Central Motors & Equipment (CME), an Al Fahim Group firm, officially opened the first Michelin Truck Service Centre (MTSC) in Abu Dhabi this month, located in the industrial district of Mussafah.
Ahmed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, chairman of Al Fahim Group, led the ceremony, attended by Frank Bernthaler, CEO of Al Fahim Automotive, Sumit Chordia, GM of CME, and Oussama Jlailati, Michelin brand manager at CME, alongside representatives from Michelin including Franck Barge, Michelin distribution manager for the Middle East, and Srinivas Chitturi, MTSC regional programme manager.
Ahmed Al Fahim took the opportunity to note: “I am proud that our CME, Michelin’s sole distributor in the emirate, is cementing its footprint in the market. Developments have prompted us to invest over $545,000 in this aftermarket truck centre and its advanced tools.”
France’s Michelin has been developing its aftersales presence in the region for a while, witnessing the opening of the first MTSC in the region back in 2009.
It has since expanded its service centre programme to include 20 tyre-fitting and maintenance faciltities across the UAE, KSA and Oman — 21 including the Abu Dhabi facility — and by the end of 2015 expects to have a total of 25 catering to its customers.
Jlailati explained, “Spread over 900m2, the MTSC is equipped with a computerised truck-tyre alignment machine, truck-tyre balancing and repair machines, and a range of other tyre-related services for trucks and buses alike.”
Chitturi added: “This strategic investment will help Michelin and CME to grow faster in the dynamic transportation sector. It will improve the availability of Michelin products, and help to meet the growing expectations of transporters for quality products and services.”
A pair of Michelin Tyreplus branches were also opened in Musaffah by Fouad Al Chami, owner of National Tyre Fitment Center — in its 23rd outlet in the UAE and 10th in Abu Dhabi.
