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LATIN AMERICA
BMG Solucoes Continues Expansion Drive
Vipal Motorcycle Tyres Expands Presence in Central America
BMG Solucoes Industriais, based in the town of Franca in Sao Paulo state, is a young Brazilian company which has grown rapidly off the back of demand from retreaders for tyre labels in order to comply with Brazil’s INMETRO retreading standard.
tyre paint.
Says Warkentin; “BMG was developed thanks to the background of our father, but our aim is to bring a fresh, new approach to the market, operating close to the customer and being a competitive-price business partner
that strives for quality, commitment and the reliability.” BMG operates out of an 800 sq m facility with 14 employees. Having developed a strong customer base in Brazil, the company is now looking
to expand its presence further afield. Other countries in Latin America are obvious targets, but according to Gabriel Marafigo, the company has also developed contacts in India and Europe and is looking to expand in both those areas.
The company is now also in the process of developing a range of repair patches. “We started doing this in response to customer demand and the realisation that major players like Vipal and Vulcaflex were not in a position to supply everyone,” added Warkentin. “We believe we now have all the tools at our disposal to supply the rubber market effectively with our range of products.”
Vipal Motorcycle Tyres, the division of the Brazilian tread rubber manufacturer responsible for manufacturing new tyres for motorcycles, has just entered into a partnership with Tuls, a company of the Remor group, and Ferreteria EPA to distribute and market its products throughout the territor y of El Salvador, Central America. The director of Tuls, Sebastian Moreno, has been a Vipal customer for over 20 years, through Llafrisa, the group's retreading operation.
Tuls is dedicated to the commercialisation of various products for specialised workshops throughout El Salvador, including new motorcycles tyres. Meanwhile, the motorcycle fleet is growing rapidly in the countr y, which creates
directly to the public”, stated the director of the group.
Tuls will start selling via e- commerce later this year. The collection of the online orders will be made at the company's headquarters. Next year, the intention is to establish a deliver y capability throughout El Salvador. The Commercial Manager for Mexico and Central America at Vipal Rubber, Jean Barros, points out why Tuls was the right choice for this partnership. “We consider Tuls to be perfect for this project, as we share the vision and level of excellence of the companies in the Remor group. This alliance signed between Tuls and the Ferreteria EPA store chain confirmed the success of our selection. Ferreteria EPA is a consolidated company, with a presence in several
The company, established as recently as 2014, is a young, dynamic company managed by brothers Gabriel Marafigo and Matheus Warkentin, aged 26 and 23 respectively. The business, originally developed as a result of their father’s long-term experience in the sector started out manufacturing ink markers for tyres followed by a move into solvent-based and water-based paints in 2017.
However, the business took a step forward in 2018 when it entered operations in area of ID labels for retreaded tyres with a view to supplying Brazil’s 1000+ retreaders with labels according to the INMETRO standard, transferable thermal decals and
opportunities to expand business for the segment.
"After visiting Vipal´s factor y in Brazil, we started to gather information about the El Salvador market. We selected the most suitable models and verified through field tests the quality, resistance, high performance and cost-effectiveness of Vipal motorcycle tyres”, highlighted Moreno. “When we learned about the company's project to also expand this product line here in El Salvador, we immediately agreed to the partnership. To close the entire process cycle, we started to define the distribution channels. So, we made a commercial alliance with the Ferreteria EPA chain, where Vipal tyres will be displayed and sold
countries and with three megastores in El Salvador, which will certainly allow our tyres to reach a large number of customers”, he added.
The companies' expectation is that the commercialisation of the product in the countr y will grow gradually. The forecast is that around 500 to 600 tyres will be sold by September. As of the first quarter of 2022, Vipal and Tuls expect to reach the mark of 1000 to 1200 tyres sold each month and are looking to have consolidated their position in the El Salvador motorcycle tyre market within two years.
New Tipler Plant in Bahia
Tipler has announced the inauguration of a new Tipler retreading plant located in Bahia, Brazil.
The new plant, which was inaugurated on 26 August, is located at Remax Pneus de Simões Filho - BA, incorporates Lukatec retreading
technologies and the latest innovations within the Tipler Solution retreading programme.
32 Retreading Business