Massimo Marcolini (Prometeon): “We are looking for highly specialised partners”

Marco Marcolini: A fully-fledged manufacturer, with two factories in Brazil to serve South America and two in Türkiye and Egypt to serve Europe, and a major R&D centre in Italy (four R&D centres in total). We also have a sales office in the United States. Prometeon has become more visible since 2022, with its product launches, still bearing the Pirelli brand name but with the addition of the ‘Prometeon-engineered’ logo, as with the Series 02 – via a licence agreement until 2028 – but manufactured entirely by us! We are in a period of transition as Prometeon, but in reality we are already present in 160 countries thanks to our extensive sales network. This explains why we are recognised as a 100% industrial manufacturer in the premium segments, with 300 references on the Pirelli/Prometeon brands and 150 on our second and third lines (Formula, Pharos, Anteo, Tegrys and Eracle).

M.M.: Two difficult years for everyone and a significant trend: among transport customers, an acute need for operational efficiency and intense cost control. And among manufacturers, an already tense economic market, complicated by increased customs duties in the United States and increased competition from Asia. The latter has set up factories outside China (Cambodia, Vietnam, etc.) to access the European market, generating a proliferation in the number of producers fuelled by this requirement to produce outside China and a clear improvement in terms of production quality for some. However, they do not have the proximity to business customers (sales force, structures, etc.). This competitive advantage remains in the hands of European premium manufacturers. 

M.M.: We have been technologically and logistically independent for eight years. We introduced the brand in 2022 via Pirelli industrial tyres, but with our own branding. In 2024, the 100% Prometeon range really came into its own. Currently, 50% of our tyres have been switched in Europe for 70% of our customers. We have benefited from the historical foundations established by Pirelli with these fleet customers (proximity, services). We are also benefiting from growing references in original equipment with Renault, MAN, Scania, Iveco, etc., as well as trailer manufacturers such as Schmitz CargoBull and Krone Trailer. 

M.M.: We have set up a comprehensive service called SuperFleet, which includes several tools such as roadside assistance with Pro Time, a fleet management platform called Pro Management and a tyre inspection platform called Pro Check. These are fleet reporting and monitoring tools that we calibrate according to the market, with no subscription fees.
Depending on the country, our tyres and these tools are offered with a sales force that is deeply rooted in the fleet sector to ensure follow-up, as in Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain. In France and the Benelux countries, we have a field sales force to meet with professionals and make recommendations. Finally, for distribution, we have a logistics platform in Spain, two in Italy, as well as in Germany, France (Valence) and the UK, among others. These well-spread inventories ensure delivery to customers within 72 hours. 

M.M.: We are targeting independent players, both in chains and outside, as well as those within manufacturer networks, which are well established in France. The aim is to find partners who are highly focused on HGVs. And we are relying on our SuperTruck distributor network (created in 2016), which has around 140 points of sale in Italy, plus all the other countries (Poland, Greece, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, etc.) for a total of around 400. These are independent dealers specialising in heavy-duty vehicles, which we are still developing. And our doors are open to anyone who wants to distribute Prometeon... 

M.M.: We are closely monitoring the issue with existing products that are already optimised in terms of weight, load index and fuel consumption. However, given the volumes involved, we do not currently have any products specifically designed for heavy goods vehicles.