After a lifetime in both sales and management of the tire business Darrell Armstrong and his wife Vangie have invested in the first Continental Tire retread plant in B.C.
The ContiLifeCycle Retread Plant is located in the Gloucester Industrial Estates. In the company of representatives from Continental Tires from across Canada and the United States, the Armstrong couple officially cut the ribbon for their new venture on June 12.
“We are getting in on the ground floor, which is where we like to be,” said Vangie, who has worked in the tire industry for many years, including the past 25 years as Darrell’s wife.
“Gloucester is ideal for us, as there are truck fleets close by and it’s central. We have the OK Tire store in Port Kells and do the retreads for Fountain Tire — all of B.C. is our territory.”
Their 15,000 square foot plant in Gloucester is capable of putting out 120 retreaded tires per daily shift. They currently employ four and will have a workforce of six at capacity. There is also room to double this production at the plant.
Continental Tires is a publicly-traded company based in Hanover, Germany, and is renowned for its technological expertise and research.
Continental’s retreading system reduces waste by recycling each tire up to three times, while also recycling rubber “crumbs” from old tires for other purposes such as rubber mat manufacturing.
“Thirty-seven years ago I started out on the floor, hands-on, and am experienced in every aspect,” says Darrell.
“That’s an important part of where I am today, as the owner of this plant.”
Darrell says their Port Kells tire store is currently making about 75 per cent of its sales to commercial users, truckers, and this aspect will grow.
“We will be in Prince George in three to five years, and are aggressively aiming for fie stores in five years, in Kamloops, Prince George and the Lower Mainland,” said Darrell.
ContiLifeCycle’s plant is located at 5416 - 275 Street.