Ehrhardt Reifen & Autoservice: 20 years as a Bandag Dealership

Owner and general manager Rolf Ehrhardt already represents the third generation of the family.

The Ehrhardt Group runs 26 commercial outlets scattered over the federal states of Niedersachsen, ThÜringen, Sachsen-Anhalt, and Hessen. The company ranks among the largest distributors of automotive parts in the region. In addition to a wide range of tyres for cars, trucks, OTR and AG, Ehrhardt sells and services batteries, exhausts, brakes and rims.

As a member of the German “Top Service Team” network, Ehrhardt also offers a full array of tyre, wheel and breakdown services, bringing peace of mind to customers wherever they drive in Germany.

Ehrhardt Reifen + Autoservice GmbH & Co. KG opened a Bandag retreading shop in 1986. The shop now employs 10 people and produces some 15,000 Bandag retreads a year. The Bandag dealer got its ECE 109 certification as early as 1999 and scans all casings with a Shearography casing analyser.

Rolf Ehrhardt was warmly congratulated for 20 years of loyalty to Bandag pre-cure tyre retreading. Beside the 20th anniversary of a rewarding partnership, Mike Tirona, vice president and general manager of Bandag EMEA, wanted to honour the remarkable success track of a German Bandag Dealer whose family business has been guided with exceptional acumen ever since its foundation in 1946. The commemorative plaque presented to Rolf Ehrhardt symbolised recognition, gratefulness and friendship.

If you’re a shop looking to sell summer tires, it’s important to know that customers looking for these tires have very specific needs. Let’s talk about why, before recommending summer tires, you need to fully understand customer performance requirements.

Unlike all-season or all-terrain tires built for diverse driving conditions, UHP summer tires are designed with one priority: dry and wet traction for performance driving. Lateral and longitudinal grip in dry and wet conditions are also important, which is achieved through optimized contact patches, high silica tread compounds and circumferential grooves to channel water. Generally, UHP summer tire tread design features large blocks and fewer grooves for more road contact on dry surfaces. The grooves are designed to channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.