EXPERTISE
50 YEARS OF RESEARCH, INVESTMENT AND TEAMWORK.
People are the driving force behind our success. Across the business we have experts in rubber technology, research and development, robotics and engineering.
This allows us to design a unique range of tyres for specific applications, right down to the bespoke rubber compounds produced in-house in our laboratory.
Meet Our Team
THE People Behind The Tyres
Tony Mailling
Operations Director
James Griffiths
Technical Manager
Justin Holloway
Quality & Environmental Manager
Magdalena Humphreys
Operations Manager & IT
Peter Pritchard
Production Manager BV Mixing
Richard Martin
Production Manager
James Rowlands
Warehouse Manager
Our team and their journeys
“As a long-serving member of the Bandvulc team I have enjoyed job security, regular and reliable work with possibilities to progress within the company over the years. Now being part of the Continental group, a whole new world of opportunity has opened up! In my case, being invited to join new projects with our sister plant in Stӧcken, which oversees all casing supply and trade in Europe.”
Nick Jarvis
CASING SUPPLY MANAGER - 4O YEARS SERVICE
“I enjoy the challenges of my role and always have done, along with integrating new technologies into our systems and processes as they evolve, and everyday is different! Now being part of the Continental family, I have a wider range of technical resources and expertise which both brands are renowned for.”
Tony Cross
Senior Technical - 25 years service
“Continental’s commitment to individual development and openness has given me the tools and knowledge to get the best out of my role. The trust given to me by my line director allows me to run my department efficiently and safely knowing that I have their support when needed. I have many roles from people management, to quality assurance, staff safety and compound development so no day is ever the same. I enjoy helping others achieve their goals from my years of experience.”
Peter Pritchard
Production Manager - 30 years service
“The biggest benefit I experience in working for Continental is the flexibility and being able to work shift patterns which help me support my family life. My supervisor always provides feedback on my work and progress which is really appreciated, especially in a busy environment! I have been able to progress my career to a really varied role which I enjoy and which allows me to develop my skill set in a variety of different tasks across the plant”
Kate Atkinson
Stores and Production - 9 years service.
“Since joining Continental in 2021 I have enjoyed working hard in an active job and pushing myself to meet my targets which really motivates me. The hands-on approach to training has been really beneficial and the people I work with are really supportive along with the management team who are encouraging me to learn new skills in order to further develop my role in the future. It’s great to be offered overtime as well which is a bonus and the holiday entitlement is good.”
Michael McCarthy-Stubbs
Moulding - 9 months service
“Having worked at Bandvulc for a many years we’ve experienced a transition period as we integrate more with Continental and now enjoy further benefits such as extended holidays, a bonus scheme and importantly there is a clearer structure and more open dialogue on career progression and development plans. A big focus for the company has always been H&S and Quality in our products and processes and our ISO accreditation requires us to continually improve our standards which is a big part of my role which I enjoy working on.”
Dan Simpson
H&S Quality Auditor - 15 years service
“Since working at Continental I’ve found the shift patterns allow me to have a much better work / life balance and work around my family well. The team I work with are great and the supervisors always take the time to check in with you even during busy periods. In the short time I’ve been here I’ve noticed so many development projects going on in the plant including new innovations in Robotics; there’s always improvement happening.”
Brice Shields
Building - 9 months service
“Throughout my time at Continental it’s been great to learn how each stage in the production process is crucial to the quality and performance of the end product which has always been the highest priority for Bandvulc. I enjoy my role as a Supervisor, the shift patterns are convenient and the role keeps challenging me.”
Jacek Orzech
Factory Supervisor - 15 Years service
“I’m happy in my role at Continental, the workload and targets are manageable and the team around me are always on hand to support if needed. I enjoy the shift pattern I work which allows me to spend weekends with my family.”
Magek Gugula
Preparation - 10 years service
“I have worked for Bandvulc for almost 12 years now, alongside and under a very supportive team of people. Every day is different and continues to challenge me so I am continually learning something new and developing my knowledge, especially since the acquisition by Continental Tyres and the increased opportunities available.”
Sarah Curtis
Management Accountant - 12 years service
“What I loved about Bandvulc was the “family” element to the company, which we’ve retained as part of Continental. We’ve gained more experience and resource by joining the CTG and there are more opportunities to progress and widen your skill set. One of Continental’s core values, “Freedom to Act” is really refreshing and allows me to gain confidence and experience, after 10 years in the business it’s great to still have an active training plan and I feel very encouraged to train and learn more.”
Jon Squires
Transport Manager, CGL - 10 years service
Brand Journey
2020's
Find out what’s happened since by viewing our news section.
2010's
Our production facility hits a record 4,000 tyres being produced per week. With our ethos still on reducing its impact on the environment, investment was made in updating our casing handling system to further improve recyclability.
In 2016 the Bandvulc Group was acquired by Continental group holdings, further strengthening its position as Britain’s leading UK commercial retreader for truck, LGV and commercial vehicle tyres.
2000's
Our B2K trailer tyre was launched and quickly became a bestseller in our portfolio. BTC (Bandvulc Tyre Contracts) was launched providing 24/7/365 tyre support for our blue chip customer base. Following years of investment into processes and people, the Tyre Support Unit is renowned for tyre expertise and customer service excellence. Following the acquisition by Continental in 2016, the team has grown and evolved and now operates as Conti360° Solutions.
In 2006 the our BIG tyre range was launched for local fleets and tipper operations.
We added 2 tyre patterns to its long haul tyre range, the BD08 and BT08. Designed for high mileage haulage operations the tyres were instantly popular with our retail customer base and continue to perform in today’s market.
1990's
The 90’s saw the launch of our Wastemaster range. Still a proven market leader in the waste industry, the Wastemaster tyre has evolved over the last 20 years to provide a high performing, sustainable solution to waste fleets across the UK and in Europe.
1980's
Our product sales continued to grow and a nationwide delivery network was established across the UK. Our knowledge of rubber technology lead to the evolution of an in-house rubber compounding plant to produce rubber solely for our range.
1970's
Our retreading began with manufacturing tyres for local operations and tipper fleets. As the demand grew, we invested in purpose built premises in Ivybridge, which is still the heart of the retreading operation today.
ContiLifeCycle Ivybridge champions Continental’s retreading innovation
Following our relaunch as a ContiLifeCycle facility in March, our retread plant in Ivybridge has assumed the role of a technical innovation hub for Continental’s tyre retreading programme. The move supports the brand’s ongoing sustainability strategy. As one of the UK’s most advanced tyre recycling and hot retreading facility, our Ivybridge operation will play a significant role in the development of future ContiLifeCycle products and initiatives. Prior to the rebrand, the site was the main premises for leading Continental-owned retreader, Bandvulc. New Bandvulc products continue to be developed and manufactured alongside ContiRe tyres in Ivybridge. Tony Mailling, Head of Hot…
Continental Q&A: Why customers are at the heart of our tyre designs
At a first glance, it isn’t always obvious that a truck, bus, or van tyre has been optimised for a specific application. Operators could be forgiven for thinking that tyres, on the whole, all look the same. However, the process of creating the perfect tyre is highly scientific, blending physics, chemistry and product design principles. Continental and Bandvulc have a diverse portfolio of tyres, not least in the Commercial Vehicle sector. From construction and semi- off-road tyres, through to haulage, distribution and passenger-carrying vehicle rubber, each has a unique set of characteristics that deliver real-world performance, efficiency, and safety benefits…
Bandvulc’s ContiLifeCycle Journey continues with new branding
Our Ivybridge plant which has been the the home of Bandvulc tyres for over 50 years, has been rebranded as a Continental LifeCycle production facility, with new signage installed throughout February. The move sees the factory become more closely aligned to Continental’s Stöcken LifeCycle plant, which produces hot-retread tyres. The Bandvulc plant now employs some 280 people in and around Devon and was welcomed into the Continental portfolio in 2016. Our hot-retread production focuses on the UK market with Bandvulc tyres being designed and manufactured in Ivybridge as well as producing ContiRe branded tyres in partnership with the Stöcken plant.…
New investment in robotics drives efficiencies
Innovation is as simple as ABC at Bandvulc, thanks in part to the installation of the ABC (Automated Build Cell) Robot at the Ivybridge plant. Our Head of Hot Retread Production at Bandvulc, Tony Mailling, explains more about how innovation and teamwork has progressed this exciting project: “Prior to the introduction of the ABC robot, the loading and unloading of the tyres onto the building machines was a completely manual process for our operatives. Now, the robot automatically loads the tyres onto the building machine from indexed conveyors and the state-of-the-art extrusion technology applies the new compound onto the tread…
Quality Rubber: Setting the retread standard
Quality, reliability and safety are of paramount importance during our tyre production process. At the forefront of retread technology in the UK for more than 50 years, Bandvulc has built an enviable reputation for producing retread tyres of the highest standard. From initial design and development work to casing recycling and tread application on the factory floor, our team of experts implement critical measures that ensure our tyres offer exceptional performance across a range of applications. This is supported with the knowledge and expertise shared by our parent company, Continental Tyres. In our latest FOCUS case study our Director of…
Bandvulc celebrate 50 years with its eyes firmly on the future
Retreading experts Bandvulc mark its 50th anniversary this year, and while the successes of the past are celebrated, the organisation has its eyes firmly on the future. Bandvulc is Britain’s foremost commercial retreader. The Devon-based operation began re-using rubber to make retread tyres back in 1971, retreading just 30 tyres a week for local use. Acquired by Continental Tyres in 2016, Bandvulc now produces a premium quality retread tyre every three minutes to serve commercial vehicle customers across the country. Its 50th anniversary is marked by the introduction of the next generation of quality retread products, with major investment planned…
Success built on people
In his work at Bandvulc, the tyre retreading company at Lee Mill, Tony Mailling wears several hats – one of them is GOD. “Well, it was, I was Group Operations Director,” he explains. “Then the title changed and now I’m just OD!” Tony has been with Bandvulc since 2004. This year the company marks 50 years since it was established in 1971 and has grown to become Britain’s biggest commercial retread company producing a retread every 3 minutes. A dedicated workforce, state-of-the-art technology and collaborative working with Continental Tyre Group, which acquired Bandvulc in 2016, means the company is constantly…
50 Years of UK Manufacturing
BANDVULC HITS GOLD! This year South Devon company Bandvulc is marking its 50th anniversary. It was established in 1971 when the import of rubber from Malaysia began and the retreading of tyres started, turning out around 30 a week. Today they are Britain’s biggest commercial retread tyre company, producing a tyre every 3 minutes, from their facility in Lee Mill, near Ivybridge. Acquired by the Continental Tyre Group in 2016, Bandvulc are market leaders because they continually develop more and more advanced products which respond to customers’ needs with in-house facilities. “We find out what our customer needs from a tyre…
Creating a bespoke product
Peter Pritchard thinks he has the best job in the world. He’s a Rubber Technician. He joined Bandvulc, Britain’s largest commercial tyre retreader, in 1992 as a laboratory technician at the company’s headquarters at Lee Mill, near Ivybridge. “I was working in quality control and I was just fascinated,” he says. “I was mainly self-taught and I became interested in everything that was going on in the factory and so I worked hard to get qualifications to become a rubber technologist.” When he takes customers on factory tours, they are often taken aback at the efforts Bandvulc go to in…
An environmental ethos
The tyre industry doesn’t seem like an obvious place to start when you are looking for examples of environmental good practice. But South Devon company Bandvulc has green policies at the heart of everything it does. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Britain’s largest commercial tyre retreader which was established in 1971, now a part of the larger Continental Tyres Group. Back in 1971 Bandvulc were retreading 30 tyres a week, and today Bandvulc produce a tyre every 3 minutes. Bandvulc started out with a green mission – to retread tyres – and that ethos is still very important…
Bandvulc launches new Wastemaster II High Load
Bandvulc, the UK’s leading manufacturer of retreaded tyres has launched a new 295/80R22.5 High Load version of its Wastemaster II tyre, to better meet its customers’ needs in the waste management sector. . The new Wastemaster II HL is purpose-designed to fit on the latest generation of original equipment. Sporting the same robust urban features and bespoke compound advantages as the existing Wastemaster II product, the new tyre comes to the market in a 154/149 J load/speed rating. Wastemaster II HL benefits from Bandvulc’s ‘Armorband’ technology, which provides additional protection around the tyre sidewall as an extra safety barrier against kerbing.…
Keeping supermarket fleets on the road no matter what
Managing two thirds of the UK’s supermarket fleets we’re working tirelessly to help keep delivery trucks on the roads so that vital groceries can continue to be delivered, especially for the vulnerable and those in isolation. We’d like to thank our colleagues within Conti360° and our distribution teams in Ivybridge, Rugby and Wigan for doing an incredible job of keeping the fleet services operational in these testing times. We wish you all the of best health and please do what you can to take care of yourself and those around you.
Fowler Welch puts Bandvulc to the test
After years of fitting Bandvulc and Continental tyres to its fleet, leading supply chain logistics provider, Fowler Welch, has now put the two manufacturers’ low rolling resistance (LRR) offerings to the test. In a joint-trial at Millbrook Proving Ground, Fowler Welch and Bandvulc arranged an evaluation of the performance and efficiency benefits of low rolling resistance tyres, with support from Continental and its ContiPressureCheck™ TPMS system. Low rolling resistance tyres are designed to reduce friction and resistance to improve fuel economy without compromising on critical factors such as safety and braking distance. These products would therefore support Fowler Welch…
On the case – the importance of casing management
The benefits operators can gain from retreading their tyres are numerous. With retreads, fleets achieve 95 per cent mileage at 70 per cent of the cost of a new tyre, offering excellent value for money and significantly reducing running costs in a competitive fleet market. The process means 80 per cent of the materials required to manufacture a new tyre are saved, therefore significantly reducing the impact on the environment. However, if operators are to reap the benefits that retreading can bring to their bottom line, and to their environmental impact, they first need to ensure that they have a…
Conti360° Fleet Services official launch
Conti360° Fleet Services celebrated the official opening of its newly rebranded suite of offices on the 12th December, following a 2-year integration project to bring everything under one roof at Bandvulc’s Lee Mill site. Opening the event Bandvulc Managing Director Arthur Gregg took the opportunity to praise staff for their hard work in making the business such a success since its acquisition by the Continental Tyre Group in July 2016. He said that staff in the integrated company were now working as “one identity, one team, working together. “Now, two and a half years in, we’ve created more jobs, we’re…
BANDVULC & CONTINENTAL INTEGRATION STEPS UP A GEAR
The integration of Devon company Bandvulc, the UK’s largest truck tyre retreader, and innovative brand leader Continental less than a year ago is already delivering results, according to Managing Director Patrick O’Connell. Bandvulc began as a small independent company in 1971 when the O’Connell family started recycling truck tyres at a Kingsbridge base using rubber imported from Malaysia. The business has grown to producing 4,000 tyres a week and developed into fleet maintenance work which includes 24/7 support for 70% of the supermarket fleets on our roads, including many household names. Their success attracted the attention of Continental AG which…
Innovation & Investment Put Bandvulc On The Right Track
Innovation & Investment Put Bandvulc On The Right Track Devon company Bandvulc has built a specialist business by continually developing their products and by delivering exactly what the customer needs, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. What began as a small family firm recycling truck tyres has grown over the past 46 years to a company which provides products and support for 70% of the major supermarket fleets on our roads as well as a prestigious portfolio of blue chip fleets. The last 12 months has seen considerable growth in the business, which has its headquarters in Ivybridge.…
Continental and Bandvulc management comment on integration process
It is no secret that Continental and Bandvulc have been working together for decades. So it was also no surprise to learn that the subject of a possible takeover arose as long as 12 years ago. However, the round of talks that resulted in the sale agreement were instigated by Bandvulc managing director Patrick O’Connell during a meeting at the CV show in 2013. In the two or so years that followed the two firms say they grew together before a final deal was completed in July 2016. However, the course of true love seldom runs smooth. And just when…
Key Accounts New Appointment
Bandvulc has strengthened its Sales & Key Account Management Team with the appointment of Marc Kinnear. Marc joins Bandvulc having been in the tyre industry for over 14 years in varying roles, most recently in an operational and administrative position which enabled him to gain valuable account management experience. Marc’s role will encompass every aspect of account management including client visits, reviews, analysis and managing the resulting actions required. Marc comments; “This new role will enable me to develop new and existing business for the Bandvulc Group. I’m excited to be joining a dynamic team which has become one of the leading tyre operations in…
More Tyre Awareness
The guys here at BANDVULC have been busy again recently with our popular tyre awareness road shows. In the last couple of weeks the guys have conducted three tyre awareness road shows in Northampton, Stoke and Haydock. All three road shows were well received and on average we had 40 drivers each day visit the road shows. If you think our tyre awareness road shows could help your organisation & drivers, please get in touch with your account manager and they'll be pleased to run through it with you.
Home Grown Talent Success
BVPlus+ is delighted to welcome Sinead Jones to its Sales & Account Management Team After graduating in Business Studies at Plymouth University, Sinead joined Bandvulc in 2003 under the GradSouthwest Scheme. Working within BTC Support (now BVPlus+) she soon gained an indepth knowledge of operations and within two years was promoted to BTC Supervisor. Roles followed in the Accounts team as Purchase Ledger Supervisor and to Sales Operations where she gained promotion to Team Leader after just 18 months. Such invaluable background combined with her most recent appointment within the Commercial Support and Development Team has given her the springboard…
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