlake TBR products has grown steadily… now our focus is to drive this success throughout our network of Independent truck dealers.” KK Singh, European TBR sales manager for Al Dobowi added: “It was great to receive such a positive reaction to the Westlake product range from all participants. With the support of the Al Dobowi Group and Vacu-Lug, we look forward to further expanding Westlake in the UK commercial vehicle market.” akb

Trax wins £1m Jaguar Land Rover balance weight contract UK manufacturer of balance weights, Trax JH Ltd has won a £1m per year contract to supply adhesive and clip-on products to Jaguar Land Rover. Managing director John Hallé says that the business was won on design and quality competence. The company worked with JLR engineering to develop weights to meet the tough conditions and wide variety of large wheels typically found on JLR vehicles. JLR’s business has experienced recent growth of up to 20 per cent, and Trax said it was pleased to be the chosen supplier for the prestigious UK business, referencing particularly the success of the Range Rover Evoque, built at Halewood, Liverpool. Based in Newtown, mid-Wales, Trax says it is looking forward to building on this success in the UK and European aftermarkets. Over 70 per cent of Trax sales are exported, mostly to continental Europe. akb

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Bridgestone launches ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ social media campaign

BRIDGESTONE

HAS LAUNCHED its latest online marketing campaign, utilising a new website, beeneverywhere.eu, social media and video in its effort to position the brand as “innovative and interactive”.

Revolving around exploring the world, the video is set to a soundtrack based on Johnny Cash’s ‘I’ve been everywhere’.

Jake Rønsholt, general manager, corporate and brand communications at Bridgestone Europe explained: “Part of the beauty of the campaign is that visitors to the main site can do exactly that, on just about any device.

“By letting people create their own version of the road trip using photos from

their Facebook page, Bridgestone puts fans behind the wheel of their own journey, letting them create and share their own experiences. The built-in interactive movie editor puts the driver in control, in the same way as Bridgestone tyres do.”

The ‘We’ve Been Everywhere’ campaign has been designed for interactivity and “share-ability”, Bridgestone says, with strong links to social media. The campaign will be launched via a comprehensive range of marketing initiatives including special offers, games, competitions and events. akb

Barel wins first Enduro World Series race on 27.5” Michelin tyre Fabien Barel claimed a world first in winning the first event of the Enduro World Series championship with 27.5” Michelin prototype mountain bike tyres. The world’s best riders competed in Punta Ala, Italy on Saturday, 18 May and Sunday, 19 May for the first race in the championship. Barel finished the event with a 12.5-second lead over the second-place finisher.

On the Saturday, two Michelin-shod mountain bike riders overcame difficult weather conditions to finish first and second in a field of 400 riders: Alex Cure, riding for the Urge Bike Product Enduro Team, and Barel, for the Canyon Factory Enduro Team. Out of four special stages on the Sunday Barel also claimed two.

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Michelin says that the prototype tyres are the result of two and a half years of research and development together with Barel. Alex Cure’s 26” front tyre was also a prototype Enduro, while he decided to use a 26x2.35 Michelin Wild Grip R2 Advanced Reinforced tyre on the rear. akb

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

NEWS IN BRIEF

Petlas introduces new website

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Turkish tyre manufacturer Petlas has a new website. The customer focused site allows dealers and drivers to search products by size, segment or product name, with increased product information and more logical organisation.

Oguz Ay, director of international marketing and sales at Petlas said the company had “spent the past year listening and talking to the users of www.petlas.com”, and that the new site tries to make users’ experience “more straightforward and user friendly” as a result.

"The new site is a one-stop-resource, for customers,” Oguz explained. akb

Armagh biker to meet Rossi following Bridgestone promotion

GM Tyres manager Philip Headley (left) with Armagh winner David Hoy

Armagh motorcyclist David Hoy will meet nine-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi after he became the winner of Bridgestone’s European ‘Mission Rossi’ competition.

The 46 year-old will fly out to the Netherlands for the Assen round of the MotoGP championship, where he will receive VIP passes, accommodation, and a private meet and greet with the Italian legend. Hoy visited GM Tyres to get his Honda VFR800 fitted with new tyres ahead of a biking weekend in the Isle of Skye. Centre manager Philip Headley recommended the Bridgestone T30 tyres to him: “Philip said the T30s were better in the wet as well as the dry, so I decided to get them fitted. I was also told I could win a prize to meet Rossi, but I didn’t think I’d have a chance!” akb

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Just Tyres opens £500k Newbury centre Just Tyres has opened a new centre in Newbury, Berkshire on the site formerly run by A&B Tyres. The independent garage reportedly invested more than £500,000 in the new centre, creating six new jobs in the process. This investment, including extensive renovation work and new state-of-the-art machinery, is being backed by Bridgestone, which is offering a series of sales incentives to coincide with discount offers on its range at the store.

Just Tyres’ managing director Ian Grant said: “We are thrilled to boast a presence in Newbury and we are confident that motorists in the area will come to value us as an indispensable offering. I believe in giving customers the best service in the industry and that’s why we have always had happy and loyal customers.”

Grant’s strategy for his Newbury business includes four promises designed to separate his tyre offering to competitors.

Just Tyres promises: transparent pricing, a maximum 20 minute wait, with dis-

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counts available for customers waiting longer, a wider variety of stock, and expert staff conducting all work manually.

This latter promise includes a policy of not using air guns, instead tightening wheel nuts by hand and a torque wrench to ensure the exact tightness.

Bridgestone’s training development manager Mark Fereday said: “Just Tyres appear to have a compelling presence in Newbury and have done a huge amount of work to create a fantastic retail offering… We are delighted to be boasting a Bridgestone presence through the creation of this Just Tyres centre and will be working with the team closely in the weeks and months to come.” akb

Bridgestone inflatable stands 'increasing footfall' As a manufacturer of inflatable products, it could be considered rather apt that the world’s largest tyre-maker should use compressed air to its advantage in its promotional activities.Two new eight metre radius displays, utilised so far at Donington Circuit, the Yorkshire Show, Props and Pistons and the CLA Game Fair, are helping Bridgestone to increase its impact at outdoor events in 2013.

BRIDGESTONE SAYS THE PAIR OF INFLATABLE UNITS have the twin benefits of

being easy to construct and, more importantly, separating Bridgestone from other exhibitors. Communications manager Andy Dingley said that the investment was already yielding results for the brand, with footfall figures increasing like-on-like for popular shows where have been in need of an adaptable, flexible and eye-catching stand for some Bridgestone exhibit annually.

“The feedback we have had from the time, in order to do our products justice. ‘domes’ has been really encouraging. We akb

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TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

NEWS IN BRIEF

Wheelwright appointed UK MAK wheels distributor

THIS?

REMEMBER

Stories from the past 20 years of T&A

July 1993 Getting in before the rush: Pirelli signed an agreement to build a new tyre factory in Southern China, at Haikou, Hainan Island.

Goodyear restructured its European regional organisation "in order to strengthen its position in the European marketplace."

July 1998 Kumho opened its new European Technical Centre, situated in the UK, close to Birmingham.

Titan International Inc. acquired 81 per cent of Uruguayan tyre manufacturer Fabrica Uruguaya de Neumáticos.

July 2003 Reports in Indian media suggested that Michelin was carrying out a tyre market analysis in order to determine the viability of investing in a manufacturing facility in the sub-continent.

German insurance group Allianz reduced its holding in Continental from 7.7 per cent to 4.97 per cent.

July 2008 Cooper revealed plans to invest US$ 31 million in a tyre manufacturing joint venture in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Michelin increased its stake in Hankook to 9.98 per cent, sparking off speculation about a possible takeover bid.

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Wheelwright has been appointed official distributor for premium Italian wheel manufacturer MAK in the UK. The wheel supplier says MAK is at the forefront of cutting edge design with a range that covers almost every market, fitment and type of vehicle. MAK’s commercial range includes both five and six-stud fitments and load indexing to cover the heaviest and toughest applications. Wheelwright managing director Kevin Greer pronounced the company “delighted” to have added the “peerless” MAK brand to its portfolio.

In addition to its contemporary design features and wide model coverage, the MAK collection includes certain fitments with an OEM style EH2 run-flat hump, while all designs feature a three year warranty and full TÜV approval.

MAK’s Gothenburg Silver on a Volvo V40 Greer commented: “We are naturally delighted to add this superb range to our already impressive line-up. The quality of MAK wheels is peerless and the design language is simply stunning. Logistically, we’re also very proud that our considerable stockholding will allow most designs to go out in the UK the very next day, with special orders from Italy taking only as little as 2 or 3 days to deliver. Backed with such high quality approval and warranty backing, I think, alongside our other brands, they’ll become a very popular choice on cherished cars this year.” akb

ATS Euromaster awarded RoSPA accreditation ATS EUROMASTER has been awarded a safety accreditation by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in its 2013 Safety Awards. ATS-E reduced the number of lost time accidents, recording an unprecedented 25 per cent reduction in 2012 compared with the previous year.

This is particularly notable, ATS-E says, since it had already reduced its lost time accidents by 58 per cent between 2007 and 2011. The RoSPA Safety Awards recognise health and safety success and offer organisations a prime opportunity to prove on-going commitment to raising health and safety standards.

Stan Rudowski, group head of health, safety and technical services at ATS-E, says: “We were the first national tyre specialist to be accredited by both SAFEContractor and the Contractors Health & Safety Scheme (CHAS), so our commitment to promoting a culture of ‘safety first’ within ATS Euromaster is reinforced further with this latest RoSPA award.

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“With the largest fleet of mobile technicians in the UK, all of ATS Euromaster’s staff are expertly trained to work safely and competently in a range of challenging environments, from airfields to quarries.

Staff follow our ‘Safe by Choice’ programme, which promotes safety as a personal choice. This programme has gone from strength to strength and is a key factor in the continued reduction in the number of lost time accidents we’ve experienced.”

As part of the Safe by Choice programme ATS-E organises enhanced service, maintenance and repair training for its team of more than 1,900 technicians.

Now in its 57th year, a RoSPA Safety Award is one of the most sought after accreditations in the sector. All entrants must demonstrate a commitment to implementing a range of health and safety practices, which are judged by some of the leading bodies in the industry. akb

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

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EVERYONE IS WELCOME: The most prestigious event of the year and the key social event for the UK Tyre Industry. All are welcome, so join the Association members and all the ‘movers and shakers’ from the UK Tyre Industry to celebrate our 84th Annual Dinner.

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UK TYRE MARKET

Premium products need premium aftersales service Tyres & Accessories talks technical with Continental Tyre Group’s Steve Howat IFYOU OFFER A PREMIUM “PREMIUM PRODUCT” then Howat, at the company’s Rugby national distributi-

The technical operation has be rebranded under the ServicePlus moniker

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you need to be offering a “premium service” – not just before and during the sales experience, but after it as well. That’s the philosophy held by Continental, a mindset that is increasingly resulting in upgraded processes and procedures and further use of technology to support customers and consumers after they have made their purchases. Along with the aim of offering a premium level of aftersales service to match what the company believes are the highest premium levels of its products. Several steps forward have already been made and several more are set to follow; they are all part of the company’s goal to lead the industry in this respect. And with aftersales performance amongst tyre manufacturers in general being variable, the company sees this as a particularly key way of demonstrating its overall value.

In practice this means offering some of the fastest response times to both customers and the trade alike should they need to contact Continental aftersales. Furthermore Continental hopes to further differentiate itself from the other leading brands by offering some of the most transparent aftersales procedures yet. And then there’s rebranding of this part of the business along with the increased use of technology – both designed to increase the accessibility of information and pre and post-sales support service. With this in mind Tyres & Accessories met up with Continental Tyre Group’s technical general manager, Steve

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on operation at the end of May. While Continental’s latest raft of aftersales service developments are clearly about more than just presentation, the fact that the company has decided on the “branding up” of its arguably impersonal sounding “technical services” department into the considerably more people-friendly “what we do” is a clear example of the outworking of the firm’s decision to upgrade its customer facing technical services policy. And all this falls under the banner of Continental’s ServicePlus initiative.

There are a number of strings to Continental’s premium service bow, but perhaps the clearest example of the enhancement of the tyre manufacturer’s service offering is new shorter resolution times. Continental reports that it can now turn claims around in as little as 12 days in the UK – 49 days quicker than the worst offender recorded. All this comes with a 24 hour engagement time and 48 hour reply commitment while cases and claims are being submitted and assessed.

The last stage of this process sees claims backed by a fair decision guarantee, which basically means that in borderline cases the firm operates a policy of erring on the side of the customer. This in turn is backed by Continental’s steps to become the first tyre manufacturer to provide photographic evidence with each rejected claim. According to Howat, this policy is something that has been adopted in response to customer demand for better communication and transparency between the supplier and its customers.

Furthermore, as well as existing technical support to trade and consumer customers, Continental is developing a suite of additional aftersales services, including: an online database, a free tech-

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

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UK TYRE MARKET

Continental is offering the facility of using high definition webcam technology in order to link up with the company’s engineers right from the customer’s garage Continental Tyre Group’s technical general manager, Steve Howat

nical helpline, technical training and retail training (for branch owners and managers) – covering financial fundamentals and retail simulation tasks amongst other things.

Apps and online services designed to support this Another particular example of this is the recent development of the Continental app, which is already available for iPhones and iPads, with an Android version on its way too. Other related technological developments include the digitisation and indeed app-ification (if that’s the correct term) of Conti’s databook. The obvious benefits of an electronic databook are the manoeuvrability (in order to make it accessible on a pocket-sized smartphone); updateability (paper books suffer from going out of date the day they are printed, whereas virtual databooks can update themselves as and when is necessary); searchability (filter and search technology should make thumb-

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ing through pages and pages of data tables a thing of the past. Continental’s app is said to be particularly helpful for truck tyre customers as it also offer tyre pressure data. The next step for Continental is to develop this kind of technology into a traffic light recommendation tool that can be used by end-users themselves or by retail sales staff as a way of communicating product benefits.

At the same time as this is being developed, Continental representatives report that they are continuing to upload label data for their complete range of applicable products, which can found on the firms website. This is supported by the company’s dedicated technical and regulation library, which according to company representatives, has become something of a reference point for vehicle manufacturers, government agencies and police forces alike.

So-called online tyre diagnostics provide another first. As part of the ServicePlus suite of support, Continental is offering the facility of using high defini-

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tion webcam technology in order to link up with the company’s engineers. The idea is that a branch could connect to the relevant Conti service/technical office and get expert guidance on tricky tyre issues – all via the Internet and therefore within minutes.

Meanwhile on 18 June, Continental’s Hanover, Germany head office also published an online PDF-version of its latest tyre pressure advice. In order to ensure motorists maintain tyres at the correct pressure with the minimum of fuss, Continental produced an air pressure table that covers some 700 current vehicle models from 42 manufacturers.

The table provides unladen and laden values and includes each model’s various tyre options. Continental recommends that air pressure is checked every 14 days, and at a minimum every time a car is refuelled. Tyres should be checked when cold to ensure an accurate reading. chris.anthony@tyrepress.com

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

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UK TYRE MARKET

Nankang pursues UK growth as Westlands becomes Nankang UK With a product offering encompassing a good range of high and ultra high performance fitments at an economical price-point, Taiwanese manufacturer Nankang’s potential in the UK market has always been clear. However, the brand’s UK representatives believe that its profile and perceived brand positioning in the country could be raised in line with its European activities. Committing to achieve these goals, the brand’s distributor in the UK, Westlands Ltd, has taken up the new name Nankang Tyre UK, and joint managing directors Steve Smith and Scott Graham will head up the project.

Smith views the project as challenging and exciting: “Throughout Europe Nankang has a high presence and brand recognition as a good quality mid-sector tyre. But in the UK it has not always been perceived in the position within the market that it deserves. It hasn’t been significantly marketed in the UK before and we will be addressing this in the future. We see Nankang as being positioned in the Premium Economy sector, which, given its vast size range, performance and quality, is exactly where it should be. The potential is enormous.”

Nankang Tyre UK’s new 75,000sqft ware-house in West Bromwich holds between 80-90 per cent of the entire Nankang range – currently totalling over 320 stock lines and expanding daily. The distributor says it will increase staffing to provide greater depth of service, while it also says that there has never been a greater level of stock available, with stocked sizes ranging between 195/65R15 and 295/35R21. The operation is designed to allow retailers and wholesalers to cover a wider array of requirements, Nankang UK says, servicing both tyre and alloy wheel specialists.

Nankang also plans to up its presence on the social networks with dedicated Face-book and Twitter pages. The brand contin-ues to grow in the motorsport arena, with a current focus on Drifting. It says further profile-building involvement is now under consideration.

Smith comments: “There are huge opportunities for Nankang in motorsport, particularly in the track day tyre market.

Here we are looking to make a huge impact, moving up a gear with an allround track day tyre to meet the needs of an increasingly price-competitive market.

We now have an incredible value-formoney track day tyre, the NS-2R, which will be available in both Track and Street compounds in a wide size range.”

Nankang Performance Centres Nankang Tyre UK wholesale and retail outlets will be branded as Nankang Performance Centres. A more user-friendly website is on its way too, with better Fa-cebook and Twitter integration.

Nankang says dealer branding support programmes, point-of-sale material, merchandising and work wear are all in deve-

lopment, each of which will be tailored to an individual outlet’s requirements.

Typical examples could include specialist promotion for the ECO-2 tyre and the new performance range NS-20.

Nankang Tyre UK has also put into place a 24-hour “delivery promise”, either through the West Bromwich delivery fleet or by express courier. It’s location near the inter-section of the M5 and M6 at the heart of the motorway network makes this possible, according to the company.

Smith concludes: “We are setting out to change perceptions, through providing exceptional service which begins here at our head office, right through to our delivery support and our expanding sales force out in the field. We are absolutely deter-mined to go the extra mile for our custom-ers and enhance the growing reputation of the Nankang brand. We are gearing up to allow a greater proportion of the tyre retail market to have the opportunity to experience the value for money and unique versatility of our massive tyre size range.” akb

Raising Nankang’s profile One of the ways in which Nankang plans to increase its visibility is through appearanc-es at major motorsport and performance events – a tactic employed successfully in the UK particularly by Maxxis for example. Nankang participated in Top Gear Live in 2012 and Autosport International 2013 highlighting the brand’s performance cre-dentials.

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TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

UK TYRE MARKET

Treadsetters to distribute Falken TBR tyres TYRE WHOLESALER,Treadsetters has signed a new distribution partnership with Falken.The brand, which is seeking ways of expanding its commercial tyre activity in the UK, will supply truck and bus tyres to the Telford-based distributor, while continuing to work with Philip White Tyres in the UK and Ireland. Treadsetters recently exhibited its PCR, UHP, 4x4/SUV andTBRTorque tyre ranges, in addition to itsTorque-branded steel truck wheels, at Autopromotec 2013.

Falken says the decision to sign with Treadsetters is a strategic move designed to increase sales volumes of its commercial tyres dramatically. “Falken is looking to expand its distribution of commercial vehicle tyres within the UK market,” says Matt Smith, Falken’s UK and Ireland director; “We already work with Philip White Tyres to provide truck and bus tyres into the UK & Ireland; our additional commercial partnership with Treadsetters will extend our distribution network to supply even more of the customers within the commercial sector on the UK mainland.”

“We wished to expand our tyre portfolio and capitalise on an opening in the market for mid-range commercial tyres,” says Geoff Priest, UK wholesale manager at Treadsetters. “Falken’s strong reputation in the industry for supplying quality consumer tyres, bolstered by its brand heritage, derived in part from motorsport, makes them the perfect choice to fill the gap in the market.

“Unlike other brands, Falken manufactures its tyres in its home country of Japan. As such Falken can offer high quality tyres, with features such as four belt casing, at cost-effective prices.

Combining competitive pricing with solid durability and quality, is an attractive proposition to truck and bus companies.”

Falken TBR “expanding” in UK & Ireland – Philip White Tyres Philip White Tyres has been a principal dealer of Falken tyres for over 20 years, and the distributor will continue to supply

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the brand to customers in the region. The partnership with Falken formed in the early 1990s has seen the development of the Falken brand receive key recognition among the UK and Irish commercial truck & bus market.

The distributor says the Sumitomo Rubber Corporation brand has expanded in the territory during the last year on the competing pricing, performance and service benefits it offers, backed by Philip White.

“We have been working very hard on this project over this last year since we exhibited at Brityrex in 2012 and currently have a number of key dealers set up throughout England, Scotland and Wales” says Brendan Rafferty, sales & export manager at Philip White Tyres.

In passenger tyres, Torque has: a PCR range consisting of 36 sizes between 50 and 80 series; 24 winter tyre sizes between 45 and 70 series; nine UHP sizes from 35 to 55 series; two van patterns in 11 sizes and eight winter sizes; and finally two 4x4/SUV patterns across 26 sizes. akb

Full Torque range at Autopromotec In other TBR segment activity, Treadsetters displayed its Torque branded TBR tyre and wheel ranges at Autopromotec 2013. Its TBR range includes an “anti-abrasive tread for increased mileage,” the wholesaler states, adding that the tyres are especially suited to “mid to long distance journeys on both regional and urban roads.” Torque steel wheels meanwhile are available in sizes between 17.5 and 24.5 inches.

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Falken’s B867 is among the company’s commercial tyre range, which Treadsetters will now distribute into the UK market

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

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TAFF AWARDS

TAFF Awards 2013 final line-up THE VOTING PROCESS for the 2013 NTDA Tyre & Fast Fit Awards has already begun and ends on 27th September. The big difference this year is that voting is only via the NTDA website (ntda.co.uk/TAFF) and not by post, as in previous years. For the second year running, theTAFF Awards are sponsored by speciality chemicals company Lanxess.

Apart from that, the format is broadly similar to before, with NTDA members nominating suppliers in a number of categories. The five most popular in each category make up the short lists and it is on these that the tyre industry votes. Voting is open to NTDA members and non-members alike. As well as these categories, companies can nominate one of their products or services for the “Innovation Award“ – entries are whittled down to a short list and a panel of industry pundits makes the final choice.

A recent addition (now in its third year) is the Tyre Centre of the Year award, in which retailers can nominate one centre (or one centre per NTDA region for national companies) as an example of retail excellence. The winner is chosen after a programme of mystery shopping and the process is conducted by Market Research specialists Encircle Marketing and overseen by the NTDA’s Aftermarket Supplier’s Group. All this comes to a head at the NTDA’s Annual Dinner on Wednesday 16th October, which this year is being held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, at the NEC, Birmingham.

To help you make up your minds, here are brief descriptions of each of the finalists and we wish them all good luck.

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The last time the TAFF awards were in Birmingham was 2011

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Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Four of this year’s nominees are regulars in this category’s shortlist and they are joined by a firsttime nominee in Apollo Vredestein – a company that has been prominent in the news recently, with its purchase of Cooper Tire. Will we see a new name on the honours board?

Apollo Vredestein (UK) Ltd Apollo Vredestein continues to introduce exciting and innovative products across its range. For passenger car tyres, the latest to be launched is the Wintrac xtreme S, a high-performance (Y-speed rated) winter tyre - the most recent product to be designed in conjunction with Italian style house Giugiaro – a partnership that goes back 16 years and was responsible for such tyres as the award winning Ultrac Sessanta and the Ultrac Vorti. This latter, along with Vredestein’s Sportrac 5, scored consistently well in a series of tyre tests run by motoring publications earlier this year.

Although Apollo Vredestein has developed a number of stylish-looking high performance car tyres, there is much more to the company’s product offering, with an extensive range of tyres for bicycles; tyres designed for all sorts of applications, among which are racing, touring and the uniquely styled ‘all season’ product.

Apollo Vredestein also has an enviable reputation in the field of agricultural tyres and last year made a substantial investment in its factory at Enschede, in order to increase production by 50 per cent, mostly of radial implement tyres, low profile high performance tractor tyres and the new to market ‘GreenTrax’ lawn-care range.

Enschede was also chosen as the site of Apollo Vredestein’s Global R&D Centre, opened earlier this year, which will serve as the hub for development and testing of all car and van tyres across the Apollo Vredestein group. In April this year, Apollo Vredestein UK took up residence in their new, individually styled, UK head office; con-

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

UK TYRE MARKET

firming their commitment to the long constantly challenging the boundaries of term position and development of the research and development to push technology forward. group brands.

Continental aims to lead the way with winter products, making further advanceBridgestone UK Ltd ments in winter tyre technology with the Referring to Bridgestone’s nomination, ContiWinterContact TS850. This is John McNaught, managing director, backed by consistently high performance Bridgestone Europe, North Region, says: in leading independent tests. Continental “From our off-the-road products right currently has a broad range of accolades through to our advanced range of passen- from leading motoring publications, such ger car tyres, Bridgestone prides itself on as ‘Best Winter Tyre’ in the 2013 Auto being a true premium player with a diver- Express product awards and Best Buy se portfolio to match. We are delighted to accolades with Which? magazine for the be nominated as a finalist in the Tyre latest ContiPremiumContact 5 in 205/55 Manufacturer of the Year category of the R16W, and for the ContiEcoContact 5 in TAFF Awards, which goes a long way in tyre size 165/70 R14T. This same high quality tyre developvalidating our enduring company philosoment is true across all business units phy.

“To quote the Bridgestone mission with the innovative CSEasy industrial statement delivered by our founder solid tyre, which can be fitted in minutes Shojiro Ishibashi, we aim to ‘serve socie- without the need for a mounting press, to ty with superior quality’. It is uplifting to the latest introduction of Generation 3 know that this motto is just as relevant tyres specifically designed for buses and and appropriate today, as we celebrate coaches combining highest safety levels being shortlisted for an award that we with class-leading fuel efficiency.

Continental is one of the leading hold in great regard. Bridgestone prides itself on creating innovative products that manufacturers of passenger and light respond to customer needs, while at the truck tyres in Europe, and the world’s same time using true industry observati- fourth largest passenger tyre manufactuons to produce superior solutions for rer. Its Commercial Vehicle tyre business is one of the largest manufacturers of motorists.

“We really do pride ourselves on lea- truck, bus and industrial tyres worldwide. ding the way in quality, technologically The product development focus of the innovative goods and services, using our Continental brand is to optimise all industry respected brand to go from safety-relevant chastrength to strength. If the TAFF Awards climax with some recognition of our products and services, then you won’t find a prouder man in the room than me. To everyone involved in this year’s awards, we hope the evening is a memorable one!“

Continental Tyre Group Whether developing innovative products or offering unique business support to customers, Continental strives to lead the way in the industry. From working to improve wet grip on the road to wet grip Michelin is nominated in on the sole of your adi- both the industry advertising and Tyre Manufacture das shoe, Continental is of the Year categorie

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racteristics, while simultaneously minimising rolling resistance.

Continental also prides itself on its supply chain performance and working closely with retailers to understand and help improve processes.

Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK Goodyear Dunlop has had quite a year so far – in this year’s published summer tyre tests across Europe, its tyres received 39 recommendations, and out of 37 of these tests by the most respected automotive magazines, Goodyear Dunlop tyres have won 24 of them.

The Dunlop Sport BluResponse had a phenomenal start to the year – winning 5/5 of its first tyre tests. Goodyear followed this up with the EfficientGrip Performance and Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 being awarded Which? Best Buys and the EfficientGrip winning the AutoExpress Summer Tyre Award. In the AutoBild fuel saving tyre test, the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance and the Dunlop Sport BluResponse shared the top spot.

As well as winning awards, Goodyear Dunlop’s new products have performed well against the EU Tyre Label criteria – in its Ultra-High performance summer tyre segment, 25 per cent of the sizes are rated a B in rolling resistance and A in wet grip. Across its current summer tyre portfolio, two thirds of Europe passenger car summer tyre sizes are covered with tyres labelled CC or above.

Away from its products, the manufacturer has also been recognised with a Top Employers Europe award by the CRF Institute for exemplary Human Resources practices and policies, and was rated top in its annual Tyre Dealer Satisfaction Survey against its competitors.

Michelin Tyre Plc With more than 113,000 employees, sales organisations in more than 170 countries and an annual R&D budget of 600 million euros, Michelin is a worldwide leader in

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TAFF AWARDS

tyre development and manufacture.

New products launched in the past year include six new motorcycle tyres catering for a range of bikes from commuters to round-the-world adventure bikes. The Michelin Energy Saver+ car tyre and Agilis+ van tyre deliver an optimal combination of safety, longevity and fuel efficiency. In the truck tyre sector Michelin’s new X-Line Energy offering consists of a range of tyres incorporating Michelin Durable Technologies, which offer long-distance operators excellent performance in all areas including tyre life, rolling resistance and safety.

A major innovation in 2012 was the launch of Michelin’s ‘talking tyres’, which took place in a Stagecoach bus depot in London and showcased Michelin’s RFID-equipped tyres to journalists from around Europe.

Michelin’s commitment to offering products which provide the best overall performance was reinforced by the announcement of its ‘Michelin Total Performance’ approach to tyre design. With any Michelin tyre, drivers can be confident they will get high levels of grip and handling, as well as excellent environmental performance, while not sacrificing safety.

Environmental performance, workplace ergonomics and efficiency were at the forefront of developments at Michelin’s Ballymena and Stoke-on-Trent plants. Two new wind turbines were installed at the Northern Ireland facility while two completely new production lines were installed in Stoke to enable the operation to run at optimum efficiency and remanufacture the latest generation of Michelin truck tyres.

On the motorsport front Michelin again took all three places on the podium in the premier LMP1 class at the 24 hours of Le Mans, one of the few international race series open to competition between rival tyre manufacturers and an extreme laboratory to develop the next generation of high performance car tyres.

This link between the track and the road will be highlighted

by Michelin’s involvement in the Goodwood Festival of Speed where, in addition to having a main stand, the Company will again sponsor the Supercar Paddock and Supercar Run.

Tyre Wholesaler of the Year

daily delivery basis, efficiently and at attractive prices. This is achieved through a network of wholesale centres at key locations across the country and a fleet of dedicated delivery vehicles.

All types of tyres are stocked, including car, van and 4x4/SUV tyres and a vast range of brands, from premium products, through mid range and budget tyres, so whatever your customers may require, B.I.T.S. has a tyre to fit the bill at a price to suit all budgets.

The company has a number of exclusive UK agencies for brands such as Vee Rubber and Roadstone and has invested considerable time and effort in establishing these brands among UK motorists.

In addition to offering a wide range of products, B.I.T.S. recognises that customers are demanding a high quality of service, with reliability of supply taken for granted.

Bond International Bond International has specialised in wholesale tyres for over 45 years. Pocklington near York is the location of the HQ and first distribution centre, with three other tyre distribution centres located in Stevenage, Redditch and Chepstow. Bond has grown and maintained its position as one of the UK’s leading tyre wholesalers. Last year the company supplied nearly 2.5 million tyres to the trade, serviced by its own fleet of more than 90 delivery vehicles.

As well as stocking the full range of premium brands such as Goodyear, Dunlop, Michelin, Pirelli, Continental etc Bond International is the sole UK supplier of several mid-range and budget brands.

Since 1990 Bond has been the exclusive supplier of Marshal tyres the leading mid-range tyre. The company’s budget and value ranges includes, Sailun, Infinity, Jinyu, Rotalla and Admiral and there are key dealer programmes for Marshal and Infinity, offering a range of superb rewards for members.

Bond International has an online ordering system, called Fastrac, which gives customers the option to instantly generate printable tyre labels to meet the recently-introduced EU legislation in this area.

Last year’s finalists have all made it through to this year’s shortlist and we are anticipating the usual, fiercely-contested battle that has characterised this category in the past. It has been a year of ups and downs for some in the wholesale business, so who will come out on top this year?

Grouptyre (UK) Ltd Grouptyre are once again delighted to have been nominated in the category of Tyre Wholesaler of the Year.

Grouptyre has been at the forefront of tyre wholesaling in the UK since its inception in 1995, when the group of like-minded regional wholesalers came together to form a national presence, offering excellent levels of

B.I.T.S. B.I.T.S. has built its reputation as a provider of tyres nationwide on a

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TAFF AWARDS

service and support to tyre retailers throughout the UK. Whilst Grouptyre has evolved over the last few years – it now consists of 10 strong regional wholesalers - the values of supporting the businesses of retailers still hold true, offering levels of service that only a local supplier can, but with the additional benefits of being part of a large national organisation.

The figures speak for themselves: over one million tyres held in stock at any one time, 37 strategically located wholesale locations, 19 customer contact centres and more than 400 delivery vehicles on the road, offering a same day, multiple and rapid response delivery service. This level of service, combined with a highly skilled team of Business Development Managers on the ground, offering a wealth of experience in the tyre industry, means that tyre retailers can be sure of exceptional levels of support to help them grow their business and compete in their local market. Its stable of dependable brands covers everything from premium high performance to margin-boosting exclusive lines, such as Evergreen, Federal, Goodride and Landsail.

With the tyre industry having experienced some difficult trading conditions over the last couple of years, Grouptyre has demonstrated commitment and dedication to its customer base, by staying true to its values and providing exceptional levels of service and support.

Grouptyre believe that a customer’s success is crucial to their own and that is why they are committed to continually giving customers healthy margins based on quality tyres, plus the proven back up and service of the UK’s leading wholesaler.

Micheldever Tyre Services Micheldever has established a national wholesale distribution network of 15 locations around the UK, supplying more than 4,500 independent tyre retailers.

This, coupled with the 225-strong fleet of wholesale delivery vehicles, ensures superb product availability, with deliveries on a next day or same day basis.

The Micheldever offering is about

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much more than just products - although a comprehensive range of tyres is available, from premium brands, through value and budget tyres – as the company offers its customers support programmes designed to enhance business prospects by generating increased footfall at their depots. Micheldever also has a number of exclusive tyre brands in its portfolio, offering its customers a great opportunity to build their relationships with their customers.

Micheldever has always worked closely with the independent sector and its programmes are designed to support independent retailers in an increasinglycompetitive marketplace.

Yutaka Kimbara. “I’d like to express our gratitude on behalf of everyone across the Stapleton’s nationwide network for this nomination. It really is an inspiration to us all.“

Industry Advertising Campaign

As in previous years, this category is sponsored by Tyres & Accessories and the five finalists’ entries have upheld the high level of advertising that we have seen in previous years. Whether trying to appeal to the public or to tyre retailers, a tyre is not the most glamorous or exciting product, but these five campaigns have certainly brought out the best in their advertising agencies. Added spice for Goodyear Dunlop is that the company’s Stapleton’s (Tyre Services) Ltd two main brands go head-to-head in this For many years now, Stapleton’s has pur- category. sued its ‘working for the customer’ philosophy, which has been the driving force Dunlop - 125 Years of Race to Road behind countless innovations and a Technology genuine partnership ethos that permeates every facet of an operation constant- The objectives of the campaign were to ly modified to provide retail customers cement the connection between with what they’ve asked for. That includes Dunlop’s motorsport credentials and road the ever-evolving ProfitLink online orde- tyres, to leverage Dunlop’s 125 year hisring system, which has recently been tory and commitment to innovation and reinvented to give retailers even more to bring the future to life through flexibility and control over their buying Dunlop’s latest creations on the track and strategies. Combined with an augmented road. It was a multi-media campaign, fleet of over 300, delivering up to three encompassing consumer automotive tittimes daily from 14 locations nationwide les, tyre trade media, social media and from a total stock of more than a million channel websites. tyres, Stapleton’s has a solid platform The campaign took advantage of from which to support, and work in part- Dunlop’s enviable track record in motornership with, all tyre retailers. sport. In the past 12 months drivers and Nevertheless, the company will conti- riders on its tyres have won at championnue to work tirelessly on further refine- ships including the Isle of Man TT, Moto2, ment: “We’ve been revisiting our ‘work- Moto3, European Le Mans Series and ing for the customer’ philosophy over the the Nurburgring 24 Hour. Its Race to last year and asking our retailers what Road message is at the heart of the more we can do to help them compete brand and its product development – harand succeed. As a result we’re working nessing the technology needed to give harder than ever on their behalf to deve- motorsport competitors the confidence lop service improvements that benefit to shave tenths of a second from a lap every level of their business from initial time - to create high and ultra high perfororder to sell out. Of course, that sense of mance road tyres. partnership is its own reward – nevertheHowever it has also shown its futureless, we’re very proud indeed to have fit credentials – developing tyres specifibeen nominated again for a TAFF award“, cally for the first hydrogen fuel cell race says Stapleton’s Managing Director car – GreenGT. Commenting, Andy

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TAFF_advert_T&A_2013_Layout 1 04/07/2013 11:11 Page 1

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TAFF AWARDS

Marfleet, Dunlop brand manager says: “Celebrating 125 years at the forefront of product innovation is an incredible achievement, but this year for us is all about showing we’re just as committed to retaining that position for the next 125.

Our new products like the award winning Sport BluResponse are showing that we can deliver more environmentally friendly products that don’t compromise on performance.“

Goodyear - Award Wins and EU Tyre Label Success The campaign maximise awareness of Goodyear’s triumphs in the Auto Express Summer Tyre Awards and Which? Best Buys and to continue to educate customers about the EU Tyre Label and 3-15-50 message, leveraging product performance against EU Label criteria and more comprehensive independent tests.

Media used in the campaign included key industry tyre trade titles (print and online), consumer and consumer automotive (Which? and Auto Express), social media channels and channel websites.

Goodyear made the most of its award wins over the past year – winning the Auto Express Summer Tyre Award two years running with the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 and EfficientGrip respectively, and then launching the EfficientGrip Performance in March this year with a BA EU-tyre label rating in 21 of the 23 sizes available. The Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 and EfficientGrip Performance have also each clinched a coveted Which? Best Buy award over the past 12 months.

The brand spread the word through both consumer automotive and tyre trade media and used the award wins to cement its 3-15-50 message around the EU Tyre Label. Commenting, Goodyear brand manager Michelle Fisher said: “We have embraced the Tyre Label from day one at Goodyear, but we have stayed true to our performance criteria – stressing that three attributes alone aren’t sufficient for a consumer to absolutely judge whether a tyre is right for them or not.

Magazine and independent tests look at up to 15 and we analyse against more

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than 50 criteria when developing a tyre.

“All round high performance remains at the heart of what we do with no compromise on safety. The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance is a primary example of this commitment – with an exceptional EU label rating of BA, while also winning awards for its all round performance.“

Infinity Tyres – “Not All Tyres Are Created Equal“ Infinity Tyres is fast becoming an established tyre name in the United Kingdom, in large part due to its extensive and innovative brand marketing. Unlike many others in the growing ‘economy’ segment of the tyre business, Infinity is committed to developing recognition and communicating its brand benefits, especially to the discerning tyre trade members.

In 2013, Infinity is launching a remarkable 79 dimensions across 5 different product groups and has evolved its brand message that ‘Not All Tyres are Created Equal’ by associating its superb new range line-up with iconic images from across the continent. In the UK, the new Infinity Ecomax is transposed on the London Eye to offer a really eye-catching visual. Other markets use carefully selected national symbols (e.g. L’Arc de Triomphe in France) to highlight the brand’s commitment to the local tyre dealer (rather than creating a campaign that uses the same standard imagery across several markets).

Such widespread tyre trade promotion is supported by Infinity’s commitment to individual markets and local tyre associations and, in the last few months, the brand has exhibited at Brityrex (UK), Pneu Expo (Lyon), Motortec (Madrid) and most recently Autopromotec (Bologna). Infinity was the only tyre brand supporting all these national trade shows.

To further develop the brand’s identity, a quarterly newsletter is widely distributed across the UK and Europe, highlighting the developments and new partnerships for Infinity Tyres. Infinity is now a truly global concern, backed by the Al Dobowi Group, with distribution in over

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70 countries and this is an exciting way to feature and enhance the brand’s progress. In addition, a bi-annual ‘Infinity Lifestyle’ magazine is also published to highlight cutting-edge designs and latest trends from across the globe, thus associating Infinity with a vibrant and changing global landscape. Infinity has not forgotten more traditional marketing themes – the successful ‘Infinity Club’ run in association with Bond International rewards UK Infinity dealers with a range of point of sale material and merchandise.

Finally, Infinity is also focussing its brand message towards end-user marketing through increasing brand association within UK sport sponsorship - with motorsport drifting events and major horse racing events currently heavily featured. Timely consumer promotions, such as the ‘Win a Bentley’ campaign are also designed to attract discerning drivers to the Infinity brand and assist Infinity dealers in offering a complete package of an impressive new range at attractive pricing with the backing of a complete range of carefully crafted marketing tools.

Michelin Tyre Plc – Michelin Total Performance Michelin’s advertising in the UK in 2013 focussed on the theme of ‘Michelin Total Performance’.

This included campaigns on outdoor billboards, on the Internet and also substantial trade and POS coverage.

Distinctive computer animation and imaging continues to make the Michelin Man highly visible and has greatly improved recall of Michelin’s messages.

All advertising campaigns highlight Michelin’s Total Performance approach to tyre design and inform consumers how the Company concentrates on innovations that improve tyre longevity and fuel saving without compromising on safety.

In addition there is an increased focus on showcasing the high performance credentials of Michelin’s tyres through targeted media partnerships. These initiatives go into depth about Michelin’s motor-

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TAFF AWARDS

improvement of performance and minimising environmental impact.

For several years, Pirelli has been the leading European provider of premium original equipment, with marked tyres developed in partnership with the most prestigious car manufacturers in the world. The Iris campaign with its promise “Engineered to Excite“ communicates how car drivers benefit from tyres which are specifically designed to enhance their vehicle’s performance through technological partnerships with the world’s best car manufacturers. The advertisement will be rolled out both online and in print.

rer Corghi, providing the tyre technician with state of the art technology in the fields of tyre changing, wheel balancing and alignment.

As well as the staples for day-to-day running of a tyre depot, Apaseal provides a number of products that allow the tyre specialist to develop additional revenue streams, such as servicing TPMS for example.

In addition to a matchless range of products, Apaseal prides itself on the quality of its service, with next day or same day deliveries and a fleet of mobile technical sales representatives on the road. An online ordering service is also available and orders can also be placed by telephone.

The company offers a full training programme on a variety of topics and offers technical back-up to ensure that customers’ businesses are kept running smoothly. Apaseal describes its attitude Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment towards its customers thus: “We have a commitment to develop our service, proSupplier of the Year ducts and technical support to provide There are some familiar names in this everything you need to promote your category, many of whom are winners business, keeping it healthy and profitabfrom previous years. Who will get the le.“ It is an attitude that has served the company - and its customers – well for bragging rights for 2013? six decades.

sport achievements at Le Mans and the WRC and highlight the company’s strong R&D approach and OE partnerships.

Furthermore Michelin is the headline sponsor of the Supercar Paddock and Supercar Run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the second year running.

Advertorials with the Telegraph and various automotive magazines have been used to activate the sponsorship and offer generous competition prizes.

Michelin’s advertising features strong and clear messages combined with eyecatching graphics. Backed-up with strategic media placement, this has resulted in greater brand recognition with the brand’s target audiences.

These themes are also evident in Michelin’s extensive social media pre- Apaseal sence where Facebook and Twitter are used effectively to interact with B2B and Apaseal has been supplying a wide varieB2C customers. ty of tools, consumables and equipment for the tyre shop since the mid-1950s and is delighted and proud to be nominated Pirelli Tyres UK – “Engineered to for this award once again.

Excite“ The company’s product portfolio is Pirelli is the world’s fifth largest tyre formidable, from such everyday products manufacturer based on revenues. With a as balance weights and tyre valves presence in over 160 countries, the com- through to a range of sophisticated workpany now has 22 tyre manufacturing faci- shop machinery from Italian manufactulities on five continents. Pirelli is a leader in the high end and high technology segments of the tyre market.

For over a century Pirelli has developed as a truly inspirational enterprise, deeply rooted in the diverse national markets. Its competitive strength is founded on technological and research capabilities and the professional skills of its human resources. Pirelli attributes significant priority to the

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Auto4 Ltd Auto4 would like to thank the members of the NTDA for their nomination for the Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year, NTDA 2013 TAFF Awards.

Jonathan Formon, managing director, Auto4 Limited commented, “Auto4 is very proud to be nominated. At Auto4 we focus on getting the basics right and keeping them that way. For us it is about consistency of service, quality and availability of products and competitiveness of pricing. It is about being honest and open with our customers and always doing what we say we will do.“ Auto4 has been supplying the tyre industry

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TAFF AWARDS

for over thirty years, working with some of the largest and some of the most respected tyre companies in the industry.

Auto4 is a company that is easy to do business with, developing flexible supply options including a national field sales team, a telesales team, an ecommerce website and a bespoke B2B ordering and order management system which is used and favoured by a number of large UK tyre retailers.

Auto4 supplies an extensive range of tyre related products, including tyre pressure monitoring systems, capital equipment, tyre consumables, tyre repair materials and workshop tools.

Increasingly however Auto4 is also supplying more general automotive products including fasteners, janitorial items and health and safety products. Auto4 is truly becoming a one stop shop for many of its customers.

Over the last few years Auto4 has introduced many new initiatives, including its reward programme, equipment buy back and part exchange schemes and the B2B order management system, amongst many others. What hasn’t changed however is our desire to constantly improve our business and market proposition and create lasting value for our customers. So if your organisation wants to benefit from the very real competitive advantage that comes from working with a dynamic partner then please get in touch with us.

The company thanked members of the NTDA for their nomination, “but most importantly thank you to our customers for their ongoing loyalty and support and our dedicated Auto4 team who make it all possible.”

assure we have many more innovative developments and products in the pipeline for the remainder of the year,” company representatives said following news of the nomination. They also invited readers to follow Autogem on twitter @Autogem_UK.

Harvie Tyres Ltd

The nomination awarded to Harvie Tyre for the NTDA - Tyre & Aftermarket Equipment Supplier of the Year award is being received as “a great achievement” that represents a milestone in Harvie Tyre’s desire to become a regular contender amongst the UK’s leading garage equipment and consumable suppliers.

Stuart John, UK sales director, stated, “Harvie are delighted to be nominated by the NTDA in this particular category for the past five years. We acknowledge the nomination as an indication that our commitment towards first class support and service to independent companies across the UK continues to be recognised by this important customer segment. We continue to work closely with customers, focusing on their needs and delivering a diverse product range with a direct service tailored to all of their requirements“. Stuart also expressed the company’s firm ambition to further expand market share of capital equipment in the UK during the course of 2013, pointing to the fantastic impact already generated by introduction of the Mondolfo Ferro range of workshop equipment.

“Harvie Tyre is working tirelessly to provide you with the big brands at quality prices. Its long-standing association with Prema also continues at the forefront of its range of tyre repair Autogem Motor Concepts LLP materials. The comprehensive range is supported by an excel“We are delighted to be nominated for this award for the third lent portfolio of premium and economy balance weights, valves consecutive year. 2013 has been an exciting year for Autogem and valve hardware, lubricants, chemicals, tools, air-line accessories and inflation systems, workshop tools and capiwith the launch of i-sensor, our universal TPMS solution, our tal equipment. new consumab“Our friendly and efficient service operales catalogue and Autogem hopes its i-sensor TPMS technology will tes from our head office in Lytham St a heavily revised win it votes Annes. The knowledgeable Harvie website with sales team are ably supported by even more TPMS videos and training industry experts who drive a fleet of material. TPMS continues to be an area of vans fully equipped with a range of growth with many more tyre dealers now products to meet all of your service recognising the revenue opportunities & our requirements.” latest developments in product, training and support not only offer a cost effective, comprehensive introduction to this area, but also offer an unriRema Tip Top Automotive UK Ltd valled after sales experience.

“Our wide range of workshop, tyre, exhaust Rema Tip Top Automotive UK Limited were delighted consumables and training programmes have penetrato be among the nominees for the NTDA Tyre and Fast Fit ted deeper across various sectors of our industry and we have (TAFF) Awards 2013. The company has built on a successful recently added another vehicle manufacturer to our prestigious year in 2012, which culminated in the Brityrex show in customer stable. To support our increased efforts and more Manchester. demand for our products and services, we have added to our “The innovations and product launches which formed a key enthusiastic team with key appointments including a new busi- aspect and backdrop to the last twelve months have provided ness manager and field sales manager. and forged many of the new business links and relationships “We would like to thank those who nominated us and can that continue to grow a year on.

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TAFF AWARDS

“The inclusion of Rema Tip Top as a nominee for the TAFF awards demonstrates what can be achieved by a team that is committed to provide an unparalleled service to its customers whilst continuing to innovate and develop products that complement and enhance an impressive portfolio of workshop equipment and tyre maintenance consumables.

“In the early part of 2013 the New Rema Tip Top Automotive catalogue was fresh off the press and immediately provided a clear illustration of where the company is heading in terms of its diversity of product, environmental product design and strict quality standards.

“TPMS Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems represent just one area that takes elevated prominence. Rema Tip Top has established itself at the forefront in the provision of this technology with its ability to offer the most comprehensive, economical and environmentally friendly solutions for its customers.

One of the main components of this range includes the new ‘Sensor Intelligent Technology’ TPMS program from Alligator.

The new sens.it TPMS sensor provides a complete solution for the replacement of OE TPMS sensors for both small and large tyre shop chains.

“Supported by the Profiler II diagnostic kit and a range of OEM valves on request, Rema Tip Top really do have every angle covered.”

• The optimised shape and construction of the tyre provides ncreased longitudinal stiffness, limit the deformation of the tyre carcass and reduce tyre weight, which in turn improves rolling resistance performance.

After the initial testing, a new generation of Dunlop Sport BluResponse race tyres will be developed with a focus on the torque vectoring properties and implications of electric powertrain technology for cars such as the the GreenGT H2.

The hydrogen fuel cell holds potential in powering future motorsport and road cars. In order to maximise the grip and energy efficiency of the car, Dunlop are working hand in hand with designers of the new generation vehicles to create new tyre products that work efficiently too. Rolling resistance, where the energy is lost when the tyre is rolling, is where a tyre manufacturer can make a big difference to a project such as GreenGT. The car designers can make huge improvements to efficiency for the chassis and powertrain but all the energy is transmitted through the tyres so it is important that the tyres continue the energy efficient processes.

Environment Award There are three of last year’s finalists in the 2013 short list; Murfitts industries, Sapphire Energy Recovery and Vellco Tyre Control. These are joined by retreader Kingpin and tyre manufacturer Dunlop.

Dunlop 2013 is a very important year for Dunlop with an anniversary celebrating 125 years of wins, innovations and records, but also marking the beginnings of a reshaped future of motorsport power. Dunlop is a GreenGT partner and is developing tyres for the GreenGT H2, the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell Le Mans prototype The car, which features electric powertrain technology, completed its initial tests on racing tyres inspired by the latest Dunlop Sport BluResponse tyres. Dunlop’s involvement with the programme initiated the design of specific race tyres for enhancing the performance and handling of electric cars, enabling them to drive further with less energy consumed whilst maximising the grip and performance.

Electric cars present challenges for tyre designers; to handle the extra weight of the vehicle, the load capacity of the tyre needs to increase and the drive for energy efficiency means the tyre design includes two features to lower rolling resistance: • A low heat generation bottom compound improves molecular cohesion to reduce heat build-up thanks to less friction.

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Vellco

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TAFF AWARDS

Kingpin Tyres Ltd With 40 years’ experience Kingpin Tyres is the only UK passenger tyre retreader.

The company manufactures a comprehensive range of high quality retreads; Car, Van, 4 x 4 and Commercial Van and has recently introduced Run Flat tyres into the product range. Kingpin also offers a used tyre collection service, along with the supply of Equestrian Rubber and Rubber crumb, produced on site through the company’s shredding plant.

Kingpin understands the needs of the fast moving tyre market and has recently invested in ‘state of the art’ machinery in its factory at Wem. The strength of Kingpin lies in environmental success, offering a 100 per cent recycling service, and of course, British made. Safety and quality are the priority and all Kingpin’s retreads are manufactured to a strict European standard (ECE 108 for cars and ECE 109 for Commercial vehicles) and undergo the same stringent drum testing regime as new tyres; in line with this the company works to ISO:9001.

Murfitts Industries Ltd Murfitts Industries Limited is an innovative British company leading the way in the manufacture of high quality rubber granules from post consumer tyres. The products, which are exported globally, are used in a huge variety of applications ranging from sports surfaces to carpet underlay. Murfitts Industries have achieved a 100 per cent recycling method for all the components in the tyres it uses and the company believes it is currently the only company in the world who can make this claim.

The company was formed in late 2001 as the intended implementation of the EC Landfill Directive and the End of Life Vehicle Directive meant that some 450,000 tonnes of tyres a year needed to find a home. Landfill was not an option.

The desire to give some form of environmental benefit coupled with these new legislative drivers opened up the opportunity for Murfitts Industries to

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enter the tyre recycling field.

Two years researching available technologies world wide resulted in a bespoke built plant, giving the versatility to produce a range of products from all types of tyres. Murfitts Industries can now recycle 100 per cent of all the elements which form part of that tyre including the rubber, steel and fibre.

Murfitts Industries recycle 11 million tyres a year and work with many companies and sports associations around the world. It is also trusted by its tyre supplying clients to process their industry byproduct with the least impact possible to the environment, so helping them fulfil their own Corporate Social Responsibilities.

Sapphire Energy Recovery Sapphire Energy Recovery is delighted to be nominated once again in the Environment category of the TAFF Awards.

Sapphire’s waste disposal solutions not only give the producers of waste a cost-effective answer to their waste disposal problem, but they are environmentally sustainable and allow the cement production industry to reduce its CO2 emissions.

The company offers an alternative to landfill and other disposal routes for the producer of the waste and at the same time provides cement producers with an alternative fuel source – not only does the process facilitate the safe and efficient disposal of waste tyres, but, as an alternative source of energy, it reduces the industry’s dependence on, and consumption of, fossil fuels.

Vellco Tyre Control Once again, Vellco Limited is absolutely delighted to have been nominated (for the ninth time), in the Environmental Category of the NTDA TAFF Awards.

Vellco has actually won this award on four separate occasions, the last time being 2011 and it goes without saying that it is the hard work which is carried out by the dedicated Vellco team from all

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aspects of the Company’s activities, which lies at the heart of this success.

Over the last few years Vellco has been very pro-active in promoting “carbon-neutrality“ throughout all of the company’s operations, and has actually achieved “negative“ carbon status for both 2011 and 2012 years, with an expectation that this will also be achieved in 2013.

Vellco is also very proud to have had its Environmental Accreditation Standard 14001 independently renewed, once again, at the beginning of 2013. This flagship environmental standard, along with Full Membership of the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA), and its Responsible Recycler Scheme, further assures its customers of a completely transparent, auditable, and environmental recycling process for all waste collections.

During 2013, Vellco has also been investing in purchasing state-of-the-art “Euro 5“ specification articulated truck units, as well as more than a dozen new specification high cube trailers which are all currently utilised on several logistics contract activities.

Tyres – from car to earthmover - are only part of Vellco’s environmental picture, as the Group manages Automotive Waste on behalf of many of its customers including Oil, Oil Filters, Antifreeze, Metal Waste, Catalytic Converters, Confidential Paper and General Dry Trade Waste. These are some of the reasons which have helped Vellco win the TAFF Awards Environmental Category in the past.

John Campbell, business development director for the Vellco Group commented, “I am very proud and pleased that we have been nominated once again for this prestigious TAFF Environmental Award. This nomination vindicates our continuing persistence on maintaining professional, environmental and quality processes with all our customers.“ peter.gardner@tyrepress.com

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

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MOTORSPORT

Tyre failures return in dramatic British grand prix Following concerns for the safety of the drivers at Silverstone, could Pirelli get backing for its preferred solution to 2013 tyre difficulties?

Anyone predicting that Formula One’s tyre supplier Pirelli could settle in for a quieter end to the 2013 season had a rude awakening at the British grand prix.

Three rear left tyre deflations in the first 15 laps decidedly different in character from the delaminations seen earlier in the season led to a lengthy safety car period.

During these laps race marshals rushed to clear debris from all around the track, while FIA race director Charlie Whiting was reportedly on the verge of red-flagging the race on safety grounds. But the race continued to a highly compelling

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conclusion for a passionate race day crowd of 120,000 (the third-highest of all time) after Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel rolled to a standstill on the home straight, an event that lifted the spirits of a partisan home crowd. They were denied a British victory, though home favourite Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton produced a season’sbest drive to claim fourth following his early tyre failure from first. Mark Webber also pushed the victorious Nico Rosberg close in the final stages, marking an apt last British grand prix for the popular, perennial nearly-man. The fans surroun-

ding Tyres & Accessories near the home straight, who had been more than murmuring their discontent at Pirelli following the early tyre deflations, raised their voices to a crescendo as Hamilton and Webber improvised a tyre strategy to allow them to work their way through the grid.

The tyre deflations started by Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes on lap eight also included Ferrari’s Felipe Massa on lap 10, Toro Rosso’s Jean-Éric Vergne on lap 14, McLaren’s Sergio Pérez on lap 46, all of whom lost their rear-left, and Sauber’s

The Wing, Silverstone’s hospitality area on the pit straight

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MOTORSPORT

Esteban Gutiérrez on lap 49. It was also confirmed that third-placed Fernando Alonso had deflation problems, and at least two other cars pitted with tyres on the verge of failure. Hembery said: “There have obviously been some issues with rear-left tyre failures which we have not seen before. We are taking the situation very seriously and we are currently investigating all tyres to determine the cause as soon as possible, ahead of the next grand prix in Germany.”

Pirelli’s investigation comes ahead of a pre-planned FIA working group meeting on Wednesday. Suggested causes include kerbing at Silverstone’s turn four, which is placed just before the site of some of the tyre failures, but Pirelli Motorsport director Paul Hembery resisted defining this as a contributing factor.

The subject of the FIA meeting, just two days before Formula One will meet again at the Nürburgring for the German grand prix, will now turn pronouncedly towards tyre safety, and what can be done to insure against a repeat of this weekend.

Hembery’s post-race statement continued: “At the moment, we can’t really say much more until we have fully investigated and analysed all of these incidents, which is our top priority. However, we can exclude that the new bonding process, which we introduced at this race, is at cause for the tyre failures we have seen today. There might be some aspect to this circuit that impacts specifically on the latest version of our 2013 specification tyres but at this point we do not want to speculate but will now put together all the evidence to find out what happened and then take appropriate next steps should these be required.”

Pirelli introduced the new bonding process in the manufacture of its P Zero Formula One tyres for the British grand prix. This followed the abortive attempt to achieve consensus agreement amongst the teams to alter the specification of the rear tyres to replace 2013’s fully radial steel belt with a Kevlar belt closer to the 2012 part-cross ply specification P Zeros.

As Hembery explained above, Pirelli has ruled out this new bonding process as a cause of the Silverstone tyre failures –

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indeed some commentators, such as the apparent advantage they had over other BBC’s chief F1 writer Andrew Benson, teams in their ability to run the tyres have suggested that the way the tyres more reliably would be voided by altered failed showed that this had worked, in as tyre specifications.

The roots of this are also found in much as the tyre deflated rather than lost Pirelli’s macro-strategy for tyre specificaits tread.

Pending the outcome of Pirelli’s in- tions this year: it wanted to provide softer vestigations into what the causes were, it tyres to give the teams more options seems likely that the responsibility lies in during races in line with F1’s desire for a combination of: the low pressures initi- the spectacle of more overtaking. ally utilised by teams at Silverstone to try Arguably the most successful aspect of to increase durability; the higher running Pirelli’s tenure as F1’s exclusive tyre suptemperatures of the steel-belt radial tyres plier has been its ability to move with the over its 2012 counterparts; the internal series’ new focus on the spectators’ shockwaves caused by drivers running experience while making tyre strategy their rear-left tyres over rough concrete accessible and interesting to F1’s many on some of Silverstone’s corners, such as followers. Pirelli has had its critics over the exit of Becketts; and the sharp kerb at the past two and a half seasons, but the the Aintree corner, which looks likely to coverage it has received from the BBC have come into contact with tyre side- and latterly Sky Sports in the UK has been the envy of the industry. BBC chief walls immediately before their failure.

F1 analyst Eddie Jordan told Pirelli’s What now for Pirelli’s F1 tyres?

While Pirelli will bear the brunt of cri- guests at Silverstone as much when he ticism for the tyre problems during the praised what the tyre supplier had done British grand prix in the short term, there is a significant opportunity now for the company to forge a new, clear path for F1 tyre development, while continuing to engage followers of the sport in explaining the technology that goes into its highest performing products.

In the immediate future, the exclusive tyre supplier appears to have a mandate to end the willthey/won’t-they saga of the month and a half since the Spanish grand Pirelli technicians prepare the original 2013 specification P Zero F1 tyres at the start of the weekend for the final time prix, as the three teams who opposed changing the tyre specifica- for the sport in the face of complaints tion – Ferrari, Lotus and Force India – from drivers, whom he suggested were have climbed down from their previous pushing their own agendas when they position citing increased driver safety criticised.

Having said this, it could be argued concerns. Red Bull has supported a change in the tyres since Barcelona, and that Pirelli acted with similar hubris to the its technical chief Adrian Newey sugges- nay-saying teams when it came to the ted to motorsport magazine Autosport’s discussions about changing the tyre Jonathan Noble that some F1 teams had specification post-Spain. The manufactubeen “short-sighted” in their opposition. rer was at pains to insist throughout the The three teams were concerned that the discussions that any change to tyre spe-

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MOTORSPORT

The Force India team backed down from its block on Pirelli’s proposed introduction of different specification tyres for 2013 following the action at Silverstone

cification was linked to delamination, and was therefore not a safety issue. Due to FIA regulations, the only way to impose a tyre change on F1 teams without their consent is on the grounds of safety. In terms of public relations, publically saying that its tyres were unsafe and needed to be changed was clearly unattractive. But then, what manufacturer of a safety critical product would ever want to do this in public? And wasn’t Pirelli’s position – that delaminating tyres didn’t pose a threat to drivers’ safety – factually accurate?

The extensive politicking apparently necessary for a tyre supplier to alter the construction of its tyres could indicate that the FIA’s regulations governing tyre specifications need some revision.

Nobody wants to see teams’ hard work to make their cars work best with the tyres they have undermined. However, if the tyre supplier is under pressure to achieve finely balanced performance characteristics with limited testing opportunities, it only seems fair to allow more wiggle room on both in-season testing and alterations.

Pirelli’s previous attempt to get around the regulations was the Barcelona test with Mercedes, for which both parties received an FIA rebuke following a tribunal (see textbox).

Lewis Hamilton, who lost a good chance to win his home grand prix, told the BBC after the race: “we had that tyre test to develop and improve the tyres and stop this from happening, and after that tyre test they didn’t do anything about it.”

Of course, Hamilton has an axe to grind

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too – with more durable tyres his Mercedes team would at least match the leading Red Bull team for pace on the evidence of qualifying performances.

Without the regulations making in-season testing – and in-season specification changes – more feasible, the tyre supplier will be forced into more compromises by the plots and sub-plots of F1 politics.

Ecclestone approves tyre tests, rubbishes possible driver boycott Bernie Ecclestone has given Pirelli the go-ahead for two three-day tyre tests during the 2013 season with a current F1 car – little over a week since an international tribunal reprimanded the tyre manufacturer and the Mercedes team for the way in which they conducted a previous 1,000km test. While the news follows the number of deflations that occurred at the British grand prix on the Sunday, the Formula One boss revealed the changes were made as a result of a meeting held on the Saturday between FIA president Jean Todt, Pirelli Motorsport director Paul Hembery and Ecclestone himself.

Ecclestone also stated his opinion on talk of a driver boycott of the German grand prix if nothing is done to solve the tyre problems at Silverstone: "I don't think that will happen. I don't think it's something we need to address," he told the BBC. Speaking to Autosport, Hembery told of the improved relationship between the FIA and Pirelli since the tribunal, at which

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the tyre manufacturer had previously reserved the right to legal action against the motorsport governing body pending its verdict. This included opening up the possibilities for in-season tyre testing with 2013 teams and cars, at least in the short term, and discussing the possibilities for an end of season trial run for 2014 development tyres in Brazil. The priority was to ensure no repeat of the scenes at Silverstone – an outcome the FIA was willing to bend its tyre regulations to achieve.

On 2 July Pirelli announced that it will revert to its 2012 construction P Zero Formula One tyres in time for the Hungarian grand prix. For the upcoming weekend’s German grand prix only it said it would provide teams with rear tyres constructed with Kevlar belts. Pirelli said the aim of this is to reduce the tyres’ susceptibility to cuts, while Kevlar has the advantage of reducing the working temperature of tyres by around 10 degrees Centigrade. The concern remains that this may alter the competitiveness of some teams’ cars, but the concerns that reduced damage resistance and the steel belt construction tyres’ hotter running temperatures were two of the factors leading to the high profile tyre failures witnessed at Silverstone made the case for their introduction too difficult to resist.

In another major regulation change, the FIA announced it would allow F1 teams’ current race drivers to participate in the young driver tests back at Silverstone on 17-19 July. They will be allowed only to work on tyre development, and will not be allowed to assess car improvements, according to the FIA. In return for these regulation changes, the FIA sought assurances from Pirelli that there would be no repeat of the scenes at Silverstone. While these regulation changes are pending the World Motor Sport Council’s agreement to change the rules at the time of going to press, it is thought that no issues will be raised with the FIA’s solution. andrew.bogie@tyrepress.com

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MOTORSPORT

Mercedes, Pirelli reprimanded over Spain tyre test

Nico Rosberg’s 2013 Mercedes was used during the controversial Pirelli tyre test after the Spanish grand prix

MERCEDES AND PIRELLI HAVE BEEN REPRIMANDED for their roles in the controversial tyre test in Barcelona, which followed the pit stop-heavy action of the Spanish grand prix. BBC chief F1 writer Andrew Benson reports that the FIA found Mercedes to be in breach of Formula One rules and subsequently banned the team from taking part in this year’s young driver test at Silverstone on 17-19 July. The BBC, Autosport.com and other sources report that the FIA, Mercedes and Pirelli will share equally the costs of the investigation.

The tribunal’s verdict that Mercedes acted outside article 22.4 of F1’s regulations by running an illegal in-season test with a current car was mitigated by several factors. The FIA found that: Pirelli and Mercedes did not act in bad faith or intend to gain an “unfair sporting advantage” during the test; the “essence of what they intended to do in relation to the test” had been disclosed to the FIA, while Mercedes “had no reason to believe that approval had not been given”; and FIA race director Charlie Whiting’s indication to Mercedes that testing with its 2013 car was permissible had been “taken in good faith”.

The young driver test ban makes sense for several reasons, and Auto-

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sport.com reports that Mercedes' legal representative Paul Harris suggested during his statement that the reprimand and ban would be an appropriate punishment in the event that Mercedes was found guilty of contravening regulations. The young driver test gives F1 teams full control over data gleaned from the event, therefore one can see the logic in denying Mercedes that inseason access in 2013 given the tribunal’s verdict. It is also convenient, as it comes under the FIA’s jurisdiction and is considerably less high profile than any grand prix-based penalty for example would have been.

During the tribunal, Pirelli counsel Dominique Dumas contended that the tyre manufacturer could not be subject to the FIA’s jurisdiction as it is a supplier, though the FIA responded that Pirelli’s contract binds the tyre supplier by Formula One regulations.

Meanwhile Mercedes, which as an F1 team certainly is subject to the FIA’s authority, contended that it could not have broken any rules since the test was conducted by Pirelli. The test utilised the current 2013 Mercedes car and the team’s two current drivers wearing unmarked helmets. It appears that while the use of the car and drivers is permitted by F1 regulations as long as

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Pirelli conducted the test, the regulation allowing for this eventuality is also subject to other teams being invited to participate.

During the hearing it was revealed that two Mercedes representatives – team principal Ross Brawn and sporting director Ron Meadows – had asked FIA race director Charlie Whiting about the permissibility of using the 2013 car on 2 May before the test took place. FIA counsel Mark Howard acknowledged that Whiting told Brawn that the FIA could allow Pirelli to conduct a test using Mercedes’ 2013 car on the proviso that Pirelli could demonstrate that it had invited all other teams to participate, adding that the FIA’s position was not binding. But he added that it was "very odd” that “Mercedes and Pirelli went ahead without getting back to Mr Whiting and making clear precisely ultimately what they were intending to do."

It is ultimately Howard’s contention that “Without the knowledge, consent and participation of other competitors, Mercedes and Pirelli may have engaged in activity that was prejudicial to the competition." akb

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MOTORSPORT

Dunlop-shod riders successful again at Isle of Man TT Competing in its 125th anniversary year, Dunlop tyres had another successful week at the Isle of ManTT. 14 out of 15 podium places used its tyres and three lap records were set in the Superbike, Supersport and Superstock classes respectively. Meanwhile Avon Tyres supported riders had great success in the sidecar races, while Metzeler supported British Superbike competitor Josh Brookes’ maiden run at the event, and provided a fitting bookend to the week, sponsoring both the Metzeler Ultimate Party and the Post TT Races.

The sun soaked 37¾ mile track hosted trap or run offs, you have houses and the Superbike race, raced on Dunlop’s walls surrounding you. This means that KR106 and KR108 slicks. The class had the tyres need to stick a rider to the road changes of lead, penalties for a pit lane and provide them with the confidence to speed violation and a new outright lap push their bike and wits to the limit. We record. Following six laps the Dunlop will now go back and continue to develop tyres showed their quality with a clean our tyres for the 2014 TT and continue to sweep of the podium places. The race, transfer our race proven technology into which was the 30th anniversary of Joey our road going tyres. This week has been Dunlop¹s first win, also saw his nephew, the perfect celebration for our 125th anniMichael Dunlop start his domination of versary year and our addiction to this adrenaline fuelled road racing capital the week.

The newly-launched road legal Dunlop never seems to fade.”

The climax of the 2013 Isle of Man TT D212 GP Pro tyres took to the track in the Supersport and Superstock classes and on Friday brought more success after an continued Dunlop tyres' winning streak, exceptional event for Dunlop, but ended winning both races and taking five out of with international concern for 10 spectathe six podium places available. Michael tors injured on the route after a rider Dunlop took the tyres to the next level as crashed out. Dunlop says the latest news they helped him push corner after corner, from the organisers was that none of the straight after straight on his way to two injuries was life threatening. The accident victories in one day and setting a class lap record with a heart racing speed of Dave Molyneux and passenger Patrick 131.220mph.

Farrance finished third and second in the Michael Dunlop’s achievements at two sidecar class races

took the shine off what was an historic 20th win for John McGuinness when he clinched the Senior TT race. The Senior TT has been won consecutively by Dunlop tyres since 2004.

Avon Tyres ‘sweeps’ Isle of Man TT sidecar races The Isle of Man TT Sidecar events saw more than 40 competitors using Avon tyres, as Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle took victory in the first and Ben and Tom Birchall claimed an emotional maiden TT win in the second on the brand’s products. Conrad Harrison and Mike Aylott finished second in race one and third in race two while pre-race favourite Dave Molyneux had a frustrating TT by his standards, unable to add to his 16 TT wins and finishing third and second

the 2013 TT comprised four race wins.

Despite being one of the youngest ever winners of the TT, he now has seven TT wins behind him at only 24.

Mark Sears, Dunlop Motorcycle product support manager, said: “The Isle of Man is one of the greatest spectacles in the motorcycle racing calendar and we are proud to be the official tyre sponsor once again.

Dunlop tyres have had a fantastic TT once again taking our 26th win in the last six years, a phenomenal record.

“This is the perfect place to come and show what our tyres can do, this is not circuit racing, there is no gravel

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Metzeler supported rider Dean Harrison leads at the Billown road course respectively in the two races, with passenger Patrick Farrance.

Having taken their LCR outfit to glory, Ben Birchall said, “We could get used to this feeling! What a team we had behind us and that includes Avon Tyres. To be honest the tyres were faultless and despite the very hot conditions they were as good on the last lap as on the first.

“We were close in the first race and were leading, so you never know if you’re ever going to win a TT but now we have.

We just chipped away during the race and we found it hard to be leading the race. To be honest, we would rather chase and push than lead. We did have a few hairy moments on lap two, but I knew on the last lap we had a good lead as we had caught up to Dave Molyneux, and we didn’t need to pass him as we were well up on time.”

Steve Smith, Motorcycle sales manager for Avon Tyres Motorsport, said of the event: “It really capped a fantastic Isle of Man TT for us, which was blessed with superb weather during race week and the racing was excellent, too! Avon

Josh Brookes greets fans during the Metzeler Ultimate Party at Douglas’ Villa Marina Tyres wish to congratulate Tim, Dan, Ben and Tom for their victories and to all those that finished the sidecar races.”

Avon has a long history in motorcycle racing on two and three wheels. Its first motorcycle tyre was manufactured in 1911 and since then champions such as Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Barry Sheene have won on

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Avon. More recently, Avon riders have won 13 Supersport and four Production class championships, as well as Isle of Man TT victories on both three and two wheels.

20-time winner John McGuinness will fit Avons to his 500cc Paton machine in this year’s Classic TT event in late August.

Metzeler-sponsored Brookes generates Superbike buzz Following the buzz generated by British Superbikes rider Josh Brookes’ involvement, setting the fastest lap (127.726mph) for a newcomer in the Superbike TT, the Australian joined Metzeler at the Villa Marina in Douglas, where the bike tyre manufacturer hosted more than 1,000 TT fans during the Metzeler Ultimate Party. Three hundred fans also enjoyed high quality camping in fully equipped tents and facilities at the Metzeler Village within the National Sports Centre. Four top Metzeler race stars entertained the crowd before renowned AC/DC tribute act DC/AC took over.

Brookes was joined on stage by Gary Johnson, James Hillier and Dean Harrison. Brookes summed up his whole TT experience: “The first word that comes to mind is extreme; the track, the speeds, the closeness of everything, the fans. If I’m honest the first few days of practice were more scary than rewarding but then as I came to learn the course a bit more it was so rewarding and I could ride in a more calculated way.

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With the spectators so close you feel almost like you are in a stadium than a race track, the fans also get to see your lines and see what you’re doing with the bike much more, so they really feel the experience. You can definitely feel the fans presence whilst you’re riding and that’s something unique for both racer and the guys in the hedges.

The Metzeler party was great, I guess there is a lot of fans who love rock music at the TT and hopefully we mixed it up with our racing stories also, so what a great event!”

Metzeler UK marketing manager Jim Worland commented; “What a fantastic way to celebrate our 150th anniversary, with what our riders have done on the track, the Metzeler Village and to cap it all of the Ultimate Party. What a fantastic atmosphere on track, in the tented village and of course at the Villa Marina, all helped by the stunning weather. A big thanks to all the riders and fans who’ve made this such a memorable experience.”

Rounding out Metzeler’s activities were the Post TT Races at the Billown road course near Castletown, of which the brand was the title sponsor. Metzeler says its supported rider Dean Harrison was unlucky not to win two of the main races, in the Southern 100 organised event, which was devised originally by the Steam Packet ferry company to stagger race fan departures. He was victorious in the mixed Supertwin/250/Singles class but had to pull out of the main event Supersport 600 race whilst leading. akb

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BATTERIES

Environmental targets offering battery manufacturers growth opportunities European market estimated at 62.4M units in 2013 The economic climate for traditional industry and the automotive sector remains uncertain within our region. Last year, demand for new cars in Europe reached the lowest level recorded since 1995, with new vehicle registrations declining 8.2 per cent compared with 2011. Battery manufacturers are therefore placing hope in two areas – expansion in new markets and in technologies that are being pushed to the forefront by European political commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

According to figures published by EUROBAT, the Brusselsbased association representing the European automotive and industrial battery industry, the automotive battery market in the EU27 region amounted to 62.7 million units in 2012, some 3.8 per cent less than during the prior year. Original equipment supply accounted for 17.8 million units, and from the remaining 44.9 million, 40.7 million were car and light commercial vehicle batteries and 4.2 million heavy commercial vehicle batteries.

EUROBAT projects that total volumes will increase to 66.9 million units by 2016, with original equipment sales accounting for a large portion of this additional growth.

In its 2012 annual report, EUROBAT noted that its member companies, whose operations stretch across the European, Middle East and African (EMEA) region, have “continued to expand geographically, with increase sales of automotive and industrial batteries outside of Europe helping to offset slower

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European emissions reduction policy is driving the uptake of new battery technology

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growth in traditional markets.” It also reported that European battery manufacturers have sustained their investment into the optimisation of advanced battery technologies for new market areas, including electro-mobility.

Although OEM automotive battery sales have been impacted by lower new vehicle registrations, EUROBAT indicates that start-stop systems have nevertheless continued to grow in popularity amongst European OEMs. This trend has also been noted by Johnson Controls Power Solutions EMEA; it estimates that 70 per cent of all new vehicles produced in our region in 2015 will be fitted with start-stop technology. The OEM supply of start-stop batteries, along with lithium-ion batteries, will steadily rise at the cost of conventional automotive batteries.

Battery makers await EV commercialisation While start-stop technology will dominate in the next few years, the market for electric vehicle batteries is also growing steadily. During 2012, sales of electric hybrid and full electric hybrid vehicles rose in some markets, with Polk and GiPA figures (published by EUROBAT’s Automotive Battery Committee in June 2013) putting the number of hybrid electric vehicles in operation in Europe at 335,611 units and full electric vehicles at 18,652. By 2016, the number of hybrids on the road is expected to grow to 579,509 and full electric vehicles to 95,195 units. “While not yet the breakthrough moment hoped for, policy makers and industry representatives have continued to strengthen the regulatory framework that will facilitate their eventual deep commercialisation,” commented EUROBAT in its annual report.

The European Commission was active in this regard last year. In July, it proposed a mandatory target that would cut average emissions from new cars to 95 grammes of CO2 per kilometre in 2020, a 27 per cent decrease on the 2015 mandatory target of 130 grammes per kilometre and 30 per cent below the

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European battery aftermarket 2013 – share per country

Plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle uptake forecasts for 2015 and 2020

Source: Graph based on selected plug-in vehicle uptake forecasts by Arup-Cenex, BCG, Berger, Cheuvreux, Deutsche Bank, Frost & Sullivan and McKinsey Source: EUROBAT

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With aftermarket sales approaching 4 million units, the UK market is the fifth largest in Europe

Tyres & Accessories 7/2013 Around 7% of new vehicle sales in Europe and the UK are expected to be EV and PHEVs by 2020

2011 average level of 135.7 grammes per kilometre. This was followed in September by a refocus of the European Commission’s e-Mobility Research and Innovation policy away from “institutional silo thinking”; and most recently, in early 2013, by the setting of minimum requirements for the number of electric vehicle charging points to be installed in each Member State by 2020. By this date, the European Commission anticipates sales of full electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to account for around seven per cent of the total; to cope with this number of vehicles, the Commission has proposed a minimum of 8 million electric vehicle charging points across Europe by 2020, including 800,000 public charging points. Proposed figures for the UK are 1.22 million char-

European battery market volumes

Source: EUROBAT

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ging points, ten per cent of which should be public charging points. Total Europe-wide investment cost has been estimated to be €8 billion, and an investment of €1.2 billion will be needed to set up the UK charging point network outlined above.

Technology for electro-mobility

Battery technology for electric mobility has evolved tremendously over the last decade via the introduction of lithiumbased batteries, which complement lead-based, nickel-based and sodium-based technologies. These technologies are all expected to continue to have a significant impact on electromobility as they may give cost and/or performance advantages for specific applications, for example as start-stop and hybrid solutions.

2012-2016 (m units) A broad range of different electrochemical battery technologies exist, however these four technologies are considered those that can effectively contribute to the efficient and sustainable use of electrical energy storage: Lead based (Pb), a proven technology that offers low production cost and is suited to conventional vehicles, startstop, micro-hybrid (hybrids that run on less than 60 volts) and mild hybrid electric vehicles. Lead sub types include Enhanced or Improved Flooded batteries and Valve Regulated Lead Acid batteries (AGM and Tyres & Accessories 7/2013 Gel batteries); Nickel based (Ni), a proven, long-life technology suited for hybrid electric

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Battery 500

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Source: IBM Corporation

vehicle propulsion. The main nickel based technologies are Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) and Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH); Lithium based (Li), which offers high energy density in a small, light battery and is suitable for hybrid electric vehicle (including plug-in) and full electric vehicle propulsion; Sodium based, a high energy, light solution suited for the propulsion of plugin hybrid and full electric vehicles.

In addition to the abovementioned battery technologies, several other electro-chemical systems are currently drawing considerable attention due to their potential to enable significantly higher energy storage densities than Li-Ion batteries. In its February 2012 white paper on Battery Energy Storage Solutions for Electro-Mobility, EUROBAT explains the potential merits of a Lithium-Sulphur system; it says this may be possible to reach specific energy levels of up to 500 Wh/kg. This electro-chemical system is

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has not yet reached maturity, with the main challenge facing its introduction being its endurance in terms of capacity and lifespan.

Another technology that offers a high potential to drastically improve the energy data is a system based on air cathodes. Up to now, these systems have suffered from problems with recharging and low efficiency. With alkaline Zn/air cells specific energy data up to 300 Wh/kg have already been demonstrated in the past. However, EUROBAT sees the greater potential for a future high energy battery with the employment a Li-Air based system.

On 7 June EUROBAT held its 2013 forum in Rome, Italy. More than 110 participants attended the event and were given updates on some of the current key issues within the battery industry plus the comparative merits of existing and future technologies. Amongst the future

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technologies reviewed at the forum was IBM’s ‘Battery 500’ Li-air (lithium-air) research project. IBM’s Erich Ruetsche delivered a presentation on the project, which began in 2009 and aims to develop a technology that offers a range of 500 miles on a single charge, five times higher energy density than today’s Lithiumion batteries. Lithium-ion technology, opine Battery 500’s proponents, doesn’t and can’t offer sufficient energy density (the amount of energy stored per kilogramme of battery) to make an electricpowered family saloon feasible. Li-air technology can potentially offer ten times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries; while the batteries in the Tesla roadster provide 150 W h/kg, it is hoped a comparable-sized Li-air battery will deliver 1,500 to 2,000 W h/kg. stephen.goodchild@tyrepress.com

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Bosch range covers start-stop, standard models Recently, the ten millionth start-stop starter motor produced by Bosch rolled off the line at the company’s Hildesheim plant in Germany. The automotive supplier views the start-stop market as a strong growth area; it says every second car manufactured in Western Europe is now fitted with start-stop technology and estimates that by 2015, more than 30 million vehicles in Europe will be equipped with startstop systems. Interest in start-stop technology is also on the rise in the US and China.

To what extent can a start-stop system lower fuel consumption? In the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), start-stop systems are attributed as reducing fuel consumption, and thus CO2 emissions, by up to five per cent. In the NEDC urban cycle the savings are up to eight per cent while in heavy urban traffic, especially during peak hours, potential savings are even greater.

Bosch says that in conjunction with a modern petrol engine, a warm start using a start-stop system only consumes as much fuel as is consumed in 0.7 seconds of idling. And its engineers are working to further extend engine shutdown times.

This will initially apply to times when the vehicle is coasting to a stop, but by 2016 it will also apply to periods of non-acceleration when driving. “Depending on the type of driving, the enhanced start-stop systems will save up to an additional ten per cent of fuel,” shares Dr. Ulrich Kirschner, president of the Bosch Starter Motors and Generators division.

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Examples from the Bosch ‘S’ range

Obviously, vehicles equipped with start-stop systems require batteries with more power and greater deep-cycle resistance, and in Bosch’s case the batteries designed for the job are certain members of its premium ‘S’ car battery range, especially the S6 absorbent glass matt and S5 enhanced flooded batteries. The S6 offers up to four times higher deepcycle resistance in comparison to conventional starter batteries while the S5 has double the cycling performance comp-ared to conventional starter batteries. However, the S line-up also includes options for smaller and standard vehicles; the company recently introduced five new batteries, and says these offer a ten per cent better cold-starting performance.

Bosch S3 0092S30041: This battery was specifically developed to provide higher cold-starting performance and, as mentioned above, offers ten per cent better performance in this regard. Bosch says the batter gives mobility user increased cost benefit throughout the battery’s life.

Bosch S3 0092S30000 and Bosch S4 0092S40001: These batteries were developed to provide solutions for small vehicles in the compact segment. The S4 battery caters for new electronic comfort features on new smaller vehicles such as Start/Stop in the new MINI and Fiat 500, while the S3 battery has been introduced to provide better performance for older compact vehicles Bosch S4 0092S40110 and Bosch S5 0092S50110: This pair features a new case size that has been developed specifically to create a greater market coverage for the Bosch battery range. The high H7 case size complements the low T7 case size, facilitating a 1:1 exchange of original equipment batteries. Bosch says the S4 and S5 are reliable, strong batteries that are ideal for coping with high power requirements of all modern vehicles in all classes. sg

ECP boasts wide availability

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Euro Car Parts, the UKs largest supplier of parts for all makes of car and light commercial vehicles, says it is the place to go for virtually any vehicle battery and offers unbeatable prices and availability for all super premium, original equipment and price conscious applications – from brands such as Bosch and Exide to the Lion brand and golf and mobility specialist Leoch.

“As well as any battery for any car or van, our batteries range is now so comprehensive we get a lot of business from caravanners, boat owners and even refrigeration engineers,”

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commented Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, managing director of Euro Car Parts. “Thanks to our recent network expansion – we opened 40 new branches last year – there is always a Euro Car Parts within easy reach.”

Independent motor traders can receive same day delivery on batteries from the company’s 500,000 sqft warehouse in Tamworth via its 11 hubs and 132 branches. sg

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Start-Stop a Manbat growth area Proper training, waste management important For many years the battery market remained relatively static when it came to the technology that was incorporated into the typical car battery. While the major manufacturers obviously invested in improving the performance of their batteries, they were all generally lead-acid batteries designed to cater for large current discharge when starting the engine and subject to continuous charging while the vehicle was in use.

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As far as the workshop was concerned, providing the battery was maintained properly – topped up with de-ionised water, kept from excessive discharge and regularly charged – it would provide a reliable source of power until it inevitably needed to be replaced. Replacement was a simple and straightforward process, which was only complicated by the fact that in more recent years a current had to be maintained in the system to ensure the power to the ECU and related equipment wasn’t lost.

However, the introduction of StartStop vehicles has driven a major change in battery technology. Start-Stop, or micro hybrid engines have become the preferred route for most of the vehicle manufacturers to follow in order for them to reduce the emissions and fuel consumption of their vehicles and achieve the European Union requirement for fleet average vehicle emissions.

Myles Pemberton, marketing/project manager at

Manbat UK, recently commented to Tyres & Accessories that while the market for Start-Stop batteries is currently still very small, it is expected to grow exponentially: “We’re expecting to see massive growth by 2015 to 2016.”

The traditional lead-acid ‘starter’ battery is not suitable for Start-Stop engines and therefore cannot be used. Instead it requires a battery that can deliver the starting power of a traditional automotive battery with the cyclic (charge, discharge, charge etc.) capacity of a specialist mobility battery. The result is the absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery, which was first developed by Varta, for whom Manbat is the UK’s largest supply partner.

Dealing with AGM batteries With a Start-Stop vehicle fitted with an AGM battery, technicians cannot just replace the battery in the way they did with a traditional battery where, as men-

Manbat provides full on-site training with products such as VSSP

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tioned earlier, the greatest challenge was simply to ensure a supply feed was maintained.

Instead, as the battery is intricately linked to the vehicle’s on-board electronics via a battery management system (BMS) or intelligent battery sensor (IBS), it has to be integrated into the system and paired with the BMS/IBS, which requires specialist equipment. Without the equipment to assist the technician and introduce the battery into the system, the vehicle will at best illuminate error messages on the dash or fail to charge the battery, at worst, simply not start at all.

To prevent these error messages and other installation related problems, quality Start-Stop batteries should be the first thought when being replaced, as these will have the necessary 2D codes to ensure the battery is a ‘match’ for the vehicle and be ‘accepted’ by the BMS/ECU. Training is particularly important because the number of potential faults in a Start-Stop system is far greater than for a traditional electrical system. Because the engine is switched off as frequently as possible and only restarts when the vehicle needs to move off or when the state of charge of the battery drops to a predetermined level, the BMS is extremely complicated. Therefore the correct testing procedure and fault diagnosis is vital.

This is also complicated by the fitting challenges mentioned above. Manbat provides full training on its products, such as the Varta VSSP (Start-Stop Service Program) tool, and it can also offer full, free eXponentia training through Varta.

As with every aspect of the trade, fitting the correct battery for the application is paramount. For entry-level or smaller Start-Stop vehicles for example, an AGM

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BATTERIES

battery might not be the appropriate replacement as the original fitment could be an enhanced flooded battery (EFB).

Although these batteries have similar characteristics to AGM batteries, they are not the same and the two should not be interchanged. Likewise, just installing a larger capacity lead-acid battery is no solution for Start-Stop battery replacement.

“A like-for-like exchange really needs to be made,” Myles Pemberton added. “If a battery is not up to the task required, technology-wise, the car may not perform as it should. In the old days, when I drove to work a battery just started the engine at the start of the journey. With a StartStop car – and in future the option to disable the Start-Stop function will be disabled in new vehicles – a car may start up to 30 or 40 times in the course of a single journey. The technology must be able to cope with this and therefore AGM batteries are gaining ground.”

Another complication comes because there is little guarantee that the battery in a Start-Stop vehicle will reside in the engine bay. Therefore, technicians need to have access to technical information such as TecRMI, or similar workshop related technical data, to pinpoint the exact location of the battery, be it in the boot floor or, as it is in at least one application, beneath the front passenger seat!

“At present, garages don’t understand the specific requirements of StartStop batteries and systems very well,” reflected the marketing/project manager.

“One important message we’re trying to get over is that a battery fit is not a 15 minute job any more, as it once was. On some vehicles, the Audi Q7 is a good example, fitting a new battery can be a two to three hour job. Traditionally, fitting a battery has been done for free and customers only paid for the battery itself. But garages are in the business of selling time, and if fitting a battery takes between one and three hours, a garage can make really good money fitting batteries.”

onmental responsibilities and ensure batteries are disposed of legally, but they should also be aware that they could benefit finically from responsible battery disposal as batteries have a ‘scrap’ value.

Manbat is a member of the Ecobat group, which includes specialist waste battery businesses and lead smelter Ecobat Technologies, one of the world’s leading suppliers of lead. Annually, Ecobat converts millions of tons of lead waste into high quality lead ingots, strip, wire and shot through its efficient smelters across the globe. Among its many customers are a number of major battery manufacturers and some of these brands are subsequently distributed nationally through Manbat’s comprehensive branch network.

“Batteries have a high scrap value these days, purely because of the price of lead,” Pemberton pointed out. “We’re lucky – our parent company Ecobat is the world’s largest lead recycler. We have a closed loop supply in which covers every stage from initially selling a new battery to returning end of life batteries to Ecobat.

Over 98 per cent of the battery is recycled. Recycled lead is returned to the battery manufacturers and goes back into new batteries.”

The combination of new battery sales and distribution, together with waste battery collection, recycling and the reintroduction of lead into the manufacturing process, means that the Ecobat group, and therefore Manbat, is able to be exceptionally environmentally aware and is currently the only global company offering a closed recycling loop for lead-acid batteries.

Selling points

Manbat always recommends that workshops choose a quality battery when undertaking replacement, but this is even more important when working on StartStop vehicles for the reasons previously discussed. Allied to this, Varta is the largest original equipment battery supplier Waste management to Europe’s vehicle manufacturers and When it comes to responsible disposal, has led the development of Start-Stop workshops have to understand their envir- battery technology. As a result, by fitting

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Varta a like for like replacement is highly likely, but whatever the original battery, the necessary quality is guaranteed.

Pemberton describes Start-Stop as the best means we currently have for reducing fuel consumption through the motor and he observes that while three or four new battery technologies are being worked on at present, none of these will supersede Start-Stop for a while as each are difficult to recycle and can be dangerous when the technology breaks down.

He also believes that there will always be a demand for conventional lead-acid batteries, although over the next decade they will become a niche rather than a bread and butter product, as hard rubber batteries today are.

For non Start-Stop applications, Manbat recommends the use of an application guide like its just-launched Lucas Battery Catalogue, to ensure the correct specification battery is selected. Only when the vehicle has been fitted with additional electrical equipment or when the vehicle has been modified to cope with extreme conditions, such as mountain rescue or other emergency vehicles, does it suggest the battery should be upgraded. In this instance the enhanced performance of an AGM battery could be an advantage even though the vehicle doesn’t utilise a Start-Stop system.

Other opportunities AGM batteries are also suitable for leisure purposes where a deep discharge product is required, but leisure specific batteries like Manbat’s Numax XV range dominate this sector and provide a far more suitable solution for the majority of leisure battery requirements.

However, with their obvious battery knowledge, workshops as well as factors and retailers are in the ideal position to develop their battery sales beyond the automotive ‘distress purchase’ boundaries and benefit from the ‘aspirational purchase’ opportunities the leisure, marine and golf sectors provide. stephen.goodchild@tyrepress.com

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Exide undergoing Chapter 11 restructuring in US Business as usual in Europe It doesn’t pay to become over-reliant on a single customer, as ExideTechnologies has learned in the US to its cost. Prior to 2010, the company’s largest single customer in the Americas was Wal-Mart; sales to the retail chain were estimated to have accounted for some two-thirds of its total transportation segment sales in the region. In February of that year, however, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. selected Johnson Controls as its sole battery supplier. In a filing with securities regulators at the time, the company stated that “Wal-Mart

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The company was still attempting to restructure, despite lower sales in Q4 of fiscal 2013 (the three-month period ending 31 March 2013) when, on 24 April 2013, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) ordered operations at the company’s Vernon lead recycling facility – one of five primary and secondary plants it utilises in US – to be suspended. The DTSC alleged that the plant’s underground stormwater system was not in compliance with State of California requirements and that furnace emissions did not meet applicable DTSC health risk standards.

With the suspension of operations in Vernon and the closure of another lead recycling plant impacting raw material prices, the posting of a full-year 2013 net loss of $223.4 million and restructuring not taking place quickly enough, on 10 June Exide Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US. In a filing submitted to the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, chief financial officer Phillip Damaska said “as a result of the Vernon shutdown and the company’s poor financial performance in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013, it became apparent that a successful out-of-court restructuring was unlikely.”

“Our company has been burdened by a highly leveraged balance sheet which has limited our ability to competitively

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purchases currently represent a significant portion” of the segment’s $238.8 million in sales the Americas, and therefore it was “actively pursuing other sales opportunities in an effort to minimise the impact of this decision on future revenues.” In its 2010 annual report, Exide Technologies reported it was “continuing to undertake restructuring activities to address excess capacity created, in part, by worsening economic conditions and reduction in demand for some of the company’s products.”

invest in our businesses,” added Exide president and chief executive officer James R. Bolch. “Recently, our profitability has been impacted by unprecedented increases in our product costs — driven primarily by the market price of scrap lead in North America – as well as operational challenges in the US and Europe which we have been unable to fully offset. After a great deal of consideration, we concluded a restructuring of our balance sheet and our operations was the best path forward for the company.

“Our restructuring,” he continued, “will allow us to strengthen our balance sheet and complete the operational changes that build upon the strategies that we have been pursuing. Over and above these efforts, we intend to become even more aggressive in reducing costs, taking actions with respect to underperforming business segments and to focus on the most attractive areas for future growth.”

What does this mean for Exide in Europe?

Approximately 58 per cent of Exide’s net sales for fiscal 2013 were made in Europe and the rest of the world, with the significant majority generated in euros. The Milton, Georgia-based firm thus lost no time reassuring its customers and part-

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ners here that it would operate globally without interruption during the reorganisation. “Operations both in the US and in the rest of the world will continue to serve customers in a timely manner with the same quality products, and outstanding customer care as they did before the filing,” Bolch continued. “All post-filing obligations to US suppliers will be paid on time and within terms. We intend to pay US employees as usual and do not expect any material changes to their benefits. Outside of the US, obligations to employees and suppliers will not be impacted by the filing.”

In a letter sent to Exide’s European customers, Michael Ostermann, EMEA region president of France-headquartered Exide Technologies SAS, noted that “over the past few years have seen Exide Technologies across Europe grow year on year and steadily build our market share.

We have expanded into Russia/CIS and across the Middle East and Africa, and we are very proud that the past three years have seen us more than double our business in the new Micro Hybrid market. We have completed our investment in a new AGM plant in Poznan, Poland and this means we now have three AGM plants serving customers across the region with the latest generation of automotive batteries.”

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A co-branded Exide battery as supplied to the RAC

Ostermann added that the US restructuring would not include any of the company’s operations in Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Asia Pacific. “That means that for us here in Europe it is very much business as usual in our operations albeit with the added advantage of a strengthened and refinanced US business.”

Financing agreement approved On 11 June, Exide received US Court approval of a variety of motions that support its operations as it proceeds with its restructuring, including interim approval of its $500 million Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financing agreement with JP Morgan Chase, designed to facilitate and ensure the continued uninterrupted operation of Exide’s global business. In addition to the financing, the company also received authorisation to continue its employee wages and benefits according to their existing plans, ensuring that employees will continue to be paid according to schedule. Exide also received authorisation to honour certain prepetition obligations to customers and to continue other customer programmes including warranties, rebates, returns, refunds, exchanges, adjustments, promotions, credits and guarantees.

In order to help facilitate the company’s financial restructuring, Exide’s Board of Directors has named Robert M. Caruso as chief restructuring officer.

Caruso is a noted financial restructuring

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expert and a managing director of Alvarez and Marsal, a leading restructuring firm.

Bolch stated: “As we move forward with Exide’s restructuring, the Board concluded that we needed to have personnel with restructuring expertise on our executive team in order to implement critical objectives most effectively. We are very fortunate to have the benefit of the expertise, experience and demonstrated talent of Bob Caruso to take on the role of chief restructuring officer of Exide at this important time. He and the resources he brings from Alvarez and Marsal, will serve the company and all of its constituencies very well as we proceed with the job of restructuring Exide for the future.”

Business as usual As already mentioned, the restructuring efforts are restricted to the US. In our market, Exide Technologies continues to have a significant presence, a fact emphasised by the August 2012 appointment of its Exide Transportation division as battery partner to the RAC. Under the terms of the three-year deal, Exide supplies the automotive services company with more than 160,000 co-branded batteries a year, and in doing so says it has significantly increased its hold on the UK market. Batteries supplied include ‘parts of matching quality’ replacement batteries, as well as AGM and ECM batteries for micro-hybrid cars that use Start-Stop and regenerative breaking systems.

“Exide supplies original equipment to manufacturers such as Ford and BMW, and our customers already have a strong affinity to the brand,” said Mark Johnson, commercial development manager at RAC. “We wanted to bring our customers

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the latest technology straight to the roadside, and Exide’s ‘parts of matching quality’ and AGM batteries are more advanced than anything else on the market.”

Exide and the RAC decided on a cobranded battery design to highlight the sense of partnership they have embraced. “RAC told us early on that they didn’t just want a supplier – they wanted a partner that could bring the latest technology and best value to their members,” said Andrew Bevington, sales and marketing director at Exide. “We worked closely together to design co-branded batteries that are technically advanced, long lasting and affordable.”

In the commercial vehicle segment, Exide Technologies recently released a new range featuring HVR (high vibration resistance) technology – and in doing so was the first manufacturer to bring this much-anticipated technology to the aftermarket. The Exide CV range has been cut from four to three products in order to simplify the portfolio and make more features available to everyone, and HVR is incorporated into the most powerful of the three new batteries, Expert HVR. The other available fitments are Professional Power and Professional; both Expert HVR and Professional Power are maintenance free products, Exide notes.

Exide Technologies’ HVR battery lasts longer by insulating the core components from the effects of the end-of-chassis position. The batteries are housed in a reinforced container, and are designed to both absorb vibrations and lock components in place. Exide HVR is the most powerful product in Exide Technologies’ new commercial vehicle range, and the company said it will last longer and perform better than any other battery when used in AdBlue and non-AdBlue trucks. sg

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Start-Stop providing new opportunities to workshops Groupauto, the UK’s largest trading group, is keen to highlight the fact that the market is changing and the dominance of basic lead-acid battery technology will soon begin to decline.The automotive battery is becoming a much more technical component and with the increasing amount of electrical equipment fitted to even the most basic of vehicles, the demands placed on it are much greater than ever.

Standard equipment levels on most modern cars now include air conditioning, electric windows, heated seats, powerful car audio, heated windscreens and sat nav, and under the bonnet the revolution has continued with the arrival of electric steering, water pumps and oil pumps. More significant than this however, is the onset of emission related technology, none with a greater impact than micro hybrid or Start-Stop technology. This alone has revolutionised battery technology and means that a standard lead-acid battery will simply not do the job.

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New technology & challenges The battery is no longer just an ancillary component with red and black lead connections: it is now an integral part of the vehicle’s ECU and engine management system. Its location is also no longer necessarily easy to access at the front of the engine compartment and many vehicles have more than one battery fitted.

Therefore, it is imperative that technicians have the correct training to allow them to safely undertake battery replacement and do so on a cost-effective basis for the consumer. Also, as the number of potential faults in a Start-Stop system is greater than a traditional system, so without training they simply would not know where to start.

From the perspective of the wholesaler, batteries are becoming a far more technical sale and those without an understanding of the new technology may lose the opportunity to make the sale or worse still, specify an unsuitable

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battery for the installation, with the unpalatable consequences that can result. For the workshop, the matter is made worse by popular consumer perception that says that the garage is trying to rip them off and charge them more for doing less.

This is further complicated by the fact that of the little that the consumer knows about what’s under the bonnet, they ‘know’ that to change a battery is a simple job!

Therefore, workshop managers need to have a full understanding of the issues themselves in order to clearly and coherently explain the reason why Start-Stop systems were developed, the different battery types, the importance of fitting the correct battery and general battery information. With this information, all of which is covered in the G-Xpert course ‘Start-Stop plus Charging’, they are equipped to not only do the work, but also explain the associated cost of the work.

The technology used in lead-acid and AGM batteries is very different and so are their performance characteristics. Leadacid batteries can be very powerful over a short burst, but don’t like to be discharged to any great extent and doing so will have a detrimental effect on their lifespan. AGM batteries, however, are altogether more robust and do not suffer from deep discharge damage as they are designed to withstand considerable fluctuations in their state of charge.

Integral to a Start-Stop system is the fact that the battery is only charged when it really needs to be, which is one of the reasons it can deliver reductions in fuel consumption and lower emissions.

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Training and opportunities To enable the independent workshop to keep pace with the franchised dealer and undertake AGM battery service and repair work, Groupauto has invested in its G-Xpert technical training initiative to include a module that concentrates on Start-Stop systems and charging.

Delivered by Frank Massey of ADS and Steve Carter of eXponentia, two of the industry’s most respected trainers, it allows technicians to grasp the implications, responsibilities and requirements of servicing these vehicles and gain the skills necessary to deliver high quality technical work. With this level of competence, technicians can handle AGM battery work with confidence.

The lead-acid battery is certainly not dead yet, so there is still obviously a need for batteries utilising traditional technology. This is good news for workshops that need a price sensitive product, however, if they wish to focus on price without any thought to developing technology and the new generation of product – and the knowledge needed to sell it – they run a serious risk of losing the first opportunity in a long-time to return a sensible profit on a product that has long been traded as a commodity. Therefore, Groupauto says it is important for workshops to pick a strategic battery partner, one that is future proof in terms of technology and knowledge. After all, the market is changing from being solely price driven to expertise driven. sg

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Battery manufacturers collaborating on electromobility solutions Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH and Japanese firms GS Yuasa International Ltd and Mitsubishi Corporation have agreed to work together on the next generation of high-performance lithium-ion batteries, particularly in regard to their future role in mobility, including plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicles. The companies’ stated aim is to use advanced cell management and progress in electrochemistry and materials to significantly increase energy content. This will reduce weight and space requirements, and increase the range of electric vehicles; according to one Japanese source, the aim is to double the distance a car can travel on a single charge to around 400 kilometres. The partners have not disclosed the level of investment each will contribute to the joint venture.

The three companies intend to set up a joint venture for joint research and development, and to support their parent companies in sales and marketing activities. Operations are planned to start in the beginning of 2014 and will be headquartered in Bosch’s home town of Stuttgart, Germany. Bosch will hold a 50 per cent stake in the operation, with GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi Corporation each holding 25 per cent. The partners say the composition of the board of management and supervisory board will reflect these shareholdings. The establishment of the joint venture is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

Bosch will contribute its know-how in production processes and quality management relating to the large-scale series production of complex products. With its competence in the area of battery packs and battery management systems, Bosch spe-

cialises in the monitoring and control of cells and complete battery systems, as well as in integrating them into vehicles. In addition, Bosch will support these joint activities with its entire portfolio of components for electromobility.

GS Yuasa will contribute its many years of experience in manufacturing lithium-ion cells whose high density makes for a longer range, as well as its expertise in materials systems and electrochemistry. As an established manufacturer of automotive and non-automotive lithium-ion battery cells, GS Yuasa has a strong engineering team and modern production lines with a high level of automation.

Mitsubishi Corporation will contribute its worldwide marketing network and expertise as a global integrated business enterprise. Mitsubishi Corporation will apply its strengths in building global value chains, covering natural resources, materials and sales, and take advantage of their synergy to advance this business.

The 19 June-announced deal is Bosch’s second lithium-ion battery joint venture agreement. In September 2008 the company founded SB LiMotive together with Samsung SDI; almost exactly four years later, Bosch dissolved the 50/50 joint venture and sold its share to Samsung SDI for US$95 million. Upon announcing the end of its joint cooperation, Bosch said it was “redefining the focal points of its activities to develop and produce batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles,” a decision it said would allow it to “make the best possible use of its own capabilities” in light of “changing market structures.” sg

Battery association names new president The Association of European Automotive and Industrial Battery Manufacturers (EUROBAT) has elected JohannFriedrich Dempwolff, general manager and vice-president of Industry and Governmental Relations for Johnson Controls Power Solutions EMEA, as its new president.The appointment took place during EUROBAT meetings in Italy. Dempwolff will serve as president for two years.

“I am very honoured to take the lead of the association,” commented Dempwolff following his appointment. “We notice growing opportunities for the further advancement of automotive and industrial batteries of all technologies in all sectors, including lead, lithium, sodium and nickel. EUROBAT will continue to work with decision-makers on the importance of the battery industry to the growth of different manufacturing sectors of the European economy.”

Prior to his appointment as president, Dempwolff was a board member of the association for more than two years and has served as chair of the automotive batteries committee for the past ten years. EUROBAT works to promote the European automotive, industrial and special battery industries to EU institutions, national governments, customers and the media.

Johann-Friedrich Dempwolff, a native of Hamburg,Germany, has been vice-president Industry and Governmental Relations

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for Johnson Controls Power Solutions EMEA - Europe, Middle East and Africa since May 2012. Dempwolff started his career at Varta Autobatterie GmbH. He was employed in various sales and marketing positions in Canada, Spain and Germany. He has been a management board member since 2001 and was responsible for OEM Sales Europe at Johann-Friedrich board level up until 2012. Following the Dempwolff company’s acquisition by Johnson Controls in 2002 and during other acquisitions, Dempwolff was involved in the strong expansion of the original equipment manufacturer business.

John Searle (Saft) and Andreas Bawart (Banner) will continue as vice-presidents for another mandate. sg

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Kumho to introduce RFID on all tyres “Under the RFID system, the entire product lifecycle can be IT’S BEEN, GIVE OR TAKE A YEAR, one decade since tyre makers first started testing the use of radio-frequency identifica- managed systematically by streamlining the whole process tion (RFID) transponders in tyres. Michelin was an early adopter from product quality in the course of manufacturing to product of the technology, announcing RFID fleet trials at the start of record tracking to distribution channels to warehousing and to 2003. By the middle of the decade, Goodyear was using RFID inventory management,” explains Kumho Tire in a statement. “It in its NASCAR tyres from cradle to grave, and within a few years can also prevent possible distribution through illegal channels or many companies were getting serious about the technology, as selling of defect products, helping raise consumer confidence was witnessed in the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding and satisfaction.” The company also notes that several premium signed between Transense and Qingdao Mesnac, parent com- car manufacturers require LTS (Lot Tracking System) information pany of the Sailun tyre brand. The use of RFID has remained – something the utilisation of RFID will facilitate.

Given Kumho’s current production capacity of around 60 millimited, however, and largely restricted to commercial vehicles.

Until now, that is – in June 2013, Kumho announced it will place lion tyres a year, fitting RFID tags to all products is an ambitious RFID tags every tyre product it manufactures. All 64 million project. The tyre maker got underway early this year and now fits RFID tags on all truck and tyres per annum. bus tyres manufactured in its Kumho’s RFID programme is being Gwangju and Gokseong plants rolled out as part of the ‘u-IT New in Korea and on original equipTechnology Verification Project’ supportment passenger car tyres suped by Korean government agency the plied to certain OEM customers.

National IT Industry Promotion Agency As of the second half of 2013, (NIPA) and a key aim of fitting RFID tags RFID units will be built into all is to increase workflow efficiency. Fitting domestic market passenger car RFID-embedded tyres to all product tyres, and from 2014 all manulines is also expected to save Kumho facturing sites in Korea and overTires KRW10.4 billion (£5.9 million) in seas will adopt the RFID sysannual logistics, production and quality tem. control costs.

“Kumho Tires has always The RFID tag Kumho uses was cointroduced new innovative techdeveloped with fellow Kumho Asiana Group compa- Kumho has initially rolled out RFID fitment on TBR tyres produced in two plants and on BMW OEM tyres nologies to the industry one ny Asiana IDT and cdelivers information on product quality. The patch-type tag is implanted inside the tyre’s inner step ahead, raising quality control efficiency and consumer conliner during the manufacturing process. Each RDIF tag-fitted tyre fidence at the same time,” said Bok-soo Park, chief technology is given a unique identity which can be tracked by a database officer of Kumho Tires. “We will remain committed to customer system at Kumho Tires’ headquarters. The tag contains informa- satisfaction and production innovation in the tyre market while tion on quality and performance and detailed records relating to systematically managing product information under the new system.” the production process, distribution and sales. sg

GT Radial extends regional truck portfolio GT Radial has added two new sizes to its GAR820 regional allposition pattern tyre, increasing its medium sized truck portfolio.

Initially available in 215/75R17.5, the brand has added 205/ 75R17.5 and 225/75R17.5. Two more sizes, 235/75R17.5 and 245/70R17.5, are currently in development and due for release later in the year.

The GAR820 has been designed to respond to the fast development of modern medium sized trucks and their increased comfort, low noise, good wet grip and handling requirements, in additional to better longevity. The tyre is M&S marked for all-season traction.

Peter Foulkes, marketing director Europe - Commercial Tires at Giti Tire, manufacturer of GT Radial, said: “The GAR820 has been very well received in the marketplace and feedback from

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operators has been nothing short of exceptional, with the tyre’s price-per-kilometre coming in for particular praise.

“The new sizes have been in demand since the initial tyre was commercially launched in the latter half of 2012, and we expect the uptake to be quick and strong as we continue to establish ourselves at the top of the mid-tier range tyre sector.”

GT Radial recently hosted a demonstration day for its commercial tyre dealers at UK testing facility Mira, which houses the manufacturer’s European Testing Centre. The company’s heavy truck and bus products are the result of the company’s testing and evaluation programme, with more than 1,000 tyres on field test across Europe at any time. The casings of each are designed for retreading using both cold and hot processes. akb

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Cooper introduces new Discoverer sizes, relaunches CTS New Cooper Tire 4x4 sizes available CooperTire Europe has announced an extended 4x4 tyre offering within Europe, reintroducing the Discoverer CTS, and adding new sizes to many other products in the range. Europe MD Jeff Schumaker said the company is “delighted to offer Cooper’s complete range of 4x4 tyres in Europe, giving our customers the best possible choice, whatever their preference for off or on-road driving.” As well as the addition of the CTS, Cooper now offers a wider range of fitments in some of its most popular 4x4 tyres, including the Discoverer A/T3, S/T, STT, H/T, S/T MAXX and S/T2 ranges.

This begs the question of whether The Discoverer CTS 4x4 tyre is oriented to road use, benefiting from “R-tech”, the tyre coming to Europe varies from Cooper’s “Response-Technology con- the version of the CTS that has been struction”, which uses multiple design continuously available in the USA for example. Tyre labelfeatures working together to proThe Discoverer A/T3 has been vide enhanced tyre performance. given the largest number of new ling there looks likeThe tyre also has an innovative fitments in Europe, mostly in 16 ly to replace the European pass-by five-rib tread design for better and 17 inch sizes noise rating with a stability, traction and tread wear. durability score, though the Four “stepped” circumferdetails have yet to be finaliential grooves resist aquased. Having said this, planing at higher speeds Cooper confirmed to T&A and provide gripping that “[t]here are no diffeedges for increased tractirences between the CTS on on soft surfaces. The tyre which will be availvariable depth scroll sipes able on the European marof the CTS allow increased ket and the CTS tyres availcapillary action, removing able on other markets,” incluwater from the tread area, ding the US. This could indicate resulting in reduced wet weatCooper’s confidence in the product’s her stopping distances and increased ability to cope with the parameters of grip in challenging conditions.

Going back into the history of the both labels; on the other hand, it could CTS in Europe, Cooper’s represent- also show Cooper’s confidence in the atives told T&A that they “believe continued delay of legislative action for the CTS tyre previously available US labelling to come into practice. In [in Europe] between 2009 any case, the time is clearly ripe for this and 2011,” though the type of tyre in European markets.

As there has been a well-documentyre was subsequently “withdrawn as part ted trend within the European SUV of a streamlining of sector for higher performance roadCooper’s 4x4 range, going tyres, there is good reason for ahead of the intro- the timing of this reintroduction. Cooper duction of tyre label- said that it “is now keen to expand its 4x4 range as it looks to further ling legislation.” strengthen its position as a 4x4 tyre Cooper’s Discoverer CTS manufacturer.” andrew.bogie@tyrepress.com

T

road-going 4x4 tyre is being relaunched in Europe

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in Europe from summer 2013: Discoverer A/T3 215/70R16 225/75R16 235/70R16 235/70R17 235/75R15 245/65R17 245/70R16 245/70R17 245/75R16 255/65R17 255/70R16 265/65R17 265/70R16 265/70R17 265/70R18 265/75R16 215/70R16 225/75R16 235/70R16 235/70R17 LT215/85R16 LT235/85R16 LT245/75R17 LT265/75R16

100T 104T 106T 111T XL 109T XL 107T 107T 110T 111T 110T 111T 112T 112T 115T 116T 116T 100T 104T 106T 111T 115/112R 120/116R 121/118S 123/120R

Discoverer CTS 225/70R16 245/60R18 245/65R17 255/65R17 265/65R17 265/75R16 275/55R20 275/60R20

103T 105H 107T 110T 112T 116T 117T XL 115T

Discoverer STT 37X12.50R17LT

124P

Discoverer M+S 215/85R16 LT 235/85R16 LT 245/65R17 245/75R16 LT 255/70R16 265/75R16

115/112Q 120/116Q 107S 120/116Q 111S 116S

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Nankang focuses on ultra high performance tyre range Nankang UK notes the brand’s particular focus on the ultra high performance segment, served by the brand’s NS-2, more recent NS-20 and track day NS-2R models.

Steve Smith of Nankang Tyre UK believes budgetary constraints have become as relevant to the enthusiastic owner-driver as they are to fleet managers, with both seeking consistent performance at affordable prices, and this is where Nankang is positioned.

Nankang says its NS-2 is engineered to offer increased traction, grip and steering precision, with “only small sacrifices in ride comfort and fuel economy”.The tyre is available in a large size range, from 165/35R17 to 255/30R20 and beyond.

The NS-20 is evolved from the NS-2 to be slightly less aggressive; Nankang says the tyre aims to provide similar performance to the NS-2 but with added ride comfort. Specifically, road

noise is reduced as a result of computer simulation. The tyre has four straight, wide grooves at the tread’s centre, optimising drainage efficiency and manoeuvrability. These, combined with the silica compound used, raise levels of grip in both wet and dry conditions, while maintaining trademark durability and fuel economy. Nankang says the tyre’s characteristics and value for money were noted by Auto Bild’s annual tyre report.

The latest addition to the Nankang UHP range is the NS-2R, targeting the sporting driver indulging in some track day activity. A set of four NS-2Rs in size 225/40R18 will cost around £432.

The tyre is engineered to perform long and hard on often aggressive race track surfaces, Nankang says.

The manufacturer has over half a century of tyre development underpinning its range. Steve Smith continues: “In the demanding UHP sector, we offer a massive range of tyre sizes at prices that genuinely suit every pocket – there is something for every driver here.” akb

Nankang’s NS-2R track day tyre

Sava launches new 17.5” truck tyre range Goodyear’s Sava Tyres brand has launched a new range of 17.5-inch truck tyres for regional and local delivery vehicles.The range comprises three tyres: the Avant 4 is for steer axles, the Orjak 4 for drive axles and the Cargo 4 for trailers. The Slovenian brand says the new tyres are designed to meet the needs of the cost-conscious vehicle operator engaged predominately in regional haul and delivery operations. The tyres are suited for a wide range of vehicles including articulated trucks, rigids and a wide range of trailers.

Avant 4 The Avant 4 regional steer tyre’s tread has three double ribs designed to balance pressure distribution. Sava says the tyre’s properties include a low wear rate and an even wear profile, with high density blading providing good wet braking. The carcass construction is designed to reduce heat build-up for better durability.

Other features and benefits of the Avant 4 include a high wearable rubber volume for improved mileage, stiff shoulder ribs for road handling and lateral sta-

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bility, and a wide bladed zone for high mileage as well as improved traction and braking. Its staggered tread blocks are tuned to reduce noise, while the tyre is also equipped by stone penetration protectors to increase durability.

Orjak 4 The Orjak 4 drive tyre has a pattern tuned for improved traction and wet braking.

This wide tread has an open tread design to promote traction and a high wearable

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volume to improve mileage. The Orjak 4 also has a carcass construction for reduced heat build-up and improved durability.

In addition, the five-rib connected solid tread blocks provide even wear, good resistance to chunking and damage plus rear axle stability for better handling, Sava says. Computer optimised block shape gives low impact noise, even wear and good traction. Other benefits include low noise and reduced rolling resistance in comparison with its predecessor the Orjak 3.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

The Sava plant in Kranj, Slovenia

Cargo 4 The Cargo 4 is a trailer tyre with a wide application range for all types of trailer including low platform versions. Sava says it has an optimised tread pattern with grouped centre ribs providing improved mileage, better vehicle stability and lower rolling resistance. The new carcass construction, as with the other new Sava tyres, means less heat build-up for better durability.

Its mould cavity shape gives the benefit of even wear due to optimum contact pressure distribution. In addition to this, deep tread blades across the centre area reduce heel and toe wear and provide good wet performance. Rib edge sipes further improve the wear characteristics and the groove geometry is designed to reduce stone holding for greater durability.

All the new Sava tyres are regroovable and retreadable.

15 years as a Goodyear Dunlop brand As of 1 July, Sava has been a Goodyear Dunlop brand for 15 years. The tyre maker purchased the Slovenian firm in 1998 and says that since that time it has grown into one of the largest and most successful USinvested firms in the country. Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires, or GDST, now employs some 1,400 people and has received over 200 million euros in investment from its parent company, including 15.5 million euros in 2012. The company says it has produced 100 million tyres since 1998.

“The company’s operations in Slovenia during the last 15 years have been marked by constant investment,” commented managing director Thierry Villard. “We have investment more than 200 million euros and today can boast of world-class facilities and tyres, as well as satisfied customers and employees.” In addition to producing the Sava brand, the Kranj-based manufacturer also manufactures Fulda, Goodyear, Dunlop and Debica tyres.

Despite a difficult 2012, Villard described GDST’s business as “solid and satisfactory”.

The operation’s sales declined year-on-year from 264.7 million euros in 2011 to 207.6 million euros in 2012, while production declined from 7.36 million tyres in 2011 to 5.52 million last year. GDST says this reflects “reduced demand for tyres in Europe compared with the previous year.” Despite these results, investment in the company increased 50 per cent year-on-year in 2012. akb/sg

Avant 4 sizes: 205/75 R 17.5 124/122 M 215/75 R 17.5 126/124 M 225/75 R 17.5 129/127 M 235/75 R 17.5 132/130 M

Orjak sizes: 205/75 R 17.5 124/122 M 215/75 R 17.5 126/124 M 225/75 R 17.5 129/127 M 235/75 R 17.5 132/130 M

Cargo 4 sizes: 215/75 R 17.5 135/133 J 235/75 R 17.5 143/141 J

Kumho debuts first S-UHP Kumho has launched a new super ultra high performance, or S-UHP, tyre aimed at cars with a 500hp or higher output. The Ecsta PS91, which recently enjoyed its global debut at the Shanghai International Circuit, is said to incorporate Kumho’s motorsport experience. This reportedly facilitated a marked improvement in highspeed driving safety and cornering. The Korean tyre maker states the Ecsta PS91 delivers “enhanced grip, braking ability, high-speed durability and uniform ride qualities.”

The new range is available in eight sizes for 19 and 20-inch rim diameters.

South Korean market prices for the Ecsta PS91 range between KRW 400,000 and 500,000 (£225 and £282); a tuned for European conditions version will be released at a later date, however this will not be available for the 2013 summer season. sg

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Ecsta PS91

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Dunlop OE for Airbus Military A400M TO COINCIDE WITH the Paris Air Show 2013 gets under way, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres announced it will supply original equipment tyres to the Airbus Military A400M transport aircraft. The first A400M is being delivered to the French Air Force, and the tyres fitted feature new foreign object damage (FOD) resistance tyre technology that has been developed by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres. This sidewall technology for cross-ply tyres increases their suitability for operations from semi and unprepared airstrips, and the materials used lend added protection to the tread area.

“Our new tyres for the A400M are an example of Dunlop continuing to push the boundaries in both civil and military tyre technology,” said

the company’s chairman, Ian Edmondson. “They build on our experience in the military sector and will help protect the aircraft when it operates to and from unprepared airstrips.”

More than 170 Airbus Military A400M transport aircraft have been ordered by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the UK; these will be delivered on Dunlop Tyres. sg

A Dunlop-shod A400M taking to the air from its final assembly location in Spain

Michelin shows latest editions to aviation range Michelin unveiled a quartet of new aviation tyres at the 2013 Paris Air Show. Intended for the four main segments of the aerospace market, the new radials feature NZG technology and are aimed at a broad range of aircraft manufacturers.

NZG, or Near Zero Growth, is a radial technology that uses aramid reinforcing cords to reduce casing growth due to inflation or centrifugal force, thereby considerably lengthening tyre lifespan. The cord reduces casing growth (due to the effects of inflation and centrifugal force at takeoff) to less than three per cent, compared with eight per cent for a nylon radial and 12 per cent for a standard cross-ply tyre. Michelin claims its NZG radials are more reliable, economical and environmentally friendly; the French tyre maker states the technology enables up to 100 per cent more landings and up to half as many wheel changes, while 22 per cent less raw material is used in a NZG radial in comparison with a standard cross-ply equivalent.

Commercial operators are being targeted with the Michelin AIR X for the Airbus A350-XWB range, a tyre available in sizes 1050x395R16/28/245 and 1400xx530R23/42/235. The tyre has been certified for fitment on the new twinjet Dreamliner rival, which is scheduled to enter service from 2014. Compared to an

N

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The four new fitments cover a broad range of applications

equivalent radial nylon tyre, the new AIR X offers weight reduction of up to ten per cent, 30 per cent more landings and 30 per cent more FOD resistance.

Michelin’s latest offering for the regional segment is the AIR X for the Bombardier CSeries range. This is available in sizes 27x8.5R12/16/225 and H42x15.0R21/26/225, and compared with the equivalent cross-ply tyre it gives up to 25 per cent weight reduction, 100 per cent more landings and 50 per cent greater FOD resistance.

Michelin has been selected as sole supplier for the new twinjet CSeries range, which is scheduled to enter service in 2014.

The AIR X for general aviation customers includes Michelin’s new tyre for the Cessna Citation X, the world’s fastest business jet. The new aircraft, which is scheduled to enter service late this year, has been certified for the AIR X in size 26x6.6R14/14/210. Compared with a tra-

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ditional cross-ply tyre, the AIR X offers a weight reduction of up to 40 per cent, 50 per cent more landings and 50 per cent more FOD resistance.

Military customers have not been forgotten; at the show Michelin presented the AIR X for the new Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter. This tyre is produced in size 34x11.0R17/ 26/288 and gives a weight reduction of up to 20 per cent compared with an equivalent cross-ply tyre, plus 40 per cent more FOD resistance. Michelin supplies tyres to the new Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II on a single source basis. sg

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

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CITEXPO PREVIEW

11th CITExpo to be largest show ever ALTHOUGH

until the opening of the 11th China International Tire Expo, the show’s organiser says the number of stands booked and floorspace have already set a new record. According to Wilko Fong, managing director of Reliable International Exhibition Services, he expects more than 320 exhibitors at CITExpo 2013 to occupy 24,000 square metres of exhibition space in the three halls of the Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Center.

THERE ARE STILL SOME THREE MONTHS

Wilko Fong, managing director of CITExpo organiser Reliable International Exhibition Services, believes the show has the potential to become one of the industry’s bestattended events

“It is encouraging that CITExpo has been growing every year for the past ten years, since the first show launched in 2003, even though there has been a global economic crisis during this time,” commented Fong. “The show could become one of the most attended shows in the global tyre industry, not only because it is held in China, the largest tyre production and consumption market, but also because the highly internationalised buyers of this show are of a high quality and quantity that has exceeded exhibitors’ expectations.

Wilko Fong believes CITExpo 2013 will continue to provide an excellent and highly important platform for global tyre industry professionals to meet and create business opportunities.

Leading names from within the domestic and international tyre, wheel and equipment industry, including Cooper, Double Coin, Stamford, Techking, Triangle have signed up for the exhibition and will showcase their latest products and services to buyers, who are expected to attend from over 100 countries worldwide.

Building on 2012 success At the close of last year’s CITExpo, Wilko Fong told Tyres & Accessories that the three-day show had been highly successful.

He reported the attendance of 7,195 visitors, a slight improvement over 2011. Just over 42 per cent of these, 3,035 visitors to be precise, came from outside of China. “Some say we have so many Chinese distributors but I say the show is very international,” Fong observed. “International buyers are coming here to meet new suppliers. They can see a lot of new, improved products here.”

The majority of last year’s 305 exhibitors (up from 298 in 2011) were Chinese-based companies, however Tyres & Accessories noted that a large number of these were geared towards international markets and some were exclusively exportoriented. While Europe remained an important destination for many CITExpo 2012 exhibitors, others commented that the region’s economic problems and the introduction of new tyre-related legislation have made Europe less attractive. A recurrent theme when talking to exhibitors was the growing significance the Middle East and African markets holds for Chinese manufacturers and distributors.

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CITEXPO PREVIEW

According to the organiser, pre-registration will save you time at the admissions counter

8th Automotive Testing Expo (China) Those remaining in Shanghai following the close of play at CITExpo 2013 have the opportunity to attend the local edition of a significant European automotive industry show.

During the week following CITExpo, the organiser will once again host an event it describes as one of the most famous events in the automobile manufacturing industry – Automotive Testing Expo. Automotive Testing Expo China 2013 is set to capitalise on China’s rapid growth in new car sales and the need for higher quality and safer vehicles by bringing together the world’s leading test equipment manufacturers and test service providers in an intense three-day extravaganza.

Visitors who pre-register online at www.citepxo. com.cn will enjoy free admission, fast registration line, a copy of the show catalogue and a limited edition souvenir. sg

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More than 40% of CITExpo visitors came from outside of China

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Exhibitor Name

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QINGDAO WANLINING INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO.,LTD. ACE ALLOY CO., LTD. ACTIVETOOLS(SHANGHAI)CO.,LTD ALORD MARKETING INC. ANCHI ALUMINIUM WHEEL CO.,LTD. ANHUI AUHER ALUMINUM TECHOLOGY CO.,LTD. ANHUI FASTER AUTO PARTS CO.,LTD. AUFINE GROUP CO., LIMITED BARCINO TYRE COMPANY S.L.U. BENTON TYRE & RUBBER CO. BEST CHOICE INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO., LTD. BESTYRE INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL LIMITED BLUE OCEAN ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT LTD. BSA MARKETING SDN BND CANGZHOU FEICHI AUTO ACCESSORIES CO.,LTD. CANTOP INTERNATIONAL ? QINGDAO) CO.,LTD. CATHAY AVIATION INDUSTRIAL(XI`AN)LTD. CHINA STONE BUSINESS LTD. CHINA TYRES DISTRIBUTION LTD. CHINA WHEEL CO.,LTD. CHINA ZHONGLV ALLOY WHEEL CO.,LTD. CHIPING XINFA ALUMINOUS PRODUCTION CO.,LTD. CHONCHE AUTO DOUBLE HAPPINESS TYRE CO.,LTD COOPER CHENGSHAN ? SHANDONG) TIRE CO.,LTD. CROWN TYRE INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. D&Y ALLOY WHEEL MANUFACTURE LTD. DACHENG AUTO PARTS DONGYING FANG XING RUBBER CO., LTD. DONGYING GUANQIU RUBBER CO .,LTD. DONGYING ZHONGYI RUBBER CO., LTD. DOUBLE COIN HOLDINGS LTD. DOUBLESTAR DONGFENG TYRE CO.,LTD. DURATTI RUBBER CORPORATION CO., LTD EASTUP TYRES EASY TEC LIMITED ENERCELL CO.,LTD. ENJOY TYRE CO.,LTD. EVERGREEN GLOBAL PTE LTD EVERGREEN TIRE FAIRWAY (QINGDAO) TYRE CO.,LTD FLAME RUBBER & TIRE CO., LTD. FLY TIRE CO.,LTD FOSHAN SANSHUI ANJIE ALUMINIUM WHEEL CO., LTD. FREEMAN RACING WHEELS INC FUJIAN SHENLIKA ALUMINUM INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CO.,LTD. FULLRUN TYRE CORP.,LTD. FUTEX ALLOY (CHANGSHU) CO., LTD. FUYANG FUCHUN TYRE CO.,LTD. GEMSY FORGED ALUMINUM WHEEL CO.,LTD. GENTEX GLOBAL UNION INDUSTRY LIMITED GOLDSTAR TYRE CO., LTD GOODTIRE (ZHANGJIAGANG) RUBBER INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. GOR TRADING (UK)CO.,LTD GRANDSTONE TYRE CORPORATION LIMITED GREAT POWER INTERNATIONAL TRADING LIMITED GUANGDONG GREATOO MOLDS INC.

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Booth# 3428 2806 3416 6119 2616 5012 5700 0300 2015 1510 0315 2728 3010 3018 6307 5905 6212 5728 2822 5520 5930 2812 6122 0506 0510 5103 2800 0003 3108 2107 2008 5908 2507 3106 3223 6006 1512 1515 0518 5105 3100 6128 6228 2525 2120 0306 2828 5926 5710 3406 0126 3121 0123 2607 1228 6508 2920

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GUANGYUAN ANYU ALUMINIUM WHEEL CO.,LTD. GUANGZHOU LINHENG TRADE CO.,LTD HANGZHOU SHUNYUAN TIRE MANUFACTURE CO., LTD. HARVEST TYRE & WEEEL CO.,LIMITED HEBEI PAN ASIAN WHEEL WEIGHTS CO., LTD HEBEI TIANRUI RUBBER CO., LTD. HENGTIAN TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT CO.,LTD. HONGFENG RUBBRE CO., LTD. HONGRUN TYRE IMP.? EXP. CO., LTD. HUBEI ANGYUN ALLOY WHEEL CO.,LTD. HUBEI XINJIE ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEEL CO., LTD. HUNG TA INSTRUMENT CO.,LTD. INFORGED INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD INOVIT WHEELS CORP LTD. JAPAN TOYOMOTO TIRE CORP. JIANDECITY YANSHENG ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE CO., LTD. JIANGSU GENERAL SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. JIANGSU KAITE AUTOMOBILE PARTS CO.,LTD. JIANGSU KC WHEEL CO., LTD. JIANGSU RM WHEEL CO.,LTD JIANGSU SANHE ALUMINUM WHEEL MANUFACTURING CO., LTD. JIANGYIN CHUANGXIN TYRE VALVE CO.,LTD. JIANGYIN KEQIANG INDUSTRY RUBBERIZED CO., LTD. JIANGYIN PREMIER AUTOPARTS INDUSTRY CO.,LTD. JIANGYIN TIANYI VALVE CORES CO., LTD.

5826 5617 5330 5806 6308 3323 5918 5205 3228 5717 6330 6202 5130 1106 1528 6317 0515 3212 5400 5715 6115 3206 6005 6219 6125

Citexpo

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Exhibitor

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JIANXIN RUBBER (FUJIAN) CO.,LTD. JIASHAN ZHENYANG AUTO PARTS CO.,LTD. JIN CHENG ROAD-BROTHER CO.,LTD JJWHEEL MANUFACTURING CO., LTD. KARO TYRES CO.,LIMITED KINFOREST TYRE CO., LTD. KINGHWA TOPTRUE WHEEL CO., LTD. KORYO TYRES INDUSTRIAL(CHINA) LTD. KUNSHAN YAO TECK ELECTROME CHANICAL CO,.LTD L2 FUTURISTIC WHEELS CO. LTD. LANDMAX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. LIANYUNGANG ALLEN IRON STEEL CO.,LTD. LIAONING PERMANENT TYRE CO.,LTD. LUHAI HOLDING CORP. M AND T SOURCING LIMITED MASTER PACIFIC/TWG MAXGUARD WHEEL ACCESSORIES MAXIMPLE INTERATIONAL LIMITEDZ. MAXON INT`L CO., LIMITED. MEISHAN HUAKAI ALLOY WHEEL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. MNL INTERNATIONAL LTD. MORE TYRE AND SPARE PARTS CO., LTD. MST TYRE LIMITED NANJING DICASTAL HUASHUN WHEELS CO.LTD NANNAR ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY? DONGGUAN? CO.,LTD. NDI TIRE (QINGDAO) CO.,LTD. NEUPRO TIRE NINGBO ABLE RUBBER & AUTO PARTS CO.,LTD. NINGBO BAODY AUTOPARTS CO.,LTD NINGBO CROWN ALLOY WHEEL TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD NINGBO ELIDE MECHANICAL CO.,LTD. NINGBO FORTUNE AUTO PARTS CO., LTD. NINGBO JIALUN VEHICLE INDUSTRY CO.,LTD. NINGBO LIZHAN IMPORT AND EXPORT CO.,LTD. NINGBO OUYA DAOCHENG AUTOPARTS INDUSTRY CO., LTD. NINGBO WAYWELL MACHINERY CO., LTD. NINGBO XINGXING GAUGE FACTORY NINGBO YINZHOU HUACHI AUTO PARTS CO., LTD. NINGBO YINZHOU JINUO AUTO ACCESSORIES CO.,LTD. NINGBO YINZHOU QIYAO AUTO PARTS FACTORY NINGBO YONGQI ALUMINIUM WHEEL MFG CO., LTD. NINGBO ZHONGDA VALVE WICK CO.,LTD. NOBLE CO.,LTD. NORD WHEEL CO.,LTD. ORNATE RUBBER CORPORATION LIMITED ORONES TYRES,S.L. PANAN SHUANGXIONG AULMINIUM CO.,LTD. PDW INTERNATIONAL. PILOTDOER WHEEL CO.,LTD. PINGDU ZIHAI RUBBER MANUFACTORY POWERWAY TIRES CO.,LTD. PROFIL SP.J. - POLAND Q AND J INDUSTRIAL GROUP CO.,LTD. QAN SEN QINGDAO AONUO TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO AUSHINE TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO DITRIP TYRE CO., LTD. QINGDAO EVERGREAT TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO FLEMING TYRE CO.,LTD.

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5912 3127 6302 6106 0118 1210 3402 0521 5506 5915 2906 6117 5705 3218 6002 2020 6018 0800 1118 5525 2916 6217 3202 2802 6001 3216 5519 1508 0810 5120 3208 0928 6325 5517 1502 6319 6220 6118 2900 5900 5515 2902 2512 5110 2725 6318 5817 2620 2816 6305 3322 5726 2502 3000 0918 0323 0115 3006 2825

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3123 2118 2030 3008 2908 5008 2820 1215 2922 6327 3410 0012 5902 2925 2528 5706 1517 0110 2815 5108 1206 0310 6306 5708 1519 3412 0925 2500 6203 5503 1500 5050 3415 6227 3204 0526 2912 6328 5702 0718 5906 5719 1100 3304 2600 6225 5310 5721 1110 0726 1521 0001 5203 2327 2520 3012 5921 2115 5305

Exhibitor

QINGDAO FLORESCENCE RUBBER PRODUCTS CO.,LTD. QINGDAO FREE TRADE ZONE HONG TYRE INDUSTRY & COMMERCE CO., LTD. QINGDAO GENCO INDUSTRIAL GROUP CO.,LTD QINGDAO GLORYRED INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO HAISHILIN RUBBER CO.,LTD QINGDAO HANS TYRE CO.,LTD QINGDAO HENGDA TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO HISINCE GROUP CO.,LTD QINGDAO HONGHUA TYRE FACTORY QINGDAO JINGCHENG RUBBER PRODUCTS CO., LTD. QINGDAO JUNJIE TIRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO KETER TYRE CO.,LIMITED QINGDAO KOOWAI TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO LAKESEA TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO LAMPOLL RUBBER LIMITED. QINGDAO MAXTOP INDUSTRY CO., LTD. QINGDAO NAMA INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. QINGDAO ODYKING TYRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO POPLAR TIRE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO QINGTAI IMP AND EXP CO.,LTD QINGDAO QIZHOU RUBBER CO. LTD. QINGDAO RHINO INT`L CO., LTD. QINGDAO SUNLAND INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. QINGDAO TAIHAO TIRE CO., LTD. QINGDAO WANGYU RUBBER CO.,LTD. QINGDAO WAYSTONE TIRE CO., LTD. QINGDAO WEIHANG INDUSTRY AND TRADE CO.,LTD. QINGDAO YONGDAO INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO., LTD. QINGDAO ZHONGHAO XIANGSU CO., LTD. QINHUANGDAO XINGLONG WHEELS CO., LTD. ROAD SCENERY HOLDING (U.K.) LTD RODEO INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO.,LTD. RUIAN FACING SUN AUTOMOBILE WHEEL FACTORY RUIAN FENGHUA RUBBER PRODUCTS CO.LTD. RUIAN ZHENGTAI RUBBER CO., LTD. SAFFIRO TIRES CO., LIMITED SAGIRUN CORPORATION LIMITED SCHRADER ENGINEERED PRODUCTS (KUNSHAN) CO.,LTD SCLT GROUP LTD SD INTERNATIONAL SEYEN HEAVY INDUSTRIES? SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. SHANDONG BETTER WHEEL CO. LTD. SHANDONG DERUIBAO TIRE CO.,LTD. SHANDONG DONGYING ZHENGYU WHEEL CO., LTD. SHANDONG FENGLUN TYRE CO.,LTD. SHANDONG GAOTIAN METAL MANUFACTURING CO.? LTD. SHANDONG GUOFENG RUBBER PLASTICS CO., LTD. SHANDONG HAOYU RUBBER CO., LTD. SHANDONG HENGYU RUBBER CO.,LTD. SHANDONG HOMERUN TIRES CO.,LTD. SHANDONG HONGSHENG RUBBER CO.,LTD. SHANDONG O`GREEN WHEELS CO.,LTD. SHANDONG SHENGTAI WHEEL CO. LTD. SHANDONG SHUANGWANG RUBBER CO.,LTD SHANDONG TRANSTONE TYRE CO.,LTD. SHANDONG WANLITONG TYRE CO., LTD. SHANDONG WANSHINE TIRE CO.,LTD SHANDONG WEIFANG GOLDSHIELD TYRE CO.,LTD. SHANDONG WOSEN RUBBER CO.,LTD.

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Exhibitor

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SHANDONG XINGMIN WHEEL CO.LTD. SHANDONG YINBAO TYRE GROUP CO.,LTD SHANDONG YIXIANG RUBBER CO., LTD. SHANDONG YONGTAI CHEMICAL GROUP CO.,LTD. SHANDONG ZHENTAI TYRE CO.,LTD. SHANGDONG ZHENGWANGKUN MACHINERY CO.,LTD SHANGHAI ARUIS MOTOR CO., LTD. SHANGHAI DOUBLE DYNASTY MFG CO., LTD. SHANGHAI HAOHORSE TRADE CO., LTD SHANGHAI JIHOO IMPORT&EXPORT CO.,LTD. SHANGHAI MAIHUADA INDUSTRY LIMITED COMPANY SHENGTAI RUBBER GROUP CO.,LID. SHENYANG TRIPRO RUBBER CO.,LTD. SHIFENG JUXING TIRE CO., LTD. SINORIENT TYRE CO., LTD. SINOTYRE INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED SINOTYRE INTERNATIONAL GROUP CO., LTD STAMFORD TYRES (GUANGZHOU) LIMITED STAR TYRE GROUP SHANGHAI CO.,LTD. SUMEC GROUP CORPORATION SUNTOP TIRE (WUXI) CO.,LTD. SYNERGY TIRES INC. TANCO TIRE INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. TECHKING TIRES LIMITED TED MOTORSPORT CO., LTD. TIANJIN CENTURY RUBBER CO.LTD TIANJIN JAL WHEEL CO., LTD. TIREMART (QINGDAO) INC. TIUMSUN RUBBER TIRE (WEIHAI) CO., LTD. TONGDALIAN CO.,LTD. TOP TYRE INDUSTRY CO., LIMITED TOUCHDOWN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. TYREBOX GLOBAL LTD TYREWAY LIMITED UNIFORCE TIRES LIMITED UNIRACING ? NINGBO? MANUFACTURING CO.,LTD. VEE RUBBER CORPORATION LTD. VENUS GLOBAL INVESTMENTS P.L.C. VIZZONI INTERNATIONAL LIMITED WEIFANG CAMRUN RUBBER CO.,LTD. WEIFANG CITY JIHANG RUBBER CO.,LTD. WEIFANG HUIXIN TYRE CO., LIMITED WEIFANG LUTONG RUBBER CO., LTD. WEIFANG YUELONG RUBBER CO.,LTD. WEIHAI PING`AN TYRE CO.,LTD. WEIHAI RUNTONG RUBBER CO.,LTD. WENLING YAODING MACHINE CO.,LTD. WINRUN TYRE CO., LTD. WINSOON GROUP(SHANGHAI) LTD. WUHU HUANGYAN INDUSTRIAL CORP WUYI SUNRISE WHEEL MANUFACTURE CO., LTD. WUYI XINFEIYA LEISURE PRODUCTS CO.,LTD XIAMEN AUTOTOP TECHNOLOGY CORP. XIAMEN DRAINKTET TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. XIAMEN SUNRISE WHEEL GROUP CO., LTD. XIAN COUNTY HUIJIEQUN AUTO PARTS FACTORY XIANGYANG HENGDE AUTO PARTS CO.,LTD. XIANXIAN YONGSHENG AUTO PARTS FACTORY XINGYUAN TIRE GROUP CO.,LTD.

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3226 2116 6003 0815 3220 6321 5500 2915 3431 3200 6017 0906 3326 0318 6102 6112 2928 2103 5917 2615 3310 3023 2612 0500 3016 1225 6007 2515 3015 1218 5603 2225 6312 3112 2609 5125 3222 5712 3027 5030 5910 6311 3422 5115 2028 3020 5805 2101 3408 2320 5512 5530 6100 6310 0921 6218 6108 3302 0806

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1126 1126 5802 1506 6326 6000 0100 5118 2516 2109 5301 5320 2509 0120 5619 6206 5510 1115 5101 5919 6207 5317 6300 5010 6323 6315 3420 6110 2112 2808 2918 5625 5225 2602

Exhibitor

XUZHOU XUGONG TYRES CO.,LTD. XUZHOU XUGONG TYRES CO.,LTD. YANGZHOU HAINA MECHINERY CO.,LTD. YINGKOU TONGGUANG AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT CO.,LTD. YUYAO CITY HENGXING VEHICLE INDUSTRY CO.,LTD. ZHANJIANG GLOBAL STEEL WHEEL MANUFACTURING CO.,LTD. ZHAOQING JUNHONG TIRE CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG AUTOM ALUMINUM WHEEL CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG BAOKANG WHEEL MANUFACTURE CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG BUYANG AUTO WHEEL CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG CHANGXING HONGCHENG RUBBER PRODUCTS CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG CHUANGDA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG DICASTAL HONGXIN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG FENGCHI MECHANICAL CO., LTD ZHEJIANG HENGZHENG AUTOPART LTD. ZHEJIANG HONGSHENG INDUSTRY & TRADE CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG HONGYUAN WHEEL CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG JINGU COMPANY LIMITED ZHEJIANG JINQUAN MACHINERY CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG JUJIU HUB CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG MIRO INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG QI CHENG AUTO WHEELS CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG QINGDA RUBBER CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG TAILONG ALUMINIUM WHEEL CO.,LTD. ZHEJIANG WANJI INDUSTRY & TRADE CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG XINGHUI ALUMINIUM WHEEL CO., LTD. ZHEJIANG XTRASEAL TIRE SUPPLY CO.LTD. ZHEJIANG YONGYOU INDUSTRIAL & TRADING CO.,LTD ZHEJIANG YUELING CO. LTD. ZHEJIANG ZENT AUTO WHEEL CO., LTD. ZHENGXING VEHICLE WHEEL CO., LTD. OF SHAOGUAN ZHENGXING WHEEL GROUP CO.,LTD. ZHUCHENG GUOXIN RUBBER CO., LTD. ZUMBO WHEELS

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Triangle’s 2013 global summit exemplifies Chinese globalisation ambitions The theme of globalisation loomed large over Chinese tyre manufacturer Triangle’s latest Global Business Summit, held in the China Hall of the older Grand Tower of Pudong, Shanghai’s Shangri-La Hotel. While the chairman of the board Ding Yuhua’s conference starting theme speech riffed on the theme with regard to manufacturing processes, employee base and international trends, the presence of delegates from around the world reinforced the message the world’s 16th largest tyre manufacturer’s message – Triangle suppliers from three continents travelled with Tyres & Accessories to the Shangri-La from Pudong International, to underline a point. In the coming year, Ding Yuhua said that Triangle is seeking to “speed up the transformation and upgrade [its] manufacturing to synchronise with the global economy,” while focusing on the environmental standards Triangle now characterises as part of the “mainstream” in the post-REACH, post-labelling landscape – in China as well as the rest of the world.This involves greater investment in green production technology that he says is yielding a “four per cent increase in energy efficiency yearly” .

YET ENVIRONMENTALISM – the key theme in the 2012 Beijing summit, covered in the May issue of T&A – took a back seat to globalisation this year, as Ding concluded his introductory remarks by mentioning Triangle’s intentions to “build an international talent pool, developing global strategy and cooperation and using regional resources.” This too was the subject of the assistant mayor of Weihai Municipality Chen Ning’s welcome address, who opined that in a global “economic slowdown… upstream-downstream communication” assumes greater importance, stressing the importance of promoting “global cooperation” and “international partnerships”.

The key example of this from the conference – and certainly the most important news to come out of the meeting this year from a UK tyre business point of view – was the announcement of Triangle’s purchase of a 10 per cent share in its UK distributor, Norfolk’s TYM International (see T&A June for more on this), as well as similar investment’s in Australia (Consolidated Tyre Company) and Russia (SP-Tyre) in the first phase of the manufacturer’s “capital strategic collaboration project”.

This is one of the ways in which Triangle is demonstrating practical ways of implementing its globalisation approach, as recommended by the conference’s first major guest speaker, economist Zhang Guoqing Triangle’s Summit took place at the Shangri-La Hotel, one of the older parts of the famous Pudong skyline, which includes the Oriental Pearl TV & Radio Tower 96

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regional tyre wholesalers in each state of Australia, and “actively supports them to gain market share. Most of our original distributors are still with us and several of them are here today.

During the initial years, we recognised that we needed to distinguish the brand from its competitors, so we began to focus on Triangle as a product that can compete with established tyre market leaders in quality, performance, value and reliability. We attended trade shows and advertised in industry journals, always with an emphasis on the Triangle brand name.

“This approach met accord with the market and enabled us more effectively to promote the brand, including significant penetration into the TBR and OEM market. Triangle quickly became one of the best known brands on the Australian tyre market. The successful market penetration against established global brands in all market segments…

“Although our sales continue to grow, we recognise fierce counter-attacking from the established brands, suggesting that we need to move to another level to further expand our market share. In particular the passenger car tyre market in Australia is very competitive. The top three global brands occupy more than half the market share through their comprehensive retail networks. Other brands such as Hankook, Toyo, Maxxis and Kumho successfully secured their market shares through local retail franchises. Therefore our next target is to build Triangle retail and service networks to support the brand.

“We work closely with Triangle market research. With the latest data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics analysing vehicle registration and new car sales data; attending domestic and international trade shows; and reacting to product feedback from our customers. The market research is important to us to understand our competitors, and to provide data such as new fitment sizes to the factories.” The Consolidated Tyre Company also exhibits Triangle at many important Australian tyre shows, and advertises the brand in “the most professional” trade publication.

Similarly, SP-Tyre representative Mr Albert agreed displayed the sort of closeness in relationship Triangle now has with its Russian distributor, exemplifying the segments in which Triangle may wish to grow in the country. Triangle, he told the 400 visiting delegates, can now boast five per cent of the Russian OTR market, compared to the market leader Belshina’s 49 per cent. Like Tampaline, he mentioned how other tyre

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Art Villasol, director of customer engineering at the Global Business and Market Development Center, demonstrates Triangle’s current global support reach

manufacturers had “implemented tyre service centres successfully in Russia,” such as Michelin with Tyreplus. He expressed his desire for Triangle to follow suit; to “disseminate its message through service

centres.”

Partnerships are not limited to regional distributors too, as another speaker explained. Sophia Xing, country purchasing manager, Caterpillar China said: “In 2005, Caterpillar started business [relations] with Triangle Tyre. In the eight years that have passed, Triangle has already become a strategic partner of Caterpillar… In the years to come we are expecting to see a [continuing] close collaboration with Triangle.”

We don’t want to sell, we want to market While this investment in its global partners forms one part of Triangle’s strategy – developing a closer relationship with existing distributors – it is equally the case that the company is developing its own globalised marketing strategy. One example of this has been the company’s operation in India, which began in 2012. General manager of Triangle’s India office KC Pillai spoke to delegates about how the company sees the Indian market specifically, what Triangle can do there and what it already has done there.

“India is a huge market for all categories of tyres,” he said. “In 2013, India has got a total commercial tyre market of around 16.5 million tyres, from which around 5.7 million are radials – about 35 per cent of the total market.” This market is growing very fast, but the expense of radialisation is making local producers reluctant to proceed, Pillai explained.

General manager of Triangle’s India However, Triangle has tested its office KC Pillai tyres in the market with some success, the general manager explained.

“We don’t want to sell tyres in India; we want to market.”

Triangle is looking to make itself a more desirable brand in India through its marketing, and this is where its local India office comes in. Pillai tells of how Triangle was already able to demonstrate to commercial tyre customers in India the additional PPK value it offers over the market leader, yielding improved demand in the marketplace. “Basically what I’m saying is that we want to market the tyres; we want to give the customer what they want,” he said. The company has a small staff on the ground in India to create this additional demand, and to exploit the growing market for products there. Pillai also exemplified

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Titan managing partner in Cordiant deal 2013 will set course for growth, says Taylor A consortium made up of US tyre maker Titan International, Russian government fund the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), and private equity fund One Equity Partners (OEP) have reached an agreement in principle with Russian tyre holding Cordiant to invest in Russian agricultural and industrial tyre manufacturer Voltyre-Prom.The consortium will own a controlling stake in Voltyre-Prom, with Titan International becoming its managing partner.

Last year, Voltyre-Prom held a 43 per cent market share in focus on passenger and truck tyre markets. The deal also incluRussia’s agricultural tyre sector and 16 per cent in industrial des a three-year distribution partnership program, with Cordiant tyres. The company produced around 1.35 million tyres during selling Voltyre's passenger, truck and light truck tyres. Cordiant the year. According to RDIF, the consortium’s investment will plans to invest almost US$550 million up to the end of 2018 to allow Voltyre-Prom to update its operations, expand its producti- expand its passenger and truck tyre business. This will increase on of specialty tyres for international agricultural machinery and production capacity by up to 12 million tyres per year.” reduce imports by shifting production to Russia. The tyre maker will also “begin to explore export opportunities,” Aftermarket effect a ‘bump in the road’ “Titan has plans to grow its tyre, wheel and track footprint in Russia and CIS countries,” commented Titan International chair- In June, Maurice Taylor also commented on the current market man and CEO Maurice Taylor. “John Deere, CNH, Agco and situation as Titan sees it through the first five months of 2013. “I Caterpillar are just a few of Titan’s customers increasing their pre- have stated over and over that all the talk of tyre shortages has sence in Russia and CIS, and Titan will be there to service them been false. Well, in the past couple months, millions of dollars in and end users of their equipment as this expansion occurs. It is tyres have been dropped into the aftermarket from the OEM’s in Titan’s belief that the future growth of global farming and mining the farm and construction industries and also the mining complies in Russia and CIS countries.” anies, who had built up inventories greater than a year and are “RDIF completed this deal alongside world class strategic now releasing these tyres. This will affect every tyre manufactupartners from both the global industrial and financial sectors,” rer worldwide. The entire volume of tyres will have an aftermarsaid RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev. “The involvement of investors of ket effect for a few months before things get back to normal. We such scale underlines the growth prospects in the Russian agri- feel that this is a bump in the road as we have experienced this cultural sector. The expertise and knowledge of our partners will in the past. I think of all the overtime and weekend work to prohelp shift the production of world-class tyres that currently takes duce tyres that go into building inventory and then when they place overseas to Russia. This investment meets the fund’s see the storage cost, they discount them into the aftermarket. objectives and represents an exciting opportunity to get a foot- The selling price of all our products is going down because our hold in this sector.” material cost has been dropping. The guidelines that I gave in “OEP and Titan welcome the opportunity to invest with RDIF December of 2012 will be adjusted downward, but I need to find to support the growth and development of Voltyre,” added Dick out approximately how much the mining companies will be Cashin, managing partner of One Equity Partners. “RDIF has lowering their inventories. been an exemplary partner John Deere and several other Titan customers are increasing “Titan sold 44 per cent of Titan throughout the transaction. We their presence in Russia, and Taylor says the tyre maker will be Australia to our Planet Group partners are confident that we have the their to service them and their end users so we could combine the companies optimal strategy in place to to get the best results and grow the share capabilities, maximise business. Bill Campbell took over the the strength of Titan's brands, Bryan tyre operation in April and has support Titan's demanding been getting that facility back on track, international customers, and and he feels the facility will continue to work with the very capable improve through the year. We are still management and workforce at moving ahead on the acquisition trail Voltyre.” and expect a number of these transacDmitry Sokov, CEO of tions to close before the end of this Cordiant, commented: “The year. Overall, I still see this year as a agreement with the consortirecord year and one that will set the um will enable Cordiant to course for Titan’s growth.” sg

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Toyo completes new Malaysian tyre plant Toyo Tire & Rubber Co president Akira Nobuki has announced the completion of the company’s new tyre plant in Malaysia (TTM).

Toyo is progressing towards a three-region global supply system as outlined in the company’s 2011 mid-term business plan, with factories in North America, Japan and Asia.Toyo’s Asia operations are in a process of expanded motorisation where further growth of demand is expected.Toyo is positioning Asia as a vital strategic market that will provide a boost to its business foundation.

Toyo Tires chairman and representative director Kenji Nakakura remarked: “At TTM, we have implemented our proprietary ATOM tyre production system elemental technology. We will take full advantage of Japanese technology in order to achieve Japanese quality here in Malaysia and supply worldclass, high-performance, fuel-efficient tyres from this plant. I want us to deliver fantastic tyres made in Malaysia to our customers here and abroad and achieve the sentiment that the decision to choose Toyo Tires was the right one.”

TTM will be capable of producing 2.5 million tyres annually by the end of this year, and by 2015, the plant will aim to boost its annual supply capacity to five million tyres. While TTM will become a supply base for the Southeast Asian market, Toyo plans to make it an export hub for the company’s global tyre business. Toyo has built the plant with enough room on site to double the existing output and has plans to expand further in the future. Currently though, TTM is a manufacturing and sales company that produces and sells tyres in Malaysia.

Toyo explained its TTM plant concept as having four major facets: energy efficiency, high quality, high productivity and non-skill dependent.

Toyo says it has implemented tyre production technology to reduce the amount of energy used in the manufacturing process. The plant will use solar power and LED lighting in the administrative offices, Toyo exemplifies.

To ensure quality, TTM also implements equipment and systems already currently operating at other Toyo Tires plants in Japan and overseas. This will minimise variation in the finished goods and in the parts prior to tyre moulding.

ATOM, Toyo Tires’ proprietary tyre production system, has been adopted at plants in Japan, the US, and China already. It enables more precisely controlled manufacturing while reducing lead time in the production process as well as the overall number of processes. In terms of operational friendliness not dependent upon specialised skill, Toyo has established operation processes and environments and adoption of automation and IT technology for the production process.

A local ceremony celebrating the opening of TTM was attended by around 350 people. Guests included ambassador Shigeru Nakamura of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, Dr. Rebecca Fatimasta Maria, secretary general of Ministry of International Trade & Industry as a representatives from Malaysia’s national government and the state of Perak, the locality of Taiping, and parties involved in the plant’s construction. akb

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Nizhnekamskshina aiming for 11.5M tyres in 2013 ON 14 JUNE, Russian tyre maker Nizhnekamskshina held its annual general meeting in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan. Shareholders were told that the company was developing and had “maintained a stable position as one of the tyre industry leaders in 2012,” and that of the 41.85 million tyres produced in the Russian Federation last year, 10.31 million, or 24.6 per cent, were manufactured by Nizhnekamskshina. The production plan for 2013 sets out a target output of 11.54 million tyres, a year-on-year increase of 11.9 per cent.

A stated priority for the Tatneft-owned tyre maker last year was the renewal of its product portfolio; Nizhnekamskshina reported that it began producing seven new tyre models during 2012, and so-called ‘innovative’ products now account for 20.8 per cent of total output.

“The past year can be characterised as a year of further modernisation of the tyre production,” shared a Nizhnekamskshina account of the meeting. “Starting from the second quarter of 2012 the company has been implementing a project to increase Kama Euro and Viatti tyre production by 1,300,000 pieces, which will bring their production to 4,500,000 tyres per year. In addition, major investment projects were implemented, such as process equipment modernisation and the provision of own domestic potable and process water for the JSC Tatneft petrochemical complex.” sg

Shafagat Takhautdinov, director general of parent company Tatneft, speaks at the AGM

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Tyre makers join South Carolina manufacturers’ council LATE

LAST MONTH a new organisation was formed to represent tyre makers in a region some refer to as the “tyre capital of North America” .The establishment of the Tire Manufacturers’ Council was announced by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce on 29 May; it

S

Steve Evered, vice-president of government affairs for Michelin, serves as inaugural chairman of the Tire Manufacturers’ Council. The chair will rotate among member companies annually. “South Carolina will soon become the largest tyre manufacturing state in the country and currently ranks first among states in tyre exports. The establishment of the Tire Manufacturers’ Council is an acknowledgement of the significant impact of the industry on the state’s economy,” said Evered.

says the council’s aim is to “evaluate and propose policies relating to the manufacture of tyres in South Carolina.” Foundation members include Michelin North America, Bridgestone Americas and Continental Tire the Americas.

Over the last 22 months, Michelin has committed to invest more than US$1.15 billion in South Carolina expansions.

During the same time, Bridgestone Americas has committed to invest $1.2 billion to expand its South Carolina capacity. Continental Tire’s South Carolina investment totals more than $500 million. Upon the completion of recently announced expansions, these three tyre makers will employ more than 12,000 employees in the state, making tyre manufacturing one of the largest industri-

al sector employers in South Carolina.

“South Carolina is quickly becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse, and it is vital that we keep our eye toward future growth by committing to completing dredging at the Port of Charleston and investing in workforce development.

These issues are important to all South Carolina businesses, but especially significant to the tyre manufacturing industry,” said Otis Rawl, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. sg

Conti upgrading Puchov plant, boosting TBR capacity Continental has confirmed it will invest around €100 million increasing production capacity at its Puchov truck and bus tyre factory in Slovakia, boosting capacity from some 2.6 million tyres a year to over three million tyres. Puchov, Continental’s largest truck and bus tyre production facility within the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, will also receive “extensive upgrades” to machinery and infrastructure in order to achieve maximum production efficiency.

“Despite the currently challenging economic situation in Europe, we see a considerable increased demand for our truck and bus tyre business in the mid-term,” commented Dr. Conti’s Puchov site Andreas Esser, head of Continental’s Commercial Vehicle Tires business unit. “With the exploration especially of the will increase our agility to follow the market demands.” He also growth markets in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa we commented that “in order to sustain a technology leader posiforesee further potential in the years to come. In order to tion and provide our customers with best-in-class products, we accommodate this rising demand in the near future, we have to are constantly optimising our processes and production techniexpand and upgrade our largest production plant in EMEA furt- ques.”

According to Continental, the exact timing of the stepwise her.”

Thierry Wipff, Conti’s head of Manufacturing Commercial capacity increase and corresponding invest will “depend on the Vehicle Tires, added that “Puchov will be the first plant to pro- market development and its influence on the customers’ duce our new Generation 3 bus tyres. By this investment, we demand for truck and bus tyres.” sg

102

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10/06/2013 14:43

SMMT names Mike Hawes as chief executive

T

The SMMT has announced that Michael Hawes will be joining as its new chief executive in the early Autumn. According to the association, he will lead the executive team that will promote the interests and successes of the UK motor industry and help address the challenges of the current climate. He will also ensure the SMMT delivers stronger representation and engagement with all its stakeholders and help accelerate growth of the two key subsidiary companies: SMMT Industry Forum Limited and Motor Codes Limited.

“I am very proud to be joining the SMMT as its new chief executive”, said Mike Hawes. “The SMMT is a highly respected and influential trade association, valued by all stakeholders. My role will be to build on this reputation and grow the value and range of services provided to our members.”

Tim Abbott, SMMT President, said, “I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Mike Hawes as SMMT’s new Chief Executive. Mike brings a tremendous amount of expertise, both in terms of automotive industry experience and the skills necessary for the job. I would also like to thank Mike Baunton

for his support as Interim Chief Executive of SMMT since the end of January,” continued Tim. “He has provided the leadership the organisation needed during this time and will continue his engagement with SMMT as Chairman and Non-Executive Director of SMMT Industry Forum.”

Mike Hawes has more than 20 years’ experience in policy Mike Hawes and public affairs, the majority of which has been spent in the motor industry. He joins SMMT from Bentley Motors where he held a number of PR, corporate and public affairs roles. Having also worked for both Toyota and, more recently, Bentley’s parent company, Volkswagen AG, he has the European and global knowledge needed for this challenging role. cja

Bosch appoints new Automotive Aftermarket board chairman After seven years as chairman of the Automotive Aftermarket Divisional Board at Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Hanser is stepping down on 30 June.The company says he is doing so due to his age. From 1 July, Hanser will join the Bosch Management Support GmbH board of management, a body of senior experts who act in an advisory capacity for Bosch across the world.

Dr. Uwe Thomas

104

LEADERSHIP OF THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET DIVISIONAL BOARD was taken on by Dr. Uwe Thomas as of 1 July. The 56-year old, whose career at Bosch spans some 24 years, has been chairman of the Divisional Board of Robert Bosch Car Multimedia GmbH since March 2006. After studying Business Studies and receiving his doctorate at the University of Mannheim, he joined Bosch’s Automotive Aftermarket division in 1989 as department manager for product management of trade products. After holding several positions in the division in Paris and working as director of Exports, at the start of 2001 he joined the board of Robert Bosch AG, Vienna, where he was responsible for the retail sales division in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2003, he was appointed sole director of the Austrian Bosch subsidiary, a role he held for approximately three years.

Under Robert Hanser's leadership, Bosch’s Automotive Aftermarket division underwent a fundamental change in strategy from a pure trading company to a comprehensive systems provider for the global workshop market. The diagnostics division was expanded and production sites were also set up worldwide to manufacture parts for the workshop market. Today, the Bosch division has a turnover of over 5 billion euros and employs around 17,000 people at 150 locations worldwide. sg

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TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

S&H Tyres targets UK with new sales rep The latest milestone in Dutch wholesaler S&H Tyres’ recent development sees the company target the UK market and appointment a sales representatives especially for British customers. Ronald Lems recently joined the company with a view to taking responsibility for the UK market.

“I’m dedicated to strengthen our existing relationships and expand the business in the UK. We are developing our private label which will give us great opportunities in the UK. The first tyres are expected in September and I look forward to market them in the UK,” Lems said in response to his appointment.

In 2012 S&H Tyres invested and moved to a new location with a state of the art office and warehouse. The automated modern warehouse has four floors and a conveyor belt system, offering storage capacity of more than 300,000 tyres. All this makes S&H Tyres confident that it can maintain and strengthen its position of being a well-respected and competitive player in the international tyre business.

The company slogan “business is people” underlines the determination to offer a personal service in tyre wholesaling.

Doing business based on mutual trust and pleasant cooperation, S&H Tyres reports that it aims to build long term relationships with both customers and suppliers.

S&H Tyres is an international wholesaler with years of experience in trading numerous brands. Founded by Simon Klapwijk and Henk van Dijk in 2002, the company is headquartered in The Netherlands and has offices in Eastern Europe, China, and Dubai.

The company reports that it is aware of its social position in society and explains that as a team they understand that wealth, health and happiness cannot be taken for granted.

Therefore, the company is donating a substantial part of the achieved profit to different charity organisation every year. cja

Giti Tire targeting 10% of German TBR market with sales restructuring HAVING MADE A CONSIDERABLE IMPRESSION in the UK segment, Giti Tire has designs on increasing to 10 per cent its share of the German truck and bus tyre market.

The manufacturer has recently restructured its sales operation in the country, making several new appointments and seeking to strengthen the position of GT Radial. Richard Lyons, managing director - Europe, said: “While the truck and bus operation has performed well in recent years there has been key senior staff appointments in the German office, and it was felt the sales force needed to be more closely aligned to their vision Giti Tire’s German TBR sales team was restructured at the beginning of May with the aim for the business. of increasing its share in the market “To achieve this goal, and most importantly a 10 per In addition Michael Prause has been appointed as customer cent market share by 2015 for GT Radial through a direct sales operation, we have secured a hugely experienced, professional service manager, and both Lyons and Peter Foulkes, marketing team who will make a significant contribution in what is still a director Europe - Commercial Tires, will be based in Germany.

“I am delighted with the new structure and extremely posivery tough economic climate.”

Andreas Fischer joined Giti Tire as area sales manager tive that we will succeed in our plans,” concluded Lyons. (south-east), Frank Richter as area sales manager (central), “Existing clients and potential customers will soon see what Henry Boehlke as area sales manager (north-east), Markus GT Radial can offer as a leading mid-market tyre brand, and Koebbe as area sales manager (north-west) and Frank Wirz as exactly how we can help improve their business efficiencies.” area sales manager south-west and Switzerland. akb

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

WWW.TYREPRESS.COM

105

New CMO at Johnson Controls Johnson Controls, whose product portfolio includes the Varta, Optima, LTH and Helia battery brands, has appointed Kim MetcalfKupres to the newly-created position of vicepresident and chief marketing officer (CMO).

In this role she will report to vice-chairman Alex Molinaroli.

"In her most recent role, Kim has played an important part in growing our Power Solutions business in both mature and emerging markets," said Stephen A. Roell, Johnson Controls’ chairman and chief executive officer. "Kim's experience in developing high-impact marketing, sales and communications programmes will help us expand the global reach and visibility of our company."

Metcalf-Kupres will lead the development of marketing and sales capabilities for the company's businesses, with added focus on customer satisfaction and brand development. She will also direct internal and external communications.

Since joining Johnson Controls in 1994, Metcalf-Kupres has held a series of leadership roles in marketing and sales within the company's Building Efficiency and Power Solutions businesses. For the past five years, she has served in Power Solutions as vice-president, Global Strategy, Sales and Marketing. sg

BKT USA names new president Carl Casalbore has been appointed president of BKT Tires USA, effective 6 May. He replaces Rami Bitran. He is based at the company’s US headquarters in Akron, Ohio and joins BKT from Zafco/ZTI Tires, where he served as vice-president of sales. Casalbore has worked in the tyre industry for more than 30 years and also has sales executive posts with Armstrong Tire, Pirelli Tire North America, Cooper Tire & Rubber and Continental Tire the Americas.

Upon making the announcement, Arvind Poddar, chairman and managing director of parent company Balkrishna Industries Ltd., said Casalbore’s appointment completes the restructuring of BKT Tires USA. Tire Review

106

Shelton promoted under Bridgestone Americas realignment Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has announced the realignment of three business areas, Technology, Manufacturing and Procurement. It says this realignment will create a “more integrated team equipped to deliver on the company’s brand promise more fully.”The realignment of these three areas takes effect 1 July and will be led by Steve Shelton, who will be promoted to senior vice-president, Technology, Manufacturing and Procurement, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

Shelton currently serves as that company’s vice-president, Product Development. In his new role, the manufacturing and procurement groups will report to Shelton; he will continue to be responsible for Bridgestone Americas’ tyre development group and the Akron facility, as well as the company’s race tyre manufacturing operation.

Shelton has been with Bridgestone Americas for two decades and has a broad base of experience across the company, experience which includes manufacturing (with a stint at the company’s Wilson plant in North Carolina), process engineering development, and strategic marketing support to the consumer tyre business in the product/process areas. In this newly created position, Shelton will be based in Nashville. sg

S

Cable appoints ex-Ford boss as Automotive Investment Organisation head Business secretary Vince Cable has appointed Joe Greenwell, the former chairman of Ford, as head of the Automotive Investment Organisation (AIO). Funded with up to £3 million over the next two years, the AIO will spearhead the campaign to attract inward investment to the UK. Business Minister Michael Fallon announced the appointment at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) International Automotive Summit on 13 June.

Continuing to attract investment from overseas into the UK is one of the main themes of the automotive industrial strategy to be published shortly. The automotive sector is one of 11 key areas that the government is working collaboratively with industry on a long-term plan to deliver economic growth and prosperity. The Automotive Investment Organisation will be led by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), and will take direction from the Automotive Council to develop a strategy to repatriate the supply chain and build on the opportunities identified in the UK. A report published by the Council in 2012 found that there was an additional £3 billion of new business that could be won by UK suppliers and overseas companies looking to set up or expand manufacturing facilities in the UK. Vince Cable, who is also co-chair of the Automotive Council said: “On average only a third of the parts that go into cars manufactured here are sourced from the UK. We know that global manufacturers in the UK want to buy more from the UK.” Greenwell said his “job will be to promote why the UK is a great supply chain investment opportunity, increase R&D investment and strengthen our relationships overseas with global manufacturers.” cja

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Tyre Compounds www.vipal.com.br

Tyre Computer Software www.teamsystems.co.uk

Tyre Distributors/Wholesalers www.aeolus-tyres.eu www.bitsuk.co.uk www.blackcircles.com www.bridgestone.eu/truckpoint www.dalytyres.com www.cooperbros.co.uk www.deldo.com www.deklokbanden.com www.dessimpson.co.uk www.euro-tyre.com www.fieldens.co.uk www.fulda.co.uk www.glanworthtyres.com www.gold-spark.com www.goodyear.co.uk www.gripenwheels.com www.grouptyre.co.uk www.gt-tires.com www.haemmerling.de www.herculesinternational.com www.heuver.com www.internationaltyres.com www.inter-sprint.nl

TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

www.kenda.com.tw www.kingdavidtyres.co.uk www.kirkbytyres.co.uk www.kumho-euro.com www.lassa-europe.com www.lexanitire.com www.lctyres.ie www.lytire.com www.magnatyres.com www.maitechtire.com www.marangoni.com www.mastercrafttyres.co.uk www.matador.sk www.midlandmobiletyres.co.uk www.micheldever.co.uk www.mickeythompson.co.uk www.mrftyres.com www.nankang.com.tw www.nete.co.uk www.nexentire.co.kr www.northwesttyres.com www.pirelli.co.uk www.sd-international.cn www.sentaida-international.com www.silverstone.com.my www.sintontyres.co.uk www.southam-tyres.co.uk www.starco.com www.stapletons-tyres.co.uk The fast and direct way to your homepage: Web Directory in Tyre & Accessories & the Link section in www.tyrepress.com To appear in thisWebsite Directory for 12 months – which will include hyperlinked entries on the Tyres & Accessories website – please contact: info@tyrepress.com

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WEB DIRECTORY

www.techkingtires.com www.toyo.co.uk www.treadwayscorp.com www.trelleborg.com www.tribatyre.com www.tyreandwheels.com www.tyres-bernaerts.com www.tyrespot.co.uk www.uniroyaltruck.co.uk www.viking.co.uk www.vredestein.com www.yokohama.co.uk

Tyre Exporters www.china-tyre.com

Tyre Manufacturers www.bkt-tires.com www.bridgestone.eu/truckpoint www.conti-online.co.uk www.coopertire.com www.dunloptyres.co.uk www.eptyres.com www.hankooktire.eu www.mitas-tyres.com

Tyre Moulds www.jwinc.co.kr

Tyre Repair/Inflation www.airbosstyre.com www.harvieprema.co.uk www.monaflex.com www.schrader-valves.co.uk www.smartronics.co.uk www.punctureproof.com www.uniflate.com

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Vintage Tyres www.grouptyre.co.uk www.longstonetyres.co.uk www.northhantstyres.com www.vintagetyres.com www.vredestein.com

Wheels www.afan-tyres.co.uk www.elitedirect.com www.imagewheels.co.uk www.mswuk.com www.overfinch.com www.performancealloys.com www.tsw-wheels.co.uk www.trelleborg.com/wheelsystems-uk www.wheelwright.co.uk

Wheel Balancers/Accessories www.dionys-hofmann.com www.haweka.com

Workshop Equipment www.agequipment.co.uk www.bateman-sellarc.co.uk www.beissbarth.co.uk www.butler.it www.cosengautomotive.com www.innotecworld.com www.pro-align.co.uk www.reinheimer-stitcher-roller.com www.sunbornsolutions.com www.supertracker.com www.tip-top.co.uk www.tsissg.com www.tyre-equipment.co.uk www.wheelalignmentuk.com

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TYRES & ACCESSORIES 7/2013

PREVIEW First published in June 1946, T&A is distributed in the second week of every month by: Tyre Industry Publications Ltd. Unit I, Magnolia Centre Telford Road, Clacton-on-Sea Essex CO 15 4LP, England Telephone: +44 (0)1255 222233 Editorial: +44 (0) 1782 214224 Fax: +44 (0)1255 222234 e-mail: info@tyrepress.com Internet: www.tyrepress.com Correspondence and advertising material should be sent to the above address.

Publisher: Klaus Haddenbrock klaus.haddenbrock@reifenpresse.de Editor: Christopher Anthony chris.anthony@tyrepress.com Stephen Goodchild stephen.goodchild@tyrepress.com Andrew Bogie andrew.bogie@tyrepress.com Contributing Editor: Peter Gardner peter.gardner@tyrepress.com Advertising Manager: Alan Day alan@tyrepress.com Advertising Sales: Scott Parker scott.parker@tyrepress.com Circulation Manager: Julie Wilshaw julie.wilshaw@tyrepress.com Editorial office: 6A Salem Street, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire, ST1 5PR Telephone: +44 (0) 1782 214224 Fax: +44 (0) 1782 286589 Contributors: detlef.vogt@reifenpresse.de christian.marx@reifenpresse.de arno.borchers@reifenpresse.de Layout: Heike Schomaker-Eymers Gaby Hinck 2013 Subscription Rate: £65 (UK), £85 (Europe), £120 (R.O.W.) per year.

Back issues: £5 per copy.

Reg. No: 1023538 England VAT No: 466 0254 53 Bank: National Westminster Bank PLC, 10 Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1TA Account No: 70304440 Sort Code: 60 05 33

In Our Next Issue A brief look forward at a few of the articles appearing in next month‘s T&A.

I Winter tyres I Over in North America, the all-season tyre reigns supreme. Yet the major European manufacturers – the same companies selling all-season tyres by the truckload in the US – don’t tend to favour them in their home region. So, the question begs: what role to all-season tyres play in the European market?

This is one of the topics that will be addressed in next month’s winter tyre feature.

I Brakes I It doesn’t matter whether you’re testing warp speed on the Autobahn or pootling along in a £100 pound rustbucket, one thing is inevitable – sooner or later, you’re going to need to stop. And this is the moment when the brake – a car part worthy of more attention and respect than it receives – comes into play. In August, Tyres & Accessories features the brake business – so press the centre pedal and slow down to pick up your copy of next month’s magazine.

Printed by: The Magazine Printing Company 1082 Mollison Avenue Brimsdown, Enfield Middlessex EN3 7NT Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company, using only paper fro FSC/PEFC suppliers. www.magprint.co.uk Tyre Industry Publications Ltd. can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers

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