ATS Euromaster has retained a major tyre contract with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, under the new Government Procurement Services (GPS) process.

Doncaster is the first council in the UK to sign up with ATS Euromaster since it was awarded coveted supplier status to public sector organisations across the UK in August 2012, as part of a multi-brand tyre supply deal on the GPS framework agreement RM955.

ATS Euromaster will fit a variety of tyre brands to Doncaster Council’s 750 cars, light commercial vehicles and trucks, which includes minibuses, mobile libraries, gritters and sanitation vehicles. It will also fit, service and inspect tyres on the council’s 200 items of wheeled plant – largely comprised of grass cutters, diggers and landscaping machinery.

The contract is initially for a four-year term, with the option of a 12-month extension for a total of five years.

In addition to carrying out weekly fleet checks, ATS Euromaster will also provide a 24/7 home-care tyre service to all lone workers at the council who are required to drive cars as part of their work in the community.

Doncaster fleet engineer Richard Speight says: “Whilst still achieving savings, the product and service had to be paramount. In choosing ATS Euromaster’s multibranded offer we knew we had a proven supplier with the wide-ranging expertise to support our diverse fleet.

“ATS Euromaster has particularly impressed us with their special service proposition for our lone workers. Even in the early hours of the morning they are typically there within an hour of a tyre-related breakdown being reported and that makes a big difference to our employees.”

Speight says pricing was a factor in his decision but that service was the most important factor – the demanding work done by the council’s vehicles can lead to punctures on the move and he wanted confidence that any service provider the council chose would be able to meet the demands of the job. The contract is supported through ATS Euromaster’s centre in Doncaster.

ATS Euromaster previously serviced the council’s tyres through its supplier status as part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) framework agreement.

Following the abolition of OGC deal at the end of 2011, ATS Euromaster retained Doncaster’s business temporarily through Doncaster’s membership of the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation, but the council wanted a longer-term solution and the RM955 framework provided a perfect match.

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