UK tyre and automotive service network ETB Wholesale is marking International Women’s Day by highlighting the women working across its 52 depots and Worcester head office. The company says female employees now contribute across technical, operational and commercial roles, reflecting wider changes in the tyre trade workforce.
The ETB network employs women across workshop, depot and head office roles, including fitters, master technicians, depot managers, telesales staff and finance professionals.
The company says these roles illustrate how the UK tyre sector has shifted from the working culture seen in the 1980s and 1990s, when female representation in workshops and technical environments was limited.
For Lyndsey Newman, a telesales executive based in Worcester, entering the sector required resilience.
“I had to have a backbone at the beginning, because men did pass comment and things would be said,” she said. “It didn’t bother me and I was able to brush it off. It made me more determined to prove myself.”
Her experience reflects a wider shift in the sector as tyre distributors and retailers seek to widen recruitment pools amid ongoing labour shortages.
Women within the ETB network also hold operational leadership positions at depot level.
Tracey Wright, depot manager at the company’s Bude location, began working in the tyre trade in 1982 when her brother opened a tyre business. She later became depot manager in 2003.
“On very rare occasions I may come in contact with a customer that imagines I know very little about tyres and car mechanics,” Wright said. “I can usually win them over with my knowledge and assertive, friendly approach.”
She added that repeat customers often ask for her directly, something she describes as a significant personal achievement.
Front-of-house roles also remain critical to depot operations. Beckii Hartiss, a receptionist at ETB’s Evesham site, said some customers initially question her technical advice.
“I get told I don’t know what I’m talking about and have even had customers refuse to speak to me because I’m female,” she said. “But I put on a smile and give the best advice I can.”
In practice, these roles often act as the first technical contact point for customers seeking tyre recommendations or mechanical advice.
At ETB’s Worcester head office, female staff also work across finance, procurement, marketing and human resources.
Accounts Payable Clerk Annette Davies said the industry environment has improved significantly.
“It feels like my voice is heard and I’m really well supported,” she said.
Parts Procurement Manager Sarah Gardner, who has worked in automotive for 16 years, believes the industry culture has changed.
“If I go back 16 years to my field-based role, you would get sexist comments, but I don’t hear them today,” Gardner said. “By and large, you have to do what you say you’re going to do, and respect naturally comes as a result.”
Head of Marketing Nikki McCluney added that the tyre sector continues to offer varied career opportunities across commercial and operational functions.
The company says representation across departments reflects a broader shift in how tyre retailers structure teams and develop internal talent.
For tyre retailers and distributors, workforce diversity increasingly links to recruitment resilience and customer engagement.
Roles across modern tyre depots now span:
This broader skills mix means tyre networks are recruiting from a wider talent pool than historically seen in the sector.
For staff such as Ludlow-based technician Alicia Goundry, technical capability remains the most important factor.
“I’m most proud of learning all the mechanical parts that make up a car and being able to speak about them in depth,” she said. “If you like cars and it interests you, there’s every chance you’ll enjoy being around them.”
ETB says the message from its workforce to younger women considering automotive careers is straightforward: the tyre industry offers a wide range of technical and commercial pathways.
Tagged with: ETB tyres, UK tyre retail workforce, women in automotive, tyre depot operations, tyre technician careers, tyre industry employment, automotive workforce diversity, tyre retail recruitment, UK tyre sector skills, tyre service centres
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