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NEWS
Cabey PLC Invests in Ethiopian Retreading
Bridgestone’s largest Ethiopian importer and distributor of car tyres has opened a tyre service and retread centre on a 10,000 square metre plot in Akaka Kaliity Sub city costing some 15 million Birr (£475,000).
The centre will provide various tyre-related services, including replacement, balancing, rotation, checking service and reporting (TCS), air and nitrogen filling and wheel alignment. The existing Bridgestone warehouse can carry up to 10,000 tyres at any given time.
This investment by Cabey is
closely linked to the development of the Ethiopian Economy and matches investments in the group’s coffee business, which is claimed to have one of the most modern coffee plants in the world.
Cabey is owned by Saeed Alamoudi, brother of Ethio-Saudi business tycoon Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. Cabey is the sole distributor of Bridgestone tyres and is also the sole agent for Saudi Airlines, in addition to its coffee export business.
6 Retreading Business
Kraiburg Grows Turkish Market Share
they only had to hand in the purchase bills.
Now, after one year, the company draws a positive balance of the loyalty scheme: over 200 vouchers were issued worldwide and can, if not already done, be redeemed by customers at any time. Andreas Müller, Managing Director of B&J Rocket, is very satisfied with the marketing promotion: “As expected, the largest number of vouchers was requested in the US and German markets. But even in smaller, more
remote countries customers participated in the programme with great interest.” Müller is also very pleased with the commitment of the dealers involved in the Q-Plus Check-Up campaign and would like to motivate voucher owners to start redeeming them now because: “Only a technically sound rasp head ensures an even buffing. The result is a high quality retreaded tyre; furthermore, our blades offer a long and economic lifetime.”
The Turkish market for HGV retreads is of strategic importance for Kraiburg Austria, with an annual volume of around 9,000 tonnes of material. Kraiburg is now one of the
firm in Turkey has been on a continuous course of growth.
In recognition of the growing importance of Kraiburg in the Tur- kish market, Tatko paid a visit to
established suppliers at the premium end playing alongside mainly local producers in the price- conscious economy segment.
The Tatko Otomotiv Group has been a distributor for the retreading specialist since 2008. The company has had a long experience in the tyre business, extending back as far as 90 years. Tatko’s own service chain in the industry trades under the name of Tatkap. It is also one of the largest Turkish retreaders to already have ECE certification. Since Kraiburg Austria started collaborating with the Tatko Otomotiv Group five years ago, the market share of the Upper Austrian
Geretsberg recently with a group of selected key accounts. The aim of the Turkish colleagues was to see the site facilities for themselves and to witness at first hand the production conditions for the tread sections which they process – whether K_base, K_tech or K_plus. There was an official part of the programme in form of an information session about the current market situation and about the future plans of Kraiburg and Tatko with regard to the strategic direction that they will take in Tur- key. The day ended on a cross- cultural note with a stroll through the city of Salzburg.
Bridgestone Exit Creates Opportunities
Q-Plus: A Successful Customer Campaign
The exit of Japanese multinational Bridgestone from Sameer Africa is set to pave way for a new strategic partner for the Kenyan tyre maker. In a circular to shareholders, the NSE-listed company hinted that it may have found a potential replacement for Bridgestone Corporation. Sameer Africa said that the potential strategic partner first wants Bridgestone to cease being a shareholder in the locally listed firm. "Sameer Africa has therefore been seeking to identify an alternative strategic investor but the prospective technical partner prefers that Bridgestone first exits as a shareholder in Sameer Africa before considering any proposals," said the company.
In April, Bridgestone gave notice that it would no longer give technical assistance or support to Sameer, prompting the tyre maker to end the marriage. Bridgestone is expected to sell a 15 per cent stake to billionaire businessman Nashaud Merali's Sameer Investments Limited, the largest shareholder with a 57.24 per cent stake. Other large shareholders are BNP Paribas (Suisse) with a 1.59 per cent, Patrick Njogu Kariuki (0.79), Swani
Coffee Estate Limited, (0.70 per cent), K arim Jamal (0.58 per cent), Kamlesh Raichand Shah (0.57 per cent), CFC Stanbic Nominees /C NR1030602 (0.54 per cent), Gulzar Amirali Somji & Ameerali Abdoulrasul Somji (0.46 per cent) and Craysell Investments Limited (0.39 per cent). Analysts at Standard Investment Bank had put the price at Sh5 per share, which should value the transaction at Sh209 million. The shares will be sold through a private transaction and not through the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). "The private transaction constitutes a coordinated strategic action, as opposed to sale of shares by BSJ in the market, which will facilitate the enlisting of technical support from a technical partner who is expected to, subject to fruitful discussions, completion and regulatory approvals, acquire a portion of SIL's shareholding in Sameer Africa," said the circular.
The industr y regulator, the Capital Markets Authority and the NSE still have to approve the deal.
Thanks to its close global cooperation with its distribution partners on the one hand and the retreaders as users on the other, B&J Rocket rasp systems have been
considered to be one of the most effective and reliable tools in the retreading business for many years. Such an image does not happen overnight but is a long process based on intensive dialogues with the users to continuously improve products and services. This is an
integral part of the Quality Plus programme of B&J, which is why the company started a loyalty programme in Januar y 2013 for its worldwide customers: the Q-Plus
Check-Up promotion. Through the purchase of original B&J blades, customers or retreaders acquired vouchers and,
depending on the number of vouchers, could either have their Rocket rasp head overhauled or, if not yet implemented, have it upgraded with the TURBO technology. For three vouchers they even received a completely new rasp head equipped as desired. As proof