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NEWS
Pirelli Renews Agreement with Vacu-Lug
Thorsten Schmidt New Sole Managing Director Kraiburg Austria
Austria has a new management: Since the beginning of January 2012, Thorsten Schmidt has been the sole Managing Director responsible for production in Geretsberg. His previous colleague in the management responsibility, Dr. Andreas Starnecker, now has a new
Helmut Schmitt New Product Manager
The new Product Manager Helmut Schmitt wants to give the new Managing Director energetic support. The 45-year-old – a member of the Kraiburg family in Geretsberg since the end of last
year – has been working in the tyre industry for 13 years. He has gathered branch experience as Regional Sales Manager Truck Tyres at Michelin. After that he built up Germany-wide sales and product management for new truck tyres at Hankook. Schmitt will look after care and further development of the tread programme at the retreading specialist. His prime duties also include requirement analysis, technical con¬sulting, planning, exe¬cution and analysis of tyre tests as well as
complaints management.
“My aim is to develop our pattern programme further in close dialogue with our customers, to open up new sales potential and act as a contact for any problems”, Helmut Schmitt explains. “I am convinced that I will have the best conditions for the successful execution of my duties and tasks at Kraiburg.”
Helmut Schmitt, Kraiburg Austria’s new product manager
Thorsten Schmidt takes on sole MD role at Kraiburg Austria
position in the Kraiburg Holding. Dr. Andreas Starnecker took over the management of Kraiburg Austria six years ago and successfully developed the company further. He is handing over the baton at a time when Kraiburg Austria can look back on the biggest selling business year of its almost 50-year history (108 million Euros in 2011). Thorsten Schmidt is an old hand at Kraiburg Austria: In his 27 years with the company he had held almost all management positions, which a medium
sized company such as Kraiburg Austria has to offer, including Technical Service, Production and Sales. Thorsten Schmidt also has a reputation as a certified expert in the retreading branch. “I am looking forward to the new tasks and I am sure that we as a team will be able to face the internal and external challenges such as the discussion about tyre labelling successfully,” the 53-year-old comments on his new responsibility.
Pirelli Tyres Ltd and Vacu-Lug have renewed the contract that enables the Lincolnshire-based retread tyre manufacturer to continue as sole producer of the Pirelli Novateck range in hot and cold cure processes in the UK. The relationship between the two manufacturers dates back to April 2007 when a production agreement between the companies dictated that Vacu-Lug take over the machinery and moulds from Pirelli’s own production facility in Burton- upon-Trent.
By combining the existing Pirelli technology and Vacu-Lug’s 60 years of experience in the retread market, Pirelli was able to secure continued investment into the product line, meaning it could carry on offering its retread range alongside its new truck products. The partnership worked and this latest development allows each respected company to focus upon what it does best; Pirelli is able to offer a full life package to its customers and Vacu-Lug can focus on producing the Novateck brand to the highest quality levels attainable.
Chris Evans, Director of Truck at Pirelli, and Tim Hercock, Managing Director at Vacu-Lug, both see the future as a joint journey and fully expect to go from strength to strength.
“We have benefited from our relationship with Vacu-Lug during the last three years and look forward to pushing further in both new truck and retread tyres in the UK,” comments Chris. “Our working relationship with Vaculug is effectively an open door, meaning we work together daily, not only on bringing Novateck Retreads to market but also exploring commercial opportunities”.
Tim Hercock added. “For a premium manufacturer of truck tyres like Pirelli they must have a viable retread offer and, if not in house, then why not one of the country’s leading retread manufacturers. Don’t forget we also sell our own brand of retreads so are fully in tune with market needs and trends. We use Pirelli moulds, technology, tread and rubber for Novateck and add to it our own knowledge and experience”.
Fulda Sales Continue to Grow for Bandvulc
Bandvulc Group, one of the UK’s largest retreaders, also sells new tyres and is the UK’s leading stockist of the Fulda range of commercial tyres and, is welcoming 2012 with open arms as last year saw sales rise by over 30
per cent compared with 2010.
This growth has
been the result of extensive
marketing and developments
by the Bandvulc
Group,
supported by
the extensive
Fulda portfolio.
2011 saw Fulda
introduce two new products to the
market, Fulda
EcoForce 2 and EcoControl 2 both
focus on cost
reduction and lower rolling resistance.
The new tyres, thanks to their operational flexibility and new design features, offer an ideal solution with good overall
performance to commercial vehicle operators looking to reduce their operating costs. Respectively for drive and steer axles, the new ranges are for vehicles operating in both long and regional haul service
as well as in distribution. The long and regional haul
capability gives more operational flexibility.
This new technology has proven to be beneficial
to fleet operators in the UK during its launch year of 2011 and this is reflected within Bandvulc sales and forecasting into 2012.
Philip West, Commercial Director for
Bandvulc comments; “The sales plan has
exceeded its forecast and continues to rise. It is anticipated that having launched the newest Fulda
products to Bandvulc’s dealer network, sales will continue their upward trend and we look forward to a positive 2012.”
Fulda Ecocontrol available from Bandvulc
10 Retreading Business