business success 31 Full speed ahead for Merityre


With a £28 million turnover, Merityre Specialists is recognised as one of the region’s largest independent tyre distributors. Here, joint director Noel Pope shares some of the secrets of the company’s success


Since its first branch opened in Sunbury on Thames in 1963, Merityre has embarked on a steady road to growth. Today it has 22 branches throughout the Thames Valley, stretching between the M40 and M3 corridors in locations from High Wycombe to Witney, Andover to Wandsworth.


Now a third-generation family business, Merityre was founded by Harold Pope (known as Bill) after more than 40 years working for specialist tyre manufacturer Dunlop.


His sons Noel and his elder brother Jolyon, fellow joint director, grew up in the business, and as Noel recalls: “If you have rubber in your blood, you never get out of it. I have been in tyres ever since I worked in the warehouse during the school holidays.”


His Merityre career began in 1980 and today he and Jolyon run the business from the Andover headquarters with a third director, Dene Arnold. Already following in the Pope family footsteps is Noel’s eldest son Nicholas, who started as an apprentice and now manages the Kingston branch.


Merityre celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011 and its success, which includes exporting tyres around the world, has been built through organic growth rather than acquisition.


“We have always been careful and preferred to go for steady expansion rather than rushing ahead,” said Pope. “We are proud that we have never had to close an outlet, every one we have opened has been successful. Our approach has been a cautious one, we have always been careful to pick the right spot in the first place and then, once we have the property, the key is to get a good team of staff.”


The company encourages school leavers to learn the trade and not only has its own in-house training manager, a City & Guilds registered examiner, but also works with Skillnet, a leading training provider for the motor industry.


With technology driving ever more sophisticated high performance tyres, ongoing training is essential to ensure staff can provide top levels of customer service.


“We have a very good core team, our managers and assistant managers often stay with us for 10 to 20+ years,” said Pope. “There’s no doubt our success is down to


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2012


A great track record: Jolyon Pope, centre, with Noel Pope on his right and Dene Arnold on his left (looking towards the camera), and fellow staff members at the Andover head office and retail branch


their enthusiasm and high level of capability which keeps the customers coming back and enhances our reputation for excellence.


“Everyone thinks tyres haven’t changed much, but the reality is there have been some dramatic changes. There are now thousands of different types of tyre and we have an enormous range in stock, which underlines why it is so important to come to a tyre specialist.”


One developing trend is the use of cold weather tyres. “People call them snow tyres, but they are not, if temperatures drop below seven degrees centigrade these will provide much better performance and grip, allowing you to drive around as normal whatever the conditions,” added Pope.


Merityre operates “tyre hotels”, simply switching a customers’ usual set and keeping them safe until temperatures rise again. Although there is the initial investment in an extra set of tyres, reduced wear and tear and greater safety make it a cost-effective solution.


The way we look after and manage our tyres has changed and Pope recalls when the weekend meant checking your tyres, your oil and water levels and making sure everything was in working order.


“Now, all you do is sit in the driving seat and a warning light comes on to tell you if there is a problem. Of course, what it doesn’t tell you about is the state of your tyres and that’s


a real concern for the industry at the moment,” he said.


Over 10% of the UK replacement tyre market now goes on part-worn tyres as motorists look to save cash and Merityre is supporting campaign group Tyresafe, which recently discovered 98% of part-worn tyres it surveyed were being sold illegally, putting not just the drivers at risk, but also their passengers and other road users.


Merityre’s own website carries tyre tips and advice for drivers and Pope hopes that new regulations due to come into force in November will boost drivers’ understanding of the need to take care of their tyres.


An EU-approved labelling scheme means all new car tyre labels will have to show performance measures on fuel efficiency, wet braking performance and noise levels, and Pope says it’s another opportunity to promote his team’s specialist knowledge.


Given the nation’s ongoing love affair with the car and Merityre’s expertise, there seems little doubt that continued future success is just around the corner.


Details: Noel Pope 01264-333533 noel.pope@merityre.co.uk www.merityre.co.uk


David Abbott, Corporate Banking Barclays 07775-540386 david.abbott@barclays.com


www.businessmag.co.uk


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