Our tyres team in Walsall have been getting fantastic feedback from their customers, many of whom keep returning year after year to order tyres for their family.

This is what two recent customers had to say about etyres in Walsall.

Mr S Huckvale, from Walsall, sent us this email: “I would say that, as always, the service I received from Etryes Walsall was excellent. I have ordered many tyres from Etyres for both myself and my wife in the past and have never been disappointed. Your fitter has always been professional, punctual and reliable in providing a trouble free service. As such I would thoroughly recommend your service.”

While Mr Howles, Dudley, told us: “This is the second time I have used etyres. On each occasion I compared the price of the tyres on the internet and found them to be very competitive. The fitter came exactly when you said he would and changed all the tyres on my VW Toureg without damaging the wheels and with no fuss, I didn’t even have to leave work to get the job done. An excellent service, I shall certainly continue to use you in the future.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Oliver Hall

Bridgestone tyres teamed up with General Motors to debut two new fitments on GMS and Cadillac concept vehicles for a top motoring show.

Concept vehicles and tyres are an integral part of the motor show circuit, and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is no exception.

The GMC Granite, a small, highly versatile, premium four-door crossover vehicle, was fitted with sports concept Dueler 245/40R20 tyres.

The US designed and produced Dueler tyres feature an asymmetrical tread pattern designed to provide solid traction while complimenting the vehicle’s ultramodern style.

The Granite won the Eyes On Design Award for Best Concept Vehicle during the show’s opening media days.

The Cadillac XTS concept car is fitted with custom-made Potenza 245/40R20 tyres. The XTS is a premium luxury sedan that will replace the company’s DTS and STS models.

The UHP Potenza tyres are a new hybrid design of Firestone tread pattern and Bridgestone sidewall design and feature an angular tread design that mimics the dynamic lines of the Cadillac design.

Michael Martini, president of OE, US and Canada Consumer tyre Sales Division for the tyres company, said: “Conceptual programs allow our designers to extend beyond the boundaries of contemporary thinking and express our brand as it relates to a specific vehicle in a dynamic new way.

“Working with the best and brightest minds at GM to bring these tyres to fruition was a particularly rewarding experience. The Granite concept is a ‘no-doubt-about-it’ show stopper and an exceptional vehicle to showcase the Dueler family of light truck tyres.

“The Cadillac XTS concept represents the future of luxury sedans and is a great fit for the Potenza family of high performance tyes.”

McLaren became the second team to unveil its 2010 car last week, when the covers came off the striking-looking MP4-25.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh looked ahead to the new season and talked about the new rule changes, especially in relation to tyres.

He said: “One of the big important issues is we have new front tyres and we have heavy cars with heavy fuel loads.

“It sounds minor but the performance of those tyres and the rate of degradation of those tyres will have a massive impact on how those races unfold and what is the best strategy.

“Frankly we don’t have that information at that moment. So on the one hand, we all want clear regulations and we want to tell people how we are going to go motor racing.

“But we will be in much better shape to make those decisions if we had good experience with the tyres and we could then gauge how these races typically play out given the tyres we have.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Alex Kapadia

Apollo tyres plan to raise tyre prices in the March quarter to maintain profit margins as raw material costs rise, according to a top official.

The Indian tyres manufacturer blamed the price hike on the increasing cost of natural rubber and crude oil and claimed it needed to raise prices to protect its margins.

Apollo already raised prices by 5% in January and by 3% in November, however Sunam Sarkar, the company’s chief financial officer, told Reuters: “There is every chance (of a price hike).

Mr Sarkar said that the benefit of low-cost inventory carried over from the September quarter offset some of the rise in input cost during the December quarter.

However, with raw materials accounting for 70 per cent of the tyre-making costs, Apollo cannot afford to shoulder the burden of rising prices without passing it on to customers.

Mr Sarkar said there is room for further increase in prices for the various tyres manufactured by the company, but declined to give more details.

Whenever you order something on the net, whether it’s a CD or a set of new tyres, you want to be sure you are getting the best deal possible and great service.

That’s exactly what John from Kings Lynn thought he got when he used etyres to replace one of his tyres.

He was so impressed with our service this is what he told us in an email: “Further to our conversation yesterday morning, when you arranged for one of your team to come out to my home and replace the rear offside tyre of my S Type Jaguar, I wanted to write and express my thanks for the efficient, professional and courteous service I received from both Ben and yourself.

“I had only come across etyres.co.uk through a Google search, having damaged the said tyre and I having nothing but praise for the service and also the reasonable price your company charged. Ben was unable to get to me until gone 6.15pm but when he arrived he was pleasant, quick and wholly on the ball – an no doubt very cold.

“Though I hope I do not have reason to call on your service in the near future, I will certainly use etyres.co.uk again and will also recommend you to family, friends and colleagues without hesitation.”

Jayne, National Call Centre

By Oliver Hall

Toyo tyres have announced they are establishing a wholly owned subsidiary company in China to cope with growing demand.

Operations will begin at the new plant under the umbrella of the newly established Toyo Tyres Zhangjilagang Co. Ltd.

According to Toyo officials: “This new subsidiary is expected to meet the growing demand for tyres generated by the rapid growth in automobile use in China.”

Toyo is investing around $10 million in the new factory, which is expected to employ around 500 workers, and will manufacture passenger and light truck tyres.

Jiangsu Province is said to be the ideal location to establish the plant because it already has the necessary infrastructure, work force, and logistical support.

Initial production capacity during the first phase will be 2 million units of passenger and light truck tyres.

Toyo previously produced tyres in China in joint ventures with Taiwan’s Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd./Maxxis International, but it dissolved the ventures in August and shifted its relationship with Cheng Shin to a consignment manufacturing agreement.

That decision allows it to continue to supply customers until its own factory comes on stream.

By Denna Bowman

Bridgestone tyres are once again backing the US Super Bowl and hoping their multi-million dollar sponsorship package will “convert” football fans into Bridgestone customers.

Bridgestone Americas Tyre Operations LLC (BATO) will unveil two new tyres commercials during Super Bowl XLIV which will be broadcast to millions of TV viewers around the world on the 7th February from Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida.

And in addition the Japanese tyres manufacturer will be sponsoring the the Halftime Show which features legendary British rock band The Who.

One 30-second ad will run at the end of the first quarter, while the other will air during the third quarter.

One ad, “Whale of a Tale,” features three young men “on an adrenaline-packed drive toward the coast,” accompanied by a killer whale, according to BATO officials.

The second commercial, “Your Tyres or Your Life,” will take viewers “on a journey to a future world… where nothing is more valuable than a great set of high performance Bridgestone tyres.”

Mike Gorey, president of the consumer tyre sales division for Bridgestone in the US and Canada, said: “The Super Bowl is the biggest single TV event of the year, and it’s the one event that people watch both for the game and the commercials.”

He added that both commercials: “have a surprise comic twist and great special efects so we’re excited and we think our commercials will have people talking about Bridgestone on Monday morning.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

A forward-thinking local council wants to dig into next years budget to fix their pot-holed riddled roads in order to avoid big claims for compensations.

Seems like a wise move considering the alternative is to potentially fork out tens of thousands of pounds to motorists whose tyres, wheels and suspension systems have been wrecked by craters in the road.

Recent snow and ice has caused more potholes to form on the county’s roads forcing councils to spend more time and money on fixing them.

In Bath and North East Somerset Council’s budget proposals an extra £3m has been set aside for highways maintenance for the new financial year.

However, the unitary authority also wants to use £500,000 of next year’s budget for this financial year to repair the roads now.

Meanwhile, the best advice to any motorist who drives over a dangerous pothole is to check your tyres for signs of damage as soon as possible.

etyres offers its existing customers free puncture repairs, so any potential pothole damage won’t necessarily cost them a pot load of money!

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Alex Kapadia

Tougher new environmental laws and regulations introduced to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills has led to bogus UK recycling firms illegally dumping tyres.

Many of the fake companies offer businesses a cheap way to get rid of their waste tyres, only to turn round and dump it illegally, even on developing nations who have no means to handle to dispose of it.

The problem stems from the introduction of the European directives which each member nation has been set to reduce landfill and increase recycling rates, according to a report on the Recycle.co.uk website.

The tyre recovering industry has been ripe for conmen to exploit and it has been been plagued with these types of scams, as tyres have long been one of the most difficult items to dispose of properly.

Recycle.co.uk claims that even though the tyre recovery industry posted strong numbers in 2009 there is still widespread illegal dumping of tyres in an effort to skirt the regulations.

There have been widespread reports of not just small operations but even large franchises that are taking used tyres from tyre dealers but then failing to fulfill their obligations to dispose of them properly.

The Environment Agency estimates that roughly two million three hundred thousand pounds are spent each year on investigations and cleanup of illegal tyre dumping scams.

If you are thinking about selling your car and want to get the top price you should pay special attention to your tyres to seal the best deal.

Making sure your tyres are in tip-top condition is one of the top tips from Mibz.com which offers advice on for an easier, safer and more profitable sale.

The motor enthusiasts website recommends taking special care to make a good impression on prospective buyers.

To begin with make sure tyres are be inflated properly. The website explains: “A tyre which is not inflated properly will have a greater rolling resistance, will be softer and is more likely to get flat.

“The fuel consumption will be higher, braking performance and handling will be reduced significantly, and the car will give the impression of “soft” in a negative point of view when a potential buyer will try it.

“Also, check the tread depth and the tyre wear, aesthetic elements that help sales. If uneven tyre wear shows it is an indication that the car needs angles adjustment or other complex repair.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office