Michelin Tyres Boss Urges Wholesalers to Champion Premium Brands
By Denna Bowman
The tyres industry has been urged to get the message about the superior characteristics of premium range tyres over to consumers.
Jim Rickard, managing director of Michelin tyres, said: “I am not sure the message about performance characteristics gets through at the point of sale.”
He told the Tyre Wholesalers Group’s annual lunch that the new EU tyre labeling laws governing noise and wet grip will help to make the advantages more visible to tyre-buying consumers.
Rickard began his speech by expressing pleasure that the chairmanship of the Tyre Industry Federation had passed to Peter Gaster, chief executive of wholesaler Kings Road Tyres Group.
The Michelin boss said he believes it is important for the TIF that it is not “seen as the manufacturers plus the rest”, and that Gaster’s appointment showed the integration of wholesalers and retailers, amongst others, was very important in the promotion of tyres and their benefits to all road-users.
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