Best of British - Avon's new ZV5 marks a return to local development for European conditions

摘要

In February 2007 Cooper Tires opened a new European Technical Centre (ETC) alongside its factory in Melksham, thus beginning the Wiltshire site's transformation from a production location for Avon brand tyres into a hub for the company's Europe-wide activities. Under the guidance of ETC general manager Marcus Hancock - a 19-year company veteran who began his career at Melksham before furthering his career with Cooper in the US - the centre has spent the 14 months since its opening taking full responsibility for the design and development of products manufactured at Melksham, with high-performance passenger car tyres a particular focus. The first such tyre to be primarily developed in-house at the Melksham ETC was ready to be launched in March 2008.