Those with enquiring minds may wonder what “best practice” consists of. Branigans Tyres’ owner, Chris Lett is happy to expand on the topic. “Whatever happens, old tyres shouldn’t be left lying around in heaps, burned, or sent to landfills,” says Chris. “Not too long ago, tyre disposal was a huge problem, particularly in the United States, where massive ‘tyre mountains’ were not uncommon. One of them caught fire in 1983. It consisted of an estimated 7 million tyres, and the resulting plume of smoke caused dangerous air pollution that affected three US states. Responsible tyre disposal is important, and Branigans has all the systems in place to achieve it.”

How to Handle Old Tyres

Chris doesn’t believe in leaving anything to chance, and that includes the disposal of tyres. Grading is the first step. Some tyres may be too worn-out for use in Australia, a country where retreading is no longer cost-effective. However, there are parts of the world where retreading is still done and where rough roads mean that no tyre, no matter how new, is going to last very long and using older tyres makes the best sense.

“Branigans sends container-loads of tyre casings to countries involved in recycling and to countries where ‘2nd grade’ tyres are welcomed,” explains Chris. There are other forms of recycling too.

“When the tyres are so old that they can’t possibly be reused, it’s possible to extract valuable elements from them. The tyres are chipped and oil, steel, and carbon black will be among the usable elements reclaimed. Tyre chips can be recycled in several ways. There’s a special type of asphalt made using chipped tyres, and there’s even a springier type of paving made with recycled tyres as a component. On top of that, various products including exercise mats and vehicle mudguards can be made with old tyre rubber.”

The End of the Tyre Disposal Problem Could be in Sight

Chris notes that new designs for non-pneumatic tyres that are fully recyclable and will never go flat are on the way. “Hankook recently tested the performance of its iteration of the idea with positive results, and Michelin is also busy with a similar concept.”

“It’s possible that, in the future, tyre disposal won’t be as complex as it is now, but it should be remembered that there are still a lot of rubber tyres out there, and it will probably be several decades before the situation changes. Meanwhile, it’s every person’s responsibility to ensure that old tyres are disposed of or reused in an environmentally-appropriate way, and Branigans can be relied on to apply the best solutions as part of its responsibility towards the community, the planet, and future generations.”

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The Development of Family Businesses Through the Ages

It probably all began before history was recorded. Bands of hunter-gatherers consisting of one or more family groups would have worked together, bartering resources with one another during times of plenty. Fast-forward to the advent of agriculture, and the picture becomes more familiar. Family units would have worked the land together, sharing produce within the family, and no doubt trading surplus produce with other families. 

Later still, as people began to become urbanised and different types of trades emerged, family businesses continued to be the driving force in economic activity. Specialised skills were jealously guarded against potential competitors, with proprietary information being passed from one generation to the next. Families were fiercely proud of their trades. The evidence is still with us today in the form of a legacy of trade-related last names like “Cooper,” “Fletcher,” or “Baker.”

Although the industrial revolution was a game-changer in the way we work, powerful industrial families ruled the roost, and although a greater number of people became employees, family businesses were still the rule rather than the exception. 

Today, people have much greater freedom of choice. They don’t have to follow in their parents’ footsteps in order to do well, yet family businesses, both large and small, continue to flourish. “Family businesses are generally stable, long-lived, and closely-knit,” says Chris. “There’s a greater level of commitment and a stronger motivation to do well, because the people you care about most are relying on you.”

Branigans’ Tyres: Three Generations at Work

Although he has no plans to join the ranks of the most powerful family-owned businesses, which include big names like Walmart, Chris has first-hand experience of running a multigenerational family business. 

There have been times when Branigans has considered expanding and developing a franchise, but Chris feels that it’s preferable to keep things smaller and maintain full control over quality and service. The family-led team is Chris’s ideal, and it’s an environment that has attracted talent from within the family. Chris’s son, Shane, returned to Australia from the United States specifically to help his dad in the businesses, and now a grand-daughter is putting her skills to work for the family concern too. 

“Unlike people in past centuries, who had little option but to continue in the family business, it’s the next generation’s choice,” says Chris. “They’re welcome to pursue any career that they want with the full support of the family. However, Branigans is stronger because they’ve chosen to be here instead. The business has been operating for nearly two decades, and with the younger generations devoting themselves to its success, it will survive for decades to come.”

The family businesses of today have many faces, but Branigans represents the type of family business that most people know and love. It’s down-to-earth, local, and dedicated to providing a specialised service that everyone needs. With family values very much a part of its fabric, it’s personal, customer oriented, and very much a part of its community. “Just as there will always be families, there will always be family businesses,” says Chris.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team at Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres by contacting the Service Centres in Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.