Bulldog Remoulds (Holdings) Ltd and Kingsway Tyres Ltd, part of Bridgestone UK group of companies, are celebrating this month after being awarded the Investor in People Standard.  
Both companies have been awarded the status for the first time and are thrilled to gain public recognition of their achievements, after a rigorous audit of their working practices.  
Paul Lawrie, human resources director for Bridgestone UK group companies, which includes Kingsway, Bulldog and Bridgestone UK, comments:  
“Our Investor in People Standard recognises our commitment to providing our employees with the right skills and the motivation to work efficiently and enthusiastically.  Bulldog and Kingsway are rewarding and stimulating places to work and we are thrilled to receive our new status, which is testament to this.”  
Bridgestone UK first received the accreditation in October 2004 and have passed the three-yearly independent inspection which confirmed the company had maintained its high standards and therefore retained its award.  
Bridgestone UK group of companies were particularly commended for the way in which managers guided and developed their teams.

Drivers planning long distance car journeys over the summer holidays are being urged to prepare with a free vehicle health check designed to help beat the credit-crunch blues and ensure trouble-free holiday motoring.
Available at any of ATS Euromaster's 450 service centres the no-obligation inspections are designed to identify issues which could pose an increased safety or reliability issue, especially on long, high-speed motorway journeys.
Suitable for any make, model and age of car, including both private and company-owned vehicles, the health checks take approximately fifteen minutes and there is no need to book. Each inspection covers tyre tread depth, condition and pressure, as well as including visual inspections of front brakes, battery, exhaust and shock absorbers, with a written report issued to drivers on completion; and best of all, it's free.
ATS Euromaster's free summer health check comes at a time when more Brits are expected to holiday on home soil due to the combined effects of the recession and the Pound's decreased value against the Euro and Dollar. This shift in travel trends means tens of thousands more cars are likely to be clocking-up holiday miles around the UK rather than spending a fortnight parked in long-stay airport car parks.

As part of their planned expansion Protyre have vacancies for: Branch Managers & Assistant Manager. For more details clik on Job Vacancies to the left of this page.

These new limits have been applicable for tyres fitted as original equipment on new cars for some time now, but from 1st October 2009 - a little over three months from the date of this Bulletin - this will be extended to a number of sizes of passenger car tyres, small commercial tyres and commercial tyres in the replacement market. For details of which tyres are affected, and which tyres are exempt, see the end of this bulletin.
Of course, this should come as no surprise to readers, who were informed of this eventuality as long ago as October 2008 in a Service Bulletin with the unambiguous title: "New Noise Limits for Replacement Tyres - clear stocks in time for new regulations next October." In addition to this, the new regulations have been the subject of a number of articles in the trade press.

In a world of tough trading conditions, low consumer confidence and credit crunching it would be easy to assume that companies from sole trader status to multi-national and established to new enterprise, are all fighting hard to simply keep their heads above water.
There are some notable exceptions to the rule however. One such and closely associated to the Tyre Industry is Encircle Marketing. In 2009, Encircle has seen an increase in its already impressive client roster, the launch of a new product offering (Motorcycle Sell-Out Pricing) and more recently expansion into the German market (to name just a few).

Look After Your Tyres....... and Your Tyres Will Look After You
Tyre Safety Month - October 2009
During 2008, 43 motorists sadly lost their lives as a result of an accident which involved an illegal, defective or under-inflated tyre. Over 1,000 other accidents were caused by the same factor. Throughout October, TyreSafe will be running its high profile Tyre Safety Month campaign which will raise awareness of tyre safety issues and look to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the UK's roads.

Following its successful tie up with Liverpool FC for the final stages of the 2008/09 Barclays Premier League, Maxxis has now concluded a deal which will extend the relationship for a further three years.
As an Official Partner of Liverpool FC until the end of the 2011/12 season, Maxxis will be heavily involved with the Anfield club - one of the giants of the game - further enhancing its commitment to football.

A Middlesbrough car mechanic celebrated his 30th anniversary at a HiQ fast fit centre in style, when he swapped his forecourt for the fast lane of the British Touring Car Championship for the weekend.
Brian Hurman, a mobile tyre mechanic with HiQ in Longlands Road, was working trackside at Croft race circuit, changing tyres for Matt Neal, Jason Plato, and all the stars of Britain's premier motor racing series.
Brian, aged 45, had been given the 30th anniversary gift from his bosses as a thank-you for all his hard work at the centre and the North-East area over the years.
He worked with the Dunlop Motorsport team and was given the chance of a lifetime in changing tyres for the stars of the British Touring Car Championship.

UK Falken Tyre sales in 2008 reached an all time high for distributor Micheldever with the company recording a record 32 % increase in volume over 2007 . A significant expansion in the Falken Range with the introduction of the stunning asymmetric 912 tyre was a key factor , but according to MTS sales director Alan Baldwin, Dealer confidence in the Falken brand was the most important reason: "In a market with a large choice of mid range brands, Falken stands out as one of the most advantageous to retailer profitability. Falken suffers from virtually no parallel product to hurt dealer margins , and our Falken Brand Manager, Jon Limmer, and field sales teams have developed an excellent Falken Key Dealer network who really enjoy the benefits of retailing a superb Japanese premium quality tyre that they buy at extremely competitive prices."

It has been extensively documented that the UK is currently operating in a very challenging and unpredictable business environment, which obviously includes the tyre and automotive industry.
The natural reaction to such a situation is for companies to examine their operational infrastructure costings and adapt accordingly to ensure they remain in the strongest possible position to not only survive but also fully capitalise on a challenging and eventual recovering market.
To this effect, Tyreman, one of the UK's leading and most proactive IT software solution specialists are constantly evaluating how they can further improve and expand their services portfolio and solutions to support both existing and potential customers future objectives and ambitions. Mansel Jones, Tyreman's Business Development Manager says, "We have recently reviewed and enhanced all aspects of our product and services portfolio."

With the initial couple months of trading behind them, recently formed GITI Tire (UK) Ltd strongly believe they have built a robust and sustainable business model perfectly suited to cater for the challenges of today's UK commercial tyre business.
General Manager Richard Lyons says, "Our extensive mission matched product range is constantly evolving to include many new innovative products. Supported in the UK by sales, technical and marketing specialists, GITI Tire UK are positioning the GT Radial Truck and Bus brand as a highly attractive solution for both fleets and service providers looking for a high quality product with an excellent service back up at an affordable price".

Bridgestone has launched its 'third generation' of run flat tyres which have been developed to improve ride comfort and also reduce the need for spare tyres and the extra weight these add in new greener vehicles.
Bridgestone will focus the marketing of these "third generation" tyres on sales to vehicle manufacturers for fitment to new passenger vehicles.
The new run-flat tyres now achieve a ride comfort comparable to that in conventional tyres (see figure one) and have reduced vertical stiffness compared to Bridgestone's second-generation run-flat tyres. The new technological advance also enables the development of run-flat tyres in a wider range of sizes, including sizes that were previously difficult to develop, meaning that more vehicles can now benefit from the technology.

Organisers of a prestigious motorsport event near Kettering are thanking a local fast fit centre for saving their skid marks, after the company answered an 11th hour call to provide tyres for a day of racing.
HiQ, based in Telford Way Industrial Estate, made a slick response to Honda Team Dynamics' plea to fit 28 sets of tyres for a driving day with some of the nation's biggest names in motorsport, at Rockingham race circuit.
HiQ, which was recently purchased by Easy Tyre & Autocentres Ltd, was contacted by Team Dynamics, who were in need of a specialist team to fit the slick race tyres.
HiQ immediately sent for mobile technician Russell Hickford, who drove the short distance to Rockingham and got in the pit lane for some fast fit action.

Full year sales in 2008 of the Kumho brand car, van and 4x4 tyres were recently announced by the sole UK distributor, Micheldever Tyre Services, and the company reported sales of 1 million Kumho units in a year for the first time in the UK.
Wholesale Director, Alan Baldwin was delighted with the 30% growth M.T.S achieved over 2007 sales and attributed the success to several key factors. Alan Baldwin stated, "Kumho manufacture a vast range of tyres in all categories providing consumers and retailers with a choice equal to most of the premium brands, and significantly better than most mid range competitors. Throughout 2008 M.T.S and Kumho worked tirelessly to improve supply and a combination of better forecasting and supply chain management, product availability allowed this dramatic improvement over 2007.