Daily Independent (Lagos)
Oladunjoye Phillip
12 November 2008
Kumho Tyres, one of the world-class tyre manufacturing companies returned to the Nigerian tyre market last week following the appointment of Super Tyres and Motors Limited as the brand's envoy and marketers.
Kumho suspended its marketing operations in Nigeria about three years ago owing to the ineptitude of its previous marketers.
According to the international marketing manager, Africa operations of Kumho Tyres, Mr. Koh Bongyoon, Super Tyres and Motors Limited is now the official distributor of Khumo tyres in the Nigerian market.
Super Tyres and Motors is a member of the Sun Group, owners of Viramsun Nigeria Limited and Sun Motors Limited, dealers in Nissan automobiles. Super Tyres and Motors is also the sole distributor of GT Radial, Vikrant, DoubleCoin and Techking range of tyres.
Brand manager, Super Tyres and Motors Limited, Aloke Sharma said the reappointment of Super Tyres and Motors Limited is however aimed at repositioning the brand above competitions in the premium segment, where it has ranked first among top contenders in the global marketplace.
He said that the Super Tyres essentially seek to snatch at least 20 percent of the automobile tyre market share within the first six months as a manifestation of its exceptional records in tyre and automobile sales.
Sharma said the addition of Kumho reaffirms the ingenuity and dynamism of the company's proficiency especially in the sale, service and distribution of automobile and 'Off the Road' tyres otherwise known as earth moving tyres.
He also remarked that Super Tyres was proud to be associated with the Khumo brand which according to him has a penchant for stresses technology-driven products that offer better road-handling performance, improved cornering, shorter braking distances, and the ability to traverse any slippery road. The tyres, he said, are durable as a result of the long tyre tread wear features inherent in them.
One of the distinguishing features of Kumho tyres, according to Sharma, is the designs and treads patterns that exploit advanced tread compounds and tread geometry to move water, snow, ice, sand and muck from beneath the wheels, to ensure wider and stronger road surface contact.
Sharma explained that Kumho tyre is an all season tropicalized tyre designed to withstand any harsh tropical climate and delicate road conditions.
He said that the passenger car segment Kumho radial tyres model l 798s is a perfect example of rubber compound research and design success for strong, dry and wet surfaces.
He added that the quality of the Khumo tyres has been responsible for the exceptional positioning of Kumho, which has made the tyre to tower above competitions in the global market.
Sharma disclosed that the tyre is classified among the top ten tyres in the world.
"Kumho's technology and engineering expertise is toughened by years of experience in race track and motor sport. Kumho has sponsored a number of racing events on the track as well as rallying across the world," Sharma said.
He noted that Kumho is currently one of the biggest tyre manufacturers in Korea with global network of sales organisations, as well as three manufacturing facilities in South Korea and three in China.
This, he noted, was in addition to three research and development centres based in Gwangju, South Korea; Akron, Ohio, U.S.A and Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, which services the US and the European tyre markets respectively.
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