Kal Tire acquires Klinge Tire Services

Kal Tire’s mining tyre group has acquired Klinge & Co., a tyre services business in Australia.

Kal Tire has been operating in western Australia for approximately six years and has long intended to expand into eastern Australia where the majority of major mines operate.

“Even though our reputation is strong and recognised in many countries, it has been a challenge convincing customers of our credibility inside of Australia as our experience there has been limited.” said Dan Allan, Senior Vice President of Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group. “With Klinge, Kal Tire aligns with a well-respected, trusted company known to the Australian mining industry and secures our presence as a national tyre service provider.”

Both companies have aligned cultures with both being family-owned operations, Klinge & Co. is co-owned by Tom and Dianne Klinge and Kal Tire was started by Tom Foord in 1953 in Western Canada.

“Kal Tire and the Klinge tire services business is a strong comfortable fit for Dianne and I,” commented Tom Klinge, co-owner of Klinge & Co. “We share many of the same values and objectives, in particular when it comes to looking after customers and team members. And after much heart-felt thinking, we feel it is time to focus on the Klinge software business going forward.”

Klinge & Co. will be a software company going forward focused on tyre management systems, training, and tools. They have a proven tyre management tool called ‘TotalTyreControl’, which has become an industry standard for tyre management software. Klinge will continue to develop its software business in Australia and provide software training in other parts of the world.

Kal Tire began its move east when it was recently established in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, with the opening of a new mining tyre repair facility. Kal Tire will now be able to offer this valuable repair service, including its Ultra Repair™ technology and a number of other value-added offerings, to Klinge’s customers.

“We are excited to welcome Klinge’s 200 skilled personnel to the Kal Tire family,” stated Robert Foord, President of Kal Tire. “They bring invaluable experience with Australian miners. We’ve known Tom and Dianne Klinge for many years and we share the same commitment when it comes to how we think about our people and about our customers.”

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/15062016/kal-tire-acquires-klinge-tire-services-969/