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REIFEN ESSEN
As one of the larger aspirational rubber companies involved in the tyre sector, Vipal is taking an unusual route into tyre manufacture. Whilst most mainstream tyre manufacturers are now positioning themselves as whole life tyre service providers with a new tyre and a retread offer, Vipal is moving from being a retread materials supplier into the new tyre market. Leandro says, “We are doing the same as the new tyre manufacturers but coming at it from the other end of the market,
between erstwhile economic partners were being addressed and after a considerable struggle the supply of materials to Argentina was once again flowing and the Argentinian market share was
strong for Vipal. However, unlike Brazil, the market there is not growing much, in fact reports are that it has stabilised and here the competition is for share rather than new business.
The move into the Asian market had also proven a good move for Vipal with Australia and New
Shamrock Marketing Look to Expand Distribution Base in Europe
Retread envelope experts Shamrock Marketing were making their first appearance as an exhibitor at the Reifen 2012 exhibition, sharing a stand with Turkish equipment supplier Akar Makina, for whom the Louisville, Kentucky based company acts as an agent in the USA.
According to VP and General Manager Doug Conley, Shamrock’s export business is now growing rapidly and the company is now looking for distribution partners in key markets such as Germany, Poland and Eastern Europe.
Says Conley; “Our main markets have traditionally been in North America but business is changing and the opportunities are now overseas. We are working with US Commercial Services to help us develop a distribution network here but we are still in the searching phase”. According to Conley Shamrock has around ten
regular accounts in Europe but these are now beginning to ask for a local presence in the market. Shamrock used the exhibition as an opportunity to re-introduce its Evolution envelope. The Evolution E2 has been designed to provide retreaders with an alternative to cloth or rubber wicking. The internal crown area of the Evolution envelope is equipped with venting channels that act as the wick by accommodating airflow into and out of the envelope. Primary vent channels reach nearly 12” down the sidewall of the tyre, eliminating the chance of air blockage at the shoulder. In addition, the optional Wizard air disc directs airflow seamlessly to and from the valve base. An added bonus is the transfer of the internal venting design to the exposed shoulder cushion, giving an “eclipse” new look to the finished tyre.
we are retreaders first and soon in our joint venture with Fate we will also be new tyre manufacturers. We aim to be able to offer the market, certainly in South America, a whole life tyre option from a Vipal Group background. We will be offering everything from new tyres, through to repair and retread.
Talking to regional sales managers for South America and Australia, and for Mexico and North America, it was evident that there was a strong growth culture within Vipal. Challenges in the South American market, such as import barriers
Zealand playing a role in creating a strong basis for developing further business in the Pacific Rim countries.
North America and Mexico were two markets where retreading has long been established but, which are now seeing renewed development after a period of consolidation. There is a growth in demand for retread materials and the market once dominated by a couple of major players is now opening up to new brands and imported materials.
Vipal Leads the March on Europe
Tyre Tattoos
With tattoos no longer the province of the sailor or the navvy, why not add a little colour to your retreads? Seri Plastica is a company offering a range of labelling rubber for use in the tyre and rubber industry. From stick on patches for a temporary image adjustment for displays and shows, to branding, serial numbers and manufacturer codes that can be vulcanised
into product, Seri Plastica offers a wide range of opportunities to brand your products clearly with your corporate logo, or any product data that you wish to add to the tyre.
Obviously appropriate for hot cure operations, these labels are also suitable for pre cure and cold cure vulcanisation.
Vipal continues its drive to become the world’s number one independent rubber and retread materials supplier. Reifen Essen 2012 gave the company a chance to meet its current clients and show its strength in the market place to new clients in the European and Middle Eastern markets. At a time when European retreaders and suppliers are in a state of some uncertainty due to imminent legislation that will require retreaders to meet wet grip, rolling resistance and pass by noise levels, and to be able to apply an environmental label for their tyres, Vipal remains confident that
it can meet whatever requirements are placed on the industry.
Asked if the company was in a position to support its European clients with technical support to help them meet the requirements, Leandro Rigon Vipal’s international business manager replied, “Of course, in terms of compounds and patterns there is no difficulty, we can meet whatever standards are required, and we are working with BIPAVER on the ReTYre project looking into the impact of the casings. We are actually already doing some similar research back in Brazil.”
22 Retreading Business