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INDIA
Chennai-Based Ace
Tyre Forges Alliances with Multiple Retreaders
he added.
On terms of the agreement, Ankur said, “Both distributors agreed to work with us on a long term basis, ordering a half- container each quarter with a 25% hike in value terms on repeat orders.” Both the distributors remain focused on their own market according to the Blackstone policy of operating with one distributor in each countr y.
The distributors were exploring 3- 4 brands from the US and India and agreed to work with Blackstone. “Our range meets their price as well as quality parameters,” he emphasised. When asked if any new territories are in the pipeline in the international market, he said, “We are always scouting for new partners in new territories as we are a young company in export and have lots of resources and spare production capacity which could be used in expanding the export market.”
The growth in Blackstone’s international business has been a major move for the company, as Blackstone was 100% focused on the domestic market up to 2013. By 2019 overseas shipments
comprised 30% of turnover, and by the end of 2021, the 40% threshold had been crossed. The surge has largely been achieved on the strength of showcasing at or visiting international shows annually. Now the company is looking for suitable or prominent show in ever y continent.
“We had booked a stand at SEMA show but travel restrictions extended till first week of November mean we will miss the trip this time. But we are exhibiting at Autopromotec in the middle of 2022,” stated Ankur. Meanwhile, the Indian firm continues to focus on the big infrastructure companies engaged in road construction activities in the domestic market. The current central government is proactive in improving the road infrastructure in the country in next five years, and Blackstone is targeting those companies associated with government-backed road construction projects. “We have appointed a couple of additional people in our marketing team to aggressively market our range with companies operating bigger fleets engaged in the road construction projects,” said Ankur.
Gopal Bhattad
Tamil Nadu based retreader Ace Tyre has initiated a new marketing drive to improve overall volumes in its sales without investing in plant or machiner y while serving clients in other cities from a distance.
In a one-of-its-kind marketing initiative, the Chennai-based JK retreader has formed alliances with retreaders in other cities in India to get its clients’ tyres retreaded in their partners’ outlets.
“Our Associate Retreaders in other cities offer the retread service to our clients in that city.
This provides business to us as well as to the Associate Retreader. We can serve our clients in other cities through our partner retreaders,” explained Gopal Bhattad of Ace Tyre. According to him, Ace Tyre has already formed alliances with like-minded retreaders in the cities of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Surat and Kolkata.
On asking what numbers are being retreaded, Gopal conceded, “Currently, numbers stand at around 100 tyres. I realise this is not too high, but the concept
was only introduced at the beginning of the year and the market has been disturbed due to the second wave of coronavirus resulting in imposition of a state- wise lockdown.”
Bhattad says he has plans to add more Associate Retreaders in Pune and Rudrapur in the next few months. “The volumes will improve once the market picks- up,” he commented.
Ace Tyre, founded in 1998, currently retreads 500-600 TBR tyres and about 60 LCV tyres each month.
Elgi Gujarat Franchisee to Invest in New Plant and Machinery
Blackstone Appoints Distributors in Greece and Israel
Elgi’s oldest franchisee in Gujarat, Har yana Tyre Retread, is gearing- up for expansion at a new location in Ahmedabad. The expansion involves an all-new and larger site, as well as fully automatic plant capable of doubling volumes. The company, which has been an Elgi authorised franchisee for two decades, is scheduling the expansion for early next year.
“We have finalized the expansion plan, which involves the installation of the latest automatic BF6 11 tyre autoclave, buffing- building machine, compressor, inspection spreader, cut & repair machine along with monorail system,” informed Hazari Lal Nand Ram Yadav of Haryana Tyre Retread.
The present plant was established in 2001 and converted to the Elgi franchisee network the following year. The current site, which is installed with a monorail system and Elgi machiner y, retreads a
total of 7200 tyres annuall, covering truck, bus, and LCV tyres. During the peak year of 2012, the plant retreaded 8,500 tyres.
The forthcoming expansion is due to plans for the next generation to join the business by 2023, which has resulted in ambitious growth plans.
The retreader is facing space constraint at its current site, which restricting the ability to expand. However, the new facility will be spread over an area of 10,000 sq ft, more than double the area of the current site.
“We are expecting annual volumes of over 12,000 tyres at the new location,” said Yadav. Ahmedabad has about 20 retreaders, retreading 4,000 tyres each month. Almost all the major tread brands have presentation in the market, while the unorganised sector also continues to pose challenges to the organised sector of the market. On what drives
Rajasthan based tyre repair patch manufacturer Blackstone Rubber Industries continues to expand its international footprint. The Jodhpur headquartered company that also engages in tyre
retreading besides manufacturing a comprehensive range of patches, has opened two new markets with one in Europe and another in the Middle East.
“We have started working with two distributors for tyre repair patches, one each in Piraeus, Greece and K anot, Israel. We have been in touch with them for quite some time and finally signed a long-term sourcing agreement with both of them,” informed Ankur Dhoot, Chief Manager, Blackstone Rubber Industries. Both distributors received their first consignments last month.“We shared product samples with them, and after lab testing and rigorous on-road customer trials, our samples have been approved by both parties,”
Ankur Dhoot, Chief Manager, Blackstone Rubber Industries
36 Retreading Business