Welch launching Rolo Tires venture across Europe – Daily Business

Michael Welch: changing tyres (pic: DB Media Services)

Michael Welch, the entrepreneur who created Blackcircles.com in Scotland, is launching a new tyres venture in Europe.

Rolo Tires, a premium brand, will be supported by advanced agentic technology and initially will target six European markets: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.

The brand will launch through a direct-to-consumer model, allowing customers to buy online and have tyres shipped directly.

It aims to sell to consumers by early next year, with a North American expansion is planned for 2028.

Mr Welch left school at 16, launched a tyre business from his bedroom with a £500 Prince’s Trust grant, and sold it to Kwik Fit before becoming the company’s first Head of e-commerce ahead of Ford’s £1bn acquisition.

In 2002, he founded Scotland-based Blackcircles.com, the world’s first click-to-fit online tyre retailer, selling it to Michelin in 2015.

He subsequently built and sold further ventures in the US market, before launching Rolo Tires this year to make quality tyres more accessible to everyday motorists. He is also Founder of Anglo Atlantic, an investment and advisory firm.

Mr Welch believes the economics of the passenger tyre market have changed and he has developed and extensively tested agentic systems to support repeatable workflows across the business.

He is open to selective strategic partnerships with retail, mobility, fleet, digital commerce or market-specific partners in Europe, which can accelerate growth.

“Our factory-direct model is designed to give motorists access to premium-quality tyres at a more reasonable price, without asking them to compromise on quality, confidence or value,” said Mr Welch.

“Starting direct-to-consumer is the cleanest way to establish the brand, the value proposition and the customer experience. But Europe is a diverse market, and we know the right partners can help us move faster in the right places. We are open to conversations with people who understand where the industry is heading.

“The tyre business has a lot of operational complexity, but much of it is repeatable. After 30 years in the industry, I know where that complexity sits. What is different today is that modern technology allows us to define our processes much more precisely and deliver them far more consistently.”

Rolo is being built with wider social purpose. The company will support causes focused around enterprise, young people, and adoption and fostering via philanthropic partnerships with The King’s Trust and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, established by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas.

Mr Welch added: “Business has given me opportunities I could never have imagined when I was starting out. As Rolo expands, I want part of that growth to support young people, enterprise and families. That has to be part of the brand from the beginning, not a soundbite or afterthought.”

The global online tyre e-commerce market is estimated at over $5.6 billion but Mr Welch believes the old hierarchy has not caught up.

“For years, the established premium brands benefited from enormous brand pull. Drivers bought what they knew, what their garage recommended, or what they had always been told was ‘best’. That worked when the quality gap was obvious and information was limited.

“But today the picture is very different. Value brands have improved dramatically, customers are more price-conscious, and tyre label ratings now give people a more objective way to compare wet grip, efficiency and noise.

“Consumers can see more for themselves. They are asking whether the traditional premium price gap is really justified.

“At the same time, the big manufacturers are under pressure to protect mix and margin. They are becoming more selective about where they focus their portfolio, their manufacturing capacity and their investment in tyre sizes. That creates a gap in the market.

“Customers do not want cheap for the sake of cheap. They still want premium levels of safety, confidence and quality – but they do not want to feel they are paying a legacy brand premium just because of the name on the sidewall.

“That is the gap Rolo is being built to fill: a brand built for today’s consumer offering premium-quality tyres, a focused range of high-volume sizes, factory-direct economics and a price that makes sense for today’s driver.

“We are not here to play by the old tyre hierarchy. We are here to challenge it.”

#Welch #launching #Rolo #Tires #venture #Europe #Daily #Business