On the weekend of September 12, 13 and 14, the town of Béthune vibrated to the rhythm of the 47th Rallye le Béthunois, an event in the French Rally Cup.
On this occasion, Black Star had the pleasure of being an official partner of the Stade Béthunois Automobile and of supporting an unmissable event in the region.
This rally was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our LEONARD brand of remanufactured tyres, 100% made in Béthune. Throughout the weekend, our team was present with a dedicated stand, to interact with the public, share our expertise, and present our commitment to sustainable mobility.
We warmly thank the organizers of the Stade Béthunois Automobile, the drivers and co-drivers who thrilled us on the roads, and of course the public, who came in large numbers to meet us and encourage the competitors.
Combining passion, performance, and local outreach, this rally perfectly illustrated the values we uphold at Black Star. We are proud to have contributed to the success of this great sporting event and to continue strengthening our presence in the heart of our region.
Black Star est fier d’annoncer son partenariat avec le Stade Béthunois Automobile à l’occasion de la 47e édition du Rallye le Béthunois, épreuve incontournable de la Coupe de France des Rallyes. Cet événement automobile de renom se déroulera les 12, 13 et 14 septembre 2024 à Béthune, au cœur des Hauts-de-France.
Un partenariat local pour valoriser notre ancrage territorial
En tant qu’acteur engagé de la mobilité durable, Black Star s’associe à un événement emblématique du sport automobile régional. Ce partenariat marque une nouvelle étape dans notre volonté de soutenir les initiatives locales tout en mettant en lumière notre savoir-faire industriel et notre innovation.
À cette occasion, notre marque de pneumatiques reconditionnés 100 % fabriqués à Béthune, LEONARD, sera mise à l’honneur à travers plusieurs actions sur le terrain.
Le Rallye le Béthunois est l’opportunité idéale pour faire découvrir aux passionnés de sport mécanique notre vision d’une mobilité plus durable.
Rejoignez-nous sur la ligne de départ ! Nous invitons toutes et tous à venir nombreux encourager les pilotes, découvrir l’univers du rallye et rencontrer notre équipe sur place. Venez vivre un moment fort en émotions, au rythme des moteurs et de la passion, tout en découvrant LEONARD, la marque béthunoise qui trace sa route autrement.
At Béthune, the Black Star industrial site continues its development with a strong ambition: to combine industrial performance, responsible reuse of used tyres and the creation of local jobs.
Since its relaunch in 2021 with the support of Mobivia, the site has remanufactured more than 500,000 tyres. But behind this technical performance lies a human project, focused on professional integration, training, and industrial retraining in the Hauts-de-France region.
In less than three years, 130 jobs have been created, some of them for former Bridgestone employees. At Black Star Béthune, recruitment is primarily done without CVs, focusing on each individual's skills, motivation, and potential.
We value local skills and support talent development with:
Partnerships for training and professional integration
Personalized support for skills development
Concrete opportunities for internal development
This industrial model is based on a working climate founded on trust, solidarity and conviviality.
Located in the heart of Hauts-de-France, Black Star Béthune actively contributes to the economic revitalization of the region. We attract committed individuals motivated by a forward-looking and meaningful industry.
By reconditioning used tyres, we contribute to a more responsible circular economy, while creating sustainable employment.
This team photo reflects what we are: a collective adventure, a shared pride, and a future that we are building together.
In its May-June 2025 edition, Le Journal du Pneumatique dedicates an in-depth article to Black Star, a pioneer in the remanufactured tyre sector for light vehicles in France. Written by journalist Romain Baly, this report highlights the unique dynamics of our company, which runs counter to a linear industry.
Since launching our range of remanufactured tyres under the Leonard brand, we have been working to demonstrate that it is possible to combine performance, competitiveness, and durability. As our CEO, Laurent Cabassu, points out, we must overcome several challenges to continue our development and consolidate our position in the tire landscape:
Carcass supply, a key stage which determines the regularity of our production and which requires the support of the sector and in particular eco-organizations;
The rise of industrial power, with a production tool and a workforce capable of meeting growing demand;
The gradual expansion of our range, to cover a wider spectrum of uses and needs;
"A true singularity in the world of French tyres, Black Star is celebrating this spring the 2nd anniversary of its Leonard brand of reconditioned tyres. An important moment for the young company supported by Mobivia, today at a turning point with encouraging results but a need to grow faster."
On a commercial level, our products are now referenced by the majority of distributors and specialist brands.
Laurent highlights the success of the LEONARD offer for utility vehicles, particularly popular with professional fleets looking for reliable and economical solutions.
However, a major challenge remains: convincing all fitting professionals that reconditioned tires offer performance equivalent to that of new tires, with the added bonus of a significant environmental benefit.
This awareness-raising work, carried out with rigor and consistency, aims to structure a new market segment: that of a more virtuous tire, anchored in a logic of circular economy and industrial sovereignty.
The attention paid by a reference media such as Le Journal du Pneumatique constitutes a strong recognition of our commitment and the progress we have made. We warmly thank their writing, as well as all those – partners, clients, prescribers – who believe in our project.
The milestone of 500,000 remanufactured tyres has just been reached at our Béthune site. More than just a number, this symbolic milestone embodies the success of an ambitious industrial project, the strength of a committed collective, and confirmation that another path to more sustainable mobility is possible.
Launched in 2023, the Léonard project was born from a strong ambition: to reinvent the tyre life cycle. To achieve this, we chose to transform a former new tire manufacturing plant into a circular production site. This challenge has allowed us to revive a French industrial expertise that has been neglected for too long: retreading.
Thanks to the dedication of our 130 employees in Béthune, 500,000 tyres have now been remanufactured. A tangible result with multiple impacts:
Environmental: 500,000 reused tyres means the same amount of waste avoided and 9,000 tonnes of CO₂ saved (source: Espère firm), compared with the production of new tyres.
Economical: tyre reconditioning is fully in line with a circular economy approach, promoting the reuse of resources.
Social and territorial: the revival of an industrial site in Béthune contributes to the promotion of local know-how and the creation of a new dynamic for employment in the business area.
This milestone confirms that retreading is now a credible, high-quality, and sustainable solution for both professionals and individuals. Produced in France, these remanufactured tires meet safety and performance requirements while reducing the environmental impact of mobility.
🎯 Next goal: reach the milestone of one million reconditioned tyres.
267 / 5 000 Welcomed to our industrial site in Béthune, the participants – auto center salespeople, franchisees and head office employees – were able to discover, through a structured tour, our entire industrial approach to Léonard reconditioned tyres.
A visit to our reconditioning site will provide a concrete illustration of the different manufacturing stages, the level of requirement applied to each tire, as well as the numerous quality checks carried out throughout the process.
Dynamic tests on the circuit, supervised by UTAC teams, to test the performance of LEONARD tyres in various conditions: emergency braking, slalom, high-speed cornering, etc. These tests allowed participants to see for themselves the level of safety and reliability offered by our products.
Throughout the day, the discussions were rich, pragmatic, and focused on the field. Participants' feedback was very positive, both in terms of content and format: they left better informed, reassured, and confident in supporting the sale and prescription of LEONARD tyres at the point of sale.
“Today I feel much more confident that I can sell [Léonard tyres] with the work we have been able to do, and put them on one of my vehicles.” Coralie, Norauto Blaye saleswoman.
“This is the first time that a new tyre has generated so much curiosity.” Stephan, tyre market manager at Norauto France.
This initiative is fully in line with our shared desire with Norauto to promote more responsible mobility, by combining industrial innovation, safety and the circular economy.
The Black Star team had the pleasure of participating in the Norauto Franchise 2025 Convention, held in May in the exceptional setting of Ibiza. A must-attend event bringing together all Norauto franchisees for exciting moments, inspiring discussions, and initiatives focused on the future of mobility.
Our booth was a resounding success throughout the convention. Many franchisees came to meet us to discover or learn more about Leonard and Black Star remanufactured tires. The feedback was unanimously positive, confirming the growing interest in a more sustainable and responsible offering.
Today, more than half of Norauto franchisees already offer these solutions to their customers. This momentum is growing rapidly, and this agreement has undoubtedly helped accelerate it.
We extend a huge thank you to Norauto France for the exemplary organization of this convention, which was marked by collaboration and sharing. The theme "Together in Unison" took on its full meaning during these constructive and warm discussions.
On April 22, 2025, we had the pleasure of co-organizing with Norauto France an event day in Béthune, as part of a training program for field and head office teams.
On the program:
– Visit our tyre reconditioning site in Béthune.
– Dynamic circuit tests to demonstrate the performance of LEONARD tyres.
This day was punctuated by rich and concrete discussions with the participants - salespeople in Norauto auto centers, franchisees and headquarters employees - who came to discover our quality approach and the requirements we place on each reconditioned / retread tyre.
During the tests, supervised by UTAC experts, they were able to test our tyres in various conditions: tight turns, slalom, emergency braking, etc. All these concrete situations allowed them to evaluate the behavior and safety of LEONARD tyres.
The factory visit also helped to dispel doubts and strengthen confidence in the quality of our reconditioning process.
The feedback is very positive! This is an important step in enabling Norauto's sales force to better prescribe, explain, and promote LEONARD remanufactured tyres.
Since 2023, BLACK STAR has been collaborating with the ESAT CEDATRA in Ruitz, a medical-social establishment which supports 350 people with disabilities towards adapted professional activity.
Two of their employees, Freddy and Christophe, work daily at our reconditioning site in Béthune. They have become integral members of our team, present on a daily basis and at our internal events.
Using an ESAT allows people with disabilities to access employment and gain independence, while taking concrete action against exclusion.
In this video, their instructor, David Grzeskowiak, explains how this partnership works and how it benefits both the workers he supports and companies like ours. A simple and authentic account that illustrates the richness of this collaboration.
We encourage companies that can afford it to consider this type of collaboration. Beyond its social mission, it's also a wonderful human adventure and a real added value on a daily basis.
On Saturday, March 1, 2025, our CEO, Laurent Cabassu, had the honor of being the guest of the show "On parle auto" on Sud Radio, hosted by Jean-Luc Moreau and Laurence Péraud. This weekly show, broadcast every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., is dedicated to automotive news, offering practical advice and answers to enthusiasts of the sector.
During his speech, Laurent Cabassu highlighted the advantages of the reconditioned tire “Leonard”, manufactured in France by Black Star. This tire, launched in June 2023, offers an economical and ecological alternative to new tires. Sold approximately 40% cheaper than a premium tire, “Leonard” is made from old casings, allowing a saving of up to 63% of CO₂ emissions during its manufacture.
We warmly thank Laurence Péraud and Jean-Luc Moreau for this opportunity to share our commitment to more sustainable and responsible mobility.
Broadcast and section “Let’s talk tires, let’s talk well” to listen to here: https://www.sudradio.fr/emission/parlons-pneu-parlons-bien-47
Laurent explains why quality is at the heart of the Léonard project: “That was Léonard’s bet. When Black Star took over the old Bridgestone factory, it was the first time that a new tire factory was transformed to manufacture reconditioned tyres. The world has changed, we had to enter through quality. […] we had to have the assurance of quality and safety, equivalent to those of a new tire.”
Laurent reassures Laurence about the availability of our products: “That’s what makes Léonard successful; since the start of the business, we have had a huge number of customers who have trusted us and who have referenced us […] and who promote us. You can find our product almost everywhere.”
"For a difference of 10 euros [with budget tires] we have French and quality tires [...] You can position yourself with a quality-price offer that is very attractive, and ecological too" underlines Jean-Luc Moreau.