Can you please give us some general information about yourself and how you became a part of the tire industry?Tires are our family business. My father, Larry Cross, started a business fitting tires in 1980. This grew into Oak Tyres, one of the UK’s biggest tire wholesalers. Ever since I can remember, we have been involved in the business, from the warehouse floor to the boardroom.From what we understand, Davanti started as a single retail tire shop in 1980 and has now reached the point where it is expanding globally. Can you please explain more about this growth story?It is a story of hard work and commitment. My father started this as a family business in 1980 and everyone had a role. As time went on he realized that, as other tire fitters came to ask for his help sourcing tires, that there was a need for a wholesale operation to meet the growing demand. This is what became Oak Tyres. The business enjoyed quick but steady growth to become one of the UK’s largest tire wholesalers. It was about six years ago that we first started to make our ambition to launch our own tire brand a reality however. My brother, Gary, is an engineer and we felt that, by working with the right people, we could design and manufacture our own tire, one which could match or outperform much of the tire market but that was priced reasonably, offering dealers good margins and consumers value for money.The result was Davanti Tyres and since launching our first product to market we have expanded our presence to around 60 countries globally.How important is the Middle East market for Davanti Tyres?The Middle East is very important to Davanti Tyres. It is a thriving market for cars and tyres and drivers here face real issues with imported vehicles bearing unsafe tires or tires that are not GCC compliant and are unsuitable for the conditions. Davanti Tyres are fully GCC certified and offer a safe and affordable alternative to keep the drivers of the Middle East on the road.Which are the most popular tires that Davanti sells? Do you have tires for commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars?Our most popular tire is our ultra-high performance DX640. This is a lower profile tire with a sportier pattern designed for high-performance road cars and SUVs.We also have a light commercial van tire, the DX440, which is very popular among van drivers at a time when more and more van journeys are being made thanks to online shopping.Davanti announced plans to sell tires in US market in August 2018. How is the Davanti brand doing in this very competitive market?We did indeed announce plans for that. That is still a work in progress. The US is a complex and competitive market to trade in but it is something we are still working towards.Whom would you say is the typical customer for Davanti tires in the Middle East region? The beauty of our range is that we have a tire for everyone. Whether you drive a small city car, a saloon or sedan, a high-performance sports car, SUV, pickup or 4x4, Davanti has a tire for you. How different is the Middle East market from other key global markets? What sets the Middle East apart is twofold - sizes and conditions. The nature of the Middle East market is that there is a wide variety of cars and a thriving car culture. The result is a lot of non-standard tire sizes. Davanti’s range of more than 250 fitments can cover most size requests.tiresandparts.net8
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