Nationwide steel stockholder and processer, Barrett Steel, has extended its contract with Continental’s UK-based retread tyre brand, Bandvulc, with a new two-year agreement. The deal will see the two firms clock up nearly 15 years of collaboration, driven by Bandvulc’s cost-effective tyre range and Continental’s Conti360° Solutions’ exceptional customer service.
With over 150 years in the steel stockholding and processing industry, Barrett Steel now comprises of a group of over 40 companies operating from nearly 30 sites across the UK. The group’s operations cover a wide range of customer needs, from structural sections and steel processing, to a wide range of Safety and Access products. Barrett Steel’s fleet can frequently be found making deliveries to a diverse client base, spanning the construction, energy, transport, engineering, and safety sectors.
Richard Tallis, Group Logistics Manager at Barrett Steel, said: “For us, a retreaded tyre makes a great deal of sense. Shards and shavings of metal are prevalent in the environment in which we work and that can often lead to punctures and tears. We’re rarely in a position where our vehicles can run a tyre to the end of its working life.
“Using a retreaded tyre from Bandvulc is much more cost-effective for us than a new, high-mileage tyre when it’s almost a certainty that they’ll need to be replaced ahead of time. What’s more, the standard of the product means that we get a perfect balance of high quality and overall cost.”
Barrett Steel’s contract is managed through Conti 360° Solutions, a complete all-round fleet tyre management service that helps operators to maximise efficiency and cut overall running costs. Customers benefit from a dedicated account manager, a customised tyre policy, ongoing monitoring and reporting and a fast-response 24/7 tyre breakdown service across the UK and Europe.
“Since I joined the company five years ago, I’ve worked closely with the team at Bandvulc and Conti360° Solutions,” explains Richard. “I definitely feel that I can trust our contacts to always help me to find a solution and get things done. It’s one of the main reasons why we chose to sign an extension, because we have this strong relationship that meets all our needs. I prefer to stay with suppliers for the long term as we have the grounding and understanding that helps us to make incremental changes and refinements over time.”
The steel stockholder and processer’s current rubber policy sees its tractors’ drive axles run Bandvulc BD08 Fleetmaster Long Haul retread tyres, while steer axles wear Uniroyal’s FH40 high-mileage tyre. The fleet’s trailers utilise the Bandvulc BT08 Fleetmaster retread tyre.
“Not only are we happy with the service and the performance of the tyres,” says Richard. “As a business, we strive to operate in a socially responsible way, and we’re happy that we can support the recycling process by choosing retreaded rubber.”