Dunlop celebrates 130 years
Tyre brand Dunlop, manufactured by Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), celebrated it's 130-year birthday celebrations across South Africa. The Dunlop brand is known for its impressive history in the tyre industry, pioneering ground-breaking innovations and developing quality products that consumers know and continue to trust.
John Boyd Dunlop first practical pneumatic tyre
Speaking on the brands successful history, Riaz Haffejee, CEO of SRSA, manufacturers of the Dunlop brand said, “We acquired the Dunlop brand in 2013 and it has been a privilege to take a brand, with such a rich heritage and continue its amazing journey. Dunlop’s legacy of quality and reliability is why it has stood the test of time. At SRSA we are committed to serving our customers with excellence and as the custodian of the #SaferthanSafe initiative, quality and safe products remain our top priority.”
John Boyd Dunlop lay the foundation for one of the world’s most iconic brands when he invented the first practical pneumatic tyre. Since then the brand has achieved many significant milestones such as:
Customers and staff alike shared their enthusiasm regarding the impressive 130-year achievement.
“Dunlop is the tyre brand that took my parents and grandparents places, helped them make memories and is a big part of who we are as a family today. The Dunlop brand is a proudly South African household name to me,” said Kenneth Botha of Cuyler Service Centre.
“The brand ‘Dunlop’ is more than a tyre brand. In most parts of Africa especially in countries like Nigeria and Zambia, Dunlop has achieved an iconic status. Even after decades of existence, it is still among the most trusted brands in Africa. The ‘D’ of Dunlop is one of the most recognised symbols in the tyre industry and we feel privileged to represent the brand in many countries in Africa,” said Govind Ram, DWA Tyre Group.
Stephen Orr, Group Manager: Business Development at SRSA has been employed at the company for over 10 years. He said, “Under SRSA, we have seen the Dunlop brand grow from strength to strength! This is due to the company’s commitment to customer service, quality and safety. I am proud to work for a brand that is so passionate about its products.”
SRSA's marketing director, Yvette Govender said it was inspiring to have Dunlop - already an iconic international tyre brand – reaffirmed as the winner in the 2017/2018 Ask Afrika Icon Brands Survey.
“Earning worldwide trust is not easy. Dunlop’s high standards of quality, affordability and availability are what makes it stand tall. At a time when cash-strapped consumers are showing less commitment to brands, it is indeed inspiring to see that Dunlop still retains consumer loyalty.”
“Dunlop’s new brand positioning reinforces the Dunlop brand essence of ‘confidence’ – the confidence the company has in its product and the confidence consumers have in the brand. The current ‘Take the Road’ campaign encourages consumers to ‘Be who they want to be and go where they want to go, embracing their personal journey’,” says Govender.
“Through consistent delivery of quality tyre products to the market, we will continue to enable consumers to quite literally take the road with this type of trust and confidence in our brand.”
Backed by Sumitomo Rubber South Africa, Dunlop will continue its history of innovation, producing solutions developed specifically for African conditions, driven by the needs of its customers with the added advantages of Japanese technology.
