MARSHAL Issue 4 Spring 2007 Inside this issue 2006: a year to remember Dealer awards New products Incentives Rewards New website
Dear Marshal Platinum Club member Welcome to the first issue of Marshal News in 2007. First and foremost, may I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year as members of the Marshal Platinum Club. With your help we made huge strides forward with the Marshal brand last year and in this issue we review some of those achievements and we also take the opportunity to reveal our plans for the year ahead. Those of you who attended the original road shows will have heard us say that the Marshal brand is vital to the development of Kumho Tires as a global tyre manufacturer. This statement has never been truer as our latest factory in Tianjin, China, begins the ramp up to full production capacity. Marshal is now well established in many countries around the world, including Germany, Italy, Australia and Dubai but the UK, where Bond International has been our exclusive distributor on the mainland since 1990, will continue to be one of the brand s strongest markets for some time to come and this brings with it not only a number of challenging expectations but also some special opportunities for us all. We are working very hard with our colleagues in Korea to ensure that stock availability in 2007 will be at optimum levels compared with 2006. A new global order processing system is being introduced from Spring and the logistics department in Korea is being strengthened. This, combined with the introduction of new product lines and range extensions, should significantly increase the sales potential of the Marshal range. I wish you a good read. Kind regards, MARSHAL IN THIS ISSUE 3 Just desserts Awards for four top MPCs at The Dorchester. 4 A look back at 2006 A reminder of some of the highlights of a historic year for the Marshal brand, including the MATRAC XM s award-winning test performance. 6 What s in store this year? A look at some of the key areas to be developed during 2007. Steve Tidmarsh Managing Director KUMHO TYRE (UK) Ltd 2 Issue 4 Spring 2007
MARSHAL Just desserts The achievements of four Marshal Platinum Club members were recognised at a presentation ceremony held recently at The Dorchester Hotel, London. Eastleigh tyre retailer Barmer Tyre & Battery Service Ltd. received the inaugural 2006 Dealer of the Year award. The top award, a cut glass chalice engraved with the Marshal Platinum Club logo, was presented to Barmer principal Robin Barrs by Reg Bond and Steve Tidmarsh in the sumptuous surroundings of The Dorchester. Juan Jimenez Tyres 4 Less of West Molesey came a close second and was named 2006 Dealer of the Year (Runner Up) while two special trophies were presented to Geoff Smith of Tyre Exchange Supersites Ltd. and Steve Drewett of Speedy Fit Tyre and Battery Service for the Most Improved Marshal Sales (North) and (South) respectively. The presentations were followed by a dinner in the hotel s famous Grill Room restaurant in honour of the winners. Inaugural Dealer of the Year award for Barmer Tyre & Battery Service Commenting on the ceremony, Reg Bond, managing director of Bond International, paid tribute to the achievements of the four winners: These four companies have fully supported the MPC programme from the outset and I am proud to be able to reward them for their loyalty to Bond International and the Marshal brand. They are all superb examples of tyre retailers who understand the value of Marshal s strong product range and quality backed by the service we provide. Winners all: Reg Bond (left) and Steve Tidmarsh (right) present trophies to Ollie and Robin Barrs (main photo), Juan Jimenez (top right), Jacqui and Steve Drewett (far right) and Jacqueline and Geoff Smith (right) Spring 2007 Issue 4 3
A look bac The Marshal Platinum Club was conceived, born and reached maturity all in the space of less than a year. Here we pause briefly to look in the rear view mirror at what was a historic time for the brand and the people who made it happen. JANUARY Reg Bond and Steve Tidmarsh add the final touches to their plans to make Marshal one of the strongest performing brands on the UK market. Invitations go out to a handpicked shortlist of 400 existing Marshal customers to come and hear how this is going to be accomplished. FEBRUARY /MARCH Four regional events are held at Coventry, Harrogate, Farnham and Bath. Over 120 retailers learn about the benefits of becoming a Marshal Platinum Club member and almost all agree to join the programme there and then. APRIL The first Marshal Platinum Club Raceday is held at Newmarket and attended by the President and CEO of Kumho Tire Europe, H S Lee. Special focus of attention for the guests is the main race of the afternoon, featuring one of the leading horses in Reg Bond s stable, Misu Bond. Despite losing a shoe just before the start, Misu Bond duly obliges and wins the race by a head to load cheers from the Marshal box. MAY/JUNE The first sizes of Marshal s new, asymmetric high performance tyre, the MATRAC XM, arrive in the UK with many more in the pipeline for later in the year. Marshal technical and marketing staff decide to enter the XM in the annual Auto Express tyre test, the first ever Marshal and several sets are sent to Italy. Later in March, several smaller local presentations are made to dealers who could not attend the main events. The award-winning MATRAC XM KH35 4 Issue 4 Spring 2007
MARSHAL k at 2006 OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER SEPTEMBER Twenty tyre technicians from MPC retailers spend a day at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) hosted by Kumho Europe Technical Centre. After an insight into the mysteries of tyre testing courtesy of European R&D Chief, Roger Jenkins, the guests are given the drive of their lives by the resident Marshal test drivers around MIRA s specialist circuits. Auto Express publishes its Tyre Test and to our immense satisfaction, the MATRAC XM finishes in the top three. Fifteen brands of the topselling 195/65R15 size were tested including Continental, Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear and Dunlop. The XM beat them all in the wet braking test and came second in the wet handling and cornering disciplines. Reprints of the test report are distributed to all MPCs. Surpassing all expectations, membership of the Marshal Platinum Club approaches 350 outlets, giving excellent nationwide coverage and demonstrating the enthusiastic response to the programme by independent retailers. The six-month Viva Las Vegas promotion closes and the group of 16 qualifying MPCs jets off from Manchester to the entertainment capital of the world and home of the annual SEMA Show. Apart from the show itself, there are helicopter rides to the Grand Canyon, dinner (and rides for some) atop the Stratosphere Tower and a show or two to keep our guests amused Membership of the Marshal Platinum Club approaches 350 outlets Bond International and Kumho Tyre (UK) sign an agreement extending Bond s exclusive distribution rights for Marshal tyres for a further five years, securing the long-term future of the brand in the UK. Spring 2007 Issue 4 5
What s in sto Bond International and Kumho Tyre (UK) are delighted to announce that they will again be investing their joint resources to develop the Marshal Platinum Club programme throughout 2007. The full MPC programme is still less than a year old and there is much to be done to spread the benefits throughout the network. Over the year we plan to increase the size of the network to around 400 outlets. In many areas MPC has already reached full strength but in some regions the representation is still patchy and it is in these open points where we will be concentrating our efforts to find suitable retailers. Some of the key areas to be developed this year include: Extended Marshal product range Further new sizes of MATRAC XM will be added while the successor to the KU17 ultra high performance range, the MATRAC FX MU11, will be introduced later in the year. In the 4x4 sector the new on-road APT KL51 will be available in sizes for modern SUVs such as the Volvo XC90 and Nissan XTrail. Improved communication A global Marshal web site is to be launched soon, following which the UK web site will be developed during the first half of 2007 to include a dealer locator with links to MPC retailer home pages. Marshal News will continue to inform the network and new advertisements will appear in the trade press. More POS materials Marshal branded flags and new posters featuring the Auto Express test result will be added to the range of materials already available. Updated versions of the Marshal range guides will be produced together with a new edition of the pattern digest containing full product technical data. Your Bond field sales manager will be able to advise on availability. 6 Issue 4 Spring 2007
MARSHAL re this year? Attractive sales incentives Last year s Las Vegas tour was such a success that we knew we had to work hard to go one better. Well, we reckon we have, with not one but two promotions to go for. First to happen will be our Viva España trip. Scheduled to take place between the 28th June and 2nd July, the tour will centre on the four-star, beach-front Hotel Beatriz Palace & Spa at Fuengirola. Located in the heart of the Costa del Sol s Golf Valley you will have the pick of the local courses to choose from by day whilst the nightlife of Puerto Banus is just a few kilometres away. The qualification period runs from January to May. The SEMA Show will again be the focus of our exclusive Las Vegas trip from 30th October to 4th November. Described as the trip of a lifetime, fantastic and a truly memorable experience by those who took part last year, the tour will include all that larger-than-life Vegas has to offer in fine food and entertainment. The qualification period for this incentive trip runs for nine months from January to September. Check with your Bond field sales manager for details of how to get in the running for these fabulous trips, if you have not already done so. Retailer rewards We are also pleased to confirm that the MPC dealer reward scheme will continue in 2007. Payments are made twice-yearly (the rewards covering the second half of 2006 are being processed now) and, providing you meet the minimum monthly order criteria, all the Marshal tyres you purchase in a given six month period will count towards the cash-based incentive. Please ask your Marshal representative if you need any more details. PLATINUM CLUB Spring 2007 Issue 4 7
PLATINUM CLUB Putting a face to a name Introducing some of the key people involved with the day-to-day operation of the Marshal Platinum Club. Bill Hardy Sales director Direct line: 01759 322206 Denise Bigg MPC programme manager Direct line: 01759 322247 Kevin Pickering Office manager, Pocklington Direct line: 01759 322233 Adele Pitchers Senior sales representative, Pocklington Direct line: 01759 322234 Marshal News is produced by Marshal Tyres for the Marshal Platinum Club network. If you would like to receive further copies please contact either Denise Bigg or your Bond International field sales manager.