User:Torsten77/sandbox

The SAITOW AG is a global IT-corporation, that has deeply impacted the automotive B2B sector by means of digitization. Located in Kaiserslautern, with multiple sites in Frankfurt (Main), Berlin, Vienna, Strasbourg, Valencia and Los Angeles among others, it´s core-business is to produce, run and distribute e-commerce-solutions. The SAITOW AG operates Tyre24.com, one of the biggest B2B-Platforms for tyres, wheel rims, spare parts and garage-accessories in Europe. On this platform 2.000 suppliers and 40.000 retailers execute up to 100.000 transactions daily, resulting in a yearly net-revenue of more than 1 Billion EUR. The platform is market-leader in Germany in the B2B-tyre-sector. 50% of all transactions in this branch of trade are realized through Tyre24 or one of their marketplaces, some of which are white-label solutions.

History
The SAITOW AG emerged from the Tyre24 GmbH founded in 2002. Michael Saitow´s vision had been to create an online-platform for the tyre-business, since the practices in this sector had been especially antiquated and many marketeer had a critical view on the internet and everything digital. Instead, distribution was organized by sending around calculations and lengthy order lists by fax.

Michael Saitow´s idea was, to unify all the different formats of lists by different distributors in one single online-system, making it accessible and comparable for everyone. Tyre24 became market leader and expanded throughout Europe into Poland, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and Spain. Also the company´s scope was strategically widened by buying software-engineering expertise, and, among others, the endcostumer-oriented platform “www.reifen-vor-ort.de”. Since 2015, the company operates under the name SAITOW AG.

Structure
Today the SAITOW AG´s field of activity incorporates B2B- and B2C-trading-platforms, e-commerce-solutions and software-engineering. The trademark Tyre24 operate Europe wide. It encompasses all B2B trading activity with tyres, wheel rims and garage-accessories, and, since 2015, also spare-parts.

Also three B2C-platforms are operated, focussing on end-customers. On these platforms, different aspects of company-customer-relations in the automotive-sector are organized: Reifen-vor-Ort and Autoreparaturen.de are search-engines for car-repair-shops. Meinewaschstrasse.de is a portal for car wash services.

The acquisition of the software-engineering-firm omeco, with its focus on customized, modular shop- and business-solutions in 2016 helped growing the company´s e-commerce-sector.

New business-model
Together with Z Tyre from the United Kingdom, the SAITOW AG offered the first tyre-subscription in Germany, in 2016. A monthly subscription covers all of the customers tyre related costs, and allows to fit or upgrade tyres when needed. The service was available in Germany through Alzura and its 600 partner stores nationwide.

Guinness Book of World Records
The Z Tyre Z1 included in the tyre-subscription, made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in a special edition, produced especially for a customer in Dubai. The Z Tyre holds the record as most expensive set of tyres in the world, costing 600.000 USD. The record was announced by Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator, Sophia Greenacre.

Awards

 * 2010, 2015 and 2016 top 3 ranking as “Entrepreneur of the Year” granted by Ernst and Young
 * 2014 and 2016 Tyre24 received the “Best Brand Award” granted by the Autohaus- and Auto-Service-magazines, published by Axel Springer
 * 2015 and 2017 winner of the “Grand Prize for middle-sized companies”, granted by the Oskar-Patzelt-Foundation.