Confirming the news, managing director Charl de Villiers said: “Infinity will be launching an exciting new range of products into the Southern African market at the show next March, which will include ultra high performance tyres up to and including 21 inches in V and W speed ratings. The Infinity brand already enjoys a large following in Europe and other parts of the world and we have received numerous requests from our dealer base to expand our current range.
“We feel that Tyrexpo Africa is the ideal platform to launch this range due to the exposure it offers exhibitors,” he said.
By mid-July, floor space for TyrexpoAfrica’10 was more than 55% occupied and on track to meet targets set by organiser ECI International. There is a current balance of 40% national to 60% international companies exhibiting, with strong representation from China, India, southeast Asia, Europe and the US.
ECI sales director Rowena Suthers commented: “It’s clear from the response we’ve had from exhibitors that tyre businesses are taking a very positive approach to 2010, expecting that the worst of the economic squeeze will have passed. Despite the slow down, Southern Africa remains an attractive place to do business with its huge mining and construction industry complementing the well established car, truck and van sectors.”
Well-known South African motoring journalist and broadcaster Roger McCleery is to chair a one-day tyre industry conference staged as part of an expanded exhibition. McCleery will oversee a conference agenda that will include keynote speaker presentations on global tyre manufacturing; the retail sector; commercial fleet tyre management; raw material pricing and legislation.
According to ECI, further keynote speakers will be confirmed over the coming months: “We already have commitments from two of the biggest names in tyre retailing to present papers and are close to securing other leading presenters who will bring real authority and presence to the conference. We plan to announce more details by the end of the year,” said Rowena Suthers.
The conference is an added attraction for the 2010 exhibition, which continues to attract high quality suppliers interested in expanding their presence or breaking into the southern African tyre market. Companies already committed to the show include BKT, Bandenmarkt, Chemvulc, Crowntyre, Elgitread, Enercell, Hofmann Megaplan, L-Guard, Nitralife, Rema Tip Top Automotive, Rubberking, SA Tyre Distributors, Shandong Wanda Boto, Shandong Fenglun, Stamford Tyres, Star Tyre Group, Steinbichler Optotechnik GMBH, Tubestone, Treadsdirect and Tandem Tyres, Wanda Boto amongst others. (Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)
