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SOUTH AFRICA
consist of 70 per cent retreads and 30 per cent new tyres. Thomas adds, “Our retreading factories are part of the Bandag Dealer Network and therefore work within their
increasing level of Chinese new tyres being imported into the country, creating a battle in terms of price. He says, “Whilst appreciating that some of these brands are of an
Chemvulc Celebrates
40 Years Serving the
Tyre industry
Whilst in Johannesburg, Retreading Business also visited Chemvulc to catch up on the company’s progress and recent developments in the manufacturing of tyre repair materials.
Brendan van Niekerk – Head of Business Development explained, “Our business focus is on the
of the retreading industry in South Africa. “We have a very high standard of retreading in South Africa, and some great success stories. I believe a number of our factories perform among the best retreaders in the world.”
With regards to Chemvulc’s own product line, Brendan adds, “We
The Meyerton Retreading factory
One of Chemvulc’s premises in Robertville, Roodepoort, Johannesburg
strict certification programme at our facilities in Meyerton, White River and Standerton to produce exceptional retread tyres.” Incorporating cutting-edge rubber compounds and innovative tread designs, all retreaded tyres are guaranteed to improve fleet operations plus the company also provide a number of other essential services including a full fleet management programme and roadside breakdown. Thomas also pointed out that the majority of
acceptable level, a great deal are not, which is placing some drivers in danger if they buy them. “However, we are confident that our customers appreciate the sheer quality of our retreads, and it is up to the retreading industry to educate the end consumer that retreads remain a safe and competitive option.”
Looking to the future, Thomas believes the South African retread market will not just maintain a competitive position in terms of
retreading market as well as the OTR tyre business. Being based in Africa, we have specifically developed our products to cope with extreme conditions that tyres operate in -such as hot climates, high tyre mileage, poor and
designed our products to be robust, simple to use and low maintenance.” This formula seems to be catching on, in Africa and increasingly more countries globally.
“Our products are capable of effectively repairing a wide range of
Part of the Chemvulc’s training facility
Part of the retreading plant at Meyerton
truck tyre replacements are carried out at the customer’s base by Thomas Tyres service fleet of vehicles, whilst smaller fleets have the option of visiting one of the twenty-five retail branches.
When asked how the retreading market was shaping in Johannesburg and generally in South Africa, Thomas stated that the market is extremely competitive, and the biggest competitor was the
sales but also eventually advance as the ZAR exchange rate continues to improve. At Thomas Tyres, the company’s success is confidently built around its partners and customers.
challenging road conditions and increasingly intensive mining operations in remote areas.” Chemvulc’s product range is designed to deliver in these environments. Offering several different types of repair materials for tyres, Chemvulc has also added a range of retreading specific patches, as well as expanded their hot sectional repair systems, to cater for a growing OTR tyre market. Chemvulc has been ver y proud to be a part of the growth and success
tyres, from passenger to OTR, including the ultra-large tyre segment and we are helping clients realise real savings with the right investment into their tyre repair facilities.”
The repairing of ultra large tyres is increasingly viewed as an added bonus for the mining industry as it can significantly reduce costs. A growing number of mining operations are implementing a repair infrastructure into their tyre management strategy to save on
42 Retreading Business