Nearly 20 top General tire dealers from the U.K. attended the recent Global Tire Expo/SEMA Show in Las Vegas as invited delegates of Micheldever Tyres, the U.K. distributor of General tires.
The trip was hosted by Amelia Lion, MTS marketing manager for house brands, and Alan Baldwin, MTS wholesale director. Baldwin commented that, “After distributing quite a few million 4×4 tires in the U.K. market over the past years, visiting SEMA, the home of 4×4, was long overdue.”
None of the U.K. General dealers had previously attended the SEMA event, and they were “seriously impressed” by both the size and quality of the exhibits. Lion stated: “General’s U.S. 4×4 heritage remains a very important facet of the brand, allied to Continental’s positioning of General as Conti’s number two brand worldwide.”
She also praised the vision of Conti/General for the specific U.K.-focused product developments of General like the Grabber AT.
According to the company, products like this have taken General, which doesn’t have an OE presence in the U.K., to a reported marketshare in excess of 10% in this segment in the U.K.
General is said to have worked closely with Micheldever, with Lion adding: “With the U.K. 4×4 market’s 50%-plus concentration of Land Rover marque vehicles, the unique General product lineup fits the needs of our excellent customer base and 4×4 consumers.” (Tyres & Accessories)
