Two of the UK’s strongest tyre brands – Micheldever Tyres Services and General Tire - will this month celebrate the 20 th anniversary of their coming together.
Micheldever Tyre Services Ltd was first awarded the contract to become the exclusive distributor for General Tire in the UK in July 1995 and the partnership has gone on to grow from strength to strength. Later this month, Micheldever is helping General Tire celebrate its 100 th birthday with a national tour of stockists and dealers.
The partnership began when General Tire launched a search for a distribution partner with expertise in the 4x4 sector and an established dealer network to help increase its market share. At that time, the contract was awarded to Southam Tyres, which is now part of Micheldever.
Alan Baldwin, Micheldever’s sales director, said: “General Tire originally approached us to help build a credible 4x4 market share. At the time, it had around a 4% of that market. This has now grown to 14%, or 150,000 units per year, an increase of 250%. In 2009 we also began distributing General Tire’s range of car and van tyres, which has contributed to this success.
“As you would expect from anything coming from the Continental group of companies, General Tire is a fantastic product and our dealers benefit from strong sales support, making it an increasingly popular mid-market brand, especially amongst 4x4 specialists. Our 100 th anniversary tour next month, which will see us visit 100 customers in every corner of the UK, aims to build upon this loyal following and is a fitting celebration of this remarkable milestone.”
General Tire is owned by Continental. David Smith, managing director of Continental Tyre Group UK, said: “General Tire has benefitted greatly from the partnership with Micheldever. It’s the UK largest independent wholesaler, distributor and retailer of tyres and supplies more than 8,500 garages and main dealers, and having access to this network has been crucial for us, as the sales figures clearly show.
“I think the development of this long-running partnership is a testament to the solid working relationship that exists between both companies and I’m confident that the future will be equally as fruitful for us both.”
The ‘100 years of adventure’ anniversary tour will begin on Monday 20 th July, and in addition to taking in dealer visits and running associated trade and consumer promotions, the roadshow will also raise money for the Children’s Air Ambulance, the first and only dedicated national helicopter emergency transfer service for critically ill children.
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