Bridgestone picks Treadsetters as its second tyre seller

Sameer Africa chief executive Allan Walmsley confirmed Bridgestone’s move in an interview.

Treadsetters will also use the Bridgestone’s technology to boost its retread business besides selling its new tyres.

Retread is a re-manufacturing process for worn out tyres whose threads are replaced to extend their life. It saves motorists and commercial transporters the expense of buying new tyres, with the process estimated to cost a fifth of new tyre prices.

Rival tyre manufacturer Goodyear is said to have terminated its distribution deal with Treadsetters after the firm signed the deal with Bridgestone, underlining the shifts in the local tyre market.

Treadsetters did not respond to our queries by the time of going to press. It is not clear whether Bridgestone has bought a stake in Treadsetters.

Sameer Africa says it has signed a manufacture and supply deal with Chinese tyre firm Qingdao Nama Industrial to reduce reliance on its Yana and Bridgestone brands.

READ: Sameer inks deal with China firm for cheaper tyres

The tyres sourced from the Nama deal will be sold under the Summit brand and are aimed at helping Sameer gain market share in the economy tyre market where cheaper Asian imports are popular.

Cheaper tyres from India, China, and other low-cost markets have increased their local market share to 50 per cent from the previous 45 per cent, riding on demand from price-sensitive consumers.

Besides Nama, Sameer is also in talks with another company to supply it with technical expertise in tyre manufacturing as it seeks to scale up production.

Sameer says it intends to upgrade its factory equipment to produce new tyre sizes and boost overall production speed. The tyre firm’s technical partner is expected to take a significant equity in Sameer from SIL as part of the deal, replicating the arrangement the company had with Bridgestone.