Vol 1

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a set of premium 4x4 tyres courtesy of Maxxis

Tyrexpo Africa hosts dynamic Tyre Conference

One-on-One with Max T Solutions’ Peter Klein

Tyre grading considered a new revolution

Michelin unveils first responsible sports tyre

Going green … the environmental impact

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9749 Bandag O'TRead Quarry Proof Ad.indd 1 5/13/10 10:15:26 AM

Editor LianaShaw

Technical consultant WrayShaw

Reproduction DianevanNoort

Printing TYPO

–ColourPrintingSpecialists

Distribution PrestigeBulkMailers

Advertising LianaShaw

Contentsone-on-onewithMaxTSolutions’PeterKlein........................................................... 4

Focus on Tyrexpo Africa 2010MixedreviewsforthirdroundofTyrexpoAfrica–TYREXPOAFRICA2010hostsdynamictyreconference.................. 9

Industry newsGradingorperformancerankingconsideredarevolutionforthetyremarket............................................................. 18TyrecorsignsanexclusivedistributionagreementwithSolideal........... 19

Manufacturing Michelinunveilsfirstresponsiblesportstyre–ThePilotSport3......... 20BridgestonerecognisedatannualToyotaSupplierawards................... 22Goodyear’ssafetydrivesees50%dropinworkplaceinjuries.............. 22Algoraxturns50.................................................................................... 23

conti cornerIndustrialactioncouldposeseriouseconomicthreatcautionsHorni... 26

Distribution newsTopBEE-ratedHi-Qaninspirationtoprivatesector&auto-fitmentindustry.......................................................................... 29Onyourmarks,Getset,GO!TWT2010Fitters’Compettiontakesonworldcupflavour................... 30

Dealer Profile Yellowandblackbooststurnover.......................................................... 33

Talking TyresGettingwasted…andgoinggreen–Wastetyremanagement............. 36

Goodyear newsInvestmentsmakeGoodyearfirstchoiceforhigh-endvehiclesinternationally........................................................... 42

World newsContifurthersitsfootballsponsorship................................................. 45Bridgestonenamed2009SupplierofYearbyBoeing.......................... 45PirelliinF1poleposition?...................................................................... 46Endoftheroad–BridgestoneendsAustralianproduction................... 46MaxxisproducerChengShinentersGlobalTyremakerTop10............. 46

competition, subscription, Website ........................................ 48

A note from

the editorWorld Cup Fever is well and truly

upon us and two lucky SA TREADS

readers will be enjoying two of the

games live, in the comfort of the

Continental Tyre Hospitality Suite at

Soccer City. Congratulations to Len

van Driel of the SABS in Pretoria and

to Nickole Shuttleworth – winners of

our previous competition! Enjoy the

experience!

Ifyournamewasnottheonedrawnout

ofthehat,don’tdespair.InJune,we’re

offering you another chance towin, this time, a setofpremium4x4 tyres

courtesyofMaxxis,nowrankinginthetop10oftheworlds’toptyremakers.

So ifyou’reanoff-the-roadenthusiastwith thevehicle tomatch,enterour

latest competition via the website (www.satreads.co.za) or fax your entries

(only one per person please!) to(011)658-0010.Youneverknow,ournext

luckywinnercouldbeyou!

Asforourfeaturestory,sufficeittosaythatthefrontcoverisadeadgive-

away. In June, we’re bringing you a detailed report on the recently staged

TyrexpoAfrica,whichtookplaceinMarchattheSandtonConventionCentre.

TheInfinitystandclinchedtophonourswiththePlatinumAwardforbestStand

Design,withtheGoldAwardgoingtoTubestoneandtheSilver,toStamford

Tyres.TheNitralifestand–whilenomatchintermsofsizeandgrandeur–

nonethelesstooktheBronzeaward-awelldeservedaccoladeinmyopinion!

This year’s biennial tyre exhibition also ran alongside an enlightening Tyre

Conference, featuring ahostof key-note speakers,withone inparticular -

SirTomFarmer from the legendaryKwik-Fitdistributiongiant in theUnited

Kingdom-stealingtheshow.So, ifyoumissedthis informativesession,be

suretocatchuponsomeofthehighlightsbyturningtopage9.

AnexclusiveinterviewwithPeterKleinofMaxTSolutions,avisittoyetanother

successful Dunlop Zone store in Pretoria East and an introduction to the

newly-implementedtyrelabellingregulationsintroducedinEurope,theUSA

andJapan,arejustsomeoftheadditionalstoriesthattakethespotlightinthis

edition.So,wheninneedofabreakfromallthesportingmaniaonTV,why

notsitbackandcatchuponthehappeningsintheindustry?

TillwemeetagainintheSpring….

I n t r o d u c t i o n • 1

Publishers SkyPublicationscc

POBox702

Douglasdale,2165

Tel: (011)6580011

Fax: (011)6580010

Cell: 0828516777

E-mail: satreads@mweb.co.za

Website: www.satreads.co.za

FrontCover:CourtesyTyrecor/Infinity

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O n e - o n - O n e • 3

One-on-Onewith

MAX T soLuTIons’ PeterKlein

In March we introduced you to the

new entity that is Max T Solutions – the

culmination of a recent merger between

two leading tyre divisions – Maxiprest

Tyres (heavy truck and bus tyres) and

Quality Tyres (mining, earth moving and

other off-the-road applications). The two

had long held a cooperative agreement,

butaccordingtoPeterKlein,SalesDirector

TBR,thetimehadfinallycometoformalise

thearrangementandofficiallyjoinforces,

forthebenefitofthecustomer.

We met up with him for an exclusive

interviewduringwhichhedivulgedtheway

forward for this new transport servicing

company.

4 • O n e - o n - O n e

Q. Peter, this is a significant development. Could you tell us what led up

to the decision to unite the two divisions?

As a progressive company continually seeking to grow our customer

appeal, it made perfect sense to unite Maxiprest and Quality Tyres. We

neededtoeradicatetheperceptioninthemarketplacethatweweretwo

separatecompanies.

Apre-cursortotheintegrationandsettingthesceneforunitingMaxiprest

and Quality Tyres into Max T Solutions, we embarked on a change

managementinterventionacrosstheorganisationatalllevels.Weneeded

toalignstaffwithourstrategic intentanddriveallourpeople towardsa

commonfocusandacultureofdoingtherightthingsright.Everyfacetof

ourbusinesswasanalysedtoarriveatanhonestreflectionofwhoweareas

acompanyandwhatwehavetoofferintermsofcustomerservice.

Thechangeprocesswasdesigned togeneratea responsebywayof an

action plan for each department and staff member, emphasising their

individualrolesintheachievementofthebusinessobjectives.

In the end, we all came to same realisation that both divisions were

inexplicablylinkedbythefactthattheyareownedbyBridgestone.Wealso

came to another important realisation, namely, that in this business, it’s

notaboutprovidingaproduct-ourprimaryfunctionistoaddvaluetoour

customers.

Q. What is your primary objective when it comes to steering the new

company in the right direction?

TheStrategicchange interventionweembarkedonsometwoyearsago,

set the trend for the leadershipmethodologyandstyle indrivingMaxT

Solutionsintherightdirection.

Itisaboutcreatingacommonfocus,withallourstaffpullinginthesame

direction to ultimately deliver our pledge in a consistent and uniform

manner.

In the current trading climate and given that the tyre industry is largely

over-traded, it’s accepted that we, as well as our competitors, have our

respective strengths. ThedifferentialMaxTSolutions (now70branches

strong)isaimingtowards,istakingthatsolutionspackagethatiscommon

to all and delivering it in such a way that our customers are not only

satisfied,butsupremelyhappy!Inshort,we’restrivingtodothingsbetter

thananyoneelse.

Q. A noble aspiration in itself, but how do you propose driving this

message throughout the group and motivating your staff accordingly?

By default, the strategic change initiative we implemented aligns every

member of staff with their personal direct responsibility in achieving

our business objectives. This system operates on simplistic project

managementprinciplesthatensurethatweactionourcommitments.

The staff of Max T Solutions have adopted a culture of responsible

ownershipfortheirjobsandwhilstmarketsaretoughandsellingconditions

challenging,weareontherighttracktodoingrightthingsrightconsistently.

This is a challenge, as you say - not everyone has the same vision. My

strategy is to change our peoples’ focus by entrusting them to make

the right decisions. I believe that by empowering them with the skills

and knowledge required to execute their responsibilities to the desired

standardsIbelievethattheywillachieveourgoalswithasenseofpridein

theaccomplishment.

Q. In other words your management style is one of joint collaboration

rather than autocracy?

OurLeadershipstyle,asisthecasewithourownerBridgestoneunder

the leadership of Kenji Shoda, is one of inclusiveness, promoting

ownershipandsharingrewards.Weareoneteamwithacommonline

ofsight,pulling inthesamedirection, livingourpledgeandachieving

ourbottomlineintentions.

Idon’tshowmyteethunlessIabsolutelyhaveto.Thatbeingsaid,we

are fortunate to have the mechanisms in place that allow us to keep

abreastofindividualperformancelevelsonadailybasis.

The important thing to remember is that together with Bridgestone’s

unflinchingsupport,I’mhereasafacilitator,tohelp,supportandprovide

thesales teamswith the tools theyneed toachieve,professionallyas

wellasindividually.

Q. How did you go about communicating the creation of Max T

Solutions across the country?

The Executive team of Max T Solutions went on a country wide road

show communicating and sharing the change as well as our strategic

intent for 2010/2011. Over and above that we communicated the

change through media and other communication channels into our

clientbaseandthepopulationatlarge.

Q. Was the news well received?

Asisthecasewithanychangeinorganisations,therearealwayslevels

of apprehension and fear. However, a proper change management

strategy accompanied the change and fears were allayed through

properandopencommunicationinlinewiththebusinessethosofMax

TSolutions.Staffhasacceptedthechangewithoutanymajordifficulty

orfear.Itisultimatelyallaboutcommunication.

Q. What sort of feedback have you had from the end users with

respect to the creation of Max T Solutions?

Not surprisingly, the response from our customers has been most

encouragingwithmanyvoicingtheirapprovalatourapparentrenewed

understandingoftheirneeds.Again,asIsaidearlier,thecurrenttrading

platform calls for a deeper understanding of the customers’ needs.

Neverbeforehasitbeenasimportantfortyreserviceproviderstooffer

acompletetyresolutionunderoneroof.The‘knockanddrop’practices

prevalentinthe80sandearly90sareathingofthepast.

Q. Can you tell us some of the features and aspects of your service

offering which you hope will differentiate you from your competitors?

Without giving any trade secrets away (we’re currently working on a

number of new initiatives which I’m not prepared to disclose at this

point),let’sjustsaythatwe’reactivelyworkingonimprovingtheservice

deliveryofourPerformanceImprovementTechnicians(onandoff-site),

byhoninginonthepotentiallycriticalroletheyplaywhenitcomesto

drivingdowntheircustomers’runningcosts.Wearealsoencouraging

them to develop a closer relationship with their customers, thereby

elicitingmoresupportandinteraction.

Plus, we’ve developed a brand new Tyre Management System – the

Maximizer2TMS–currentlybeingtestedbyoneofourmajorcustomers

withencouragingresults-whichwebelievewillgoalongwaytowards

providingsuperiorreportingandeaseofuseaswellastransparency,by

virtueofitsabilitytooperateautomatically.

AndthenthereareourFieldEngineers(thereare15intotal),whoare

among thebest this industryhas tooffer, attending toproblems and

technicalissuesonanongoingbasis.

Q. Are these old-hands or newcomers to the industry?

Someofthemareold-handswithawealthoftechnicalknowledgeand

experience while others are younger people who have embraced the

conceptandmessagewe’reactivelydriving.

Q. Recent end user surveys reveal a perceived lack of knowledge,

passion and technical competence on the part of the tyre industry.

Do you believe this to be a fair and accurate portrayal of the current

state of affairs?

Toalargedegree,yes.Theindustryasawholeneedstoprofessionalise

itsserviceofferingtotheenduseranditcanonlydothisbysecuring

andretainingtheservicesofskilledandcompetentpeoplewhooperate

atthe‘coalface’.

I’mdetermined todoeverything Ican to instilnewfoundpassionand

excitementforthebusiness inourpeople,to instilprideintheirwork

and to demonstrate how they can be a valuable part of the overall

solution by meeting their customers’ needs. If we don’t achieve this,

theywill likelyoperatemuchlikeaconveyorbelt,doingtheminimum

of what is expected of them, with no desire to add value or provide

meaningfulsolutions.

Q. I would say you have your work cut out for you?

Perhaps, but I trulybelieve that developingourpeople in the correct

manner and providing well-mapped out career paths and incentives,

canhelpustowinthefight,notonlyintermsofdeliveringasuperior

service,butinboostingtheirownself-esteemandconfidence.Ibelieve

thistobefarmoreimportantthanfinancialcompensation.

People who exhibit potential must be acknowledged and personally

O n e - o n - O n e • 5

O n e - o n - O n e • 76 • O n e - o n - O n e

commended, something which should go a long way towards

reducing thehigh incidenceof ‘poaching’ in the industry.Astaff

memberwillbelesstemptedtoacceptanotherworkofferifheor

she,feelsvaluedandcanseealong-termfutureforthemselvesin

thecompany.

Q. Why do you believe there is such a high turnover of staff in

the tyre industry?

Ithinkthemainreasonisthatwetendtoemployunskilledpeople

and start them off cheaply on a low level of payment. You won’t

retain people that way, hence my desire to concentrate on

sustainable‘careerpathing’,soastocontributetowardscorrecting

thecurrentimbalanceinanindustrythatisthinlystretchedinterms

ofskillsandresources.

Currently,wearemakingaconcertedefforttoapproachtechnical

schoolsbywayofdedicatedpresentationstopotentialcandidates

inthehopesofattractinggreaternumbersaswellashighercalibre

peopletotheindustry.Granted,thisrequiresasizeableinvestment,

butonewhichIbelieveitwillmorethanpayoffinthelongrun.

PeterKleinjoinedthetyreindustryin1975.Followingasuccession

of posts in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors, he joined

whatwasatthatstage,thesecondbiggestretreadingcompanyin

SA.Heachievedmuchsuccesswithsomeofthecountry’sbiggest

mining power houses where he negotiated service and supply

contracts.

He joinedQualityTyres in1991.His timewithQualityTyreswas

both rewarding and challenging, but his talent for the written

word, coupled with sharp business acumen, was a successful

combination that soon spearheaded him to many Management

positions. Later, when Firestone took over the company, he was

offeredaDirectorshipinthecompany.

When Bridgestone acquired Firestone, Maxiprest Tyres acquired

equity in Quality Tyres. Peter and some of his colleagues have

recently shifted portfolios from Quality Tyres to Maxiprest Tyres.

HehasbeenwithMaxiprestHoldings(theholdingcompanyofMax

TSolutions)eversince.

O n e - o n - O n e • 76 • O n e - o n - O n e

We focus on excellence in every single tyre.In everything we do, we focus on providing superior quality and safety, on constant

innovations, environmentally friendly concepts and performance under the most

demanding conditions. But above all, we always focus on putting all our knowledge

and all our effort into every single tyre.

www.bridgestone.co.za

For your nearest Bridgestone Authorised Dealer, visit our website atBridgestone South Africa

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8 • O n e - o n - O n e F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 • 9

ThethirdinstalmentofthebiennialTyrexpoAfrica,

which took place at the Sandton Convention

Centre on 4-6 March of this year, was of the

typical high standard we’ve come to expect

fromthistradeeventanditsorganisers.Forthe

mostpart,exhibitionstandswereprofessionally

constructed, well manned and eye-catching.

Moreover, the three-dayevent,whichthisyear,

spanned Thursday to Saturday in response to

a direct request from the local contingent, ran

likeclockwork.Asforthemileagetheexhibition

was expected to generate, opinion is divided,

with some exhibitors elated with the volume

andqualityofbusiness thatwas transactedand

otherscitingdisappointingfiguresintermsoffeet

throughthedoor.

TYREXPOAFRICA2010HOSTSDYNAMICTYRECONFERENCE

Mixed reviews for third round of

Tyrexpo Africa

1 0 • F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0

Butwhatsortsofnumberscanbeconsidereddisappointingforashowlike

this,bearinginmindthatthisisadedicatedtrade eventthatdoesnottarget

thegeneralpublic?Woulditnotbeunfairtoexpectthetypicalvisitorvolumes

thatmoreestablishedpublic-orientedshowstendtogenerate?Andlestwe

forget,TyrexpoAfricaisstillinitsinfancy.*Despitethis,bothvisitornumbers

aswellasexhibitornumberswereupfrom2006(103)and2008(124)to

133,butthedeclineofnationalexhibitorsto26from37in2008and32in

2006,wasdisappointing,especiallyinlightofwhatappearedtobeagrowing

Chinesecontingent.Interestingly,Chineseexhibitorsnumberedonly38as

opposedto2008whentherewere42Chinesecompaniesdisplayingtheir

products.Still,theperceptionfrombothexhibitorsandvisitorsalikewasthat

theChinesepresencehadrisensubstantially.Iwouldhazardaguessandsay

thatthiswasbecausetheChinesebrandswithnolocalrepresentationwere

congregatedinoneparticularsectionofthehall.

ThereweresomeinterestingforeignstandsonviewsuchasSinorgchem–a

global leadingproducerofrubberantioxidant,basedinChinaandsupplying

itsproductsglobally.Ispentsometimewiththemontheirstandtohearabout

theirrangeofproductswhichtheyclaimboastapurenessinexcessof96%,

therebyrankingthemasgloballeadersintherubberadditivemarketsegment.

Apparently,theirproductsarealreadybeingdistributedlocallyviaagents,but

theyareplanningtostepuptheirpresenceandmarketingeffortsintheSouth

Africanmarketandtothelocaltyremanufacturersinparticular,inlinewiththe

company’sglobalexpansionplan.IaskedwhytheychosetoexhibitatTyrexpo

AfricatowhichChrisChen,MarketingSupervisor,dulyrepliedthatwithSouth

Africa’styresalesaccountingfor70%oftotalsalesinAfrica,participationinthis

tradeeventwasconsideredanimportantfirststepforSinorgcheminexploring

themarket.

Intotal,delegatesandexhibitorsfrommorethan60countriesmetdobusiness,

whichwasencouraginginlightoftherecession.

SaidECISalesDirector,RowenaSuthers:“Theglobalrecessionhasaffected

every business in some way, and yet, the quality of visitors who came to

Johannesburgwiththeintentionofmeetingnewsuppliersanddoingbusiness,

wasextremelyimpressive.Thattheycameinincreasednumberscomparedto

thelastshowin2008wasagreatbonusanddemonstratedthatmanypeople

intheindustryarefeelingmorepositivethantheywereattheendoflastyear.”

*ECIInternationalalsohostTyrexpoAsia–nowinits14thyearofstaging–

whichattractsbetween150-180exhibitorsandbetween2700-3500visitors

fromover83countries.Brityrex, their thirdbiennial tyreexhibition,now in

its21styear,takesplaceinBritainandattractsabout110-120exhibitorsand

between2400and2700visitors.Theirnewestandfourthtyretradeeventin

theformofTyrexpoIndiaisscheduledtotakeplaceinJuly2011.

not a great show for china

Ironically, the deluge of mostly unknown Chinese brands located on the

easternsideof thehallmetwithscant interest from the2602 foreignand

localbusinesspeoplevisitingtheshow.Themainreasonforthiswouldappear

tobethelanguagebarrier,withtheChinesefailingtosecuretheservicesofa

translatorforthedurationoftheshow.Anotherlikelyexplanationwouldbethe

market’sinherentsuspicionofChinesebrandswithnoofficiallocalagencies,

forfearofcomebacksandpoorafter-salesservice.

In contrast, well-established brands from the East such as Infinity, BKT,

StamfordTyres,MaxxisandTechking, tonamea few,putonagoodshow,

withtheInfinitybrandgoingsofarastohiretheservicesofthreesexyfemale

dancers,dressed ina tread-patternedbodysuit, toperformdance routines

duringthecourseofthethree-dayevent.Sufficeittosay,thisclevermarketing

ployworkedwellforthem,drawingcrowdsofappreciativemalebuyerstotheir

impressivestand,whichtookthePlatinumAwardforbeststanddesignatthis

year’sshow–yetanotherwell-deservedaccoladetoaddtothebrand’slistof

achievementsacrosstheglobe.

Beefs and Bouquets

While the workshop equipment and ancillary product stands buzzed with

expectantvisitors,withcompaniessuchasRemaTipTop,Nitralife,Wheelquip,

HofmanMegaplanandLeaderQuipseeminglywellsatisfiedwiththeturnout

and quality of business conducted, tyre distributors complained that visitor

numbers to their standsweredisappointing,particularlyon theSaturday.A

The Stamford Tyres stand which took the Silver Award.

A delighted team clinched the silver Award for Stamford tyres.

MADE IN

CHINA

F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 • 1 11 0 • F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0

Rely on Continental - Offi cial Sponsor of

the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa ™.

Make safety your

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numberofSuper14gameswerescreenedonthatdaywhichlikelykeptmany

people away, not to mention the apathy that generally exists among South

Africanswhenitcomestorelinquishingtheirhard-earnedweekends,infavour

ofatradeshow.Butallcreditmustgototheorganisersforheedingthecallto

stagetheshowoveraSaturdayafterallegedcomplaintsfromlocalexhibitors,

lasttimearound,thatgettingtoSandtonduringtheweekwithallthattrafficwas

amajordeterrent.Thatbeingsaid,IdoubtthatECIwilleverconsiderrunningit

overaSaturdayagain-theeffortwashardlyworthit.

Sadly,theapparentapathyaroundtheShowfurtherextendedtotheone-day

TyreConferencewhichtookplaceonFriday.Ofthe100-oddpeoplewhohad

pre-registeredfortheConference,only77turnedup,whichwasagreatpity,

giventhequalityofcontentthatwasdelivered.

Tyre conference content is of a high standard

BRIc and the effect on the sA Tyre industry

The morning session kicked off with a well-researched, somewhat

controversial presentation by Georg Schramm of Apollo Tyres, on ‘The

macroeconomicimpactofBRIContheSATyreIndustryandtheresultant

impactonsocio-economicdevelopmentintheregion’,inwhichhestressed

thatthebalanceofeconomicpowerwasintheprocessofshiftingfromthe

traditional European, Japanese and American stronghold to the East. He

furtherstatedthatBrazil,Russia, IndiaandChina–theBRICcountries–

will havean impact to agreateror lesserdegreegloballybut thatChina

and Indiawerealreadyemergingas thenewplayersofconsequenceon

the African continent. He cautioned that if not controlled, it would lead

to the decimation of the South African manufacturing environment with

a catastrophic knock-on effect for socio-economic development in the

region.

InsupportofhisargumentherelatedhowtheSouthAfricantextilesectorhad

metitsdemiseduetoinadequateinfluxcontrols,overwhelmingcompetition

andshrinkingmargins,resultinginashatteredindustry.

SaidSchramm:“Itismybeliefthatsimilarcatastrophiceffectswillbefeltby

employeesanddependantsoftheSouthAfricantyremanufacturingindustry,

unlessasenseofresponsibilitygreaterthanthepursuitofprofitsprevails”

Headded:“Muchhasbeendebatedovertheprosandconsofprotectionist

policies but the fact is that smaller, less developed economies – unless

protectedwithadequatedutystructuresoreffectivebilateraltradingstrategies

thatencourageinvestmentintheformofemploymentofthosemostinfluenced

byrecklesstraderelations–doruntheriskofdestabilisationduetoamassive

negativeimpactonsocioeconomicdevelopment.”

Next,hedivulgedtheimpacttraderelationswithChinaandIndiawashaving

onthesouthernAfricaregionandmorespecifically,onthetyremanufacturing

segment.

Heclaimed thatSouthAfricarepresents30%ofAfrica’sGDPandhasonly

5%of thepopulationofAfricaand thatgovernmentand themanufacturing

segmentsemploy inexcessof50%ofallpeopleemployed inSouthAfrica

(latest unemployment figures are at 30%). Added to that, South Africa

contributesovertwopercentofitsGDPtoitssurroundingneighbourssoany

negativesocioeconomicdevelopmentaffectsnotonlySouthAfricabut the

entireregion.

He further suggested that government policy regulating trade relations with

ChinaandIndiawillplayaroleindeterminingtheeffectsofthesetradepartners

ontheregioninthefuture,especiallygiventhefactthatthetyremanufacturing

industryaloneemploysinexcessof16000people,whointurn,arecollectively

responsibleforthelivelihoodsofover80000SouthAfricans.Headdedthat

whilegovernmenthadaroletoplay,asenseofconscienceandresponsibility

ofSouthAfricanbusinessplaysanequallyimportantrole.

InexploringtheeffectofChineseandIndianproductsfurther,hesuggested

that while we are currently seeing a proliferation of over 200 Chinese tyre

1 2 • F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 • 1 3

In 2009 Maxxis was rated among the top 10 tyre manufacturers globally.

1 2 • F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0

brands in all product segments, being imported into South Africa (most of

whichareunknownandtradedprimarilyonprice),bycontrast,veryfewIndian

tyrebrandsareavailableinSouthAfricaandthosethatare,arelargelyrestricted

totheagriculturalsegment.

He said the importation of Chinese tyres obviously makes no real positive

contributiontothelaboursegmentintermsofjobcreation,addedtowhich,

atradingstylepredominantlybasedonprice,impactsadverselyonthelocal

manufacturingenvironment.

He alsopointedout that India is currently theonlyBRICcountry toowna

manufacturing entity in South Africa – Apollo Tyres – currently employing

3000people,suggestingthattheIndianmodelwasfocussedonsustainable

growthwithintheregion,takingalong-termapproachtothedevelopmentof

bilateralIndo-SouthAfricantradepolicies.

Heconcludedbyimploringthedelegatestomakeadifferenceinthelivesof

ordinarySouthAfricansbyresistingtheurgetostockandpromoteproducts

thatcouldposeseriousrepercussionstotheindustry,therebyputtingourown

well-beingabovethatofpeopleweshouldbehelping.Inshort,tolookbeyond

thebalancesheetandconsiderthelongtermimpactofouractions.

sir Tom Farmer steals the show

ThemanwhorevolutionisedtyreretailingintheUKin1971,SirTomFarmer,

founder of what became the Kwik-Fit retail empire, flew to South Africa to

addresstheConference,torelatehowhebuiltKwik-Fitintooneoftheworld’s

largestautomotivepartsrepairandreplacementspecialistsbeforesellingitto

Fordin1999forUS$2billion.

Speaking from the heart and without the use of notes, he commenced by

referringtohisupbringinginGlasgow,Scotland.Hisfamilyhadverylittleby

wayofmaterialpossessions,buttheywerepartofacommunitythatpurported

respectforitsneighbours.Inshort,everyonelookedoutforoneanother.His

teacherdidn’trateTomacademicallyandtoldhimhewasdestinedtogainonly

twocertificatesinhislife–hisbirthanddeathcertificates,whicheruptedin

laughterfromtheaudience,andsetthetoneforwhatwastobeanenthralling

keynoteaddress.Hisonlyaspirationasayouthwastosecureajobthatwould

providehimwithacompanycar(consideredarealscoopinhisneighbourhood)

andthiswaswhereheenteredtheindustryasatyresalesman.Determinedto

dowelland retainhisnewly-foundstatus in thecommunity,Tomthrewhis

heartandsoulintohiswork,buildingstrongrelationshipswithhispeersaswell

ashiscustomers.Heremainedwiththetyrefirmforseveralyearsuntilhesaw

anopportunitytoopenhisowntyredistributionfacility,withassistancefrom

closefriendswhowerepreparedtosupporthisnewventure.Fromhumble

premisesandworkingsingle-handed,dayandnight,tobuildupthebusiness,

Tom’s reputation for honesty, integrity and impeccable service spread like

wildfire through thecommunity,making forasuccessful retailoperation, to

whichmoreoutletswereaddedovertime.Andtherest,astheysay,ishistory.

Bywayofexplanationforhisrisetofameandsuccess,SirFarmercouldn’t

stress enough the importance of the development of interpersonal skills

withincompanies,emphasisingthateverymanager/director/presidentofa

companyshouldbearolemodelfortheiremployees.Hesaidthatacompany

isonlyasgoodasthepeopleinit–lookafteryoupeople,trainthemwell

andyouwill reap the results.He re-emphasised theneed todevelopand

maintainahighlyself-motivatedteamandsaidthat’swhattheystrovetodo

atKwik-Fit.Theirtyrefittersweren’tjustfitters,theyreferredtothemselves

proudlyas‘Kwik-Fitfitters’,therebydenotingasenseofprideintheirjobs.

HeaddedthatattheKwik-Fitcentremanagers(duringhisreignthecentres

fitted16milliontyresayeartoanexcessof14.5millioncars)onlyhadtwo

to three minutes to develop a relationship with the consumer, bearing in

mind that theexperienceof theconsumerwhenbuying tyreswasoneof

‘distressedpurchasing’.Infact,heinsistedthatmostpeoplewouldrathergo

tothedentistthangoouttobuyatyre!

Sir Tom’s personal philosophy, combined with aggressive marketing, soon

catapultedKwik-Fittothesuccessstoryitsubsequentlybecame.

ChairmanRogerMcCleeryreferredtoSirTom’spresentationas‘inspirational’,

andSirTomreceivednolessthanthreeapplausesforwhatwasaremarkable

presentation. The audience was literally transfixed for over an hour and

commentsweremadeafterwardsthathecouldhavecontinuedforafurther

hourandstillhadtheaudiencespellbound.Youcouldhaveheardapindrop

intheconferenceroom,testamentinitselftotheman’snaturalpresentation

andinter-personalskills.Itwasalsoverymuchthetalkoftheexhibitionthe

followingdayandthosenotpresent,missedoutonanunforgettabledelivery.

Imperial Logistics outlines challenges and ways suppliers can assist

The Imperialdiscussionpanel–spearheadedbyFrancoisEhlers– touched

on the serious issues affecting the transport business, among them, the

deteriorating conditionof secondary roads inSouthAfricawhich increased

from8%in1998to20%in2008.Asaconsequenceof this,maintenance

costshaveshotup,particularlyon tyreswith impact fracturesandside-wall

F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 • 1 3

The Bronze Award went to Nitralife.

F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0 • 1 5

damagestothefleetincreasingby12%from2008to2010.Inaddition,they

are facing increased damages to transported cargo for which the transport

operatorsareliablebywayofcosts.

Fuelcostsfollowedcloselybytyrecostsobviouslymadeittothelistofconcerns

withtheneedtostepuptyremaintenancecomingunderthespotlight.

Said Ehlers: “There is no ‘one-tyre-fits-all’. This have been proven in the

diversity of Imperial Logistics’ various market segments, he added, which

wouldallattesttofittingthecorrecttyreforthecorrectapplicationintermsof

typeofvehicle,tyrebrandandpattern,tyrepositionandsize,qualityandtype

oftheroadandoperationalrequirementsandtransportedcargo.

HestatedthatoperatingcompaniesinImperialLogisticswerereliantonthetyre

industry,asprofessionalsandpartners,toassistinachievingamarketrelatedtyre

CPK,and that in lightof that, tyreserviceprovidersshouldallbeproviding

the following: attending scrap analysis and supplying objective comments

to failures; assisting with onsite tyre maintenance programmes; making

recommendationsforimprovementaswellasproductapplication;conducting

weightstudies;providingon-roadsupportintheeventofbreakdowns;offera

nationalsupplynetworkwithreduceddependencyonthirdparties;assisting

themtowardsreduceddowntimeandfinally,andperhapsmostimportantly,

activelyworkingalongsidethemtoreduceoperatingcosts.

chinese tyres from the European retreading perspective

The pan ultimate event came in David Wilson, Publisher of Retreading

Business and The Tyreman, who offered some interesting data on the

impactofChinesebrandsontheEuropeanretreadingmarketwithrespect

toperceptionandimage,pricingandretreadability.Healsotouchedonthe

challengesfacingChinesemanufacturers.

HesaidthatbyandlargetheEuropeanmarketdidnotbelievethatChinese

tyrescouldberetreaded,butWilsonpointedoutthattheperceptionthatall

Chinesetyremanufacturerswerethesamewaserroneous.Healsosaidthat

notallChinesemanufacturersuseEuropeanmarketstodumpexcesscapacity.

Where the retreadability of Chinese tyres is concerned, he stated that the

biggesthurdlethatChinesetyremakershadtoovercomeinEuropewasthe

inherent negativity due to Chinese tyres being perceived as competition to

retreads.Therealsoexists a lackofknowledgeand researchaswell as the

failuretodifferentiatebetweenthedifferentChinesebrandsonthepartofthe

retreaders.

WiththeexceptionofGITI,DoubleCoinandAeolus,allofwhichinEurope,

were perceived as retreadable, there was little demand for other brands of

casing.

Hesummedupbysayingthatatpresent,therewasnotenoughinformationor

availabilityofotherbrandstobeabletojudgethesituationaccuratelyandfairly.

ThecontraargumentwasthatnineChinesecompaniesarecurrentlyproducing

over2millionTBR tyresannually.TheseChinese tyremakersmustcomply

withthesamesafety,enduranceandperformancetestsasEuropeanorNorth

Americantyres,whichdemonstratesthattheypossessresourcestoproduce

Tubestone was awarded the Gold Award for stand design.

O n e - o n - O n e • 1 71 6 • F o c u s o n T y r e x p o A f r i c a 2 0 1 0

highly retreadable casings. He added that many European retreaders were

alreadysuccessfullyretreadingcertainChinesemakesandurgedretreadersto

evaluateeachcasingbrandseparately,asthelargerChineseproducerswere

alreadycommittingtothe‘cradletograve’concept.

Managing the Waste Tyre process

Toconcludetheday’sproceedings,Dr.EtienneHumanandDesGriffithsofthe

SATRP,outlinedthewayforwardwithrespecttotheWasteTyrelegislationand

itsimpactontheindustry.Theyspokeatlengthabouttheproposedgreenfee

thatwillbeusedtorecoverthecostofthewastetyremanagementprocess

withrespectto:Collectionandtransportofwastetyrestotransfersites;storage

andsortingofwastetyres;deliveryofwastetyrestowastetyreprocessors;

establishmentandtreatmentfeesforwastetyreprocessors;externalauditor;

external accountant; social awareness and marketing campaign; SATRP

companyadministration.

Dr. Human painted a picture of the international markets, claiming that in

Europe,energyrecoveryhadjumpedfrom11%in1994to30%in2004.Inthe

US,about54%ofscraptyresareusedasalternativefuelincementkilns,pulp

andpapermillsandindustrialandutilityboilers,whilegroundrubberconsumes

about17%ofscraptyresgeneratedandcivilengineeringconsumes12%.

Moreencouragingyet,stockpileabatementintheUS,hadreducedstockpiles

byasmuchas87%intheyears1990-2007.

IntheUS,atyre-feeischargedatthedealerlevelandrecoveredbytheIRSto

payforabatementplans,therebydemonstratingtheneedforagreenfeeto

fundthewastetyremanagementprocess.

Exhibitorfeedback:

“Tyrexpo Africa 2010 has given Tyrecor/Infinity the platform to further

grow our presence in the southern African markets; not only giving

usmuchneededexposureona regional level, but also affordingus the

opportunitytogiveourcurrentcustomerbaseinSAaglimpseofwhatcan

beexpectedinyearstocome.

“WewerepleasedwiththeincreaseinAfricanvisitorstoourstandthisyear

whichisaclearindicationthatAfricawillbeanimportantpartofourplans

going forward. That the show is run in such a professional manner has

madeittrulyworthourwhile.”

charl de Villiers, Managing Director, Tyrecor.

“The show was a great success for Hofmann Megaplan. A contributing

factor, Ibelieve,was that theshow tied inwithother tyre relatedevents

suchas the launchofanewFirestone tyrewhichmeant thatwestarted

offwithdelegatesfromalloverSA.Wewouldliketokeepsupportingthe

eventandwewilldefinitelybeattendingthenextonein2012.”David Barendse, Managing Director, Hofmann Megaplan.

“Wewerepleasantlysurprisedbytheamountofvisitorstoourbooth

andwearehappytoreportthat60%ofourvisitorswerenewleads

forustofollowup.”Pieter Kruger, Managing Director, Tubestone.

“Weenjoyedgoodsuccessatourstand.Weputalotofworkintoitas

ateamandgotalotoutofit.Webelievethatyouneedtogetexcited

aboutyourbusinessandshare thiswith thevisitorscoming toyour

stand.”Arthur Birkin, Richards Bay Tyres.

“Thank you for your excellent organisation of Tyrexpo Africa 2010.

Allthreetimesthatwehaveexhibited(2006,2008and2010),were

goodforBandenmarkt,withmoresalesachievedateachexhibition.”

Leen van’t Hof, Managing Director, Bandenmarkt, The netherlands.

Local tyre manufacturers were sorely missed

Much like thepast twoevents, exhibitors anddelegateswerehighlycritical

oftheattitudeofthemajortyremanufacturerswhochosenottoexhibit,with

consensusbeingreachedthattheirpresenceatthecountry’sonlydedicated

tyre exhibition would have made a strong stand against the proliferation of

foreignbrandsthatarefloodingintoSouthAfrica.

Said Suthers: “It is enormously frustrating for us as organisers and is

obviouslydisappointingtothosewhodoinvesttimeandmoneyintheshow.

Whiledomestic tyremakersweremostlyabsent, theirplaceswerefilledby

exportersfromcountrieslikeChina,whocommandedavirtualmonopolyof

thetraderswhocametotheshow.However,asorganisers,wewillcontinue

our endeavours to encourage the major manufacturers to exhibit, both to

demonstratesupportfortheircustomersandtheindustryatlarge.”

Whetherthebigfourwilleverseetheirwaycleartosupportatradeeventsuch

asthis,whichadmittedly,isnotaimedattheman-on-the-street,isultimately

uptothem.Onethingiscertain–theircombinedpresenceatthenextevent

in2012wouldlikelyattractsupportfromagreaternumberoflocalexhibitors

therebynotonlyboostingthenationalcomponent,butalsoservingtocement

thecontinuityoftheonlydedicatedtyreexhibitioninAfrica.

I,forone,believeourindustryneedsadedicatedtradeeventsuchasthisand

wouldhatetoseetheshowbecominganexclusiveplatformforforeigntyre

companiestoshowcasetheirproductsandservices.

The show returns to the sandton convention centre on 6-8 March, 2012.

O n e - o n - O n e • 1 7

1 8 • I n d u s t r y N e w s

Environmentalperformanceanduserbenefitsareessentialwhenitcomes

to sustainable and responsible mobility. This is the general consensus

expressed through different approaches by the European Union, North

AmericaandJapan.

InNovember2009,theEuropeanUnionadoptedaregulation–mandatory

for the 27 Member States – based on two principles. The first is the

minimumperformancethresholdbelowwhichtyreswillnolongerbeable

tobesoldinEurope.Thesecondisarankingaccordingtoletters(A,B,C,

E,F,G)whichdeterminesthefueleconomyandsoundlevelstandardsfor

PassengerCarandLightTruckandTrucktyres.

Moreover, Passenger Car tyres must satisfy the criterion of grip on wet

ground. Florence Doucy from Michelin’s Public Affairs department in

Brusselsexplains, “theEuropeanpoliticalauthoritieshave takenstockof

the challenges! Adopting grading and green tyres means reducing CO2

emissions by 20 million metric tons per year. Secondly, through fuel

savings,itincreasesthebuyingpowerofEuropeanconsumersby8billion

eurosperyear!” Thisregulationwillenterintoforcein2012.

The usA and Japan

In2007aparalleldecisionwastakenintheUSforpotentialapplicationin

2011.TheNationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministration(NHTSA)decided

tostandardisethreetyreproperties:rollingresistance,griponwetground

andlongevity.ThisperformancebalanceisdeartoMichelinandtheGroup

hasalwaysactivelycampaignedfor it.Thus, tyressoldontheUSmarket

mustbelabelledonascaleof0to100onthesethreefactors.

Fromthisyearonwardsandonthebasisofvoluntarymarking,theJapanese

willphaseinaprocessofallocatinggreenandwhitedescriptivelabelsto

PassengerCartyres.Thefruitoflengthytalksbetweentheleadingplayers

inthefieldinJapan–includingMichelin–manufacturerswillbeabletoaffix

a labelontheirtyrestoattesttowhatcannotbeseenbythenakedeye:

potentialfuelsavingsthroughthe“rollingresistancefactor”andbettergrip

onwetground,whichreducesbrakingdistance.InJapan,this“performance

labelling”willbeprogressivelyrolledoutbyrangewith“greentyres”.The

Japaneseversiondisplays5levelsofperformanceforrollingresistanceand

4forgriponwetground.

Grading or performance ranking considered a revolution for the tyre market

A Michelin tire bearing the new grading label in Japan. Tire noise level is taken into account in performance grading.

When it comes to rolling resistance, grip on wet ground and noise levels, and even longevity

dependingonthecountryinquestion,Japan,NorthAmericaandtheEuropeanUnionhaverallied

forcestosupplyconsumerswith informationontyreperformance.Followinginthefootstepsof

labellingforsmalldomesticappliances,tyreswillnowbearasimilarstyleofmarking.

I n d u s t r y N e w s • 1 9

Tyrecorhasdecidedtoaddyetanotherpremiumqualitybrandtoitsproduct

line-upbysigningtheexclusivedistributionagreementwithSolidealforall

typesofconstructionandrubbertrackproductsforSouthAfrica.

ThiswillplaceTyrecorinauniquepotionthatitcanofferatrulyonestop

shoptotyredealersinSouthAfrica.

SolidealbeganmanufacturingmaterialhandlingtyresinSriLankain1985.

Sincethen,thegrouphasgrownrapidly,exportingtoallimportantworld

marketsandsteadilybuildingitsreputationforhighqualitynaturalrubber

solidtires.

In order to be closer to the customer, the Solideal group expanded into

distributionoperationsthroughouttheworldduringthefollowing10years.In

1988,thegroup’sR&DcentrewasestablishedinGent,Belgium.Today,the

divisionemploys20fulltimeprofessionalshelpingtodriveSolideal’sgrowth.

In1991,Solidealbeganmanufacturingpneumatic tires for industrialand

construction applications andquickly developed a reputation forquality.

Each year numerous products were introduced and today, the group

manufacturesanddistributestyresformostconstructionequipment,right

uptowheelloaders.

Tyrecor signs an exclusive distribution agreement with solideal

RINGTREAD is the preferred tyre solution for the largest fleets in the world because of

its unbeatable strength. The innovative ring-shaped tread converts a quality casing into

a high performance RETREAD without any weak points. Choosing RINGTREAD means

highest reliability - more grip - more mileage and considerable fuel saving.

One step ahead in Reliability, Grip & Saving.

www.ringtread.com

PERFORMANCE IS A MATTER OF SHAPE

Ringtread Accredited Dealers: Auto & Truck Tyres, Barden Tyre Services, Dynamic Tyre Solutions, Tyre MagicMarc Stock - marcs@ringtread.co.za • Cell no: 083 252 0073

RubberTracksbecameanimportantpartoftheSolidealgroupin1995and

fromitsinception,therewasahighpriorityontechnicaladvancement.This

philosophy continues as Solideal leads the industry in several important

anti-vibrationdevelopments.

From1996throughtoday,Solidealhascontinuedtofocusonthematerials

handling and construction niche industries, thereby becoming and

importantcontributortotheconstructionbusinessthroughorganicgrowth

andacquisitions.

TheSolidealgroupemploysover9,000peopleworldwide.

QuALITY MAnAGEMEnT

Solideal first achieved ISO quality management certification in

1997initsmanufacturinganddistributionnetwork.Today,allof

itsSriLankafactories,globalresearchanddevelopmentactivities,

andmanycentersinthedistributionnetworkarecertifiedtothe

ISO9001:2000registration.

2 0 • M a n u f a c t u r i n g

Enjoyabledrivingwithoutanyofthedrawbacksmayseemlikeadream,but

accordingtotheMichelinTyreCompany,theSport3–recentlyunveiledin

aworldpremiere–isadreamcometrue.

According to the French tyremaker, this is theonly tyre that combines

outstanding on-road performance with environmental features that are

unrivalledinitscategory.

Allegedly, the tyre was designed to provide superior driving sensations

along with safety and highly precise steering, which enables the driver

tomaintainperfectcontrolatall timesandknowexactlyhowthecarwill

respondtotheslightestturnofthesteeringwheel.

They further claim that the Pilot Sport 3 delivers superior grip. On wet

surfaces, it holds the road better when cornering

and stops three metres shorter than its

predecessor–thereigningbenchmark

sportstire**,thePilotSportPS2

Andofcourse,inthismodernage,thepackagewouldnotbecomplete

without the added advantage of energy efficiency and according to

Michelin, the new tyre meets this challenge by providing enhanced

safetywhilealsoreducingfuelconsumption.

Intendedforawidevarietyofvehiclecategories,thenewPilotSport

3issuitableforsportycitycars,compactandlarge,powerfulsedans

aswellassmallsportscars,suchasroadstersandcoupes,with the

extra-large 18 to 19-inch range serving as optional equipment on

non-sportingmodels.Inautomotiveindustryterms,thetyrewillcover

everyvehiclesegmentfromclassAtoE1.

Inadditiontothisbroadrangeofapplications,thenewPilotSport3is

designedtobeatrulyglobaltyreandisbeingintroducedinearly2010

inreplacementmarketsaroundtheworld–SouthAmerica,Europe,

Africa,thePacificandAsia.Nextyear, itwillalsobelaunched

inNorthAmerica.

MICHELINUNVEILSFIRSTRESPONSIBLESPORTSTYRE–THEPILOTSPORT3

Some carmakers have already approved the

tyre for use on their signature sports car

models, such as the new Audi A5 and the

new Mercedes E 63 AMG, a promising start

that clearly attests to the all-round excellence

of the tyre.

Michelin claims the latest car tyre is a good

illustration of the Group’s strategy, which is never

to sacrifice one performance feature for another. This

means improving performance in several different areas

simultaneously, a prerequisite to making any real progress. To

achieve this balance, the Pilot Sport 3 has been built with unique,

highly advanced technologies, such as the Green Power Compound,

the Anti-Surf System and Programmed Distortion tyre architecture,

all developed at Michelin’s own Technology Centre.

BRIDGESTONERECOGNISEDATANNUALTOYOTASUPPLIERAWARDS

Bridgestone SA has again been recognised by

ToyotaSAforexcellenceasasupplier.

FollowingearlierawardsfromSouthAfrica’snumberonemanufacturer

inthequalityanddeliverycategories,Bridgestonehasnowreceivedan

awardinthequalitymanagementcategoryoftheannualToyotaSupplier

oftheYearawardsfor2009.

The latest award rates suppliers’ performance in the areas of quality

defects,downtimeasaresultofqualityrelatedproblems,stopshipment

campaigns associated with parts supplied and warranty claims. In

addition, suppliers are required to use the kaizen approach, to be

innovative and open to new technologies and to reduce waste and

demonstrateenvironmentalcompliance.

“Weareveryproudof this recognitionbyToyotaofourperformance

as a supplier to South Africa’s leading motor manufacturer,” said

BridgestoneSAChairmanandCEO,KenjiShoda.

“We take our responsibility as a supplier to the motor industry very

seriouslyandwealwaysstrivetodeliverthebestpossibleperformance

inallareas, includingquality.This isanintegralpartofthewaywedo

businessandwedonotexpectanyspecialrecognition.

“We are therefore most grateful, and pleased, to receive this latest

awardfromToyotaSouthAfricaandwededicateoursuccesstoallof

our employees involved in the production and quality management

process,”Shodaadded.

GOODYEAR’SSAFETYDRIVESEES50%DROPINWORKPLACEINJURIESInlinewithGoodyear’sglobal ‘Noonegetshurt’campaign,the

SA plant has implemented safety strategies so successful that

workplaceinjurystatisticswerehalvedlastyear.

Goodyearwasalsotheonlyplantinthecompany’sEuropeMiddle

EastAfrica(EMEA)regiontorecord‘zerotime’injuries(wherean

employeeisbookedofffromworkasaresultofinjury).

These impressive statistics – the best yet recorded by the

Uitenhageplant–arearesultofafour-prongedsafetycampaign

that focuses on ergonomics, a behaviour-based programme

called‘TargetZero’,JobSafetyAnalysisandRiskAssessment,and

an‘AbsoluteSafety’policy.

Goodyear Risk Control Manager Rene van der Merwe said the

campaign kicked off in January last year, following training on

ergonomics and ‘Target Zero’ – two key pillars of the ‘No one

getshurt’campaign–byhealthandsafetyexpertsfromGoodyear

GlobalandEMEA.

‘TargetZero’encompassesobservingemployees’safeorunsafe

acts. Where accidents have occurred, a senior management

safetyteamanalysesbehavioursandsuggestssaferactions–for

example utilising different tools or changing cutting methods.

Next, a trained team of employee volunteers monitor safe and

unsafeactionsduringadesignated15-minute timeperiodeach

day.

“Fromtheseobservationswecalculatedthepercentageofpeople

actingsafely,”sheexplained,“andwewereabletointroduce10

safeactionsandsuccessfullymodifyfiveunsafeacts.”

All 132 factory jobs were assessed last year in terms of

ergonomics.HealthandSafetySpecialistStoffelWilliamssaidhe

and his four Ergo teams had ‘analysed each job for ergonomic

riskandintroducedcorrectiveactioniftheriskwasfoundtobe

mediumorhigh.’

Two of Goodyear’s ergonomic successes were placed among

the 14 finalists in Goodyear’s Global Human Tech Ergonomics

Competition2009.

2 2 • M a n u f a c t u r i n g

M a n u f a c t u r i n g • 2 3

ALGORAXTURNS50

Thisyear,Algoraxstaffgettocelebratethecompany’s50thanniversaryand

atthesametimegetinonalltheworldcupsoccerexcitement!

“2010 is a phenomenal year to celebrate our 50th Anniversary”, said

AlgoraxPRManager,KerryKirkman.Forthecompany, it isacelebration

ofAlgorax’sheritageandforourcountry2010isasignificantyearaswe

preparetohostthefirsteversoccerworldcupinAfricaanduniteinour

supportforBafanaBafana.

Our staff have all received Algorax soccer shirts, which have been

manufactured by local Port Elizabeth company, Vanree Clothing and

Algoraxvuvuzelashavealsoaddedtothefestivities.

Throughout our 50 year’s existence the company has recognised that

humanresourcesareitsgreatestasset.Alongwithahighskillsbase,itis

theloyalty,commitmentanddedicationofitsstaff,thecompanysays,that

has ensuredoptimum customer service levels and improvedproduction

efficiencies.

Inrecentyears,economicpressureshaveresultedintheneedtoevaluate

existingbusinessmodelsandtoreducecosts.Thiswithstanding,withthe

company’sobjectivebeing toensure long-termsustainability andsecure

employment, it operates in a dynamic environment and is continually

looking for opportunities to create a challenging and rewarding work

environment.

2010alsosignifiesthecompletionofAlgorax’splantimprovementprojects,

aninvestmentofaroundonehundredmillionRand.“Thecompanywould

liketoacknowledgeandthankitsstafffortheirvaluedcontributiontowards

the completion of these environmental improvement projects, while still

maintainingefficientoperationsandservices”,saidAlgoraxSiteManager,

AlanShone.

ProductionofcarbonblackcommencedinPortElizabethlatein1960with

anannualcapacityofthreegrades,totallingeightthousandmetrictons.The

companythen,PhillipsCarbonBlack,changeditsnametoAlgoraxin1986

whenPhillipsPetroleumsoldalltheirinterestsinthePortElizabethcarbon

blackplant toDegussaAGand the IndustrialDevelopmentCorporation.

Today the company is a joint venture between Evonik Degussa GmbH,

GermanyandtheIndustrialDevelopmentCorporationofSouthAfrica.

Current capacity is sixty-five thousand metric tons, with eleven grades

beingmanufactured tomeet the requirementsof theSouthAfrican tyre,

retreadand rubber industries.ThemajorityofCORAX® is sold into the

tyresector,withthebalance,beingsold intotheretreadandmechanical

rubbergoodssectors.

CORAX® carbon black manufactured at the Algorax plant is primarily

usedasarubberreinforcingfiller.Essentially,carbonblacktogetherwith

EvonikDegussaprecipitatedsilicasandorganosilanes,usedintherubber

compound,determinethepropertyofthatcompound-whetheritwillhave

ahighwearandtearresistance,superiorflexingorstretchingproperties,

orlowheatbuildup.

Algorax’s ESHQ Management system complies with the requirements of

ISO 14001: 2004, ISO 9001:2008 and Responsible Care, the chemical

industry’s environmental, health and safety initiative to drive continuous

improvementinperformance.

2 6 • C o n t i C o r n e r

ThenationwideTransnetstrikehasalreadycosttheeconomybillions,

withexportsbatteredbythelackofactivityintheshippingindustry.

Hecomments:“OngoingindustrialactiononthepartofSouthAfrica’s

unionsisextremelytroubling,particularlyinafragileeconomythatis

strugglingtorecover.

“Whilst I support the existence of trade unions – my father was a

UnionMan–andcansympathisewith their concerns inpart,one

mustrememberthatplacingunduedemandsonatroubledeconomy

does not bode well for the long term. Union leaders must bear in

mindthatincitingstrikeactionatatimelikethiscouldcreateaserious

backlash,perhapsevencripplingtheindustriesandcompaniesthat

areproviding jobs inthefaceofrisingunemployment(currentlyat

36%).

“Ahealthybalancebetweenuniondemandsandbusinessrealities

mustbereachedifwearetopropelthisamazingcountryforward

intothefutureforgenerationstocome.Wemustnotlosesightof

thefactthattheSouthAfricaisnolongerprivytotheprotectionist

measures of the past and that it must now operate as part of a

cAPE ToWn, souTH AFRIcA: some 15,000 striking teachers, nurses and public sector workers took to the streets of cape Town 16 september 2004 in a march to parliament to demand better wages in one of the biggest protest actions since the end of apartheid a decade ago. The one-day labour action took place as south Africa’s public sector workers dead-locked with government over wage increases. six years later, similar protests threaten to topple economic stability.

Industrial actioncould pose seriouseconomic threat cautions Horni

According to the Managing

Director of Continental Tyre

SA Dieter Horni, repeated

bouts of industrial action

could potentially cripple

industry and the South

African economy at large.

PROMOTION

C o n t i C o r n e r • 2 7

globalvillage.Assuch,applyingunsustainabledemandsonadeveloping

economymustbeavoidedatallcosts,”saidDieter.

The South African tyre manufacturing sector employs in the region of

16 000 people, with Continental Tyre SA, accounting for 1 200 of that

total,themajorityofwhomarethesolebreadwinnersintheirhouseholds.

Anyprolongedstrikeactiononthepartofindustriesthatareinextricably

connectedwith the tyresectorcouldposeserious repercussionson the

livelihoodsofthousandsofpeople.

Addedtothat,ContinentalTyreisanofficialsponsoroftheFIFAWorldCup,

aneventthatisexpectedtodrawscoresofforeignvisitorstoSouthAfrica

overthenextmonth.

Says Horni: “The FIFA World Cup is an important branding platform for

the country as well as for the Continental tyre brand. We are looking

forwardtoitandwe’reexcitedabouttheimpactitwillhaveonourbrand

incarrying thispositive imageover to thesecondhalfof theyearaswe

prepareforanewcampaignandthelaunchofanewpassengertyreand

trucktyrerange.Assuch,it’simportanttokeepdisruptionstoanabsolute

minimumduringthistime.Thatbeingsaid,itisequallyimportantforunions

andindustrytocontinueworkingtogetherbeyondthiseventsoasto

arriveatsustainablesolutionstounionmembers’disputes.Onlythen

can the futureof themanufacturingsector inSouthAfrica,which is

responsibleforthousandsofjobs,besecured.”

DieterHornihails fromGermany.Hehasspentmostofhisworking

career in the tyre businesswith 26 yearsof service to theGerman

manufacturinggiant,ContinentalAG–currentlyrankedfourthlargest

tyrecompanyintheworldintermsofsales(2009).

After one year in South Africa and in Continental Tyre SA, he sees

theSAmarketasadynamicmarketwithlotsofopportunities.Healso

believesthelocalmarketisadynamicone,therebypossiblyexplaining

the quick recovery which has resulted in supply shortages in both

the replacement and OE markets. However, measures have been

put in place which should serve as a good groundwork for further

improvement in the second half of this year. With this in mind, he

maintains theunionshaveaplace in this improvedmarketand that

their role should not be undermined provided their demands are

realisticandsustainable.

PROMOTION

ANN

AZIEMIN

SKI/GalloIm

ages/AFP

– another class act

2 8 • 2 0 1 0 B a n d a g C o n f e r e n c e

With the reliability you get from Bandag, your fleet can take on anything. www.bandag.co.za

8182 Bandag Strip Ad.indd 3 5/15/08 4:39:38 PM

The2010Bandagconferencewasrecentlyheldat thepicturesque Ivory

TreeLodgeinPilanesburg.Bandagconferencesaresynonymouswithclass

actsandthisyearwasnodifferent.

The setting was perfect and kicked off with a talk from Ian Thomas, an

internationalkeynotespeakerwhofocusesonhisexperiencesasagame

ranger. HisSpoorofSuccesskeynoteaddressshowedtheBandag/BTS

networkas thepowerofapride(thegrowingBandag/BTSnetwork)and

how to stand up to challenges and make strategic choices. Given the

‘recession’andother industrychallengesfacedbythetyre industry, this

positivemessageleftthenetworkfeelingconfidentaboutthefutureasthe

entireBandag/BTSnetworkspoorstosuccessasaunitedteam!

The highlight of the conference was revealed during the classical gala

dinnerset in thebushandunder thestarrynight light. Here theQuest

forGold(QFG)winnerswereannouncedandlongserviceawardsgivento

Bandag’sveryownstars,itsloyalfranchisee’s.

QFGistorewardtheBandagandBTSFranchiseesthatexcelinthethree

criticalpillarsofbeingasuccessfulcommercialbusiness,whichare:

Bandag Dealer criteria1.Manufacturing2.Sales&Marketing3.Finance

BTs Dealer criteria1.Services2.Sales&Marketing3.Finance

Bandag is all about customer satisfaction and this is achieved through

excellent product manufacturing, exceptional customer service and a

financiallysecurebusiness.ThisisthebusinessmodeladoptedbyBandag

anditsfranchisenetworktoensureendusersgainthemaximumbenefit!

ThetitleforQFGWinnerwasfiercelycontestedmakingeveryparticipant

achampion.However,onlyonecanbecrownedastheoverallwinner!

Thesefranchiseeswillberewardedwithamajestic5-startourofNorthern

India.JoiningthemwillbeNationalTyreServices(NTS)basedinHarare,

Zimbabwe who were awarded with the Best Manufacturing Franchisee

Award and Thomas Tyres Lowveld, who showed a tremendous growth

despitethetougheconomicclimate.

Bandagisproudtobeassociatedwithalltheseindependententrepreneurs

whocontinuetothriveagainsttoughoperatingconditionsandwhoplace

greatemphasisoncustomersatisfaction,theBandagway!

1. BTS Express Winners – BTS Cape Town, Mr. T van Zyl, Mr. V Tane and Mr. J Laskarides. 2. String trio (‘quartet’). 3. BTS Winner – BTS Vryheid, Ms. A Dullabh, Mr. B Steenkamp, Mr. M Naik and Mr. J Laskarides 4. Classical setup in the bush. 5. Bandag Winner – Tonway Tyres, Mr. W Sauvage, Ms. A Dullabh, Mr. M Naik, Mr. T Kallis and Mr. J Laskarides.

Long service Awards:

5 Years – Bandag•ThomasTyresLowveld•TonwayTyres

5 Years – BTs•Elkim–BTSWitbank•ProteaTruckDen–BTS

Nelspruit•ProteaTyresVryheid–BTSVryheid•Supatreads–BTS

PE•TyreAfrica–BTSPretoria•Tyrepro–BTSWindhoek•Tyres&

Treads–BTSGeorge•VTTyreServices–BTSCapeTown

10 Years – Bandag •BandautoBeira•LombardTyres

•LonglifeTyres•RichardsBayTyres•SableTransport–Ndola

•Treadmasters

15 Years – Bandag •BandautoMaputo•PolokwaneBandag•Sable

Transport–Lusaka

30 Years – Bandag•S&SRetreaders•SwaziBandag•Sable

Transport–Ndola•Treadmasters

35 Years – Bandag•ProteaTyres-Ermelo•SPBR–Reunion

45 Years – Bandag•CMC-Mauritius

This year’s winners are:

Bandag Winners•TonwayTyres–GoldAward•ProteaTyresErmelo

–2ndPlace•EastCapeBandag–3rdplace

BTs Winners•ProteatyresVryheid–BTSVryheid

BTs Express Winner•VTTyreServices–BTSCapeTown

D i s t r i b u t i o n N e w s • 2 9

Hi-QCapeTown,situatedintheheartofthebustling‘MotherCity’centre,

hasbecome thefirst in thenetwork toachievean impressiveLevelOne

BlackEconomicEmpowerment(BEE)rating.

OwnerPeterAlterskye–ano-nonsenseentrepreneurwithapassion for

theautomotivefitment industry–said thesecret toaBEE ratingwas to

“justdoit!”.

“Oneofthebiggestchallengeswasamindsetof‘somuchpaperwork’...the

pilesofpaperanddetail-diggingrequired.Timespentwritingistakenfrom

timethatshouldbespentmanagingthebusiness.Allcredittothepatient

staff,especiallyDijondeJagerandShamimaOmar,atMpowerRatings,who

conductedourfullBEEaudit.”

Alterskye’s Cape Town dealership, co-owned with Ursula Fredericks and

Elaine Solomon, who is also the Assistant Manager at the store, was

amongstthefirstintheHi-Qfranchisetoopenin2001.Hispracticaladvice

for entrepreneurs in similar businesses is simple: “Have a transparent

documentfolder–labelledDOIT!–onyourdesk,intheway,allthetime.

Maintainyourfocusontherequirementsoftheratingcriteriaandgather

allBEE-relateddocumentsinthereuntilyouhaveachievedyourcertificate.

“Ourindustryneedstostandupforitself.Weneedtoestablishanidentity

greater than the sum of our product range. The first so-called ‘fitment

centres’opened30yearsago;now therearehundredsofmodern,well

positioned,specialistshopsofferingwhile-you-waitservicewithnodirect

labour costs charged. Crazy, but true! It’s high time we shouted from

the rooftops about this on-going fantastic offer to the public and fleet

operators,”hesaid.

“AsaQualifyingSmallEnterprise,Hi-QCapeTownismeasuredonfourof

thesevenelementsofthegenericBEEscorecard.Inourcase,thesewere

Ownership,ManagementControl,EmploymentEquityandSocio-Economic

Development. At our shop, in the main, this is who we are. We didn’t

changeourbusinesstobecomeaBEEbusiness.Weincreasedourfocuson

thoseareasnotwelldefinedandmadesomeimprovementsalongtheway.”

AlterskyesaidtheLevelOneratingwasimportantnotonlyforHi-QCape

Town’scredibilitywithitsfleetcustomersbutalsofor“ourpersonalbelief

intheconcept”.

TOPBEE-RATEDHI-QANINSPIRATIONTOPRIVATESECTOR&AUTO-FITMENTINDUSTRY

INSPIRED PEOPLE – Hi-Q Cape Town co-owners Elaine Solomon (also Assistant Store Manager) and Peter Alterskye with Waleed Meniers (Administration Manager), believe the dealership’s excellent BEE rating reflects the common Hi-Q value of trust.

3 0 • D i s t r i b u t i o n N e w s

The trumpeting sounds of the Vuvuzela filled the Tiger Wheel & Tyre

auditoriumatthisyear’sFitters’Competition2010.SouthAfrica’sleading

fitment specialists travelled to the Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg on

Sunday09MaytocompeteforthehonourofbeingnamedthefastestTiger

Wheel&Tyre.

Fifteenteamswerechosenfromthe71.TigerWheel&Tyrestoresaround

thecountry.Aspartofthefun,thefinalistsrepresentedvariouscountries

acrosstheglobe,makingforahighlyspiritedandelectricatmospherewith

over500cheeringsupportersrootingfortheirfavouritestores.

The taskathandwasachallengingone:driveaspeciallydesignatedcar

onto the ramp, take off all four wheels, strip them, put new tyres on,

balanceallfourofthemandthenputthembackonthevehicle–allthisto

bedoneinarecord-breakingtimeofunderfiveminutes.

Therewerenoshortcutsallowedeither.Officialswereontheirguard to

ensureallsafetyregulationswereadheredto.Theclockwasstoppedonce

theteamcompletedtheirchallenge,andcrowneditoffwithasinglegoalin

thegoalpostssituatedacrossfromtheteam’sbay.

On your marks, Get set, GO!TWT 2010 FITTERS’ COMPETTION TAKES ON WORLD CUP FLAVOUR

In the end it was Tiger Wheel & Tyre Greenstone that took the

overall laurels after a nail-biting showdown against their Midrand and

Wonderboomcounterparts.Thestadiumwasfilledwith roarsof support

andtheunmistakablesoundoftheVuvezelaencouragingtheteamsalong.

Greenstone,flyingtheflagforEngland,andMidrand,representingBrazil,

forgedaheadinthefinalstages.Theteamswereheadtoheadbutitwas

Greenstonestore thatmanaged toscore thewinninggoalwithasuperb

timeof4minutesand24seconds.

“Well done to Greenstone on a superb effort,’ commented Alex Taplin,

ManagingExecutiveofTigerWheel&Tyre,“Greenstoneisoneofournewer

storeshavingopenedlastyear.Theteamhasbeenpractisingmorningand

night for twomonths inpreparation for thiseventand theireffortshave

reallyshonethrough.”

While Greenstone emerged victorious, a special mention must be given

totheMidrandstorethatmissedoutonthenumberoneslotbyjustone

second. Midrand was one of two competing teams to sport a lady on

theirteam,withStoreManagerLuandaViljoenshowingmanyofhermale

comradesexactlyhowit’sdone.

3 2 • O n e - o n - O n e

3 2 • O n e - o n - O n e D e a l e r P r o f i l e • 3 3

Yellow and black

booststurnoverAccording to Thomas Rundle, Group Operations

ManagerforBardenTyreServices,therecentconversion

oftheirWillowGlen,LynwoodRoadshopeastofPretoria

from a DAD to a Dunlop Zone has boosted turnover

immeasurably. This high performance outlet not only

sportsaslick,trendyfinishcompletewithdedicatedwi-fi

stationsandbigplasmaTV,thestrikingyellowandblack

combinationthatgracesbothitsinteriorandexteriorhas

boostedvisibility,bringingnewcustomerstoitsdoors.

The store originally opened in 2003 as a DAD outlet. At the time,

PretoriaEastwasstillundergoingdevelopmentbutdespitethis,thenewly

establisheddealershipmanagedtosecureareasonablemarketshareowing

tothefarmlandsandsmallcommercialenterprisesintheareaandthefact

thattherewerenorivaltyreshopsintheimmediatevicinity.Sevenyears

later, all that has changed with competitor stores mushrooming across

theregionatarapidrate.PretoriaEasthasbecomethe

newest hub, attracting both residential and commercial

tradetotheBardenTyreGroupingrowingnumbers.The

lastninemonthssincetherevamphavebeenparticularly

gratifying,with the turnoverof theDunlopZoneWillow

Glenstoregoingthroughtheroof,

Rundle maintains the shop has set the benchmark in

termsofhighperformance,andhasattracteddrovesof

motoringenthusiaststoitsdoors.

He says: “Suddenly, motorists are beginning to

recogniseus.Somehaveevencommentedthatpriorto

the conversion to aDunlopZone, theywerenot even

awarethatwewerehere!Thenewsignagehasworkedwonders.Now,all

thatremainsisforittobelitupbynight.”

Lastyear’sstoreconversionalsocoincidedwithacompletestaffrevamp

whichsawsignificantstaffmovementwithintheGrouptogetherwiththe

inceptionofnewbranchmanagersandtheappointmentofaretailmanager.

Rundleclaimstheyarenowwellplacedtotackletheirnewestchallenge–

growingthebusinesstothelevelwhereitoperatestofullcapacity.

Explains Rundle: “We are now in the phase of our business where we

wouldliketoseethefitmentbaysfullyoccupied,withvehiclesinwaiting

andwhilethisdoeshappenfromtimetotime,there is

roomforimprovement.”

When I ask how he hopes to achieve this, he replies

that the revampalonecoupledwithwhathedescribes

asasuperiordealerservicefromDunlopbywayofTV

advertising, marketing, specials, competitions, training

and involvement fromtheir representatives, is likelyall

he’llneedtoturnhisaspirationsintoreality.

Thelocationofthestore–alongsideabusyPostOffice

in the Willow Glen shopping centre – also offers an

opportunityfortheDunlopZoneteamtocapitaliseonthis

business,byofferingtoconductaquick20-pointcheck

ontheirvehicleswhilecustomersareinside,somethingtheystrivetodo.

And a further initiative which Rundle plans to keep supporting is the

‘My School Programme’, which he says has reaped dividends for the

companyontopofenablinghimtogivebacktoschoolinginstitutionsthat

The converted store now sports a striking modern interior.

❝

Dunlop is obviously

our main product line

but in this trading

climate we have to

be a multi-brand store

❞

3 4 • D e a l e r P r o f i l e

D e a l e r P r o f i l e • 3 5

needthefunding.Essentially,thisentailsofferingbackanadditional

1 percent to the schools on the programme, on behalf of Barden

Tyresinreturnfortheirbusiness.

When I askhim tonamehisbiggest challengehesmiles andsays

thatinhiscase,hisbiggeststrength,namelyhisalliancewithDunlop,

couldalsobeconsideredhisbiggestchallenge,asthesignageand

corporateimageofhisstorecouldinadvertentlyconveythemessage

thattheysellDunloptotheexclusionofotherbrands.

He says: “Dunlop is obviously our main product line but in this

tradingclimatewehave tobeamulti-brandstore.Toaddress this,

we’ve erected some tear-drop flags alongside our road signage to

indicate thatwealso sellother tyrebrands, and these seem tobe

havingthedesiredeffect.”

Entering the business as the son of his legendary father and

grandfather(hisgrandfatherfoundedBardenTyres45yearsago),and

working among people in the company who had earned their long

serviceawards,wasalsosomewhatofachallengeinthebeginning.

“IhadtoovercometheperceptionthatIwasayoungsterwithlittle

experience,tryingtoreinventthewheel,wheninfact,myaimwasto

addvaluetothebusiness.Overtheyearshowever,I’dliketothink

thatI’veearnedtheirrespect.”

Thomasfirstjoinedthebusinessin2002onapart-timebasis.In2009,he

wasappointedheadoftheentiregroupofBardenTyrecompanies(there

arefiveretailstoresintotalandtworetreadingfactories),byhisfather,

StevenRundle.Withthesupportofagreatstaffforce,Rundleisconfident

theyhavetherightstructuresandpeopleinplacetopropelthebusiness

intothefuture.

The dedicated wifi area is a draw card.

Environmentalprotectionpoliciesaremorefront-of-mindnowthantheyhave

everbeen,andaffecteveryfacetofindustry.

Fromrapidlydwindlingnaturalresourcestotheecologicalimpactofproduction

processes,we’rehavingtoseriouslyrelookthewaywedobusiness.Simply

buyingacarisevenbecomingacomplexdecision,withecowarriorsdelving

intothevehicle’scarbonemissionsandwholelife-cycleimpact,ratherthanjust

theusualtechnicalcriteriasuchasperformanceandfuelconsumption.

The tyre industry too is continuously developing eco-friendly tyres with

reducedrollingresistanceto throwtheirweightbehindthecause–but last

timeIchecked,no-onehadcomeupwithafeasiblealternativetothecommon

andpervasivetyre.

Whichmeans,withavehiclepopulationofalmost10-millionaccordingtothe

officialstatsfromeNatis,that’sawholelotoftyreschurningthroughthesystem

andbeingchuckedouttheotherside.

TheissueofSouthAfrica’s

burgeoningstockpileofwaste

tyresisasourceofmajor

concernforthetyreindustry,

environmentalagenciesandthe

publicatlarge.

Isthereasolution? ByColinMileman

Getting wasted … and going green

WASTETYREMANAGEMENT

3 6 • T a l k i n g T y r e s

T a l k i n g T y r e s • 3 7

The new Cinturato P7TM tyre, compared to the previous model, offers the following advantages:

It’sestimatedthattheUnitedStatesproducesintheregionof290-million

waste tyresayear,andwhileSAprobablyaccumulatesonlyaroundfour

tofivepercentofthatfigure,that’sstill12-15milliontyresthatneedtobe

disposedofannually.

And,mostcommonly,youfind thempiledon thesideof the roadorat

rubbishdumps,literallyfuellingthefireduringcommunityprotests,being

intentionallyburnttogainaccesstothemetalforsaletothescrapindustry

orbeinggivena‘new’regroovedleaseonlifeandsoldascheapsecond-

handtyres–withdevastatingresultsasdealtwithpreviouslyinthiscolumn.

It’samajorhealthandenvironmentalproblemfortheindustry.Simplydumping

themdoesn’twork,asthetyresaren’tbiodegradable,takeuphugetractsof

landduetotheirinefficientstackingorlandfillproperties,whilealsoservingas

anidealhavenforthebreadingofrodents,mosquitoesanddiseases.

SouthAfrica isclearlyunsophisticatedwhenitcomestodealingwiththe

waste tyre issue as, according to Dr Etienne Human, from the SA Tyre

RecyclingProcess (SATRP)Company,onlyaround fourpercentofwaste

tyresarerecycledintousefulmaterialsorsecond-generationproducts.

That’sadarkandgloomypicture,consideringthatareversescenarioexists

inthedevelopedworldwhereonlyasmallpercentageofscraptyresareleft

afterthebulkisabsorbedintopracticalusessuchastyre-derivedfuel,used

asasourceofenergyorreworkedintootherproductsandapplications.

It’saproblemthattheDepartmentofEnvironmentalAffairshasrecognised

and acted on, adopting the Waste Tyre Regulation legislation from June

2009. This requires dealers to sort used tyres into those suitable for

retreading,withtheremainingtyrestobepermanentlydamagedsoasto

preventthemre-enteringthemarket.

All local tyre producers and retailers have to register with the DEA and

submittheirwastetyremanagementplans,tobeapprovedbytheminister.

Muchofthisisco-ordinatedthroughtheSATRPIntegratedIndustryWaste

TyreManagementPlan, towhichmostof the industryhas aligned itself,

andisduetocomeintoforcethroughtheGovernmentGazettearoundthe

middleof2010.

Thereafter,theSATRPwillissuetendersforthecollectionandtransportof

wastetyresfromdealersandmanufacturers,storingthemandsortingthem

fortransfertowastetyreprocessors.

Tyrecompaniesanddealersthatsubscribetothisplanwillbeexpectedto

paya‘greenfee’fortheremovalandultimatedisposaloftheirtyresinorder

tofundthisprocess–afeethatwillnodoubtbetransferredtoyouandme,

theenduser,asalevyonnewtyrepurchases.

Phase One of the project is expected to start in April 2011, focussing

onpassengerandcommercial tyres,rangingfrom8to25 inches.Other

categories of tyres, including OTR, agricultural and aircraft tyres, will be

phasedinoverafiveyearperiod.

It’s a laudable effort that will not only create jobs in the transport and

managementoftheprocess,butwillseeSouthAfricarapidlyswingingthe

balancetowardsafargreaterpercentageofwastetyresbeingrecycled.

It makes perfect sense, considering they can be used for a wide range

ofapplications, includingfiringenergyplants,boilersandkilns,although

the noxious gases produced need to be carefully managed to prevent

secondaryhealthhazards.

Overseas,rubberisgroundupandusedasadurablesupplementinroad

andbuildingconstruction,whilethewidearrayofsensiblegoodsthatcan

be produced includes rubber floor mats, dustbins, solid wheels, roofing

WASTETYREMANAGEMENT

3 8 • T a l k i n g T y r e s

Blacktech XR 9/4/09 2:58 PM Page 1

Composite

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

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ChicagoPneumatic

“the solution and the cure”

Call us today for a free catalogue and specials.

Quality Products...1300 products to suit every need.

Quality Service...Our reps will ensure you get prompt servicewherever you are - Nationwide!

Distributors of:

Head o�ce: 011 472 1016

Durban: 031 705 5880

Cape Town: 021 930 2897

Bloem: 051 430 5159

PE: 041 484 1706

Nelspruit: 013 744 9384

WASTETYREMANAGEMENT

T a l k i n g T y r e s • 4 1

products,shoesoles–andawholelotmore.AndinentrepreneurialSA,

thishasgreatpotential.

ButIthinkwe’realongwayofffromachievingthisgoal.Althoughthelegislative

ground-work has been done to handle the collection and redistribution of

wastetyres,we’remissingthecrucialnextstepintheprocess:currentlywe’re

seriouslylackingwastetyreprocessorsthatcanconsumethisabundantand

‘free’supplyoftyres.

Governmenthastoincentiviseandactivelyengageenergy-intensiveindustries,

especiallythosethatusevastamountsofpreciousandcostlycoal,toproactively

become consumers. We need to find cost-effective means of grinding or

reworkingthetyresintomorepracticalformsforuseinotherproducts.

Andthereneedstobeaco-ordinateddevelopmentplanfortheestablishment

of small enterprises – ideally in impoverished communities – to churn out

recycledtyreproducts thatwillnotonlycreate jobs,butwillcontribute toa

sustainableeconomicallyandecologicallyfriendlyfuture.

Colin Mileman is a freelance motoring journalist,

photographer and advanced driving specialist

with over 13 years of experience in this field. As

a former editor of Topcar and Topbike magazines,

he’s as enthusiastic about cars and bikes as

they come, and has extensive knowledge of all

motoring-related matters, including the topic of

tyres, having run the annual and highly regarded

Topcar tyre tests for several years.

RELIABILITY... SAFETY... QUALITY...

DURABILITY...

important ingredients that keep us ahead of the pack!

w w w . l e a d e r t r e a d . c o . z a

ISO 9002

T +27 11 473 8200F +27 11 474 8659E info@leadertread.co.za

LT half pg 210x145.indd 1 6/3/10 11:57:05 AM

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ChicagoPneumatic

“the solution and the cure”

Call us today for a free catalogue and specials.

Quality Products...1300 products to suit every need.

Quality Service...Our reps will ensure you get prompt servicewherever you are - Nationwide!

Distributors of:

Head o�ce: 011 472 1016

Durban: 031 705 5880

Cape Town: 021 930 2897

Bloem: 051 430 5159

PE: 041 484 1706

Nelspruit: 013 744 9384

HIGHPERFORMANCEGOODYEARTYRESTHECHOICEFORSLICKBMWX1Joy inmotion ishowBMWdescribes its luxurious littleX1–BMW’sfirst

‘baby’sportutilityvehicle(SUV)–andthejourneyismadeevensweeter

withGoodyearEfficientGriptyresselectedasthetyreofchoiceforthenew

compactdrivingmachine.

GoodyearSouthAfricaMarketingDirectorDustineGascoynesaid:“Asan

organisation,weare targeting the topechelonofSUVsandperformance

vehicleswithpremier-brandedGoodyearproducts.”

ThepremiumcompactX-model,withitssporty,elegantsilhouette,boasts

smoothsix-cylinderpowerandanintelligentall-wheeldrivesystem.

“Besides providing a high performance tyre, we want to provide drivers

withcompletepeaceofmindwhen it comes tosafety.That’swhywe’re

extremelyproudtobetheworld’sleadingmanufactureroftheinnovative

safetytechnologyknownasRunOnFlat,whichallowsadrivertocontinue

on a journey with a punctured tyre. Who needs the inconvenience of

changing a flat tyre when you’re testing the limits of the X1 far off the

beatentrack?”

Adding to drivers’ peace of mind are the environmentally-friendly

FuelSavingTechnologiesthathaveshapedthenewGoodyearEfficientGrip

tyre,whicharenowavailable inSouthAfrica.Withextremely low rolling

resistance,theultra-highperformancetyredeliversimportantfuelsavings,

whileofferinghighmileageandexcellentbrakingperformancelevels–on

dryandwetroads.

4 2 • G o o d y e a r N e w s

In fact, independent performance tests run by German TÜF SÜD

Automotive,oneofEurope’sleadingtestingandcertificationorganisations,

have proved that the new Goodyear EfficientGrip provides 13% better

rolling resistance, 2% shorter braking distance and 1.9% better fuel

consumption.What ismore, long-termtreadwear testsprovedthatcars

equippedwiththenewtyrescandriveupto8%morekilometresonthe

drivenaxleand49%moreonthefreeaxle.

But beyond its fuel consumption benefits, the EfficientGrip also offers

additionalenvironmentalimprovements.Itssilicatreadcompoundusesthe

latestgenerationofpolymersand,inlinewiththeEuropeanlegislation,does

notcontainanyhigharomaticoils.Theresultisatyrethatis10%lighter

than its predecessor. With less material used, carbon dioxide emissions

have been reduced during production. What is more, the reduction in

material, coupled with the fact that fewer tyres are needed to achieve a

givenmileage,ultimately leads to lessmaterial toberecycledat theend

ofthetyre’slife.

AnotherenvironmentalplusisthattheEfficientGripoffersaquietride–itis

seentobeverycompetitiveonnoise.

Goodyeartyreshavebeenfittedasoriginalequipmentonmanyvehicles,

including Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Hummer, Isuzu, Jeep,

LandRover,Lexus,Mazda,NissanandToyota.

ADVANCEDGOODYEARTYRESSELECTEDFORNEWBMW5SERIESThejoythatcomesfromdrivingBMW’ssupersexynew5series–described

byitscreatorsas“anewshapeofbeauty”–canonlybemagnifiedwhenit

isdiscoveredtoberollingonGoodyears.

“Ifavehicledoesn’tlookdynamichowarewesupposedtobelievethatit

drivesdynamically?Youhavetobeabletobothseeandfeelitscharacter.

It’sthesamewithtalent;it’snotenoughjusttohaveit,youhavetobeable

touseit,”isthephilosophyofAdrianvanHooydonk,HeadofBMWGroup

Design.

Birdsofafeathertendtoflocktogether...Efficiency,sophisticateddriving

dynamics,design,safetyandcomfortareallelementsthatBMWadmire.

Theultrahighperformanceof such a finely tuned, technically advanced

luxurysportssedandemandsfinely tuned, technicallyadvanced tyres to

respondtoitsquickdemandsandmatchitsprecision.Perhapsthat’swhy

Investments make

Goodyear first choicefor high-end vehicles internationally

The multi-million rand investments poured

into Goodyear’s Uitenhage manufacturing

facility have enabled it to produce premium

tyre products that are being snapped up by

motor manufacturers as original equipment

(OE) choice on vehicles for both local and

exportmarkets.

G o o d y e a r N e w s • 4 3

engineersatBMWselectedGoodyearExcellenceandGoodyearEagleLS2

tyrestobeoriginallyfittedtotheirhighlydesirable5series.

“RevolutionaryExcellenceincorporatesthebestofthreetechnologiesinto

asingletyre. Itoffersthesafestpossibledrive,withsuperbperformance

in handling, and an exceptional feeling of comfort. What’s more, the

RunOnFlat technology, which was pioneered by Goodyear and allows

motorists to keep driving smoothly after a puncture, is a safety feature

consideredessentialpeace-of-mindtoanydriverthesedays,”saidDustine

Gascoyne,GoodyearMarketingDirector.

“Goodyear tyres are performing on some of the world’s leading cars.

Wearealwaysdelightedwiththesepartnerships.Startingattheextensive

testingconductedbyvehiclemanufacturerslikeBMW,priortoselection,

servesasabenchmark for the innovativeengineeringandqualityofour

products.

“Sometimesstartingevenattheearlystagesofnewvehiclemodelcreation,

Goodyearworkstogetherwithcarmanufacturerstodrivetechnologyand

innovation.Performance,safety,economyandenvironmental impactare

allattributesthatarecontinuallybeingpushedtothenextlevel.”

Goodyear tyres are chosen for high performance vehicles from BMW,

Mercedes,RollsRoyce,Ferrari,Maserati,AlfaRomeo,Volkswagen,...and

manymore.

Revolutionary Excellence incorporates the best of three technologies into a single tyre.

High performance cars need high performance tyres – the BMW X1.

4 2 • C o n t i C o r n e r

W o r l d N e w s • 4 5

Tokyo (May 20, 2010)—The Bridgestone Corporation has been

named a 2009 Supplier of the Year (SOY) by the Boeing Company.

Bridgestone was one of fourteen companies honored for

exceptional commitment to excellence in working with Boeing.

This is the first time that Bridgestone has received the title.

Bridgestonewasselectedfromanelitegroupofamongmorethan

12,000activeBoeingsuppliersinnearly100countriesaroundthe

world.Thisselectionwasbasedonstringentperformancecriteria

for quality, delivery performance, cost, environmental initiatives,

customerserviceandtechnicalexpertise.

The award ceremony was held on April 13, in Seattle, Wash.,

in the United States. Ray Conner, Boeing Enterprise Leader of

SupplierManagementandVicePresidentandGeneralManagerof

SupplyChainManagementandOperationsforBoeingCommercial

Airplanes,andStanDeal,VicePresidentandGeneralManager,of

SupplierManagementatBoeingCommercialAirplanes,presented

theawardtoShigeruNiho,DirectoroftheSpecialtyTireDivision,

and Joe Rayna, CEO and President of Bridgestone Aircraft Tire

(USA),Inc.

Boeing aircraft currently equipped with Bridgestone aircraft tires

include:

1)Boeing737-900ER

2)Boeing747

3)Boeing767

4)Boeing777

Additionally, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is scheduled to go into

commissionwithBridgestoneaircraftradialtires.

Award Ceremony: Shigeru Niho, Director of the Specialty Tire Division (third from the left), Stan Deal, Vice President and General Manager of Supplier Management at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (fourth from the left), and Joe Rayna, CEO and President of Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (USA), Inc. (fifth from the left) and Ray Conner, Vice President and General Manager, Supply Chain Management & Operations, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (far right)

About Bridgestone corporation:

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s

largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a

widevarietyofapplications,italsomanufacturesabroadrangeof

diversifiedproducts,whichincludeindustrialrubberandchemical

products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150

nationsandterritoriesaroundtheworld.

(BridgestoneCorporation,Tokyo,Japan)

Continental AG has added another championship to its football portfolio.

In addition to its global sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South

Africa and 2014 event in Brazil, the tyre maker has become a ‘premium’

sponsor of the DFB (German Football Association) Cup in its home market.

The package is for two years and guarantees Continental not only a

televisionpresencethroughbrandadvertisingandotherpublicityvehicles

inthestadiumswhereall63cupgameswillbeheldthroughoutGermany,

but also a significant contingentof tickets that canbeused forpublicity

purposes.Furthermore,Continentalhassignedanadditionalcontractwith

DBF,underwhich ithaspurchased the rights touse theDFBbrand for

publicitypurposes.

“With this sponsorship, we are building a bridge in the German-

speakingcountriesbetweenthe2010FIFAWorldCupinSouthAfrica

and the qualification matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil,

whicharegoingtobegettingunderwayin2012.Indoingso,wewishto

putourcommitmenttoprofootballonabroaderbase,expanditfurther

regionallytooasthecentralcommunicationplatform,andtakeafurther

step towards clearly positioning the premium brand Continental with

a focus on safety and braking performance,” explained Timo Robbel,

whoisresponsibleforsportssponsorshipatContinentalinitsGerman-

speakingmarkets.

(www.tyrepress.com)

CONTIFURTHERSITSFOOTBALLSPONSORSHIP

BRIDGESTONENAMED2009SUPPLIEROFYEARBYBOEING

4 6 • W o r l d N e w s

PIRELLIINF1POLEPOSITION?

Despite an anticipated decision the question of next year’s Formula One

tyre supply still remains unanswered, yet various news sources report

that Pirelli has moved up to ‘pole position’. While the latest meeting of

the Technical Working Group ended without a tyre supplier being named,

German publication Auto Motor und Sport reports that Pirelli may now

be the front runner.

“InthetyreselectionPirellisuddenlyseemstobeholdingthebettercards,”

states Auto Motor und Sport. “Michelin’s original high demands have

apparentlywontheFrenchfirmnosympathypoints.Apossibleindication

thatPirellicouldwin therace is that representatives fromthe Italian tyre

companymetwithBernieEcclestoneinMay.

(www.tyrepress.com)

MAXXISPRODUCERCHENGSHINENTERSGLOBALTYREMAKERTOP10

The world’s top 10 tyre makers now have a new addition in the form

of Taiwanese manufacturer Cheng Shin Rubber. Now that almost all

the major tyre manufacturers’ sales figures are in, the numbers show

that Cheng Shin Rubber – producer of the Maxxis brand –leapfrogged

Toyo and Giti Tire into 10th place in 2009.

ChengShinRubber reports that it recordeda turnoverof1.887billion

euros which, although only a slight increase over the previous year,

demonstrates the company’s relative resilience to the global financial

crisis.CompetitorsToyoandGitiTireontheotherhand,lostsalesduring

theperiod,enablingChengShintogouptwostepsontheladder.

(www.tyrepress.com)

current rankings are as follows:

ENDOFTHEROAD–BRIDGESTONEENDSAUSTRALIANPRODUCTIONTyreproductiondownunderhascometoanendwiththeclosure

of Bridgestone’s Salisbury factory in Adelaide. On April 30 the

companyheldaprivateceremonyandbarbequeforemployeesto

markthefinaldayofoperations.Manyofthe600orsoworkers,now

outofwork,werelong-termBridgestoneemployees,andemotions

amongststaffweremixed.

“Formostpeopleit’sgoingtobeanewleaseoflife,”saidRayLicis,

whoworkedattheplantfor20years.“Someoftheolderpeopleare

probablylikeme.I’malittleapprehensive–gettingdownthetrackin

agemightbealittlebitmoreofabarriertogettingwork.”

(www.tyrepress.com)

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