New Initiatives from AA Tyre Fit
West Midlands Tyre Dealerships Join First Stop
Consumer Confidence in Retreaded Tyres to be Boosted by New Legislation
International Accolade for Dunlop's Quiet Campaign
Bridgestone Raises Projections for Sales and Earnings
Grand Prix Surprise for St Wenn Six-Year-Old
Pelmar Engineering Purchases Semperit Machinery
Gary Oliver Appointed RMA President
Federal Records Record Overseas Sales
Bridgestone Sales Manager Wins Wooden Spoon
Advan Kondo Racing Team Finishes 13th Le Mans Race
Ford Rally Academy Runs on Avons

New Initiatives from AA Tyre Fit

AA Tyre Fit, who manage the tyre sales function on the Tyres-Online web site, have revealed a series of new initiatives designed to underline its decision to become the UK's first all-mobile national tyre network. They include:

- A £3 million investment in systems covering new call centre equipment, new internal job handling software and in-cab mobile information systems for AA Tyre Fit mobile units.

- A stocking hub programme, which is currently being piloted in partnership with TNT at a site in Hackney. This currently services seven fitters but will rise to 15 within two months. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, this will gradually be rolled out across the UK.

- A major marketing campaign covering poster sites, bus ads, Yellow Pages and the AA member magazine, designed to promote the benefits of mobile tyre fitting to the general public.

AA Tyre Fit General Manager David Goodyear says: "These announcements show the level of commitment behind our decision to become all-mobile. Our infrastructure will be very different from a traditional fast-fit company. We believe that we are creating the ideal blueprint for a 21st century tyre fitting operation.

"The investments being made and the unique product and service offerings that we are bringing to the market show exactly how serious the AA is about reaching its stated aim of making AA Tyre Fit the UK's number one car tyre distributor by 2007".

West Midlands Tyre Dealerships Join First Stop

Two independent tyre dealers in the West Midlands, Tyres R Us at Witton, and Addison Tyre Centre in Tipton have joined Bridgestone UK's First Stop network of independent tyre dealers.

Consumer Confidence in Retreaded Tyres to be Boosted by New Legislation

Consumer confidence in the use of retreaded tyres is set to receive a substantial boost with the news that two new EC regulations relating to the "type approval" of retreaded tyres are to become mandatory in the UK

. The two new Regulations, which identify uniform conditions for the approval of individual retreading facilities, are ECE Regulation 108, which relates to the production of retreaded pneumatic tyres for private (passenger) cars and their trailers, and ECE Regulation 109, which specifically deals with the production of commercial vehicle retreads. Although these regulations have been available for use on a voluntary basis since June 1998, their application will become compulsory in the UK with effect from January 1st, 2004.

The new legislation will mean that retread producers will effectively become 'licensed' operations, a move which is expected to make a considerable contribution towards ensuring that the quality, integrity and performance of retreaded tyres are, at the very least, on a par with that of new tyres.

The introduction of ECE Regulations 108 and 109 revolves around the fact that although retreaded tyres have been manufactured to the requirements of a British Standard (the BS au 144 series) for many years, there has traditionally been no mandatory requirement for retreads to be 'Type Approved' or tested in the same way as new tyres. By way of contrast, it is a legal requirement that all new passenger and commercial tyres sold for use in the UK must have an 'E' mark permanently marked on at least one sidewall of the tyre to denote that such tyres have been subjected to appropriate test schedules and are Type Approved. Type Approval of a tyre is a confirmation and an endorsement that the product is suitable for the purpose intended and has conformed to ECE Regulations with respect to performance, dimensions and marking requirements.

When a retreader becomes approved, he will be awarded an "E" number unique to his company, which must be displayed on all tyres he produces. Type approval under ECE Regulations 108 and 109 commits retreaders to a number of actions designed to ensure traceable quality throughout the retreading process. Firstly, retreaders are obliged to submit written documentation to the Type Approval Authority in support of the process controls and procedures adopted by the production unit. They are further required to display evidence of a comprehensive and demonstrable quality control system.

To this end most retread companies are ISO 9001 registered. Registration to ISO 9001 provides independent evidence that the processing company has an appropriate and on-going Quality Management System. Regardless of this, the Type Approval Authority is entitled to randomly visit any retread producing Company in order to audit the process controls and product quality. Furthermore they are at liberty to randomly select a number of processed tyres for drum testing (load/speed performance testing) to the same parameters set out in ECE Regulation 30 (passenger tyres) or ECE Regulation 54 (commercial tyres), that is, the same tyre testing regime, which new tyre manufacturers undertake. In the event of a selected tyre failing the drum test, two further samples of the same specification tyre are tested. If either or both of these second two samples fail, then a final submission of two samples is tested. If either or both of the final two tyres fail, then the approval can be removed! As such, the testing procedure is an effective way of confirming the quality of any given retreader's product.

Sheila Ikin of the Retread Manufacturer's Association commented: " Many UK retreaders have conformed to this new legislation for some time now. At present this figure is estimated to be 80% of all UK retreaders. The process of compliance has meant substantial added costs for retreaders but we believe that there is no other way for the industry to be able to claim and substantiate an 'as good as new' policy. We are convinced that the implementation of ECE 108 and 109 will have a considerable beneficial effect in allowing the retreading industry to convince both private and commercial drivers of the quality of Type Approved retreaded tyres".

International Accolade for Dunlop's Quiet Campaign

A radio campaign to promote the benefits of the new ultra-quiet Dunlop SP Sport 01 tyre has received international acclaim at this year's New York Festivals. Entitled "Fitting/Drummer/Fire Escape", Dunlop's new ads scooped the Bronze Worldmedal in the Automotive Products Series Entry Category of the excellence awards.

The campaign associates a number of loud sounds with the tyre including it being fitted, being delivered and even being dropped down a fire escape into an Italian restaurant. The ad then describes this as the only time you'll be able to hear the Dunlop SP Sport make a sound.

Geraldine McGovern, Communications Manager for Dunlop said: "We wanted a campaign that was all about the central benefit of the SP Sport 01 - our new high performance asymmetric tyre. Radioville took our brief and very quickly developed the most creative and on-strategy response."

Adrian Reith directed the campaign. He said: "Everyone at Radioville is delighted that the work commissioned for the SP Sport 01 has won this prestigious award. We can only achieve as much as the client allows us and with Dunlop we had the benefit of a simple, clear brief." Dunlop's ultra-quiet campaign was heard across the UK from North East Scotland to Cornwall in the South West and took in major stations including Classic FM, Heart, Galaxy, Jazz FM and Virgin. It was written by Tim Craig and Mark Gilmore, directed by Adrian Reith and Ian Mactavish and starred Steven Mackintosh.

Bridgestone Raises Projections for Sales and Earnings

Bridgestone Corporation has announced that its interim sales and earnings for the six months ending June 30 will be substantially higher than the projections announced previously. The company also has raised its projected sales and earnings figures for the full year. Management now expects net income for the first half to total ¥29 billion. That is about 32% higher than the projection announced on February 21, when the company announced its 2002 fiscal results. Management anticipates that net income for the full year will reach ¥77 billion, about 10% higher than the earlier projection.

Underlying the greatly improved outlook for earnings is stronger-than-expected sales growth. Bridgestone's Japanese exports are growing faster than management originally projected. The sales performance of operations in the Americas and in Europe is also exceeding expectations. Another contributor to the higher-than-expected figures for sales and earnings is the strengthening of the Euro.

Grand Prix Surprise for St Wenn Six-Year-Old

A junior Formula One fan won a dream day out when he raced to see Jacques Villeneuve's BAR Honda test car at the Royal Cornwall Show. Six-year-old Thomas Morcamb, of St Wenn near Bodmin, Cornwall, was among thousands who saw the impressive Formula One car brought to the show by local First Stop tyre dealer Tavistock Tyre and Exhaust Services.

Racing fanatic Thomas won a pair of tickets in a prize draw to see the British Grand Prix at Silverstone with his father Ian on July 20. Other prizes available included a visit to the BAR Honda factory and a weekend in Paris.

Proceeds from the draw, and from fares for rides on a Formula One racing simulator and cash given for playing on a Scalextric racing game raised £700, which will be given to the charity for Fleet Paramedics.

Pelmar Engineering Purchases Semperit Machinery

During a recent auction held in Traiskirchen, Austria, Pelmar Engineering Ltd. purchased the majority of machinery being auctioned from the Continental/Semperit plant at Traiskirchen. The auctioneers were Messrs. Herbert Karner Industrie-Auktionen GmbH and the participants included companies like Michelin, Pelmar, Pirelli, Solideal, Trelleborg, Ralson and others.

The majority of the machines sold were bought by Pelmar Engineering from Israel including a very large number of off the road tyre curing presses and tyre building equipment. The total sale from the auction exceeded $2 million.

Gary Oliver Appointed RMA President

The Retread Manufacturers Association has announced the appointment of Gary Oliver as the Association's President with effect from June 15th, 2003. Oliver, who is the Managing Director of Durham based retreader "C" Tyres Limited, succeeds Ian Smith of Technic Tyre plc in the presidential role.

Gary Oliver has been a leading player in the founding and management of the RMA's Marketing and Communications Committee and his appointment reflects the determination of the Association to implement a proactive marketing campaign to promote and grow the retreading industry in the UK. He has also played a major role in helping to secure DTI funding for a soon-to-be-published report by AEAT Technologies entitled "Overcoming Market Barriers for Key Stakeholders in Retread Tyre Markets", the findings of which are expected to be of central importance to the campaign.

Federal Records Record Overseas Sales

Federal Corporation has reported that the company grossed over US $10.2 million in sales in June from markets outside China and Taiwan, the record single month overseas sales in the company's history. The strong gains were driven largely by an ongoing surge in the sales of its new ultra-high performance product line SS595 as well as a successful new marketing & sales strategy in its overseas distribution channel development. The June sales figure represents a 17.18 percent increase compared to the same month of last year, which was also a record high. Furthermore, Federal also reported a record high first quarter sales of US $26.44 million, up 16.32 percent, compared with the same period during 2002.

"I am extremely pleased with our tremendous growth worldwide", said Jamie Ma, President of Federal Corporation. "Sales growth has been achieved through the success of our distribution channels in leveraging our valuable brand and stronger advertising. We will continue to intensify our sales and marketing efforts in the replacement markets, developing and delivering excellent quality high-performance tyres to the market."

Bridgestone Sales Manager Wins Wooden Spoon

A Bridgestone area sales manager was told to stick to selling tyres after playing an appalling round of golf at an annual event. Frank Fernandez joined a party of 16 fleet operators who attended a golf day organised by Charles Wilson, and his son Nigel, who run First Stop tyre dealership Wilson's Tyre and Exhaust Centre at Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire.

"I was absolutely awful," said Frank, who sells tyres in south-east England. "I lost at least 11 balls. At the end I was presented with the wooden spoon prize - a paddle bat and ball set - and told to try my luck with another game." Nigel, who set up the business with his father 15 years ago, said: "The golf event is a fun way to thank some of our most valued customers for their support."

Advan Kondo Racing Team Finishes 13th Le Mans Race

The Yokohama Rubber Company has announced that Advan Kondo Racing finished 13th overall and eighth in class in the 71st 24 hours of Le mans race. the company was the team's main sponsor at the event, which was held for two days from June 14th at the Sarthe Circuit in Le Mans, France. Yokohama provided Advan Kondo witth about 400 specially designed tyres for the race.

Ford Rally Academy Runs on Avons

Avon is doing its bit for the rally stars of the future by supplying tyres to the Ford Rallye Academy, open to anyone between the ages of 13 and 17 who has ambitions to be the next Richard Burns or Colin McRae. Ford has developed a training car especially for the Rallye Academy. Called the Rallye Sport Trainer or RST, this rear wheel drive special is set up with the right blend of power and cornering abilities and is equally at home on tarmac or gravel stages. Critical to this set up are the car's Avon winter tyres that have sufficient grip and on-the-limit control on tarmac combined with excellent traction in the dirt.

In addition to the tyres it supplies to the Ford Rallye Academy, Avon also provides tyres to Drive and Survive, the respected driver training organisation that runs the Academy on Ford's behalf. Drive & Survive's fleet includes Ford Focuses, Toyota Corollas, Caterhams and Skid School cars.