Michelin grows Scottish dealer network with three new centres

Michelin has expanded its network of accredited dealers in Scotland with the addition of three new Michelin Auto Professional (MAP) centres north of the border.

Abbotsinch Tyres & Exhausts, in Kilmarnock, Skidz, in Falkirk, and Stewartry Tyres Newton Stewart, based on the Creeside Industrial Estate in Newton Stewart, have all been signed up to the programme.

As a MAP advocate dealership, the three new centres will enjoy advantages including access to free on-site staff training and participation in Michelin’s mystery shopper programme.

They will also receive a full audit of their digital presence – with expert advice from the Michelin team on maximising all online opportunities – and can pass on the exclusive TyreAssist offer to their customers, protecting any new Michelin or BFGoodrich tyres purchased with free 24/7 roadside assistance.

Abbotsinch Tyres & Exhausts has been serving the Kilmarnock and Ayrshire area for more than 20 years. Business owner Andrew Findlay says: “We’re delighted to be welcomed aboard the MAP programme. The TyreAssist offer is a big plus; anything that we can pass on to our customers is great, so having that free breakdown service on all Michelin and BFGoodrich tyres is a real bonus.

“Michelin is obviously a very well-respected brand and being part of its accredited network gives our customers that added confidence and boosts our reputation as a trusted tyre centre even further.”

Skidz was set up in 1995 by owner and director Craig Crosbie – who, at the age of 21, received a grant from The Prince’s Trust to get the business off the ground. The company has gone from strength-to-strength over the past 24 years, moving to a purpose-built 6,500 sq ft showroom / workshop facility in 2010. It now employs 15 staff and has an annual turnover of approximately £3 million, dealing in high-end alloy wheels and tyre sales.

Crosbie says: “The Michelin MAP accreditation is great for Skidz. It gives us added recognition, especially in the high-end sector. All my staff will really benefit from the training on offer and it’s down to them, as much as anything else, that we’ve been given this positive recognition. Hopefully it will help us drive sales even further.

“I would like to say a big thanks to Michelin for choosing us. It’s a product and a brand we’ve always admired and it’s fantastic to be recognised as an accredited Michelin centre.”

Donald McIntyre, owner of Stewartry Tyres Newton Stewart – which sells more than 15,000 car, truck and agriculture tyres a year – says: “I’ve had a long association with Michelin, probably more than 30 years now, and have always been a huge advocate of the brand.

“Joining the MAP programme is a great opportunity for us. The additional benefits we can get from the training, in health and safety for instance, will be a big help and the added value of the TyreAssist offer for our customers was also a big draw. All these things can only help the business.”

Andy Aylward, Michelin’s Retail Programme Manager for the UK and Ireland, says: “The appointment of the three new dealers forms part of a strategy by Michelin to grow our network in Scotland, by identifying the very best independent dealers. The new additions join Jim’s Garage on the Shetland Isles, which is the most northerly MAP dealer in the UK and a long-standing member of the programme.”

Ends

Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tyres, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has more than 125,000 employees and operates 67 tyre production facilities which together produced around 190 million tyres in 2018. (www.michelin.com)

For further press information please contact:
David Johnson, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341      Email:
d.johnson@michelin.com

Dan Jones or James Keeler, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467   E-mail: dan.jones@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com

MICHMAP/111/19


About Michelin

Michelin’s ambition is to sustainably improve its customers’ mobility. The leader in the mobility sector, Michelin designs, manufactures, and distributes the tyres best suited to their requirements and uses as well as services and solutions to improve transport efficacy. With its offers Michelin allows its customers to enjoy unique moments when traveling.
Michelin also develops high-technology equipment intended for multiple fields. Based in Clermont-Ferrand, Michelin is present in 175 countries, employs 132,200 people and operates 67 tyre factories that, together, produced approximately 200 million tyres in 2022. (www.michelin.com)


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