The engineering talent of BKT is what keeps the off-highway tyre manufacturer globally competitive and sets its products apart from its competitors, says local distributor Tubestone founder and MD Pieter Kruger.

“Over the years, a dedicated team of engi-neers has taken on the task of designing and manufacturing superior tyres in the shortest possible time. With precise and complex plan-ning, BKT is developing over 150 to 160 new stock keeping units every year, coupled with the world’s fastest turnaround time of eight to ten weeks for new product development,” says Kruger, whose company is the sole distributor of the India-made tyres in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Tubestone will put on display BKT’s mining, industrial and agricultural tyres at the Electra Mining Africa exhibition.

BKT, which was established in 1987 and now boasts over 2 300 stock keeping units, has gained world market share “at a blistering pace”, says Kruger.

“BKT has established its brand image through quality and after-sales service and the brand enjoys an enviable reputation in international and domestic aftermarket, as well as among all major original-equipment manufacturers across the world,” he states.

BKT has a dedicated team of professionals, who carry out design and development of new products as per specific customer needs and market feedback.

BKT is further running an in-house quality assurance and testing programme on its products, with indoor and outdoor facilities. These testing facilities include an endurance testing machine, tyre X-ray inspec-tion machine and shreography machine. BKT has a dedicated outdoor testing facility in Italy. The group’s tyre testing and evaluation experts constantly seek feedback from the market, resulting in continuous improvement.

Through constant market research to keep abreast of customer needs and technological trends, intensive research and development to develop new patterns, designs and styles and relentlessly expanding production capabilities, BKT has gained world market share in a short period of time.

The company has four factories and one mould plant in India. The fourth factory will be the largest and located in Bhuj, Gujarat. All the warehouses are equipped with modern storage facilities for better tyre storage and handling.

To prove Tubestone’s trust in the product for its supplies to local markets, the company offers a rewards programme – the Tubestone Loyalty Club (TLC) – for its BKT customers. Customers can register online or in-store and collect TLC points when purchasing any BKT product from a participating TLC dealer. These points serve as future discounts when a customer purchases any BKT products.

Another project Tubestone launched with BKT tyres is the South African Ploughing Competition. The World Ploughing Competition is a “massive” yearly event, drawing competitors from all over the world, says Kruger.

“Winning this competition is a huge hon-our. South Africa, however, was not part of this elite group so Tubestone seized the opportunity and created the South African Ploughing Organisation. Every year, ploughing competitions are held all over the country. The competitions are also trials, to determine the finalists who will then participate in the South African Ploughing Competition Finals, held at Nampo. The winner is crowned the South African ploughing champion and represents South Africa in the World Ploughing Competition.”

Only BKT tyres are used in this competition.

Even though Tubestone’s focus at Electra Mining Africa will be on its BKT products, the company also imports and distributes other tyre brands, covering all areas of tyre needs, including passenger tyres, forklift tyres and truck tyres.

Tubestone’s South African branches can be found in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Durban and Port Elizabeth. It also has branches in Windhoek, in Namibia, Gaborone, in Botswana, and Harare, in Zimbabwe. The group manages its warehousing in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

Hall 5 Stand D4