Zenesis Group acquires U.K. retreader Vacu-Lug

LONDON — Zenesis Group, a London-based tire and auto parts distributor, has acquired Vacu-Lug Traction Tyres Ltd. and pledged to make Vacu-Lug the "most advanced independent retreader in Europe."

The acquisition, for which no financial details were disclosed, covers rights to the company, its equipment and 11-acre site in Grantham, England, Vacu-Lug said.

"We are pleased that the business will remain a major employer in Grantham and that Zenises has the capability to develop it further," said Vacu-Lug Chairman Chris Langham, whose grandfather founded the company 70 years ago.

Post-acquisition, Vacu-Lug management will continue to run the business, according to Jorge Crespo, executive director of Zenises, who added Vacu-Lug would "retain its independence, as with all other companies that form part of the wider Zenises Group.

Independence, he said, was "crucial to providing Vacu-Lug's partners and suppliers with flexibility and dynamic advantage that stems from its position as Europe's largest independent retreader."

Vacu-Lug was established by Lewis Morley in Grantham in 1950 to retread tractor tires. The business has developed into a major manufacturer of truck and off-road retreads and commercial vehicle fleet management company.

Zenises describes itself as an international distribution and service company serving the global automotive business with tires, telematics, lubricants, oils and batteries, and tires, including its own Ardent and Zenises private brands. Other brands carried include a number of Chinese brands, including Centara, Kapsen, Triangle and Westlake.

The company was founded in 2014 by Harjeev Kandhari, who gained experience in the automotive industry through his family's business in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Al Dobowi Group.

The Zenesis name is a combination of the words "Zen" and "Genesis."