Multi-award winning tyre brand Dunlop, manufactured by Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), kicked off its 130-year birthday celebrations last month. The Dunlop brand is known for its impressive history in the tyre industry, pioneering ground-breaking innovations and developing quality products that consumers know and continue to trust.
Speaking on the brands successful history Riaz Haffejee CEO of SRSA, manufacturers of the Dunlop brand said, “We acquired the Dunlop brand in 2013 and it has been a privilege to take a brand, with such a rich heritage and continue its amazing journey. Dunlop’s legacy of quality and reliability is why it has stood the test of time. At SRSA we are committed to serving our customers with excellence and as the custodian of the #SaferthanSafe initiative, quality and safe products remain our top priority.”
John Boyd Dunlop lay the foundation for one of the world’s most iconic brands when he invented the first practical pneumatic tyre. Since then the brand has achieved many significant milestones such as:
Dunlop and Bentley winning their first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Grand Prix of Endurance in 1924;
Opening the first Dunlop factory in Durban, South Africa in 1935;
Providing the aviation industry with the first anti-lock braking device, the “Maxaret;
Developing aquajet tyres – the first ever aquaplaning-resistant tyre;
Opening the first Dunlop steel-radial tyre factory in Ladysmith in 1973;
Celebrating the launch, in 2018, of the Ladysmith truck and bus radial tyre factory, the culmination of R2-billion investment into upgrading the entire plant into a world-class manufacturing facility.
In another development, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), manufacturer of the popular Dunlop, Sumitomo and Falken tyre brands, has taken up the mantle as continental custodian and steward of Part Worn Africa, a new pan-African consumer, tyre and road safety advocacy initiative announced recently.
Managed by professional African public policy, regulatory and government relations advisory firm, ETHICORE, Part Worn Africa is dedicated to improving and promoting consumer protection, product safety, responsible trade and environmental management of part-worn and second-hand passenger tyres.
While often seen as a more cost-effective alternative to purchasing brand new tyres, unregulated part-worn and second-hand passenger tyres could have far greater costs by exposing consumers and road users to a major hazard, as well as fuelling an illicit economy that is going unchecked.
SRSA CEO, Riaz Haffejee, said: “The use of second-hand tyres, where the buyer has no knowledge of the tyre’s age or repair history – together with the illegal and highly dangerous practice of ‘re-grooving’ tyres to create greater tread depth – are a significant cause for concern within the continent’s informal tyre sector.
“As an African corporate citizen, consumer and tyre safety, included in the tyre manufacturing process, is part of SRSA’s DNA and culture. We recognise the causes and consequences of unsafe and unregulated part-worn and second-hand tyres – firstly, for consumers and road users, and secondly, for SRSA as a regulatory compliant tyre manufacturer. Our custodianship and support of Part Worn Africa seeks to advance our already well-established manufacturing, product and consumer safety initiatives such as our #SaferthanSafe campaign.”
