There are many standards to be met with regards the quality of tyres used on vehicles these days and with new regulations that have been introduced, the tyre industry and indeed motorists are benefiting hugely.
EC regulations requires tyres to have performance labels, with the aim of encouraging people to purchase tyres with superior environmental and safety performance, and also encourage tyre manufacturers to produce tyres whose performance exceeds the minimum requirements specified.
Tyres play a critical role in the safety of any vehicle and its occupants and sometimes this is underestimated by people who are willing to drive on sub-standard tyres.
It has been proven that many accidents on Irish roads have been caused by bald or defected tyres, but yet still we find it hard to adhere to the proper procedures when it comes to fitting new tyres.
However, tyre legislation is changing all the time and most companies involved in the sale of tyres follow the letter of the law which gives customers the peace of mind that they are purchasing a quality product.
One such company is Down Tyres, which is located in Downpatrick, Co Down and has been supplying a large customer base with a number of services since 2012.
Established by Michael McAlerney, the company has grown considerably in the last few years with its service and customer base expanding all the time.
Michael had a massive knowledge in the tyre industry before setting up his own business as he worked in the sector all his life.
“We are open for the past five years now and business is going well. The summer months are always a busy time for us, especially in the agricultural side as we stock a wide range of tractor tyres,” said Michael.
“We can provide any brand a customer wants, but the main ones used by the farming community are Firestone, BKT and Mitas.”
Down Tyres provide a number of services and along with supplying and fitting tyres for tractors, they also provide them for cars, bikes and light commercials.
A 24hr seven-day a week recovery service is also available, while their modern workshop allows them to carry out garage services such as car servicing, MOT preparations; increased life span for your car; improved fuel efficiency; experienced mechanical advice; competitive prices; wheel alignment; commercial vehicle servicing; clutches; brakes; lightbulb changes; wipers and engine diagnostics.
Michael revealed that they were not afraid to invest in the business in order to have the most state of the art equipment available to them.
“If we need something we will get it. At the moment, we have the workshop well equipped and a few years back we placed a major investment into the business.
“It is important to move with the times. The legislation is changing all the time and although creates an awful lot more paperwork, it is for the benefit of the industry.
“People’s attitudes towards tyres is slowly changing and they are more conscious of how worn their tyres are. They can stop into us at any time and we will advise them whether they need to change the tyres or not. If your tyres need replacing we will supply and fit tyres from leading brands at very competitive prices. We stock and fit all leading brands including Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli, BF Goodrich, Hankook and many more.”
Another service provided is tractor wheel alignment where the team at Down Tyres go to a farm yard or wherever the customer wants them to and align the wheels on their tractors.
“I bought an alignment machine just over two years ago. Not many companies would offer this service, but it is proving very popular for us. There are a lot of benefits from having the wheels aligned and it has been proven that it is cost effective as you can save up to 20% on diesel over the course of a year.
“Generally, we would go anywhere in the country and if they are a few jobs in the one area all the better. We would be out mostly on Sundays doing this as that is the only time that farmers might not be using their fleet of tractors. At the end of the day, it is all about keeping the customers happy and if that means working Sunday then I’m willing to do that.”
Michael added that they are always looking at ways to try and improve their service in order to keep their customers satisfied.
The motor industry is a fast-paced and competitive industry, which is why we are constantly striving to improve our level of service. Like I said earlier, we carry a wide range across all the premium tyre manufacturers. We also stock a wide range of mid-range and economy tyres to suit all lifestyles and budgets.
“As your tyres are the only part of your vehicle to have contact with the road it is important to ensure that they are of the desired level of quality.”
So what does the future hold for Down Tyres? “We want to ensure that our customers are happy with the services that we provide. Fortunately, we are kept quite busy all year round, but we are always looking at ways of improving our services and making sure that we maintain the standards that our customers have become used to over the years.”
Down Tyres
Ballydugan Industrial Estate
Ballydugan Road
Downpatrick
County Down
BT30 6TE
Phone: 028 4483 9783
After hours: 07746 130 969
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 6, September 2017
