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REIFEN ESSEN
24.05.–27.05.2016
reifen-messe.de
Salvadori All-In with New Envelope Range
One of the few companies in the retread sector with something new, Salvadori launched their own brand of inner and outer envelopes called the ALL-IN. Camilla Raffaelli explained, “We wanted to expand the market and, whilst we are business partners with MAE, we felt
there was also a need for our own brand of envelope, so we designed the envelope using the Complete Mould Technology – CMT and we have the envelopes manufactured by our partner in Austria.
“We are seeing a good level of interest in the products and we hope to be able to reach parts of the markets that have so far eluded us.” Also new from Salvadori was the news that the company was looking at expanding its coverage to the conveyor belt market. Many of the tools and equipment supplied to the tyre sector can also be used in the conveyor belt repair market. This is an important market where there is a real need to repair belts rather than replace a
whole belt for the sake of a short area that has been damaged.
The company is seeking to diversify into new markets to help the business grow at a time when its traditional retread market is under pressure.
depressed, but certainly they all were willing to confess to tough times.
There were exceptions, and both Galgo and Vipal had substantial stands and both do a good amount of business in Europe, but with European retread markets depressed the usual flow of traffic was not in evidence, though both managed to remain occupied throughout the show.
Bandamatic has a low profile approach to the UK market with a
to explore the market and follow in the footsteps of long established Midas and Elgi.
However, there was some succour for the European tread suppliers. Already badly hit by the import of Chinese tyres, and there is no getting away from this issue, it impacts on ever y retreader to some extent, Chinese retread materials are not finding a market.
For many years there have been Chinese tyre companies coming to Essen with displays that included
News from the Retreading Halls
There was a feeling in the area of the Exhibition representing the retread industry that the sector was very much pushed to the side, away from the main focus of the exhibition. It is true that the footfall in halls 10 and 11 was less than it was in even the Atrium. However, the quality of the visitors to the “Retreading Hall” was said by many to be better than it had been in the past.
Reifen 2016 was a difficult exhibition for the retread suppliers. In Hall 8 lay the main cause of the difficulty: Chinese tyre manufacturers. Every year sees more new Chinese tyre brands entering the European market and they have, at all levels, undermined the retread sector by matching prices to those of the retreads in the local market. It would be too easy to say that the retread materials suppliers were
small stand and a friendly welcome. This approach is seeing the Mexican firm gain sales in Europe without having the overheads of European distribution centres, yet.
Others were simply flying the flag, perhaps looking for that break into the European market, or perhaps to pick up sales from international visitors. Max Rubber. Goodway, Sun Rubber and Eversafe were flying the flag for the Malaysian rubber sector, but in tough times in Europe, even these experienced producers were facing an uphill struggle in a difficult market.
Indian suppliers are starting to look to Europe for sales expansion and there was a presence from Tolins, Eastern Treads and Vamshi, all keen
retread materials. However, when we have spoken to the staff they have been reluctant to discuss retreads and drove the conversation towards new tyres.
2016 was no different. However, one or two Chinese retread suppliers did admit that they were not selling into Europe because they had trouble with standards and insurance. This has to be at least some good news for the existing suppliers, because it means that it may be some time before the Chinese tread manufacturers make any headway in the retread supplies sector.
38 Retreading Business