NEWS

NTDA members were treated to an excellent tour of the Pirelli plant in Carlisle on July 1st. The visit was organised by Richard Dibb, Business Development Manager for Pirelli, who was elected to the position of Regional NTDA Chairman at the region’s AGM on 20th May.

The plant, which employs 1000 people, opened in 1968, and is one of two Pirelli factories in the UK, the other being in Burton-on Trent. The NTDA delegation included the NTDA Immediate Past Chairman, Stephen Callow, who can now claim to be following in the footsteps of another VIP visitor to the plant, namely Prime Minister David Cameron, who made his own visit to Carlisle in April 2013.

The Pirelli Carlisle site, with its cutting-edge facilities produces some of the most technologically advanced tyres on sale today, which are designed with Formula One know-how. The visitors from the NTDA were able to see first-hand how Pirelli Carlisle is now a SUV Centre of Excellence producing and industrialising some of the most advanced SUV tyres.

Pirelli’s Carlisle factory is in production 24/7 and the Company has a very skilled R&D department that works extremely well with its customers to find out the exact requirements for their specific vehicles.

Tony Di Gravio, Director of Quality at Pirelli, commented: “We were delighted to open our doors and showcase one of our facilities in the UK to the NTDA. We hope that the delegation had an informative and enjoyable experience”.

North West & North Wales Region visit Pirelli

New South East Region off to flying startIt’s official! The South East Region is up and running again. Pictured is NTDA Director, Stefan Hay, officially welcoming Prashant Chopra of Autogem Invicta as the new South East Regional Chairman.

A well-attended first meeting of tyre retailers, wholesalers and supplier members from the manufacturing, recycling and aftermarket sectors was held at Autogem’s West London offices, on 7th July.

The NTDA Director gave an update on recent Association activities and attendees also benefitted from presentations on employee auto enrolment pension arrangements from the NTDA’s affinity pensions partner BlueSky Pensions, an excellent technical presentation from Fuchs Lubricants and some also toured the Autogem warehouse and distribution centre.

The next meeting of this region will be in October. There are plans to bring further regions online this year with the next stop being Central South Region! – So watch this space!

Central South Region attracts new membersSpeaking of the new Central South Region, its membership has been significantly boosted by the addition of three new member companies in July namely:

• Mid Beds Tyres, Ampthill• Eco Tyres Global Ltd., Southampton• Robbs Tyre Service Ltd., Milton Keynes and Hatfield

(The NTDA Directorate welcomes them all and looks forward to seeing them at regional events in the future!)

www.ntda.co.uk NEWS

The NTDA Director and Honorary Treasurer, Donald Carmichael, attended the Summer Court Livery Luncheon on the 9th July. The event was held at the stunning Tallow Chandlers Hall in the City of London and the Executive Officers attended as guests of the TRA Secretary General, Peter Taylor. Despite the best efforts of the striking London Underground workers, over 100 fellow guests, Freemen and Liverymen of the Wheelwrights attended.

Wheelwrights are the ancestors of the modern day tyre fitters and repairers and much of the terminology used in the tyre and fast fit trade today such as axle, bearing, strut, wheel alignment and balancing, rims, drums, discs and spokes originate from the Craftsmen who manufactured the wooden wheel. The few remaining traditional wheelwrights continue to practice a craft that is more than 4000 years old, but still very much in demand.

Due to the excellent business networking opportunities, charitable works and obvious alignment to the modern day trade, the Wheelwrights has attracted, and admitted, leading figures from the tyre industry into its membership such as TIF and TyreSafe Chairman Stuart Jackson, Jorge Crespo of tyre manufacturer Zenises and the TRA’s Peter Taylor.

The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights was granted the Royal Charter, by King Charles II, in 1670 and it became, in order of precedence, the sixty-eighth Livery Company of the City of London. To this day, its objectives remain:

• To support the craft of the Wheelwright (which in these times is done through supporting apprenticeships

NTDA guests enjoy Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights Summer Court Livery Luncheon

andqualificationroutesandraisingawarenessofthe profession);• Through its charitable trust which makes donations to enable mobility and access for disabled people and children, charities which have limited funds and where its giving can make a real difference and specific projects with which the Wheelwrights can be identified rather than general funding;• To support the City of London Corporation and the Lord Mayor of London and provide a link that provides continuity and stability to the City (values which are critical to the well-being of the City’s international business community).

Stefan Hay said: “As a Freeman of the City of London and former Liveryman of another Worshipful Company, I havefirst-handexperienceofthealtruisticnatureofLiverycompanies, the charitable good they do, and contribution they make, to the City, wider business community and society in general. I believe there is great synergy between the tyre industry and the Wheelwrights who are the forefathers of, and therefore a natural home to, our trade”.

2015 NTDA / Zenises Golf Day a major successThe 2015 NTDA/Zenises Golf day on the 22nd July, proved to be yet another great competition as players from all over the UK and from different sectors of the tyre industry took home the trophies. Players enjoyed the pristine Melbourne Course in the picturesque surroundings of Brocket Hall and benefitted from sunny weather for most of the day.

With almost 100 NTDA members and their guests playing and further guests arriving for the evening dinner, hosted by TV sports presenter Steve Rider, the event was, once again, a great opportunity for tyre industry professionals to network in a stunning environment. NTDA Director Stefan Hay said: “We are very grateful to Zenises for its immense generosity in making this event so special and to all of the other tyre manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and aftermarket suppliers for getting involved and for donating gifts toourBENcharityraffle,whereweraised£860foritsgoodcauses.Thegolfersseemedingreatcheerandwehadamostenjoyable evening with the highly entertaining Steve Rider”.

The overall winner and recipient of the Zenises Cup and Black Blazer was Steve Bradshaw from Stapleton’s (Tyre Services) Ltd. The other winners were: Stanley Gorrill Memorial Trophy (Top Scoring NTDA Member): Martin Rowlands, Les Amiss Bowl (1st Division): Gary Oliver, Harold Fullwood Bowl (2nd Division): Steve Bradshaw, Godsell Cup (3rd Division): Martin Rowlands

L-R: NTDA National Chairman Roger Griggs, TV sports presenter Steve Rider and NTDA Director Stefan Hay enjoying the day at Brocket Hall

From L-R: Upper Warden – Graham Woodhouse, TRA Secretary General – Peter Taylor, NTDADirector-StefanHay,WheelwrightsMaster–IanArmfield,NTDAHonoraryTreasurer-

Donald Carmichael and Wheelwrights Past Master Graham Westwell (PhotocopyrightofMichaelO’SullivanPhotography-Tel:020-8363-8350)