Talk us through the next few years Willem leading up to the development of Protea Bande as we know it today.
In 1968, my father, Willem Janse van Rensburg started one of the first Bandag retreading franchises in Groblersdal, Nigel and Johannesburg. Richardsbay and Ermelo followed shortly thereafter. After studying to become a teacher at Potchefstroom, followed by another two years in the National Defense Force I finally joined the family tyre business in 1983. In the late 1990’s I bought the shares from my father in the Ermelo and surrounding branches and this was followed by another important milestone in 2001 when we joined TWK AGRI PTY LTD. They had their own fitment centres in Piet Retief and Lothair and were facing similar market challenges as the Protea Tyre Group. Since then Protea Tyres and TWK had a mutual beneficial business relationship where the joined effort of our entrepreneurial knowledge and skills and sound financial base led to increases in the footprint of tyre outlets.
Am I correct to assume that you still dabble in both new and retreaded tyres?
Yes. The Protea Tyres Group currently owns two Dunlop Zone Fitment Centres in Piet Retief and Vryheid, a Best Drive and Truck Commercial Centre in Ermelo, the Dunlop Commercial Zone in Middelburg Mpumalanga, Battery Centres in Ermelo and Piet Retief, a Truck tyre Warehouse in Boksburg together with the Bandag retreading factories in Ermelo and Kimberley where we retread up to 7000 truck tyres per month. We distribute retreaded truck and new tyres to a network of retailers and end-users across Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KZN, Northern Cape and Gauteng.
What is your current ratio of new tyres/retreads?
About 60% retreads and 40% new. Our latest market research indicates that in Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and in the Northern and Western parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal we hold a major share in the retreading market.
So, retreads still play an important role in your market?
Most definitely. With 51 years of experience behind us and