KWIK-FIT has announced it will join the National Tyre Distributors Association to create a stronger body which will seek a voice for the industry at national and international levels. But the decision has not been viewed lightly by Mike Bridgman, chairman and chief executive of Montinex, who has fulfilled a threat made in December to resign from the NTDA and set up a new association should Kwik-Fit join.

Richard Edy, NTDA director, said such a move was 'divisive and retrograde step' which would cause confusion within and outside the industry. But Edy is confident Kwik-Fit's involvement will enable the NTDA to wield considerable power. He said: 'The association is now in an extremely powerful position to vigorously represent and promote the views of the independent retailer to all relevant audiences, including decision-makers and legislators in Whitehall and Brussels.'

Bridgman this week made his intentions clear. He said: 'Following the latest moves within the NTDA I would like to confirm that Montinex will withdraw from that association. The formation of a separate trade association still remains a clear option. I still believe independent tyre dealers need to establish a potent voice in the industry if they are to survive in an increasingly competitive market.'