Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), manufacturers of the Dunlop, Sumitomo and Falken tyre brands, took its commitment to ensuring the safety of all South Africans a step further by investing a total of R1,67 million in wheel balancing equipment as prizes for 14 winning stores in its Red-Hot Rubber Sale promotion.
Prizes, which included installation, training and ongoing support in the Dunlop Zone, Dunlop Express and Dunlop Container stores, were handed over during the month of March across South Africa. Of the 14 winning stores, four were fitted with Corghi wheel balancing equipment valued at R250 000, five were outfitted to the value of R80 000 and a further four to the value of R20 000.
“We are very grateful to have won the state of the art Corghi equipment because we were in the market to upgrade our current equipment. Our owners feel that competitions like these strengthen relations between Dunlop and its customers, making it more than a transactional relationship. Working with brand new equipment has also improved staff morale and there has been a significant shift in our turnaround time. Our customers have also been giving us positive feedback as they are very pleased with the quality of the work that we are producing,” said Steven Halgryn, Branch Manager of Dunlop Express Store – Cornwall Tyre and Exhaust in Pretoria.
For Nabeel Suleman of Super Wheel Centre, a Dunlop Zone in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, winning this state-of-the-art equipment has enabled the business to perform wheel balancing optimally. “The new equipment has helped us reduce the waiting period at the store, which has made our clients very happy. My goal is to be the Number 1 fitment centre in the country soon,” he said.
“While the promotion was launched to drive sales of our three tyre brands during the summer, safety is in our company’s DNA,” said Yvette Govender, Director: Marketing & Business Development at SRSA. “The promotion took place from October to December 2018 when South Africans traditionally prepare to take to the road for their annual holidays, and stores encourage vehicle owners to replace worn tyres to ensure their safety.”
“Incentivising stores by providing state-of-the-art wheel balancers as prizes was a natural fit for our promotion, reflecting that as a company SRSA truly supports our #SaferthanSafe drive,” said Riaz Haffejee CEO of SRSA and champion of the safety focus. “This message is promoted through all of our communication – both internally and externally. We acknowledge that daily, families trust us with their loved ones and commuters trust our tyres with their lives.”
The competition included all stores from top-end Dunlop Zones to Dunlop Express and Dunlop Containers, which are fast gaining traction in the townships. Dunlop Containers have helped formalise the informal township tyre trade business, where second-hand and re-grooved tyres are commonly fitted, compromising safety.
“The Dunlop Container programme centres are transforming containers into Dunlop branded tyre fitment centres and training and mentoring youth and women in tyre sales and repairs, with a strong emphasis on promoting safety,” Govender added.
One of the winners in the Red-Hot Rubber Sale was Dunlop Container Store owner, Mr Bunda Kazadi of Grace Tyres in Lusikisiki, who expressed his gratitude to Dunlop for raising the visibility of his tyre business through effective branding and marketing which had helped attract a growing clientele.
“With the help of Dunlop, my container store has grown a lot over the past two years, and I can now operate as an express store. Winning this Corghi wheel balancing equipment will be great for my business because it will allow me to keep up with industry standards and provide a specialised service to my customers, and hopefully attract even more customers,” he said.
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As part of the company’s commitment to safety, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), manufacturer of the iconic Dunlop brand, invested a total of R1,67 million in wheel balancing equipment as prizes for 14 winning stores across the country as part of its Red-Hot Rubber Sale promotion.
