Sailun wrapped up its “Road to Cologne 2024” adventure one week before The Tire Cologne opened its doors on 4 June 2024.
Sailun’s “Road to Cologne 2024” Started in Italy and Finished in Germany
As Sailun Europe entered the home stretch of its “Road to Cologne 2024” in the run-up to The Tire Cologne—which opened its doors in Cologne on 4 June 2024—an Audi Q4 e-tron made an appearance on the two final stages of the tour, which started in Italy at the beginning of May and has so far led via Spain and France to England. The tour also served to consolidate and further expand the ambitious goals for the Sailun Group’s innovative range of tyres with its dealer partners in the European core markets.
“We not only want to impress the international audience with our major appearance at the leading trade fair The Tire Cologne next week but also set a lasting example in advance with our spectacular road trip through the six key European markets and highlight the premium claim of the Sailun brand as well as our future ambitions of the Sailun Group, which is one of the top 12 tyre manufacturers in the world,” said Stephan Cimbal, Marketing Director of Sailun Europe, last week.
The aim of “Road to Cologne 2024” was to show the European dealer network the broad spectrum and diverse potential of the Sailun tyre range for electric, hybrid, and conventional drives with EcoPoint3 technology and to bring it into focus in the run-up to The Tire Cologne.
The fifth stage destination of the “Road to Cologne 2024” was Poland. The Audi Q4 e-tron drove from Hamburg to Berlin, and from there via Frankfurt/Oder to Poznan and Wroclaw to Latex Opony, one of the largest and most traditional tyre dealerships in Poland.
In Opole, around 80 kilometres west of Krakow, the Groehl family has been active in the tyre industry for more than 65 years. In 2001, Tomasz Groehl, the current CEO & owner of Latex Opony, joined the company, successively expanded the national and international sales network, permanently developed relationships with global tyre manufacturers—such as the Sailun Group—and thus opened up new, lucrative sales markets far beyond Poland’s borders.
“We see ourselves as the best choice in Central Europe when it comes to being a solid and reliable partner in the tyre wholesale trade,” emphasized Groehl during the two-day visit by the Sailun team.
Latex Opony has a great team of more than 390 employees and supplies all types of tyres, with a special focus on UHP types. The large stock of more than 75,000 m², the fleet of over 70 vehicles and the state-of-the-art B2B ordering system are designed to always guarantee customers high-quality products and services with fast delivery times at competitive prices.
“We are proud to be one of the leading companies and key reference points in the Eastern European tyre industry. Our modern approach to business, combined with a lot of energy and reliable partners like Sailun at our side, offers new potential and lays the foundation for sustainable expansion and further growth for all parties involved – both in the domestic and foreign markets,” Groehl added.
From Poland, it was on to the last leg of the “Road to Cologne 2024” but before the Sailun crew set off for Cologne, they travelled via Dresden, Bayreuth, Nuremberg, and Ulm to Kirchberg an der Iller in Baden-Württemberg. At Reifen Straub GmbH, another third-generation owner-managed family business, has been operating for the Sailun Group brands in Germany and Switzerland for more than ten years. Since its foundation in 1964, everything at Straub has revolved around tyres, rims, and systems.
Up to 500,000 car, SUV, and van tyres, around 35,000 motorcycle tyres, as well as truck tyres, and TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) sensors are stored here. “In southern Germany, Vorarlberg, and Tyrol, we personally deliver the ordered goods to our customers, whether they are garages, car dealerships or tyre dealers, within 24 hours with our in-house delivery service,” says Marc Straub, Sales and Purchasing Manager at Reifen Straub GmbH.
He then added, “Sailun is a brand that is smart and stands for top quality at a competitive price and is therefore absolutely in tune with the times.”
Sailun‘s focus at The Tire Cologne, as stated in the press conference on 4 June 2024, was to emphasize on the mission of making great tyres.
In addition to the groundbreaking EcoPoint3 technology, another focus will be on the new Sailun tyre portfolio as well as the experiences and adventures around the Road to Cologne in terms of performance, competitiveness, and resource conservation. “With our diverse range of tyres, including the latest generations of PCR, TBR, and special products as well as a tyre development for electric vehicles and hybrids, we want to set new standards and make a lasting mark in the tyre industry at The Tire Cologne,” said Cimbal.
“The aim is and remains to highlight our clear premium claim to international visitors and media representatives. At the same time, it is important to further strengthen the good cooperation and the expansion of the close relationships between the markets and the international Sailun management around the coming tyre generations. It is our ambition that all parties involved are optimally positioned for the coming challenges, as this guarantees a decisive competitive advantage and new, sustainable growth potential,” he added.
