Tyre Bay Direct is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of garage equipment, tyres and consumables. In business since August 2005, the company is based in Redditch in the West Midlands and has 34 employees. As exclusive distributors of some of the world’s most reliable brands including the Uniflate nitrogen tyre inflation systems supplied to Formula 1 Grand Prix racing since 1992, Tyre Bay Direct’s customers range from mobile fitters to national fast fit chains.
An industry pioneer in e-commerce technology, Tyre Bay Direct maintains a strong online presence across the UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy and keeps in touch with its customers via fortnightly newsletters and quarterly catalogues.
Research and development
Tyre Bay Direct works closely with Unite, the manufacturer of our tyre machinery, wheel balancers and vehicle lifts of which we are exclusive distributors in the UK and Ireland, to ensure our machinery constantly performs at the top of the field. Over the last 7 years that we have been in partnership with Unite, the trips our technical team have made to their factory in Shanghai, China and the occasions on which we have hosted Unite’s engineering and development team have proven immeasurably helpful for both parties in continuing to produce high standard products.
Product quality
As importers and distributors of some of the world’s best known brands in the industry, Tyre Bay Direct are proud of the exclusive distributor arrangements they have with Rubber Vulk, Unite, BlackJack and high quality brands such as Draper, Deltec and PCL that are all testament to the standards and reliability across Tyre Bay Direct’s range.
Customer service
Where customer service is concerned, Tyre Bay Direct’s dedicated team are always working hard to satisfy our customers. From over-the-phone machinery troubleshooting to tracking a parcel via our courier’s online portal, the customer service and technical team are always available to help.
After sales service
Tyre Bay Direct pride themselves on being the first in the industry to offer a two year warranty on all garage equipment, tyre changers and wheel balancers as standard. Tyre Bay Direct have a team of expertly trained field engineers, always on hand to visit your workshop in case of a breakdown as well as a knowledgeable technical team at the end of a phone line to offer advice, support and answer any queries. Thanks to Tyre Bay Direct’s long established relationship with the manufacturer of our tyre machines and wheel balancers we possess a huge stock of original spare parts and accessories. Our customers never have to resort to making do with parts which may or may not work – they can buy direct from the distributor. Our standard guarantee covers the free replacement and dispatch of any spare parts required for the first two years after purchase. If, in the third year, you require any parts, the customer service and technical team would help diagnose the problem and advise which spare parts you would need to purchase.
Engineers, installation and demonstration
Tyre Bay Direct’s team of knowledgeable engineers are all trained in tyre fitting and balancing as well as the engineering behind the range of garage equipment we sell making them uniquely suited to the installations, training, servicing and maintenance they carry out on a daily basis. Travelling up and down the country, our engineers have seen our machinery working in all sorts of situations, from small shops fitting 5 or 10 tyres a week to large fast fit centres where the equipment is used heavily, day in day out. Whether it’s a breakdown or an installation we can usually guarantee an engineer within three working days wherever you are in the country.
Another service on offer from Tyre Bay Direct is installation and training with the purchase of a brand new tyre machine and/or wheel balancer. Once an install date has been arranged, our engineers will deliver your machines, bolt them to the floor of your working area and connect the air supply. Once the machines are fitted into place, our trained engineer will spend approximately an hour with you to guide you through the machine’s features and functions, demonstrating the mounting, demounting and balancing of a tyre and answering any questions you may have.
Warehousing and distribution
In addition to its own fleet of dedicated tail-lift delivery vehicles, Tyre Bay Direct works in partnership with distribution and logistics firms across the UK and Europe to ensure timely delivery of orders. According to our customers’ requirements we can deliver pre-10am, next working day or within 48 hours. Saturday delivery is available by arrangement and many of our local customers choose to collect their orders from our premises in Redditch, Worcestershire.
Following our move from Bromsgrove in November 2009 we are now situated in a 20,000 square foot warehouse in Redditch, approximately 15 miles south of Birmingham.
Unite brand
Unite tyre machines are manufactured in China, imported exclusively by Tyre Bay Direct and assembled and tested by our own engineers.
Thanks to a long-established working relationship with Unite, Tyre Bay Direct are proud to exclusively offer the Unite equipment range of tyre changing machines, wheel balancers and vehicle lifts.
Tyre Bay Direct History
Having started in 1992 as suppliers of Uniflate nitrogen tyre inflation to Formula 1, by 1995 the news had spread and the tyre industry was clamouring for a system designed for use in a regular workshop. Over the next few years almost 200 systems were rolled out across the UK to great acclaim.
In 2003, a range of valve sleeves was developed to further publicise that exclusive Formula 1 inflation technology was now available on the consumer market, and soon become available in a range of customised styles featuring our customers’ names and phone numbers.
Tyre Bay Direct soon expanded its range of garage equipment and Unite came on board and have had a solid working relationship since 2005. At the same time, in order to act as a one-stop-shop for our growing number of customers, Tyre Bay Direct entered into distribution agreements with a variety of the industry’s top suppliers and was able to offer its customers consumables, hand tools, compressors and air tools alongside top quality garage equipment.
In 2007, as market demand had grown for nitrogen tyre inflation systems, Tyre Bay Direct were approached by Kwik Fit in Holland to equip their 200 fast fit centres with nitrogen generators to replace the existing bottle system which they had been using, this roll out was completed in early 2008.
In the latter part of the same year, Kwik Fit in the UK installed 40 sample units, and in February 2009, roll out began to all new and existing Kwik Fit centres across the country.
The popularity of Uniflate tyre inflation systems grew and Tyre Bay Direct has also had successful relationships with Northeastern Tyre and Exhaust, Selecta Tyre, Merityre and Mr. Tyre. Today, Uniflate tyre inflation systems are installed in hundred of tyre shops and fast fit centres across the UK and Europe.
Unite tyre machines, exclusively distributed by Tyre Bay Direct are now installed in mobile tyre fitting vans, small workshops, busy fast fit centres and main dealers up and down the country. Tyre Bay Direct continues to one of the leading suppliers in the industry and a pioneer of e-commerce.
Key customers
At Tyre Bay Direct we are proud to supply the leading names in the UK’s tyre industry. Not only are our Uniflate nitrogen tyre inflation systems installed in branches of Selecta Tyre, Merityre, Mr. Tyre and North Eastern Tyre & Exhaust but also in every existing and newly opened Kwik Fit centre in the UK along with installation in their Netherlands and French centres. Mobi Tyre’s mobile tyre fitting fleet, serving the RAC, is also equipped with Unite’s tyre machines and wheel balancers, supplied, installed and maintained exclusively by Tyre Bay Direct.
As far as consumables are concerned, our patented customised valve sleeves are supplied to tyre businesses up and down the country. Our unique technology allows the name and telephone number of your business to appear on every valve you sell.
Product range
In addition to our comprehensive range of garage equipment, tyre changing machines, wheel balancers and vehicle lifts, Tyre Bay Direct stocks all the consumable items, hand tool and air tools that tyre fitters use on a daily basis.
From BlackJack repair materials direct from the USA to high quality valves and balance weights from Rubber Vulk, Tyre Bay Direct is a one stop shop for everything a tyre shop needs.
Nitrogen
The Uniflate nitrogen tyre inflation system was pioneered in 1992 for inflating the tyres of Formula 1 cars. Since then, Uniflate continues to be the exclusive supplier of tyre inflation systems to Formula 1 and has recently celebrated the continuation of this historic relationship in this blue ribbon event with Pirelli, the new tyre supplier as of this season.
At Tyre Bay Direct we can offer this Formula 1 technology direct to you. Uniflate harvests nitrogen from the atmosphere – there’s no need to refill with bulky and expensive bottles or canisters.
Tyres inflated with Uniflate maintain their pressure, with no gradual reduction as is seen in tyres inflated with compressed air. Underinflated tyres are not only illegal but dangerous – according to a survey carried out by Sussex Police Force, 86% of cars involved in road traffic accidents had incorrectly inflated tyres, whereas only 73% of cars in a random roadside sample had incorrect pressures.
Correct tyre pressures save money on fuel by reducing rolling resistance. The improvement in road handling that Uniflate provides due to correct tyre pressures is a major contribution to road safety.
Formula 1
In 1991, the creators of Uniflate nitrogen tyre inflation systems were approached by Goodyear to develop a tyre inflation system for Formula 1 racing. The original system was a phenomenal success and was soon adopted by Goodyear for all their Formula 1 tyre inflation needs. Since Uniflate first entered the Formula 1 arena in the 1992 season, all subsequent tyre suppliers to the competition have followed suit and Uniflate systems have been used for tyres supplied to Formula 1 by Bridgestone, Michelin and now Pirelli.
From the year 2000, Uniflate has been working closely with Formula 1 teams including Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, Toro Rosso, Force India and Honda to design and build bespoke tyre inflation systems according to the individual teams’ requirements.
Uniflate are proud to continue their relationship with Formula 1 and are looking forward to working more closely with Pirelli in the seasons to come.
