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UNITED KINGDOM
Seryt Retreads Reveals Plans for European Expansion
Managing Director Kevin Gillin (pictured right) Technical Director Pete Michie (centre) and Sales Director Bruce Somerville (left)
UK-based tyre retreader Seryt Tyres has been operational now for five years, but in a relatively short space of time the company has managed to build up a degree of visibility in the UK
Hill in East Sussex, is currently making waves in the UK retread sector with an innovative and pro-active marketing approach combining, manufacturing and wholesale, together with the
supply of equipment and consumables for retreaders and the tyre trade. The company forms part of a trading group that includes independent tyre retailer Horndean Tyres. The Group currently employs around 80 people in total.
Seryt (pronounced “Sert” – in case you hadn’t noticed Seryt is tyres spelled backwards) currently manufactures precured retreads using Kraiburg retreading materials, but also markets a range of hot and cold retreads from
a variety of suppliers including UBO from the Netherlands and Insa Turbo from Spain as well as with Bridgestone’s UK retreader network including both Bulldog and Bandag.
“We are completely independent and are not beholden to any suppliers,” explained Gillin, “so we mix and match casing to rubber and application to provide the best possible solution for our clients.”
The retread plant currently manufactures around a hundred retreaded tyres per week, but this is a long way from being the
limit of the company’s aspirations. According to Kevin Gillin, Seryt has ambitious plans to expand as manufacturer and wholesaler, both in UK and overseas. This includes short and medium-term plans to expand in Holland following the recent acquisition of the Dutch retreader, Frapa.
During our discussion
with Gillin, it became
clear that he believes passionately in retreads,
but that his ambition is
to create a business
within the sector that is
unique in its way of
operating. “We want to manufacture our owns retreads,” he says, “but we also want to partner with both other retreaders and the distribution trade in order to sell other peoples’ retreads Europe-wide. Our plan is to be the biggest in Europe at selling retreads.” The next stage in this plan is the development of the company’s business Holland in December, plans which Gillin admits have been held up somewhat due to the Covid pandemic.
both with Apaseal and Rema Tip Top and who is now clearly enthused to be starting a new challenge based in his hometown.
So where does Seryt Tyres go from here? Well, Kevin Gillin has big plans for the company’s wholesale business and aims to be selling 1500 tyres per week within 24 months serviced by a fleet of sales vans.
“The important thing, though, is to establish our brand,” says Gillin. “However, our aim is to
marketplace that belies its age and is starting to build a reputation as a business that does things somewhat differently to the rest of the sector.
We managed to catch up with Managing Director Kevin Gillin and his team at the recent Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham where the company was exhibiting for the first time as part of its plan to increase its profile in the UK market. Established in 2016, Seryt Tyres, which operates from a manufacturing site in Burgess
The company is also currently developing a range of consumables, which includes the Japanese Maruni brand of tyre repair materials, as well as a range of tools and equipment, including bead breakers, safety cages and axle stands. This part of the business is being spearheaded by Sales Director Bruce Somerville, who has many years’ experience in the sector,
expand our distribution significantly. We may make 100 tyres a week at the moment, but we sell a lot more. We would eventually like to be seen as one of the bigger players in Europe with a brand of our own, partnering with people across Europe. As a UK-based wholesaler, we aim to be in the top four within 5 years.”
12 Retreading Business