Anewsletter from the New England Tire & Service Association (NETSA) recently crossed my desk. (Yes, we still receive paper communications here at MTD, which I like!)
As I was flipping through it, I started thinking about state and regional tire dealer associations, how important they are to our industry, why they’re a great value for tire dealers and why these groups — and the people who run them — deserve support.
The number of state and regional tire dealer associations certainly is not growing. When I joined MTD in November 1997, there were 45 associations in the United States.
Fast forward to today and there are only 23 state tire dealer associations. Some have folded into other associations. Others quietly went by the wayside due to lack of interest.
It would be hard to argue that tire dealers, in general, are better off because of this.
However, those groups that have remained active are more vibrant — and have more to offer their members — than ever before.
For instance, the Ohio Tire & Automotive Association (OTAA) recently teamed up with DRIV Inc., a division of Tenneco Inc., to bring a state-of-the-art, mobile training center to the locations of association members who request it.
Beyond training and other perks, legislative representation is one of the most significant benefits of association membership.
Marc Connerly, executive director of the California Tire Dealers Association (CTDA), one of the country’s largest groups, says “we have a paid lobbyist” who fights for the benefit of members in Sacramento, the state’s capitol. “Trying to do that on your own in California would be futile,” he explains.
“And we have made an effort to provide our members with advocacy at the local level. Our members are always welcome to call us if they have an issue with their local zoning department or fire department.”
Connerly says he can “point to multiple pieces of legislation where we influenced the outcome,” including the defeat of a proposal that would hike tire recycling fees.
Some regional tire dealerships “are big enough to take care of themselves and they have enough people on staff that they can represent their interests without a problem,” says Tony DeSimone, executive director of NETSA.
“But if you’re a smaller dealer, who’s speaking up for you when your state’s legislature meets?”
A couple of years ago, NETSA helped secure passage of a bill that lets tire dealers in Massachusetts access telemetrically transmitted vehicle diagnostic and repair data — information that original equipment car manufacturers would prefer to lock down.
Like NETSA, the CTDA and other associations, the Virginia
Automotive Association (VAA) also has racked up important legislative wins for its members.
The VAA’s govern ment work incorporates “a wide range” of efforts, says Steve Akridge, the group’s executive director.
These include “moni toring bills introduced during the state’s general assembly session, directly lobbying bills that could impact the industry in a positive or negative way, working directly with state agencies” and influencing the outcome of rulemak ing that could potentially harm tire dealerships within the state.
“One bad bill in your state’s general assembly could have a big financial impact on your business,” says Steve Akridge, executive director of the Virginia Automotive Association (VAA). Pictured, Delegate Kim Taylor praises the VAA during a Virginia House of Delegates session.
Photo: Virginia Automotive Association
“Owning a dealership today is not cheap,” says Akridge. “Think of how much money you’ve invested in your business. Then think of how one bad bill in your state’s general assembly could have a big financial impact on your business.
“Why would you not support the local state association that is watching your back and working to protect your interests?”
I echo that sentiment. If you live in a state or region that still has an active tire dealer association — and the July 2022 issue of MTD contains a comprehensive list of the groups that are left — I urge you to get involved.
“Dealers cannot assume their state associations will be around forever,” says Akridge. “Who’s going to fight for the industry when issues come up? Who’s going to lobby against bad bills and support good ones?
“The cost to join most state associations is very inexpensive. In Virginia, it’s less than a dollar a day.”
That’s less than the cost of a cup of coffee in most places.
State and regional tire dealer associations provide a remarkable return on investment.
You owe it to yourself — and the future of the business that you’ve worked so hard to build — to at least explore what your nearest association offers. ■
If you have any questions or comments, please email me at mmanges@endeavorb2b.com.
Participation bonus IT DOESN’T COST MUCH TO JOIN YOUR STATE’S TIRE DEALER ASSOCIATION — AND THE RETURN CAN BE INCREDIBLE
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Articles about Bob Dunlap, MTD’s 2022 Tire Dealer of the Year Award recipient and the chairman and CEO of Dunlap & Kyle Co. Inc., were extremely popular among MTD readers this past month.
Photo: Joey Brent
At Modern Tire Dealer, we know readers want to learn the secrets of success of our annual Tire Dealer of the Year award winner. And this year was no different. Stories about Bob Dunlap, chairman and CEO of Dunlap & Kyle Co. Inc. and MTD’s 2022 Tire Dealer of the Year, led the pack for readers of MTD this past month. (If you need to catch up, you can find his story in the September issue of MTD.)
Marianne Dyal mdyal@endeavorb2b.com (706) 344-1388
Dan Thornton dthornton@endeavorb2b.com (734) 676-9135
Sean Thornton sthornton@endeavorb2b.com (269) 499-0257
Kyle Shaw kshaw@endeavorb2b.com (651) 846-9490
Martha Severson mseverson@endeavorb2b.com (651) 846-9452
Chad Hjellming chjellming@endeavorb2b.com (651) 846-9463
Rick Benton, Black’s Tire Service Inc.
Jessica Palanjian Rankin, Grand Prix Performance
John McCarthy Jr., McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. Jamie Ward, Tire Discounters Inc.
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Darren Thomas may be in the midst of his first year as the leader of Sumi tomo Rubber North America Inc. (SRNA), but he says that’s not an indication the tiremaker is changing course.
Thomas, who in January assumed the role of president and CEO following the retirement of Richard Smallwood, says “nothing has changed in our leadership.
“Richard is still very connected to us as a board member. And the team that runs the business on a day-to-day basis, which touches our dealers, (consists of) all the same people — it’s Rick (Brennan), Matt (Leeper), myself, (plus) all our sales people and our marketing people. None of us have changed. Our parent company hasn’t changed. So as far as I’m concerned, for the leadership that the market would see, there is no difference.
“The products that we’re in development of, the strategies we have in place — these are all the same people doing the same jobs. We’ve had some titles change, but in terms of who runs the business, who’s making strategic decisions — we’re the exact same company we were 24 months ago.”
Thomas acknowledges dealers might feel like the strategy for SRNA’s Falken brand has changed, but that’s not because of a new vision. “Those changes strategically are 100% a result of two things. One is COVID-19. Second is import tariffs and the impact of COVID-19 on freight.”
Those are forces that all tire manufactur ers are managing, he says.
But what’s interesting to Thomas is how the tire industry allows external pressures to dictate pricing.
“We are — as an industry — oddly enough, heavily influenced by outside commercial pressures. Our willingness as an industry to move on price generally isn’t done out of strategic brand movements. (It’s) done from third-party pressures — raw materials, freight rates, tariffs.
“If we didn’t have COVID-19 and we didn’t have high freight rates, the business would have been doing its standard supply chain strategies (and) standard brand strategies. We all have price benchmarks that we try to index ourselves against and those would have been the prevailing business basis for decisions. But with COVID-19, all of the sudden freight rates became the prevailing reason we modify price. With tariffs, those impacts become another prevailing reason we modify mix.
“It’s somewhat sad to me as a marketer that most of the brands we see in the mar ketplace made their substantial moves because of third-party pressures and not because, as a brand, they wanted to be in a different place in the market. It just illustrates, as an industry, our willingness to be bold marketers is somewhat poor.
“I would say the Falken brand is probably one of the brands that has been willing to move in the industry regardless of outside pressures, but we are not immune to the significance of the last 24 months’ pres sures. So we find ourselves — (and) the majority of brands find themselves — in commercially appropriate price positions today, not necessarily strategically appropri ate price positions.”
Put another way, the marketplace’s priorities have trumped strategic priorities.
Still, Thomas doesn’t think SRNA’s course would be much different than it is today. Take the company’s domestic tire factory in Tonawanda, N.Y., near Buffalo, as an example. Would SRNA’s strategy in Buffalo be different today if outside forces hadn’t steered the world’s economy during the last two years?
“I don’t believe COVID-19 has made a significant change in our Buffalo strat egy,” says Thomas, who adds that SRNA needs that plant to be “a relevant profit center,” especially given its unique mix of production for passenger, light truck,
“The beauty of this business is all of your competitors are dealing with the same forces,” says Darren Thomas, president and CEO of Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.
Photo: MTD
medium truck and motorcycle tires — all under one roof.
“Would we like to have more domestic manufacturing? I would say in theory everybody is probably saying that. But in practice, we can list brands that have started North American factories in the last 10 years and not all have been successful.”
Thomas believes North American pro duction is one solution. He also doesn’t expect sky-high freight rates to stick longterm, which means importing tires to the U.S. “is still a very viable strategy.”
That leaves tariffs and Thomas says SRNA expects it can manage and lower its tariffs down to the range of 2% or 3%. In 2021, the rate for Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co. Ltd. was set at 14.62%.
“My personal opinion is (that) a domes tic plant is highly beneficial for original equipment production. A domestic plant gives you an advantage in supply chain. Does a domestic plant give you cost advan tage? Over the long term, I’m not so sure. In the short-term, yeah — after a global pandemic. But if we think global pandemics are going to be a staple of our economic policy, it’s not.”
— Joy KopchaSRNA’S DARREN THOMAS SAYS DOMESTIC AND OFF-SHORE PRODUCTION ARE ESSENTIAL
Tyres International — the manufacturer of Ascenso brand ag, OTR and industrial tires — has opened a 75,000-square-foot distribution center in Dublin, Ga., which is near the Port of Savannah. The facility, which also will stock and ship Westlake brand TBR and specialty tires, is Tyres International’s third distribution center in the United States. The others are located in Nevada and Ohio.
Brent Wolak has been promoted to director of sales for TBC Brands LLC. Wolak will lead all sales and growth efforts for the TBC Brands business. He joined TBC Corp. in 2006 as the marketing manager for the company’s distribution division and has moved up into roles that span both sales and business development.
The network of Point S tire dealers is growing again as the cooperative of independent tire dealers has expanded into Alabama, its 28th state. Brian Lombardino, the owner of Brian’s Point S Tire & Service in Huntsville, Ala., has joined the Point S network. The cooperative says it has other expansions in the works.
Adam Sutton, president of RNR Tire Express, was named the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations’ (APRO) Dealer of the Year. RNR Tire Express’ Tracy Cintron won the APRO Steve Kruse Award for her lifelong service to the rent-to-own industry. And Candice Hill, a RNR Tire franchisee from Springdale, Ark., took home the organiza tion’s State Association of the Year honor.
Akebono Brake Corp. has added front and rear brake coverage for a variety of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Jeep, Ram and Toyota vehicles. The expansion also includes late-model coverage for the Ram 1500.
American Tire Distributors Inc.(ATD) is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its Hercules brand with a social media give away, opportunities for consumers to win Hercules-branded merchandise and more. Earlier this year, ATD refreshed the branding of its Hercules and Ironman lines.
An acquisition has allowed North Salt Lake City, Utah-based Burt Brothers Tire & Service Inc. to open its 15th store in Utah.
The newest location is the company’s southernmost store and it’s located in the hometown of Brigham Young University (BYU).
Jeremy Burt, one of the owners of Burt Brothers, says the company acquired the Provo store from another set of brothers — Lyle and Cory Brereton. Their father had started Brereton Automotive & Tire Co. more than 50 years ago.
Burt Brothers took over ownership of the outlet on Sept. 1. Jeremy Burt says the Brereton brothers plan to “stay on to work and greet customers because they care most about their customers.
“They chose us because we’re both customer-oriented dealers and we put the customer first. They want to make sure that when customers come in, there’s a familiar face for the time being.”
All eight of Brereton Automotive & Tire’s employees have been retained and Burt says more will be added as business growth warrants.
Burt says the store has 11 service bays and offers a mix of tires, along with a full menu of automotive repairs. It also services a good number of fleets, including construction and delivery fleets that service the local community.
The store is currently undergoing some remodeling and updates to the showroom to make it match the comforts of other Burt Brother locations. Burt says all new shop equipment has already been installed.
“We’ve always wanted (a store) in the Utah County area. A lot of our current customers have their kids down at BYU,” he says, and they’ve wished for a nearby location to serve their college-aged children.
There’s even more growth on the horizon. Burt says in 2023 the dealership is planning to begin construction on a new store in Tooele, Utah. And there are other new store builds and acquisitions in the works.
Bridgestone Americas Inc. is investing $60 million in its Bandag tread rubber manu facturing plant in Abilene, Texas. The infusion will increase the plant’s output by 16% and will include a 50,000-square-foot expansion.
The investment — which includes the construction of new mixing operations — is necessary due to “growing demand for the company’s tread rubber products, driven by the rapid growth of its retread business,” according to Bridgestone officials. The Abilene plant marked its 50th year in operation in 2021. It currently spans 200,000 square feet.
No
Bridgestone Americas Inc. has partnered with TCS Technologies to equip tire dealers in the Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer Nation wide Network with TCS software products and some exclusive partnership benefits.
On Nov. 1 Yokohoma Tire Corp. raised the prices of its commercial truck tires sold in the U.S. The company attributed the unspecified increase to ongoing increases in operating costs.
Discount Tire has opened a new concept store, Pit Pass, in Atlanta, Ga. The company says the store offers drive-through service for consumers with embedded tire scan ners, digital displays and online ordering for speedy service.
TireHub LLC started stocking Cooper and Starfire brand tires earlier this year and now the tire wholesaler has become a national authorized distributor for dealers in the Cooper Medallion program. The brands were part of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s acquisition of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
Erik Olsen, who spent 17 years working for TBC Corp., recently died after a brief illness. He was 59 years old. Olsen was president and CEO of TBC when he retired from the company last year.
Joe DePaolis, a former president of the National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association, recently died at the age of 90. He expanded Johnny Antonelli Tire Co. Inc., which was based in Rochester, N.Y., into one of the largest independent retail tire dealerships in the U.S. during its time. DePaolis is a 2022 inductee into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame.
Tony Vetter, the founder and longtime owner of Northwest Tire Inc., died on Oct. 1. He was 80. Vetter began the Bismark, N.D.-based tire dealership in 1977 with his cousin. It has grown to include 20 locations throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based RHD Tire Inc.’s newest distribution center — a 35,000-square-foot facility in Glendale Heights, Ill., — is up and running.
The warehouse is RHD Tire’s fourth distribution center and is located about 10 miles south of Chicago O’Hare Airport. The wholesaler’s other ware houses are located in Grand Rapids; Detroit, Mich.; and Indianapolis, Ind.
The new distribution center will carry “all original equipment (OE)” passenger and light truck tire brands, according to Kevin Haviland, one of RHD Tire’s owners.
RHD Tire supplies tires to car deal erships. “We have a relationship with almost every OE brand,” says Haviland.
Putting a new distribution center in the Chicago, Ill., market was “the next logical step for us,” according to Kevin Haviland, coowner of RHD Tire Inc.
“We’re also in traditional wholesale. We have some secondary supply relationships with some tire manufacturers and other regional wholesalers.”
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plans to invest $125 million to modernize its commercial truck and OTR tire plant in Topeka, Kan., the state’s governor said.
Gov. Laura Kelly said the invest ment will result in the addition of 40 employees at the factory over the next five years. Its workforce currently numbers around 1,600.
Local economic development enti ties are providing up to $585,000 in assistance to Goodyear for the new jobs at the site.
Goodyear is investing in its truck and OTR tire plant in Topeka, Kan.
Photo: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
The plant, which opened in 1945, has the capacity to produce 5,500 medium truck tires a day, as well as 100 OTR tires daily, according to MTD’s 2022 Facts Issue. It is one of two factories that manufacture truck tires and OTR tires in the U.S. for the tiremaker.
The other is in Danville, Va.
“Our Topeka facility is integral to our operations,” Tim Davis, manufacturing director for the plant, said in a statement released by the governor’s office. “And this investment will help position Goodyear to continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers.” ■
Recent dealer commentary suggests that demand for replacement passenger and light truck tires rose on a year-over-year basis during September 2022 — a departure from sequential declines in recent months.
The net number of respondents to our latest survey who indicated they experi enced positive year-over-year demand was 33% — versus down results in August and July 2022.
This breaks the trend of five straight months of negative demand following a healthy first quarter.
We note that there has been a bit of stabiliza tion in pricing actions from tire manufacturers relative to earlier this year, which worked in favor of tire dealers during September.
While trends have turned positive, dealers remain wary of the outlook for the rest of 2022.
Dealers have told us they expect to see more near-term pricing actions from tire manufacturers and they continue to struggle with recruiting and retaining employees.
Looking more closely at volume during September 2022, we note that the Midwest region of the United States reported the strongest year-over-year growth, while other regions underperformed.
Dealers indicate once again that overall inflation is hurting tire demand, though a slowdown in price hikes has helped them.
We continue to track miles driven as a key data point in determining retail consumer
tire demand. Miles driven is still dropping on a year-over-year basis. However, the rate of deceleration has slowed from what was observed this past summer.
We note that as we have lapped the two-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, year-over-year comparisons are now being drawn from 2021 levels as this reflects a more normalized year-overyear change.
September 2022 showed a 5.8% yearover-year decline in our miles driven index. This compares to a 6% decline in August 2022 and an 8.7% drop the previous month.
We also note that the miles driven index continues to show volatility as miles driven have declined each month since March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fuel price hikes across the U.S.
That said, gas prices have declined substantially since mid-year, which could prove to be a catalyst for an increase in driving during the fourth quarter.
However, our long-term analysis of miles driven shows that this metric is quick to fall and slow to rise, so a continued slide is not out of the question.
Lower prices at the pump will certainly help.
Dealers who replied to our latest survey indicated that customers continue to show a preference for tier-two products.
Given that our dealer contacts have been impacted by tire manufacturer-driven
pricing actions — especially in the tier-one area — this is not surprising.
However, we note that consumer prefer ence for tier-one products has increased in the past month as pricing seems to be less volatile than before.
We know that consumers change their tire preferences based on their personal budgets. We continue to hold the position that many consumers will still opt for tier-two tires as they continue to find a balance between value and performance.
Turning to raw material costs, the “basket” of raw materials needed to build a common replacement consumer tire rose by more than 25% on a year-over-year basis this past August.
This continues the trend of rising raw material costs that we’ve seen for nearly two years.
In looking at specific components, we note that carbon black has seen its price increase on a sequential basis for 20 consecutive months.
The price of carbon black increased by 51.6% in August 2022.
Despite recent price decreases at fuel pumps, the cost of crude oil remains elevated on a year-over-year basis.
We note that August saw a 40.2% yearover-year increase.
The price of synthetic rubber also continues to climb.
Synthetic rubber prices grew nearly 10% during the month of August.
Price pressures on reinforcement items also are increasing.
On the bright side, natural rubber prices recently fell by nearly 9% on a month-bymonth basis — continuing a trend that started this past summer. ■
John Healy is a managing director and research analyst with Northcoast Research Holdings LLC, based in Cleveland. Healy covers a variety of subsectors of the automotive industry.
When the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the state of Cali fornia’s Advanced Clean Cars II rule on Aug. 25, 2022, the race to ban internal combustion engine (ICE) ve hicles and change surface transportation for generations — at least in that state — officially began.
The phase-in period starts with the 2026 model year, where 35% of new vehicle sales in California must be plug-in hybrid (PHEV), full battery electric (BEV) or powered by hydrogen fuel cells. By the year 2030, 68% of all new vehicles sold in California must be BEVs or PHEVs.
According to the National Renew able Energy Laboratory with data from Experian Information Solutions, there were 1,454,480 vehicle registrations in 2021 classified as BEVs. California led the United States in 2021 with 38.7% of all BEV registrations, followed by Florida — in a distant second — with 6.58% and Texas at 5.56%. At the other end of the spectrum, South Dakota (0.05%), Wyoming (0.04%) and North Dakota (0.03%) had the fewest number of electric vehicle (EV) registra tions last year. (See chart on page 20 for a state-by-state comparison.)
To put it in perspective, Washington D.C. had more than double the number of new registered BEVs than all three of those states combined in 2021, with only 3,700 BEVs registered in the District. (The entire state of North Dakota had 380.)
The data cited only included BEV reg istrations and did not account for PHEVs or hybrids.
About 3% of the 250 million cars, SUVs and light-duty trucks currently on the road in the United States are fully electric. Sales of BEVs jumped 83% to almost 435,000 units in 2021. U.S. sales of hybrid vehicles jumped 76% in 2021. Regulations like the recent CARB ruling are trying to force the acceptance of zero-emission vehicles that are not powered directly by fossil fuels.
As a tire dealer, you will see more PHEVs and BEVs rolling into your shop, if you haven’t already.
In 2021, new vehicle manufacturers introduced 126 hybrid and electric models compared to just 49 models in the ICE category. That said, the total number of available ICE models in 2021 was still almost 4,000, while the number of hybrid, PHEV and BEV models totaled fewer than 500.
All of the major new vehicle manufac turers are reporting increases in sales of
“Hybrids, PHEVs and BEVs are here to stay and their numbers will only grow,” says Rohlwing. “Tire dealers need to adapt and stay ahead of this curve. In some markets, like California, servicing non-ICE vehicles will become a matter of survival.”
Photo: Ford Motor Co.
non-ICE vehicles as the market starts to transition from a fleet of vehicles that are totally dependent on fossil fuels to one that is less reliant on gasoline and diesel.
Some manufacturers appear to be going all-in on fully electric vehicles, while others are more focused on the hybrid approach. General Motors and Ford Motor Co. are examples of companies that seem to be on the all-in path.
In the meantime, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai are getting into the game with more electric models, but all of them have indicated that they are going to continue the push to introduce more hybrid vehicles as “enablers” that will lead to BEV sales as consumers get more accustomed to the new technology
Regulations like the recent one in California will definitely boost sales of BEV and PHEV models and it looks like vehicle manufacturers are banking on similar mandates in other states in the future.
Hybrids, PHEVs and BEVs are here to stay and their numbers will only grow. Tire dealers need to adapt to stay ahead of this curve. In markets like California, servicing non-ICE vehicles will become a matter of
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survival. In other markets, tire dealerships that depend on automotive maintenance and repair for the majority of their revenue also will face increasing challenges as the national fleet electrifies.
For the past 18 years, I’ve taught tire service classes at a local community college that has a top-notch automotive technology program. High school graduates receive factory training, with the opportunity to earn their associates degree. Upon comple tion, they become flat-rate technicians for vehicle manufacturers. In many ways, this has given me a front row seat to observe how changes in technology impact the people who service vehicles.
One program at the college recently got its first electric model for students to use during training. After a class, the instructors and I talked about some of the challenges that BEVs present. With decades of factory experience working on ICE models, these instructors admitted they felt out of their comfort zone working on BEVs. In some ways, they are learning with the students as they discover the differences between these types of vehicles.
It reminded me of the early days of tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), which were required on new vehicles as a result of the Transportation Recall, Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act (TREAD), which was signed into law 22
“Tire dealerships in markets with large populations will need to be more in tune with the requirements for servicing BEVs and PHEVs because they will probably see these vehicles in larger numbers before retailers in more rural areas do,” says Rohlwing.
Photo: KiaAlabama 4,750 0.33% 64.40%
Alaska 1,290 0.09% 37.23% Arizona 40,740 2.80% 41.61% Arkansas 2,390 0.16% 79.70% California 563,070 38.71% 32.40% Colorado 37,000 2.54% 50.00% Connecticut 13,350 0.92% 47.70% Delaware 3,010 0.21% 54.40% District of Columbia 3,700 0.25% 56.80% Florida 95,640 6.58% 64.44% Georgia 34,020 2.34% 44.58% Hawaii 14,220 0.98% 33.30% Idaho 3,500 0.24% 52.20% Illinois 36,520 2.51% 40.50% Indiana 10,360 0.71% 48.21% Iowa 3,660 0.25% 62.00% Kansas 4,500 0.31% 43.77% Kentucky 4,220 0.29% 59.30% Louisiana 3,180 0.22% 63.10% Maine 3,040 0.21% 58.33% Maryland 25,630 1.76% 42.63% Massachusetts 30,470 2.09% 45.03% Michigan 17,460 1.20% 64.41% Minnesota 15,000 1.03% 44.51% Mississippi 1,310 0.09% 68.00% Missouri 10,050 0.69% 49.11% Montana 1,650 0.11% 75.53% Nebraska 2,710 0.19% 49.72% Nevada 17,380 1.02% 57.43% New Hampshire 4,000 0.28% 48.70% New Jersey 47,830 3.29% 57.23% New Mexico 4,150 0.29% 58.40% New York 51,870 3.57% 59.16% North Carolina 25,190 1.73% 55.60% North Dakota 380 0.03% 72.73% Ohio 21,200 1.46% 49.51% Oklahoma 7,080 0.49% 111.00% Oregon 30,290 2.08% 32.60% Pennsylvania 26,770 1.84% 52.71% Rhode Island 2,550 0.18% 61.39% South Carolina 7,440 0.51% 69.50% South Dakota 680 0.05% 66.00% Tennessee 12,160 0.84% 55.70% Texas 80,900 5.56% 55.01% Utah 16,480 1.13% 46.75% Vermont 3,370 0.23% 51.12% Virginia 30,660 2.11% 49.50% Washington 66,810 4.59% 32.30% West Virginia 1,010 0.07% 68.33% Wisconsin 9,330 0.64% 47.90% Wyoming 510 0.04% 54.60%
Total 1,454,480 100% 42.70%
Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory with data from Experian Information Solutions
“The BEV and PHEV revolution requires a much higher level of access to infor mation and more sophisticated train ing,” says Kevin Rohlwing. “It also will require a deeper level of investment in tools and technology.”
Photo: General Motorsyears ago this month.TPMS service was a major challenge when these systems first started showing up at tire dealerships. With a national mandate looming, everyone scrambled to get the new tools and equip ment needed to service vehicles with the new technology.
I remember one of the first TPMS relearn tools flew off the shelves as many tire dealers jumped in with both feet. Within a couple of years of full TPMS implementation, however, the tool had become obsolete because TPMS technology had evolved so rapidly.
As PHEVs and BEVs continue to gain popularity, there will be a growing number of tools, equipment and services made available to the automotive aftermarket. Everyone wants to get in on the ground floor of the electric revolution, but at most independent tire dealerships, there has to be a business case for spending the amount of money needed to effectively service BEVs and PHEVs.
That said, sitting on the sidelines and paying zero attention to the EV revolution may not be the best plan, especially for tire dealerships in urban areas. Right now, BEV and PHEV models work best in large cities and metropolitan areas where charg ing stations are easier to find and driving distances are short.
Regenerative braking also plays a major role in BEV and PHEV battery life, so the stop and start of city and suburban traffic is an advantage, while long highway trips will drain batteries faster.
Tire dealerships in markets with large populations will need to be more in tune with the requirements for servicing BEVs
“In my opinion, climate change is real,” says Kevin Rohlwing, chief technical officer, Tire Industry Association. “I believe that the planet is a complex system and a small change in (something) like average global temperature can have a major effect on other things, like weather patterns, precipitation and sea levels.
“Like it or not, electricity is the lifeblood of modern society and generating enough for homes, businesses and public services is already a challenge.
“We can add charging stations from coast-to-coast and it won’t change the fact that an already strained electrical grid will become further strained when millions of electric vehicles need to be charged.
“This summer, residents in California and the Dallas area were asked to not charge their cars during peak electricity demand hours as the result of a heatwave. It’s a problem that I believe will only get worse unless there is a balance between nuclear, fossil fuel and renewable energy sources.”
Rohlwing believes another issue that needs to be addressed is the raw material for battery electric vehicle (BEV) batteries.
“Lithium is a major component for a BEV and according to Statista, Chile leads the world in (lithium) reserves, followed by Australia, Argentina and China. The U.S. is a distant fifth, with about half of China’s reserves and only 8% of the lithium reserves in Chile.
“Like oil, extraction is only part of the equation. The lithium must be processed into batteries and the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that China accounts for 60% of global lithium chemical production and 80% of lithium hydroxide — with just five major companies responsible for three-quarters of global production capacity.”
The process of extracting lithium “requires tremendous amounts of water and a lot of the global reserves are located in areas prone to drought, like Australia and South America. A mine in Bolivia reportedly uses 13,000 gallons of water each day and lithium mining companies in Chile have been accused of depleting the water table — putting stress on area residents and food supplies.
“The IEA estimates that half of the world’s lithium supplies are in areas with high water stress and given current production and processing capabilities — coupled with increasing demand — the world could be facing a lithium shortage as soon as 2025.
“In the Net Zero by 2050 roadmap from IEA, the group reported that the world needs two billion BEV, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and fuel-cell electric lightduty vehicles to reach the point where the rise in global temperatures is limited to 1.5 degrees Centigrade.
“The World Economic Forum has determined that given current lithium battery re quirements, there are enough global reserves to produce just under 2.5 billion vehicle batteries,” notes Rohlwing. “Challenges associated with lithium production/processing represent just a fraction of the headwinds that face the movement to completely replace internal combustion engine vehicles with BEVs.
“Government mandates resonate with the media and voters who prioritize the envi ronment and are willing to pay more to help save it. Long-range plans and roadmaps to reduce emissions through electric vehicles look great on paper, but at some point the supply chain has to support them.
“It’s impossible to predict if auto manufacturers can deliver on California’s (recent) mandate to reach the 68% (electric vehicle) level in 2030 or range/powertrain require ments. It’s also impossible to predict if other states will follow with similar mandates and how consumers will react.
“Governments around the world are going to force changes one way or another, so the trend favoring electric (vehicles) over fossil fuel vehicles shows no signs of slowing, which means more changes are on the horizon.”
EV battery supply chain remains a challenge, says Rohlwing
Lithium extraction is just one part of the equation
and PHEVs because they will probably see these vehicles in larger numbers before retailers in more rural areas do.
e proliferation of BEVs and PHEVs and the increasing reliance on so ware for repair and maintenance makes Right to Repair more important than ever. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the future of the automotive a ermarket will be even more dependent on having access to vehicle manufacturer data.
e complexity of BEVs and PHEVs will give new vehicle producers ample opportunities to restrict access — forcing consumers back to their dealer networks for service.
e Tire Industry Association (TIA) and the Auto Care Association played a role in getting Right to Repair on the ballot in Massachusetts two years ago. In November 2020, voters there overwhelmingly cast ballots in favor of equal, open access to telematically transmitted automotive diagnostic and repair information.
Both associations have continued the battle in Washington, D.C. to make Right to Repair a federal law. Automobile manufacturing represents a large part of the economy and new vehicle manufacturers have a lot of in uence inside the Beltway. is creates an uphill climb for the a ermarket.
Right to Repair is a great thing for consumers and a great thing for independent tire dealerships. I believe the tire industry must have Right to Repair laws on the books in every state.
Independent tire dealers should strongly support the e orts
of TIA and other organizations to pass national Right to Repair legislation.
Personally, I’m still not sold on the idea that BEVs and PHEVs will totally replace ICE vehicles, at least in my lifetime.
States like California will attempt to mandate the transition, but challenges like the additional power grid capacity needed to support so many vehicles will remain — at least for the time being.
I foresee rural areas having a higher concentration of ICE and hybrid vehicles because of the distances between population centers. On the other hand, large cities and many high-density suburbs are ideal for BEVs and PHEVs because charging stations are easier to locate and commutes are shorter.
I believe that if le alone, the market will organically continue to replace ICE vehicles with BEV, PHEV and hybrid models — creating a gradual transition that doesn’t upset the supply and demand model. But there are so many unknowns regarding the future of BEVs and PHEVs that it’s anyone’s guess how it plays out over the next decade.
Each independent tire dealership will have to determine if or when it gets into the BEV and PHEV game and how deep they want to play — if they want to play at all. Many tire dealerships have already found great success in the hybrid space and some are already successfully servicing fully electric vehicles.
ese tire dealerships have a head start. And from a replacement tire standpoint, dealers with a strong tire program that provides access to a wide range of products will be less a ected than those who don’t.
At any rate, tire dealerships that are reliant on automotive maintenance and repair must start educating their employees now and keep a watchful eye on their markets. When they determine the timing is right, they should know exactly what they need, how much it will cost and how long it will take for the investment — including technician training — to pay for itself.
It also should be noted that all modern vehicles — to some degree — are electric and that’s not going to change. e number of electrical systems associated with ICE vehicles is going to increase as manufacturers look to improve fuel economy, lower emissions and increase connectivity for motorists.
Maintaining and repairing those vehicles will become increasingly more challenging with each new model year.
e BEV and PHEV revolution requires a much higher level of access to information and more sophisticated training, as many — including MTD’s monthly EV Intelligence columnist Craig Van Batenburg — have noted. It also will require a deeper level of investment in tools and technology.
In some markets, adapting to BEVs and PHEVs could become a matter of survival in a relatively shorter period of time for independent tire dealerships. California already has around one million BEVs on the road.
ere’s no need to panic right now. We are a long way from replacing all ICE vehicles with BEVs or PHEVs. But to help ensure your company’s future success, you need to prepare for an all-electric future now. ■
Kevin Rohlwing is chief technical officer of the Tire Industry Association. He can be reached at krohlwing@tireindustry.org.
With a national inflation rate of nearly 8.5%, you would be hard-pressed to find a consumer product that has not gone up in price.
That includes tires, which remain the subject of price increases — resulting in sticker shock for some consumers who have been out of the market for several years.
Jim Baxter, owner and president of Neighborhood Tire Pros & Auto Service, a four-store chain based in Atlanta, Ga., says sticker shock among his customers is “more prevalent now than before.”
The challenge, he says, is working around this reaction so his dealership doesn’t lose the sale.
Baxter says people usually come into his dealership every three to five years to buy new tires. (His business has experienced a 40% to 50% increase in tire prices since February 2020.)
“The core of our sales approach has not changed. We still try to get the best product for our customer. However, we don’t really get into (discussing price increases) unless the customer raises an issue about it.”
If a customer does express shock, Baxter says his team steers them to other products that would be a good choice, but maybe not as expensive.
“The number one thing that’s happening is customers who historically would purchase top-of-the-line tires are now looking for other options,” says Baxter.
This has changed Neighborhood Tire Pros’ stocking and inventory strategy.
The dealership keeps a higher inventory of what Baxter calls “middle of the road” or “middle-value” products.
Relief on tire pricing seems to be a little ways off, according to Baxter. In fact, he believes the “worst” will happen before the situation gets better.
“In my opinion, the pricing situation will not calm down until a full-blown recession hits,” says Baxter.
In the meantime, Baxter and his team are “squeezing mar gins” to offer a competitive price. “We want to sell a premium product because I want to make sure the customer gets the best product for their dollar.”
At No Time Flat in Jenison, Mich., Dustin Nienhuis, the dealer ship’s owner, says even though tire prices have “gone up a ton,” he’s relying heavily on his sales training to steer conversations with tire shoppers.
It boils down to “building trust with the customers. None of them are coming in here like it’s a big box store.
“They’ve been referred here for our good service or (they) read about us online.”
Nienhuis says he and his team happily work with customers who walk in with a price from another tire retailer.
He’ll pull up that competitor’s website, put tires in the shop ping cart and show how the initial price a consumer spotted usually climbs when installation and other fees are added to the bottom line.
Neinhuis and his team then close the deal with a promise to handle any tire issues the customer may encounter.
And he reminds them that his store will be there when it’s time for the next replacement.
As prices have gone up, Nienhuis has had to remind his sales staff not to make assumptions about what a customer will pay or what kind of tires they can afford.
“To help (customers) get over the shock, we reassure them the increases are not on us and we are just happy they’re still shopping local,” says Brian McCartharn, president, Oxford Auto & Tire, a dealership in Washington, N.J.Photo: Oxford Auto & Tire
A complete
Operational
Best-in-class
Dustin Nienhuis started working at No Time Flat in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area as a high schooler. He says he and his team will happily work with customers who walk into the dealership armed with a price from another tire retailer.
Photo: No Time Flat
And he says if a customer needs four tires, sell four because the buyer is not going to be satisfied otherwise.
That doesn’t mean he wants to oversell. “I’m not pushing Michelins on a college student. I qualify (the customer) way before I offer a product.”
Questions about who drives the vehicle and how the vehicle is used are essential. “We offer (customers) the product they’re going to like and want.
“You have to believe in your product more than customers want to keep their money.”
Brian McCartharn, manager of Oxford Auto & Tire in Washington, N.J., says some of his customers are “realizing (sticker shock) and some aren’t realizing it, but most people see what is going on in the world and expect things to cost more.”
McCarthan and his team tell customers that price increases are out of their control.
“We’re trying to explain to them that the increases are not on us,” says McCartharn.
No Time Flat owner Nienhuis doesn’t want his sales team to make assumptions about customers’ ability to pay, especially as tire prices have escalated. “Always assume they can afford it. Assume they’ll bite on the nicer ones.”
“It’s from the manufacturers, but there have not been too many complaints.”
The complaints he does receive are from people “who are starting to run out of money” due to the increasing cost of everyday living.
Fortunately, McCartharn reports that tire prices are starting to stabilize at his single-location dealership.
“Honestly, I don’t know why,” he says. “Hopefully, it’s a new trend that sticks!”
This could be a welcome develop ment as Oxford Auto & Tire’s sales have slowed down a bit. “This year, I don’t think we will see growth. I am really just hoping to keep it the same.”
Photo: No Time Flat
Anthony Blackman, president of Atlantic Tire & Service, which is based in Cary, N.C., says the majority of his customers have accepted tire price hikes.
“Most customers are very aware of the effect inflation has had on our economy and expect to pay more for tires than they did when purchasing tires maybe three years ago.
“If a customer is troubled by the price, they will usually opt for a lower-tier tire.
“Initially, they may come in looking for a Michelin, but due to pricing (will) choose a less expensive brand or a private label.”
Blackman says his approach is to give customers several options and he will match online pricing to make sure a customer doesn’t “walk.”
His sales team is up-front with customers about price increases, but is negotiating with customers more than in the past.
“To help us absorb the reduction in margins on our tire sales, we have placed a higher emphasis on add-ons like road hazard protection and tire pressure monitoring system sales,” says Blackman.
“We have been able to do this with very little resistance from the customers, which says a lot about our sales staff. Our wheel alignment sales have increased dramatically, as well.”
He believes that tire prices will not come down anytime soon, but he does expect some stability to return if the RussiaUkraine war ends.
However, transportation costs will continue to “haunt” the tire industry, says Blackman.
“It’s a very exciting time to be in the tire industry, but equally challenging.”
Dan Nothdurft, president of Sioux City, Iowa,-based Tires Tires Tires, says “there is no sticker shock anymore” among his customers.
“They’re accustomed to the fact that everything has gone up.”
On the rare occasion a customer balks at price, Nothdurft’s salespeople will suggest “a lower-tier tire. And the customer just goes, ‘OK.’
“We’re not immune” to some customers expressing concern about higher prices, according to Nothdurft. “But for the most part, they’re buying the tires they want.”
However, he says, “anytime prices go up, your margins generally don’t follow that trend. I think a saturation point will be reached and then our prices will start flattening out.
“I’ve never seen them come down,” he adds with a laugh. “I’ve never heard a company say, ‘We have a price decrease headed your way!’”
Despite ongoing price hikes, business at Tires Tires Tires’ four locations “has been pretty steady,” says Nothdurft.
“I don’t think we’ve lost any customers over price. But you know, when you’re in the tire business, you’re kind of recession-proof. People aren’t buying new cars. Consumers are definitely putting on tires.” ■
“We’re not immune to” some customers expressing concern about higher prices, according to Dan Nothdurft, president of Tires Tires Tires, a four-outlet dealership based in Sioux Falls, Iowa. “But for the most part, they’re buying the tires they want.”
Photo: Tires Tires Tires
All-Weather van tire designed for last-mile delivery applications
Excellent
Sailun Tire Americas is taking a lead position in the electric vehicle (EV) revolution by offering a dedicated, tailor-made tire for EV applications that utilizes a proprietary, one-of-a-kind compounding technology designed to minimize performance trade-offs — ensuring supreme driver confidence and to be a leader in the growing EV market
The all-new Sailun ERANGE EV — which is available in more than 30 sizes, covering 80% of the EV and hybrid market — has been specifically designed and manufactured for EV and hybrid vehicle applications and is the first tire that features the company’s revolutionary EcoPoint 3 liquid phase mixing technology, which has allowed Sailun to precision-tune the product to meet the unique challenges these vehicles present.
“We understand that EVs and hybrid vehicles represent a comparatively small percentage of the North American car population today, but that will change very rapidly,” says Ron Dolan, president of Sailun Tire Americas.
“By the year 2030, nearly 50% of all new vehicles in the United States and Canada will be EVs or hybrids. Our all-new ERANGE EV gives tire dealers an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this seismic vehicle shift — providing a state-of-the-art product at a strong value proposition and one that will instantly position them as the go-to source in their own markets for replacement EV and hybrid tires.”
In development for more than 10 years, EcoPoint3 gives Sailun the ability to mix rubber compound materials in a way that optimizes rolling resistance, wear and traction — performance parameters that up until the technology’s advent were difficult to manage.
EcoPoint 3, which is meticulously applied at the start of the rubber mixing process, also enables the ERANGE EV to carry the extra weight of EVs and hybrids without sacrificing other performance characteristics, such as handling, steering responsiveness and noise minimization — providing a tire that not only lasts longer, but also provides a consistent, confidence-inspiring driving experience.
The all-new Sailun ERANGE EV has been specifically designed and manufactured for EV and hybrid vehicle applications and is the first tire that features Sailun’s revolutionary EcoPoint3 liquid phase mixing technology.
“EcoPoint 3 helps deliver the right rubber compounding balance for exceptional performance and longevity in a wide range of vehicle and seasonal applications,” says Dolan. “This revolutionary breakthrough is the result of years of painstak ing research, development and consistent investment, with the benefit of North American tire dealers and consumers ultimately in mind.
“By the year 2030, nearly 50% of all new vehicles in the United States and Canada will be EVs or hybrids,” says Ron Dolan, president of Sailun Tires Americas. The new ERANGE EV gives dealers the ability to get in on the ground floor of this “seismic shift.”
Photo: Sailun Tire Americas
“The result is a tire, the ERANGE EV, that is ideally suited for the demands of EV and hybrid vehicle drivers and sets a new, unmatched standard for EV tire performance.”
A WIN-WIN FOR DEALERS AND CONSUMERS How does the ERANGE EV compare versus competitive products in the EV and hybrid vehicle space? Incredibly well, according to Sailun research.
Testing shows that the ERANGE EV ensures shorter brak ing distance than tires offered by leading competitors. And the tire’s low rolling resistance helps optimize vehicle range due to lower battery power consumption — a key benefit that helps EV and hybrid vehicle owners get the most out of each charge cycle.
The ERANGE EV also sports an attractive, high-end sidewall design that complements and even enhances vehicle appear ance — another feature that makes the product an easy sell.
Sailun has optimized the availability of the ERANGE EV by distributing the tire through TBC Corp., including TBC’s National Tire Wholesale arm.
“We’ve partnered with TBC to reach the broadest possible dealer network with efficient, no-hassle, on-time, consistent delivery,” says Dolan. “And in Canada, the ERANGE EV will be available at authorized Sailun retailers, getting the ERANGE EV into your hands when you need it for the top-notch experience that EV and hybrid vehicle customers expect.
“Consistent with other Sailun tires, the new ERANGE EV offers incredible performance at an affordable price point. This is a unique product that provides premium-level technology and performance at an attractive price — making it a win-win for dealers and their customers.”
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“The new ERANGE EV offers incredible performance at an affordable price point,” says Dolan. “This is a unique product that provides premium-level technology and performance at an attractive price — making it a win-win for dealers and their customers.”
Photo: Sailun Tire Americas
Sticker shock isn’t exclusive to passenger tires. Light truck tire prices have increased, as well. And buyers who have been out of the market for a while have noticed.
We recently asked light truck tire suppliers to share tips to help dealers navigate the pricing discussion with customers. Here’s what they had to say:
Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president, automotive division, American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd.: Understand the consumer’s specific situation. Explaining financing options without sacrificing performance will be the recommended approach.
Stephen Liu, senior director, proprietary brands, American Tire Distributors Inc.: Educate consumers on the advantages of buying local and building a relationship with your retail location that lasts longer than just a tire sale.
J. Downey Sr., product manager, Apollo Tyres Ltd.: Light truck tires are engineered to meet the specifications of the manufacturers, with safety and meeting consumer expectations. Weighing the risks of compromising safety versus performance/ price should be the theme of any conversation.
Brad Robison, senior product manager, Bridgestone Americas Inc.: It’s important that dealers have conversations with their customers to understand their specific vehicle, typical usage and performance expectations to ensure they get a product that meets their needs.
Travis Roffler, director of marketing, Continental Tire the Americas LLC: I always warn dealers about putting LT-metric tires in place of P-metric tires without discussing the potential impact on ride comfort, noise and handling with the consumer, depending on the pattern type you are replacing.
David Shelton, director of industry relations, Giti Tire (USA) Ltd.: The good thing here is that these tires fit more into the “want” purchase (category), rather than the “need” purchase. Your task is to find what (the customer’s) hidden expectations are and define their limits and where they are willing to deviate from to get what they want, but still leave feeling good about their acquisition.
Rob Williams, senior vice president, North American sales, Hankook Tire North America: With the continued rise in the cost for light truck tire pricing, we have seen consumers go with
Qualifying the light truck customer remains a critical part of the sales process, say light truck tire manufacturers.
Photo: Bruneel Point S Tire & Auto
the more reliable and cost-friendly option. With this in mind, dealers need to acknowledge the consumer’s point of view.
Victor Qui, vice president of sales and marketing, Horizon Tire Inc.: It really depends on what brand you want to push. End users normally listen to the retail sales person’s pitch about the value of the tires.
Rick Phillips, CEO, Keter Tire Inc.: You have to stay up to date with what’s going on in the industry and the factors that affect pricing. If you do that, you are able to educate customers. When customers feel like they are well-informed, they have more confidence in making buying decisions.
Chris Jenkins, programs and marketing manager, automotive division, Maxxis International - USA: This is not as complicated as most would think. It comes down to the basic quality features of the tire. Is the consumer looking to buy a name or buy the best quality? How about both?
Jason Yard, marketing director, Nexen Tire North America Inc.: Take advantage of manufacturers’ incentives and distribu tor accounts, where available. It’s good to have a few options to offer, but having too many can dilute your threshold of discounts and rebates.
Stephen Leu, director of brand publishing, Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.: Light truck tire buyers have a wide variety of needs and
•
• Fully automatic. Beam can be moved up and down
• Compatible with all car lifts including 2 post lifts and mid-rise scissor lifts
• Shortest distance of rolling run-out compensation in the industry, no need to wait during rolling
• Dual display screens
• Fully Automatic. Super easy to operate
• Leverless Center Post. Rim size up to 30"
• Equipped with Wheel lift cart and a 12" display screen that shows the underside of the wheel when changing the tire
the all-terrain, rugged-terrain and mud-terrain segments have a plethora of product o erings, each with its own unique strengths and features. Finding the right product to address the customer’s predispositions is always a good start.
Erdem Halulu, chief commercial o cer, Pirelli Tire North America Inc.: Light truck tire customers don’t want to sacri ce on tire performance. at’s why tire dealers should explain to them that investing in a tier-one tire brand will provide them and their vehicle with the best performance.
Jack McClure, director of product development, Sailun Tire Americas: It always circles back to building a relationship with the customer and earning their trust. With pricing in an uncertain economy, a great rst step in customer trust building is to provide a quality product with value.
Darrel Jackson, senior manager of franchise learning and development, TBC Corp: Listening to your customers is key. To really understand the customer and their needs, ask purposeful questions and listen to the answers provided. If you take the time to describe how the features of a higher-priced tire meet their needs in a way that a lower-priced tire cannot, o entimes price is no longer a factor.
Andrew Hoit, vice president of sales and marketing, brands division, Tireco: During in ationary economic times, consumers are more likely to consider a lesser-known brand with a strong value proposition. It is also a great opportunity to remind consumers about the benefits of proper tire maintenance, including periodic air pressure checks and tire rotations, to maximize fuel economy and tire life.
Joaquin Gonzalez Jr., president, Tire Group International Inc.: When discussing options with your customer, you must have options for him to make the best decision that suits his needs and budget. If you are only o ering a tier-one product in your portfolio in a speci c category, you will miss out on sales.
Conrad Galamgam, vice president, product planning and technical services, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: It is important to note that load range/ply ratings cannot be used alone to identify a proper vehicle tment. Regardless of on- or o -road use, it is imperative that replacement tires for any vehicle must be of a size, load range and load capacity — by in ation — that is capable of supporting the same load as the vehicle’s originally installed tires.
Roman Racela, marketing director, Transamerica Tire Co. Ltd.: Once a tire dealer makes a value proposition to consumers by making them aware of the features and bene ts (of a tire), price becomes less important, thereby increasing the chance of closing the sale.
Martin Marquez, regional sales manager, west, Trimax Tire: Make sure you have the right application for the right vehicle. Be con dent with the tire you are selling and most importantly, be honest with the customer. ■
Rich Rogenski is not an economist. But he has a pretty good handle on how to make money in a down economy.
Rogenski — along with his sister, Lisa Walters, and their father, Dick Rogenski — own Westside Tire & Service, a three-store dealership that’s based in Youngstown, Ohio.
Located half-way between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Pa., Youngstown has struggled since the late-1970s, when the onceprosperous city began to lose its industrial base, which in turn, created a mass exodus of residents.
In 1970, eight years before Dick opened Westside Tire & Service, Youngstown had more than 139,000 residents.
By the end of the decade, which saw the shutdown of several major employers in the area, more than 24,000 people had left the city.
Today, around 60,000 people call Youngstown home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
High-paying jobs are less plentiful in Youngstown than they once were — compounded, in no small part, by the 2019 closing of General Motors’ mammoth assembly plant in nearby Lordstown, Ohio. (The factory employed around 4,500 people when it closed. Thirty years ago, it employed more than 10,000.)
Many of Westside Tire & Service’s blue-collar customers live on increasingly tight budgets. And the area boasts a much smaller car count.
These economic tides have swept away more than a few inde pendent tire dealerships in Youngstown, says Rich.
But Westside Tire & Service has found ways to not only survive, but thrive and grow. The company’s formula is simple, he notes.
“You work hard. You work long. You do a good job. You take pride in what you do. And you adapt to what customers need.”
This no-nonsense, roll-up-your-sleeves approach will soon carry the dealership into its 45th year in business.
For much of the 20th century, Youngstown was a major steel manufacturing hub, with many large companies — including U.S. Steel and Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. — employing the vast majority of the city’s blue-collar workers.
In the late-70s, Dick Rogenski was working for an independent tire dealership in Youngstown, where he grew up.
He decided to strike out on his own.
In 1978, he opened a small tire store on the west side of the city — “hence our name,” says Lisa, who was in high school at the time.
Rich, then 21 years old, became Westside Tire & Service’s first employee. It wasn’t the greatest time to open a small business in Youngstown, he admits.
On Sept. 19, 1977, Youngstown Sheet & Tube, a big employer in the area since 1900, closed its plants in nearby Campbell and Struthers, Ohio, instantly putting 5,000 people out of work.
The incident — known to this day in Youngstown as “Black Monday” — would have a devastating domino effect on the city and its residents.
It was a scary time, Rich remembers.
“A great number of our customers worked at Youngstown Sheet & Tube. And many of those who didn’t work for Youngstown Steel worked for U.S. Steel or Republic Steel.”
U.S. Steel would exit Youngstown in 1979. Republic Steel filed for bankruptcy a few years later.
Despite the unstable economic environ ment around him, Dick had a vision that he continued to pursue, says Lisa, who started with the dealership as “the cleaning lady” and then became its bookkeeper.
“Later on, I was a service advisor,” she notes. “I worked in the back office. We wore many hats.”
The Rogenskis quickly established West side Tire & Service — then a tires-only opera tion — as an affordable, service-oriented alternative to big box merchandisers.
Business grew and Dick saw a need for further investment.
“We had been open for about a year when our dad started an addition” onto the busy Youngstown store, says Rich.
“He wanted to be full-service. So we added four bays onto the front of the building.”
The expanded location soon had all the work it could handle. This prompted the Rogenskis to open their second store — located in nearby Niles — in 1984.
winter months — coupled with salt-covered roads — didn’t hurt either, says Rich.
“If you go back to the 1970s and 80s, you couldn’t keep a car for 13 years. You wouldn’t have anything left!”
Westside Tire & Service continued to win new customers. It was soon time for another round of investment.
The Rogenskis opened their third store — a location in Austintown, a western Youngstown suburb — in 1987 “to help take some pressure off” their two other outlets. (Dick is still the dealership’s CEO.)
They began looking at other revenue streams. One — servicing local fleets — started small, but has paid big dividends.
Westside Tire & Service has more than 45 fleet accounts — everything from local
building contractors, a TV station and a tree removal service to the Diocese of Youngstown, the Ohio Lottery Commission and a funeral home.
The business started as a sideline, accord ing to Rich.
“There was an electrical contractor two blocks from our original location that had done some work for us,” he says.
“They started sending their vehicles to us for tires and oil changes and any repairs their vehicles needed.
“They probably had five vans. And it just evolved from there.”
A garage door installer became the dealership’s second fleet customer.
Soon other fleets began contacting Westside Tire & Service.
The dealership became known as a place that could handle “vehicles that are too big
Westside Tire & Service’s customer base continues to evolve. And the Youngstown, Ohio-based dealership is staying ahead of the curve, says Lisa Walters, one of its owners.
West Side Tire & Service is seeing more female buyers than ever before. These cus tomers “have a better idea of what they want” than men and often “are more concerned about safety,” according to Walters.
“Our female customer base is actually somewhat larger than our male customer base. We believe if we help educate our female customers, we help empower them to make informed decisions about the repair and maintenance of their vehicles.”
Ten years ago, Westside Tire & Service earned the Certified Female-Friendly designa tion from AskPatty.com, a company whose goal is to help women feel more comfortable when buying and repairing vehicles.
Westside Tire & Service’s three stores continue to pick up more fleet accounts. “Just about anything a vehicle needs, we can do,” says Lisa. “One of our newest accounts told us he was going to one (provider) for one service and another place for something else. We can do everything for them here.”
“We worked very hard to get to that point,” says Rich.
Meanwhile, the greater Youngstown area continued to shed jobs. New car sales plummeted.
This helped fill Westside Tire & Service’s bays, says Lisa.
“When you’re in a recessionary period like that, people don’t trade in their cars.”
The freeze-thaw cycles that are the hallmarks of northeast Ohio weather during
Walters and her brother, Westside Tire & Service co-owner Rich Rogenski, require all the dealership’s customer-facing employees to take — and pass — AskPatty.com online training.
The three-location dealership also hosts annual car care clinics for female customers at its Niles, Ohio, store. “We typically have about 20 women present,” says Walters.
“We have refreshments and giveaways. We explain the importance of maintenance at proper intervals. We have new and old parts on hand to show them what a worn-out brake pad looks like versus a new one. And we answer any questions they may have.”
The clinics include a “hands-on” portion, during which a store manager, technician or service advisor teaches participants how to open the hood of their vehicles and add oil or windshield wiper fluid.
“We show them how to check air pressure in a tire and where to find the proper tire (pressure level) for their car. We show them where the spare is located on their vehicle — if it has one — and the best location to put a jack.”
Westside Tire & Service also has hosted car care clinics for Girl Scout troops, special needs students and teenagers who are taking life skills courses at a local high school.
“We enjoy hosting the car care clinics and having the opportunity to help people,” says Walters. “We feel strongly about supporting our communities that have supported us for so many years and it’s just one of the many ways we give back.”
for the average tire shop to work on and too small for a truck repair shop to work on,” notes Rich.
A local janitorial supply distributor signed onto Westside Tire & Service’s fleet program.
“They have four or five vehicles that we service,” says Rich.
“And their owners bring their personal vehicles to us.
“A lot of people we had done business with became our customers. We like to do business with people who do business with us.”
“Word-of-mouth has had a lot to do” with the dealership’s success with fleets, according to Lisa.
“One of our newest fleets came to us through Business Networking International (BNI),” a business referral organization that Westside Tire & Service belongs to.
“A lady in our BNI group told someone who’s a fleet manager that he should give us a try,” explains Lisa. “And he was happy he did.”
Rich and Lisa market Westside Tire & Service as a “one-stop shop” for fleets of all sizes, vocations and vehicles.
Each store has a dedicated bay for fleet work “because we don’t know if we’re going to get a Ford Focus or a Ford F-350 on any given day,” says Rich. “It could be a 16-passenger bus.”
Westside Tire & Service offers a wide range of auto maintenance and repair ser vices minus engine and transmission rebuilds, which are farmed out to local specialists when requested.
“We’ll do engine replacements, though,” says Lisa.
The dealership’s biggest fleet customer a company that restores properties that have suffered water and fire damage has 70 vehicles.
“And they’re possibly adding more at the end of the year,” says Rich.
Westside Tire & Service’s smallest cus tomer a local man who provides lawn care and snow removal services has two vehicles.
Rich and Lisa put fleet vehicles on regular maintenance schedules.
“The owners of these fleets are so busy running their businesses,” says Rich. “We take that off their plate for them.”
Sometimes, however, fleet vehicles need immediate help due to breakdowns “and other emergencies,” notes Rich.
“Some drivers will worry when a van’s check engine light comes on and will want that checked right away.”
“Just about anything a vehicle needs, we can do,” says Lisa.
“One of our newest accounts told us he was going to one (provider) for one service and another place for something else. We can do everything for them here.
“Another fleet customer told us, ‘I have no records of anything. We do our oil changes at one place. Another company does our brakes. Another company does our tires.’ We’ve centralized all of that.”
Rich says Westside Tire & Service is working with a vendor to develop an online portal “where our fleet customers can access all of their (maintenance) records through their phones or laptops.”
The dealership also offers digital vehicle inspections for both fleets and regular customers.
Photos of needed repairs plus written details can be shared with clients, along with quotes, depending on customer preference.
“We can send a video of our technician inspecting a tie rod end and the customer can see the movement,” says Rich.
“Now they understand what it needs, rather than someone miles away telling them what’s needed.
“We started offering digital vehicle inspections around five years ago, but got really serious about it two years ago” during the COVID-19 pandemic, he says.
“Our customers were blown away by it. We also have added more texting with customers. It’s convenient for them.
“If I call and say, ‘Hey, do you have time to talk right now?’ they might be busy. Now we can text them a quote and (provide) a checklist” that gives them the option of selecting what services they want to buy now versus later.
Fleets also rely on Westside Tire & Service for replacement tire recommendations.
“Very seldom does a fleet customer have a specific request for tires,” notes Rich, who says the dealership carries Kenda and Nexen brand cargo tires for Ford Transits and other work vans.
Once Westside Tire & Service plugs a customer into a specific tire, “they will stick with it,” he adds.
“Fleets put a lot of trust in us to put the right thing on their vehicles.”
The dealership solicits new fleet accounts by sending out letters, “telling them about us and what we can do for them,” says Rich.
Displacing a fleet’s current tire and auto service provider or multiple providers, in some cases isn’t always easy.
“But once we get our foot in the door, customers know we have their best interests at heart,” says Rich.
“All of our customers are treated with dignity and respect.”
That, he adds, is what ultimately keeps Westside Tire & Service’s customers com ing back to the dealership during and despite tough times.
All the negative talk about the shortage of workers in the tire industry and the struggle to keep good employees from going elsewhere can be exhausting.
If you need a break from that noise, and a boost of positivity, grab a seat. Let’s celebrate some of the bright minds at work in this industry and lean on the hope and inspiration from the next generation already at work in the trenches.
That’s exactly what MTD’s On the Rise program is designed to do.
For the seventh straight year, MTD presents a group of young leaders moving up the ranks and taking charge at tire dealerships, tire plants and in tire manufacturers’ board rooms.
For 2022, we present 40 bright stars who are On the Rise. Sit back and prepare to be inspired and re-energized by these 40 leaders under the age of 40.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The Sullivan Tire motto is to treat all employees and customers as a member of our family. As we are in the most chal lenging labor market in history, we have evolved our approach to employee retention to ensure all employees understand all opportunities and career goals available to them. We win based on winning with our people and our culture.
In 1955, my grandfather, Bob Sullivan, started Sullivan Tire. From a young age I knew I wanted to be a part of this family business. Several of my family members are still part of the business, including Robert Sullivan, chairman of the board, and Paul Sullivan, vice president, and several siblings and cousins.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
There are so many people I could name here it is challenging to isolate just one. One of the biggest would be my uncle, David Sullivan. Growing up, I spoke to David almost daily. After my grandfather passed away, I saw David check in on his mother every morning and every night. He took special care of his brother who was born with many disabilities. He regularly reflected on his religion and taught me the right way to treat people. Before the phrase “work-life balance” became common in the workplace, David showed me the right way to treat your family and friends, how to be caring to others and always give people a second chance. Unfortunately, he passed away several years ago, but his legacy will live on forever.
What was your first job in the industry?
While in high school, I got my first job as a general service technician. My responsibili ties included changing tires, oil changes and basic maintenance. I then moved into retail sales and then a store manager’s role while still attending college at Northeastern University. From the store manager’s role, I moved into an area representative role, overseeing 10-plus retail locations.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
That retreading sales would bounce back! When I joined our commercial division team in 2020, we were in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic. We knew we were losing our largest manufacturing customer to a national account agreement that was not within our control and most local businesses were shying away from any expense possible. Fast forward to 2022 and we are very busy in retreading and we are trying to find new and unique ways to increase our capacity on a daily basis.
us an additional $6 million in annual revenue and created an additional 30 jobs. Currently, we are in our 10th year and continually growing.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
Don’t just delegate — delegate with clear expecta tions. I had to learn very fast that nobody can do it all by themselves. Trying to take on more and more work only leads to undue stress and resentment. It is also important to note that no one individual will do things the same way you would and there is nothing wrong with that.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
We do care! We do want to help! The aftermarket repair industry, as a whole, has always had a hit-and-miss relationship with the “average American.” Education helps break down some of the negative stereo types. All segments of the industry have seen massive gains in safety, convenience, technology and longevity. Unfortunately, the cost to remain current with these advances has driven the price of repairs and tires to unforeseen levels. I believe some consumers have the impression they are being taken advantage of, which is exactly the opposite of the goal of most reputable repair shops.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
President of commercial operations and manufacturing McMahon’s Best One Tire & Auto Care Fort Wayne, Ind. | Age:39
My family owned a small restaurant and there was a gentleman who would come in nightly for dinner and drinks. He was always happy and appeared to do well for himself. I introduced myself and offered to work for free if he would teach me. He gave me a job and $15 an hour. The rest is history!
Founding our commercial truck and trailer repair division. We built a complementary business from the ground up. It has allowed
Arnold Schwarzenegger. What an interesting journey he has had. He immigrated to this country, became a world-famous body builder, actor and finally a state governor. All of this he attributes to self-discipline and hard work.
Birmingham, Ala. | Age: 27
How do you recover from a bad or stress ful day?
I come home, take a hot shower and have some fun with my dog. No matter how bad my day could be, she always wants to give me some puppy love.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
Sebastian Vettel. I am a die-hard car enthusiast and one of my favorite sports to watch is Formula 1. He is one of the greatest drivers of all-time, winning four championships in a row, but he is also someone who stands up for what he believes in. He stands up for human rights and uses his platform to make a difference.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
The CEO of Mavis.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Starting out at Mavis as a tire tech, then getting promoted to an assistant manager, store manager, regional manager and now I am a regional director. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be supervising 64 locations.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
I would have to say my mother. She helped me get my first job at her hotel when I was 14 as a handyman. It taught me discipline at a young age and I have carried it with me at every job I have had since. It also taught me no matter the position, do it to your fullest abilities. She has pushed me every day since I can remember to be the best that I can be and to always give 150% effort, no matter if someone is looking or not. Hard work always pays off.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
Patience is a virtue and investing time and effort in the people you lead will pay off in the long term rather than the short.
Tell us about your family.
I am very close with my family. I have a great relationship with my parents and have one younger brother who lives in Florida that I helped get a job at Mavis!
Tell us about your current job and responsi bilities. How do you spend your work day?
I am a district manager for my family’s busi ness. My responsibilities vary from day to day, but typically consist of checking up on stores, working on future projects and most importantly, working with customers. A typical work day for me starts with a morning meeting with our tech developer or one of our awesome suppliers. From there, I head to one of our eight locations, where I help wherever help is needed. Throughout the rest of the day, you can find me scoping possible locations, meeting contractors and speaking to customers over the phone. Every customer who receives service from one of our stores receives a text message with my personal phone number in case they have any comments or concerns.
…they’d tell you to fly in the face of what’s expected. Because when drivers are looking to really spread their wings off-road or on, you need to offer them a bolder set of tires built to bite back against fearsome terrain or white-knuckle turns. Atturo’s hardcore off-road Trail Blade Series and high-performance AZ Series tires are engineered to tame the toughest of driving conditions. So whether your customers are looking to sink their teeth into a trail or scare up a good time on the highway, Go with Atturo.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Maintaining control while growing.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
Time management is key. My work is not limited to store hours.
Tell us about your family.
My wife, Ghada, and I have been married for 10 years. She has been very supportive of my work life and even helps design every one of our tire stores. Ghada and I just recently had our beautiful daughter, Cela, this past August.
How do you recover from a bad or stressful day?
I call two or three team members to hear about their day. Hearing their enthusiasm and their wins of the day helps me end the day on a positive note.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
One thing everyone should know is that limiting yourself to one brand isn’t necessarily the best buying strategy. One brand might o er a great all-terrain tire, while another might o er a great premium touring tire.
Tell us about your family.
I have been married to my beautiful wife, Chantelle, for four years and we have an amazing son, Ryder, who is three-and-a-half years old. We have two dogs, a 10-year-old Aussie Blue Heeler, Titan — named a er the tire brand — and Zen, a 10-year-old boxer.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
I’m Canadian, so for me it would be the safety of winter tires and the reasons you should have them. e industry has done an amazing job over the last 20 years educating consumers why they should use winters.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
Mark Wahlberg. I have always liked his work ethic and drive, as well as his entrepreneurship.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
Exactly what I’m doing now. A er 20 years in the business, I have my dream job. I hope to do this until I’m retired. I moved around a lot when I was younger, working my way up in the industry. I took a lot of di erent positions — some good, some bad. ey all got me to where I’m today.
James O’Reilly Trail Tire Group
Kelowna, British Columbia | Age: 39
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Being a part of a start-up company. In 2020, I joined Trail Tire to expand the business in three channels. We started an associate store program, Trail Tire Auto Centers, and to date we have 35 stores. We started a wholesale division, Trail Tire Supply, and we started an e-commerce business, www.Tirewarehouse.ca. It has been an amazing journey to be here from the beginning.
What attracted you to the industry?
I’m proud to be a second generation in the tire industry. My father was in the business for 43 years.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
I was told a lot of things before I made this move and considered everything . One person told me this, which stuck with me — ‘However hard you think it will be starting up a distribution company, it will be ve times harder, so make sure you’re ready.’
Staff engineer for all-terrain product development Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron, Ohio | Age: 31
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I’m in the middle of it! I’m the construction development engineer on an amazing team creating an exciting, rugged new product. We looked at everything from changes to tire building platforms, construction, new mold technology and new materials and we came to a nal design that will push the performance beyond current products without sacri cing the characteristics that our customers have come to expect from Goodyear. It has been a long road and this team has overcome many hurdles to deliver something we can all be proud of.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
e complexity of tires. ere’s a lot more to them than rubber and a mold. e average consumer tire is somewhere on the order of 40% rubber and once you get into the nitty gritty of tire construction, it’s a complex puzzle.
My grandfather and father both worked for Goodyear and I’m a little bit of a car nerd. It’s fun to create a product to help people enjoy — or hate a little less — their driving experience. I realized there was an incredible opportunity to build a career and move throughout the organization to gain different experiences.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve. People who leave their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot. It takes 30 seconds to put it in the corral.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
I would have benefitted from getting the message of embracing progress over perfection. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. Sometimes it’s best to take a breath and celebrate the small stuff.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? COVID-19 and the drastic swings in demand have been an incredible learning opportunity. I would argue trying to navigate high demand with supply constraints while keeping the customers’ needs in mind really challenged the whole industry over the last year-and-a-half, but I had the unique opportunity to really see both sides sitting where I am at. This is a challenge I will remember throughout my career.
What’s the best book you’ve read lately?
“Surrounded by Idiots,” by Thomas Erikson. We read this book in our company book club. It has been enlightening, not only on a professional level in how to work better with my colleagues, but on a personal level with friends and family, as well.
Regional manager, Ohio Valley Bridgestone Americas Inc. Akron, Ohio | Age: 37
American Omni Trading Co. Katy, Texas | Age: 28
What’s the biggest issue facing the industry today?
Currently the overstock situation is a real challenge I am hearing about across many tire companies. Fortunately, everyone needs tires, so inventory will begin to deplete and ordering cycles will go back to normal. But it has been fascinating watching the cyclicality of the supply and demand relationships through COVID-19. Going from order cancellations at the start of COVID-19 and ordering up to meet demand, longer transit times and supply shortages — causing a severe spike in orders — to now a breakthrough in supply and transit times, leading to overstock situations, it has certainly been an interesting study through a supply chain lens.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
That I would learn just as much, if not more, about working with people than I would about supply chain!
I honestly never thought I would work in this industry. I was immediately drawn in by American Omni Trading’s business model and the people who work here. From there, my interest continued to grow as my knowledge grew — making connections with suppliers, understanding at a high level the engineering/ components of tires and learning more about our customers and their business needs keep me here.
My first job in the tire industry was with Bridgestone as a com mercial sales manager covering central Illinois. I was responsible for growing sales within our fleet and dealer customer base.
Growing up around Akron, Ohio, I realized that transportation affects everything. The (tire) industry itself and the people within the industry attracted me to Bridgestone. Trucks move more than 70% of all goods transported around the United States and commercial truck tires — like those from Bridgestone — help to make that possible. I wanted to work in an industry that positively affected the world and with increased influence, could become more efficient through the use of technology. Lastly, people do business with people and our industry has a very diverse group of customers that I enjoy communicating with on behalf of Bridgestone. Our customers range from owner/operators wearing multiple hats to the presidents of multi-state dealer and fleet organizations, all of whom are passionate about their business and servicing our shared customers to their fullest ability.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Continuous adaptation. Whether I am transitioning into a new role or learning about one of Bridgestone’s new solutions or adapting to ever-changing equipment and technology, new information and understanding are needed to be successful in this industry. Couple this with only eight years of experience and I have had to adapt and learn on the fly. Luckily, our organization makes learning a priority and my customers have helped along the way.
This is a stark contrast to a commonly held belief in the industry that only customers with broken down cars from the mid-2000’s need financing.
Identifying the need for credit is much more complex than assessing a customer’s vehi cle or state of potential repairs. Even those who are potentially financially stable can struggle with unexpected expenses and might need alternative payment options. Our decades of experience in the industry have taught us that the need for credit is shared by individuals and families residing in several different tax brackets. While cus tomers may truly need help funding a recommended repair, they rarely volunteer their inability to afford needed goods and services. Instead, they will use other language: “I need to think about it” or “I’ve got to check with the wife/husband/partner” amongst others. These customers may not be vocal about their lack of purchasing power; instead, they rely on you to recognize their need and help them solve it.
Americans in all corners of the country are feeling the sting of decades-high inflation rates and rising auto repair costs. Not only have auto repair costs increased an average of 61% since 20001 , but with national inflation at 8.5%2 customers are struggling more than ever to afford scheduled and preventative maintenance costs. Contrary to popular belief, a majority (61%) of the country is living pay check to paycheck3 . Even households earn ing 6-figure salaries are finding themselves short of cash for routine car repairs4 .
A Morning Consult study showed that 24% of the adult population in the US is underbanked5, meaning they have used alterna tive financial services in the past year. These alternatives include money orders, check-cashing services, or payday loans as opposed to traditional loans or credit cards. These are precisely the kind of consumers that EasyPay is in business to assist. This is roughly 1 in 4 Americans, 1 in 4 customers who walk through your shop doors.
EasyPay Finance has been in business for over 20 years transforming auto shops and providing their customers with flexible and transparent payment options.
Nationwide sales support and all-star mer chant and customer service have cemented EasyPay as the industry preference among main street auto repair shops. Our Merchant Partners are not the only beneficiaries of EasyPay’s expertise; thousands of customers across the US have been provided access to credit they might not have otherwise. We exist to help bridge the ever-broadening gap of financial access and inclusion that prevents everyday Americans from accessing the goods and services they need.
We are committed to providing these cus tomers with transparent payment options to help them through their precarious financial situations. Primary credit offerings often have stringent approval requirements leav ing large swaths of the population unable to access financing. EasyPay approves custom ers with a wide range of credit scores and credit history, enabling purchases for cus tomers cast aside by primary credit offerings.
One of your local competitors may be lever aging EasyPay to maintain high weekly car counts and ARO’s; becoming an EasyPay Merchant Partner is the first step to ensuring you’re keeping up with your competition while doing the most for your customers. There are hundreds of thousands of searches online for “mechanics who take financing” and “auto repair financing” amongst others. These potential customers are looking for auto shops who use services like ours. Partnering with EasyPay Finance increases your exposure online and helps more customers find you.
Our decades of experience have taught us that with top-notch customer and merchant service comes flourishing partnerships and satisfied customers. We take care of our cus tomers as we would take care of you, with the utmost care and consideration. This is precisely the reason that we have thousands of active and prosperous Merchant Partners. We want to enable transactions between you and the customers struggling to afford your recommended repairs.
Provide your customers with purchasing power and watch the customer loyalty and repeat business follow suit.
Today is the day to begin anew and partner with a true authority in the auto repair financing industry: EasyPay Finance. From the inception of our partnership, we will be there to support your business and consum ers through comprehensive training, nation wide sales support, and broad sweeping internet marketing efforts. We want to be an instrumental part of your success. The first step is simply enrolling your business in our Merchant Partner Program. Together we can help your customers meet their repair needs through better access to credit, post-purchase financial education, and flexible and transparent customer contracts.
EasyPay has helped transform countless businesses across the nation, and we want your shop to be next. We’re looking to work with you and your shop to serve your com munity. You work tirelessly, day-in and day-out, to keep your customers cars on the road and driving reliably; it’s time for you to have a partner just as committed. Enroll today and watch the seeds of change take root in your community. We couldn’t be more excited to have you join our network of industry professionals and continue pro gressing your community forward.
you to keep their cars
the road. https://enrollment.easypayfinance.com/MTDnov2022
Hands down, my wife. Without her support, life would be less fun. She has relocated with me four times and provides the support that is needed for work travel.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
My contribution to help new dealers and Bridgestone team members enter the indus try and build a base of knowledge to be successful is my greatest accomplishment. Through management and mentorship, my happiest days are seeing team members develop and use their new skills to help our shared customer base.
Tell us about your family.
I’m blessed to be able to work with family. It was my father, with whom I still work, who got me into the tire industry. Nothing makes me prouder than my children and their achievements, even the small ones. I have two children, Ethan and Abigail, and my life outside of work is being involved with them in their various and numerous activities.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
I wish the average American cared for their tires as much as we do. Tires are integral to vehicle performance, fuel economy, safety and when properly maintained, tires can help us reduce consumption. We see too many tires that don’t make it to the end of their useful life due to neglect of suspension components or improper inflation. I shouldn’t complain about the additional replacement opportunities, but tires only have so many uses when their life on a vehicle ends.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
had the chance to join him on a “Take your kid to work” day through my elementary school. From the time I was 12 years old, all I ever wanted to do was work in this industry.
My very first job was working at an inde pendent tire dealership in Akron, Ohio, changing tires and oil. Later when I was home from school at Ohio University, I had a chance to work behind the counter, talking with customers and selling tires. It was the hardest and most valuable work experience I’ve ever had and helped me gain a genuine appreciation for independent tire retailers who serve their communities across the country.
Tell us about your family.
I’m originally from northeast Ohio, but now live in Chicago, a beautiful city and one not properly or accurately depicted in the news. My wife and I met at Ohio University in 2008 and we’ve been together since then.
Rock Island, Ill. | Age: 35
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
Keep looking. It’s not easy, but don’t settle when you do find someone. Make sure the people you have in your organization are the right people with the right attitude. Less people with the right attitude will do better than more people with the wrong attitudes.
Tell us about your current job and respon sibilities. How do you spend your workday?
As chief operating officer, I spend most of my day working with our leadership teams refining logistical processes, collaborating with our department leaders on directions of our organization, reviewing marketing strategies and handling other special projects.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
Everything you think is a constant will change. Everything you expect to change will change more rapidly than you can imagine.
Doug Armstrong, general manager of the St. Louis Blues, would be my choice. He has been in the management and creation of winning organizations for decades at the highest level of competition. I’d love to learn as much as possible about creating winning teams and cultures of success. I’d try and glean as much as possible from him. I’d probably sneak in some questions about the Blues, as well.
In late 2015, MTD ran a story about state tire associations and how difficult it had become to find people willing to serve the industry.
I left a comment on the article online that I had tried unsuccessfully to join Ohio’s state tire association a few weeks prior to that. This resulted in me connecting with the president of the Ohio Tire & Automotive Association (OTAA) at that time. Later, I joined the board of the OTAA and seven years later, I now serve as president. For someone looking to make a real impact on our industry and to serve others, look no further than your state tire association.
Prenlyn Automotive Group Philadelphia, Pa. | Age: 35
My dad began his career in the tire industry when he was about 22 years old and a few years later, when I was about 12 years old, I
What was your first job in the industry?
My family has been in the Midas business
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since 1976. I worked in the shop as a kid changing oil and cleaning up. In high school, I helped in the office. When I came on full-time in 2010 after college, I started as a service writer to learn the sales side of the business.
What attracted you to the industry?
Everyone who owns a car needs it fixed, which never changes. And there’s a lot of ‘old school’ thinking that holds people back from growing. We can apply new ways of thinking to gain a competitive advantage in attracting customers and talented employees.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Our biggest challenge is getting the right people in the right seats. Once we get the right team in place, a store can literally double (its) sales overnight.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
My dad, Tracy Beers, was the biggest influence on my career. He got into Midas with his dad when he was 22 years old. His hard work and dedication provided a great life growing up and I’m proud to continue that growth and provide for mine.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
We are the fourth largest Midas franchisee with 29 locations. When I joined the company in 2010, we had six locations. After learning the business, we started expanding in 2016 by acquiring other franchise locations and opening new ones.
I could be elbow-deep measuring a part on an older machine for maintenance.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
How fast the market and decisions change. I started just before COVID-19 shut most everything down and we were working on upgrading to newer machines. This was already going to be a challenge, but as the projects progressed the market changed, which required the projects to change with it.
How do you recover from a bad or stressful day?
I have a woodworking hobby. I build small projects for myself and my family. My wife says I don’t know how to be still.
Name a talent you wish you had.
Singing. I can occasionally carry a tune in a bucket, but the bucket leaks.
Jeffersonville, Ind. | Age: 30
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
Texarkana, Ark. | Age: 25
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
My biggest accomplishment was beating (our) plant’s record for installing a VMI Maxx Unistage tire building machine — 19 working days from the start of install to first tire out. Without the help of the team, we would not have been able to accomplish this.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your work day?
I work as the manufacturing engineer/project engineer within the tire assembly department. I am in charge of all new equip ment coming in or out of the department, along with assisting maintenance on issues or tasks. My day-to-day changes, for the most part. I could spend all day working in the office on projects.
I could be on the manufacturing floor overseeing an install. And
I was introduced to the tire industry by Bob Youell, former owner of Best One Giant Tire in Jeffersonville, Ind. Bob was looking for a young person to bring on the team for a future sales position. I was put into the service department for my first six months to learn the ins and outs of the shop. Since moving into sales, I have been able to translate that service knowledge into customer service to answer questions and help find solutions to customers’ needs.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The pandemic has changed the way we have to look at supply and we have to think quickly on our feet to take care of customers’ needs when certain product lines are not available. The bright side is that some customers who were close-minded about using other product lines and retreads now have seen the benefits of using retreads in their fleet.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your work day?
The majority of my work day is spent in front of the customer at their facility — whether in their office or out on their lot, doing fleet inspections (and) checking tread depths and air pressures.
Tell us about your family.
My wife, Erin, and I have two beautiful little girls, Elsie, age four, and Emmy, age one. We enjoy spending time outdoors with each other, camping, hiking, cycling and any adventure thrown our way.
How do you recover from a bad or stressful day?
Exercise has always been an outlet to let go of my stress. I nd that going for a run or a bike ride is the easiest way for me to decompress.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve. When I see someone sitting in the front passenger seat putting their bare feet on the dashboard of their car.
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to nd good employees, what would you suggest? Look for the people who are currently working in other industries similar to yours. What is it that brings them to their industry and how can you mirror that in your dealership?
short period of time. My father worked as plant manager for many different Goodyear plants around the world and ended his career as vice president for Hercules International. My first job in the tire industry was only supposed to be a foothold into other career possibilities, but eight years later, I am still in the tire business and couldn’t be happier.
Who has had the biggest in uence on your career?
I think my passion to carry on my family legacy drives my performance every single day and motivates me to be successful in the workplace. e support I have from my father has truly helped propel me into the best version of myself.
What was your rst job in the industry? My first few jobs in the industry were summer jobs working in the warehouse for different regional tire distributors.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
My biggest accomplishment in the industry has been to help expand and evolve the Hercules commercial business at American Tire Distributors. With the help of the entire Hercules team, we have launched new, innovative products and expanded our product portfolio into new segments. This year we successfully entered the agricultural replacement market with the launch of the Ag-Trac RT45.
think the average person realizes how vital it is for their vehicle to have good, solid parts, a good alignment and consistent tire rotations to get the most miles out of their tires.
What was your rst job in the industry?
It was a warehouse/driver position. While I nished school, I worked a few days a week in the warehouse and driving trucks for Tire Solutions.
What attracted you to the industry?
I was kind of born with the tire industry in my blood. My dad worked in the tire industry. Seeing the love he had for the industry got me hooked at a young age. Even when I was a little kid, I ‘played tire store’ and changed tires on Matchbox cars
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
When I rst got my opportunity to be an outside salesperson, I was 18 years old and looked even younger. Many shop owners were two or three times my age and automatically judged me before even giving me a chance to show them what I could bring to the table.
Name a talent you wish you had.
I wish I could slow down time. From a professional level, some days you wish you could sneak more in, but more importantly on a personal level, I wish I could slow down time and enjoy my kids growing up more.
What’s the biggest issue facing the industry today?
Director of commercial proprietary brands American Tire Distributors Inc. Charlotte, N.C. | Age: 33
What attracted you to the industry?
I am a fourth-generation tire professional. My great-grandfather and both my grandfathers worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. My Grandpa Gillespie worked in various plants around the world and ended his career as vice president of Goodyear International. My Grandpa Johnson worked for Goodyear China and ended his career in Dalian as CEO of Goodyear China. My father worked for Goodyear, Bandag and Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. and my mother worked for Kelly-Springfield Tire for a
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
I wish they understood the importance of maintaining their tire investments. I don’t
e biggest issue has to be technician shortages. In the Midwest, you can walk into any shop and they will ask you if you know any techs looking for work.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The store I started my career with closing and making the decision to start my own business.
Tell us about your current job and responsi bilities. How do you spend your work day?
I own and manage John’s Tire Service. My work day can vary greatly, depending on the day and time of year. Some days I spend in the office helping customers. Other days I am working with our distributors and manufacturer representatives to ensure we have the tires and other products on hand and available for our customers. I also still run a service truck from time to time, so in planting and harvest season it’s not uncommon for me to spend days repair ing and installing agriculture equipment tires.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
Paul Zurcher and his ability to continue to grow and understand the necessity for change.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Starting my own business and growing from a one-person operation to a nineperson team.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
That it’s OK to say no. When I started the business, I wanted to get every job that came through the door, even if it was work I usually wouldn’t do or if I had to throw in some extras, which essentially made those jobs not profitable.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
How tread design, speed and load index requirements vary by application. Just because it’s the same size does not mean it is designed for the same job
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
Brad Paisley. I have always been a fan of his music and he seems to be a very down-toearth person.
When a customer tries to negotiate the price down after being given a quote and the work is completed.
celebrate. Nine months later, we had our first child, Julian! We moved from Colorado to Michigan to be closer to friends and family.
Name a talent you wish you had.
I had a friend in college who could basically teach himself how to play any musical instrument. I wish I had any musical talent, which I do not. Also I would like to be able to speak and understand every language, but I think that is more of a super power.
Bridgestone Americas Inc. Grand Rapids, Mich. | Age: 36
What was your first job in the industry? I was hired as a commercial tire salesperson for a large dealer in the Midwest. Personnel challenges allowed me to experience many different roles early on in my career. In the first two years with this dealer, I learned the local and national account billing procedures when our primary admin was on maternity leave. I worked in the warehouse when we were shorthanded, helped in the service shop and dispatched service techs when our service manager left suddenly. Finally, I was able to get out on the road as a salesperson to meet with fleets and learn their business.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
There are so many to choose from. The first that comes to mind is attempting to establish credibility as a young buck. I came into the business as a 25-year-old with a bachelor’s degree at a time when the tire business had an aging workforce. I was thrown into the lion’s den with industry experts with 20, 30 or even 40 years of experience. Often I was put in a position of leadership, where I had to remind myself who the experts were. I had to keep an open mind and show up every day with the intention to soak up as much education as possible.
Tell us about your family.
I got married in December 2020. My wife and I had planned on getting married that year and then the pandemic came along. We decided at the end of the year to elope in Aspen, Colo. We signed the paperwork and had an amazing weekend together talking about what we wanted out of life. Then in May 2021, we hosted 50 of our closest friends and family in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to
I started as a parts driver for the company
I now manage. After arriving at the shop to get my tires changed over, I was chat ting with the manager at the time. Before leaving, I was offered a job on the spot and have never left
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
COVID-19. Schools closed, so my kids came to work with me every day for over a year. Talk about starting them young! They were amazing at adapting to this new lifestyle. At the same time, the customer experience changed and there were new best practices to keep employees and customers safe. It was a challenge to maintain positive relationships with our customers with limited contact.
In 2021, we shut down the location we had been in for over 22 years and opened up a couple blocks away.Along with this move, we brought into the business the other locations’ clients and their employees. We were able to do all this with only shutting our doors for one day of business!
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
Robert Downey Jr. I think he is extremely interesting, smart and seems very warm. Plus, I could brag to my kids that I met Ironman!
What’s the biggest issue facing the industry today?
Finding hard working, reliable employees. We have an amazing group of people who work here, but we have expanded and are looking to hire, which has proven difficult as most people are not looking for labor-intensive jobs.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve.
Being late. Everyone is late from time to time, but when it becomes common, it’s frustrating and disrespectful.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve.
Lack of communication. Things change rapidly and alerting people to changes is key, whether it be company direction from a top-level executive or things about one’s neighborhood from a community leader. Keep it simple and disseminate the information.
Modern Tire Dealer’s Top 50 over 50! Forward progression and self-growth are my focus, always.
Liberty Tire Recycling LLC Savage, Minn. | Age: 34
Strategic account manager, government Fairfield, Calif. | Age: 37
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
Employment needs are endless these days. Sometimes the best employees for the job already exist within an organization. I would highly recommend that a tire dealer look for current employees who know the customer base and culture. Then look at filling lower-level positions and provide top-tier training to get them in and keep them. Employee referrals are also a great way to find quality professionals to fill current openings. If your employees recommend someone they want to work with and the candidate turns out to be the right fit, it is a winning scenario.
What was your first job in the industry?
I started as a temp at East Bay Tire over 17 years ago, unloading containers of tires. It was this work that opened the door to the opportunities that would later shape my career.
I have held many positions at East Bay Tire, which has given me a complete, big-picture understanding of how our business operates. This has made me a far better and more productive team member, which in turn, has helped me support those around me when processes need insight and understanding. Over the course of my career, I have helped create and implement key processes that are widely used by my team today. In my current role, I have helped to establish processes for supporting and fulfilling our State of California contract that has continued to show the valuable work that East Bay Tire does for our industry.
My first job in the industry was in 2004. I started in the tire recycling business working for a company called GreenMan Technologies. I would come into work after high school and run a rim crusher.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your day?
At Liberty Tire Recycling, I help with selling used tires. Most days are spent working at our Savage, Minn., plant and though not as frequent, I also work at a few other locations in the Upper Midwest. I help by taking customer orders and making sure they get the product they need. I enjoy spending time on the floor, working with the guys and teaching them what is expected. I am hands-on, so while working alongside our employees, I can lead by example. This interaction means a lot. I think in the career I am in, the key to success is being visible.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
If I could have lunch with one celebrity, it would probably be Denzel Washington. Overall, I think he is a talented actor. I love all his movies. Acting aside, he is an amazing motivational speaker.
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
I would say it’s one of our most challenging issues and we face it every day. Good, quality workers are in high demand for all industries right now. And let’s face it — our industry is dirty and requires a lot of physical work. Something I would recommend is a referral bonus. A lot of our good employees come from existing employees referring them. It makes it a bit easier when people know some background before hiring them.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve. Honestly, I would say my biggest pet peeve is unorganized people. Whether it’s in the workplace or at home, I’ve never under stood it. In the workplace, individuals who are less organized are not as prepared for their upcoming tasks. In addition, I believe organization makes for a safer workplace.
I wish I would have been told to let people help you. It seems like an easy concept, but when you work in an orga nization as large as Goodyear , there are a lot of people willing to help. In this role, I am responsible for the entire plant and the functions that make up the organization, so engaging the sup port functions and empowering them to help the overall objectives of the factory is critical.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
Derek Carr. I am a huge Las Vegas Raiders fan and I think Derek Carr is a fantastic human being and great role model for children.
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Tupelo, Miss. | Age: 36
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your work day?
I am responsible for (Goodyear’s) entire manufacturing operation in Tupelo. My daily tasks include improving safety, quality, cost and delivery. My focus is providing strategic direction to improve people and process capabilities. I have a passion for continuous improvement and the highlight of my day is the interaction with people.
What was your first job in the industry?
I started out as a Banbury operator, running a mixer in Lawton, Okla. This is something that I am very proud of and I still rely on those experiences in my current role.
What attracted you to the industry?
I was attracted to Goodyear as a company more than the industry itself. I was born and raised in Lawton and Goodyear was always a pillar of the community. I knew that was something I wanted to be a part of. Goodyear has provided my family and I with amazing opportunities and for that I am grateful.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
To invest time in figuring out what ‘good’ employees are looking for in an employer and adapt your organization to fit those needs.
how you present and carry yourself and not being judged on your age to the changes in technology and how far the industry has come in 20 years.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
I have been extremely lucky to work under several great leaders. Each has taught me something different — from how you lead to how you analyze data. Even the leaders who were not very good taught me how not to lead. The biggest influence is my parents. They taught me work ethic, integrity and having respect for others.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
I have had several roles in the industry — parts associate, tire tech, sales associate, manager, district manager, regional manager and now director of dealer car channel for several different companies. Throughout my career hands down my greatest accomplishments are the people who have worked under me. Sure, sales and profit increases look great on paper, but the influence you have on others carries on long after you are gone.
Director of dealer car channel Dunn Tire LLC’s Exxpress Tire Delivery Buffalo, N.Y. | Age: 37
What was your first job in the industry? A parts associate in 2001.
What attracted you to the industry?
My love for cars. I bought my first car — a 1987 Camaro — before I even had a learner’s permit. I currently have a 1977 Corvette and a 1951 Buick Special.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I do not think there is one greatest challenge. There are so many along the way that you have to overcome one at a time — from
Southeast regional sales manager Pre-Q Galgo Corp. Newnan, Ga. | Age: 31
What was your first job in the industry?
I started helping out at my parents’ shop, Quality Retreads, when I was 14 years old. I started sweeping floors, taking out the trash, painting and branding tires and anything else I could do to help out. As I grew older, I learned and performed all of the different jobs in the retread process. I also helped in sales, picked up and delivered tires, mounted and demounted tires and anything else that needed to be done to help a small business succeed.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
All the different roles and responsibilities I would need to handle. I really enjoy the challenge and each day is different.
Tell us about your family.
I am recently married and hope to start a family soon. I have a younger sister.
What attracted you to the industry?
The sheer fact of just how crucial tires are to make society function, regardless of size or type. There are tires on school buses, trash trucks, airplanes, cars, trucks — you name it. Tires are everywhere. I am fortunate to work in an industry that helps make sure all modes of transportation stay rolling.
Name a talent you wish you had. The ability to draw.
Tell us about your current job and responsi bilities. How do you spend your work day?
I work with our current dealers and help develop new dealers. A typical day involves traveling and calling on new and current dealers and also working with our marketing, technical and sales teams to better serve our customers. I handle everything — sales orders, technical issues, logistics and anything else that needs to be handled.
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest? Find a young person and treat them right.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
I hope to be a C-suite executive in the tire industry
What was your first job in the industry?
My current position with Goodyear was my first job in the tire industry.
What attracted you to the industry? My previous job was in the auto industry, so I already had an appreciation for vehicles and the tiny details that most of us take for granted while driving. Tires are no exception! There are so many considerations and a large amount of data analysis that goes into designing and developing tires.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The tire industry can be fast-moving, so I have learned to always be on my toes. Constantly changing vehicles means new challenges arising, sizes being added or removed and project targets evolving.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
The entire Goodyear all-terrain team has had a huge influence on my career. They are all very personable, knowledgeable and have made my time at Goodyear enjoyable. The all-terrain team is my work family and I am thankful for all of them!
What’s your biggest accomplishment in
What attracted you to the industry?
Wonderland Tire is a family business. We come from a large family, so all of my siblings worked at the tire shops from a young age, doing odds and ends like cleaning and pulling weeds.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Hiring good-quality workers. It is more difficult to find workers you can count on.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
My dad. He got me started in this industry and has always been someone I can count on for answers to any questions I might have.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in
All-terrain product development engineer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron, Ohio | Age: 32
What was your first job in the industry?
I started by cleaning the shop.
What attracted you to the industry?
Growing up in the Akron, Ohio, area, I was always surrounded by family and friends who worked in the tire indus try. My grandfather spent his 35-plus year career working for a major tire manufacturer and traveling the world. I always admired his drive and passion for the industry.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in January 2022. From January through June 2022, I underwent five days of che
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motherapy every two weeks at the Cleveland Clinic. I was able to successfully work remotely between Nashville and Cleveland during the six months of treatment. At the end of June, I was officially in remission and cancer-free! Over the course of those six months, I learned a lot about myself and what it means to overcome adversity.
There have been many teammates and leaders who have influenced me in so many positive ways, but one that stands out is LaTres Jarrett. LaTres brought me into marketing after most of my early career was spent in commercial sales. She played a pivotal role as not just a great leader and coach, but a mentor and a friend. LaTres kept up with my treatments and sent care packages for each round of chemotherapy I went through. She defines what it means to be a great leader in our industry.
As the brand manager for Bandag in 2018, our marketing team successfully launched the MaxTread brand. MaxTread was created with the small/medium fleet in mind to address our fleet base that are price-led value seekers, as well as give tire dealerships the ability to compete against low-cost import tires. While introducing the new MaxTread brand, the character ‘Max,’ a fun cartoon character, soon became the face of our MaxTread brand and because we shared similarities in appearance, many teammates and customers soon referred to me as Max!
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The lack of good opportunities for professionals under 30 years of age. In Lincoln, Neb., where I live, it’s starting to feel like you’re better off doing your own thing. Make a career for yourself rather than attempting to climb the corporate ladder!
The opportunity to work in a small business atmosphere, where the work I put in has a direct effect on the business, and the ability to truly become an expert in tires — instead of knowing a little about a lot of items. It makes me a more effective salesman.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job? How many hours a week it takes to run a small business!
My family is relatively small on both my mother and father’s sides, but one cool thing is that it is made up of a lot of musicians. I, unfortunately, was too “cool” to follow in my father and uncles’ footsteps and never wanted to learn how to play when I was younger. It’s never too late, though, so maybe I’ll pick an instrument up one of these days.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
I like sports of all kinds, so an easy answer for me would be to sit down with someone like Tom Brady, Lebron James or Tiger Woods just to say that I got the opportunity to do that.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve. Not cleaning up after yourself.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
The man who’s always influenced me the most, whether we’re talking about work or life in general, will always be my grandfather, Roger. He’s helped me in more ways than I’ll ever be able to thank him for. However, in this case, I’ll give the nod to Riley Kentfield, the owner of Take Off Tire. I have an extremely high level of respect for what he’s created
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at the age of 25. I think his hard work and success story would inspire and influence most people. I am glad to be on his team.
One of my biggest accomplishments in the industry would have to be the growth and confidence I have obtained in the last few years working with Dorsey Tire.
I went from answering phones — with no clue how to answer questions about tires — to being knowledgeable enough
I came into this industry knowing nothing about tires, sales or even the installation/ flat repair process. My biggest accomplishment was mastering all aspects of my job. From running the front office with sales to working in the back, I found that it is easier to run a shop full of men if you prove that you are not above working on their level.
What was your rst job in the industry?
My rst job in the tire industry was as a receptionist answering phones at a small local tire shop.
What attracted you to the industry?
Honestly, I never saw myself working at a tire shop as I was in the wedding rental business — two totally di erent atmospheres. I decided to leave that job and a family member told me about an available position at their company. It was new, but turned into a lot of opportunities for me.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
One of the biggest challenges is being a woman in a man’s world. Customers typically ignore you and want to talk to a man about their issue. You have to prove to customers and co-workers that you have knowledge about tires.
Who has had the biggest in uence on your career?
Dorsey Tire has had a tremendous in uence on my career. ey came in and gave me the knowledge and encouragement to succeed in this industry. ey li you up and push you to learn more and guide you along the way. I have not (seen) had a company show as much interest in the growth of their employees as Dorsey has.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Big Spring, Texas | Age: 28
What was your rst job in the industry?
Small sales.
What attracted you to the industry?
I wanted something di erent than what I had been doing and this job fell in my lap.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The fact that this is a primarily a male’s career choice. I found that (some) men in this industry implied I was not capable of doing the manual work for installations. I watched and waited until I could try it on my own, with little to no assistance. For a time, I worked sales — as well as a shop hand — for the better part of two years. Now that we are fully staffed, I assist in the shop, as needed.
Who has had the biggest in uence on your career?
Definitely the owner of this company, Michael Hughes. He always had faith in my abilities and has given me the opportunity to prove myself.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Associate manager of marketing communications Apollo Tyres Ltd. London, England | Age: 38
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Without intending to state the obvious, the tire industry is quite male-dominated and I wasn’t used to that. At rst, I found it quite challenging to t in. A er a few years at my company, I was empowered by my colleagues to push for more. I wanted to be part of a team that put our brand out there and who helped the company succeed. I wanted to be part of exciting projects and say, ‘Hey, that was us! We did that!’
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your work day?
I am quite fortunate to be located in London, as I’m central to the various time zones. If I am supporting my colleagues in Europe, I can focus on their needs in the morning, while also actioning any emails that came through the evening before from my colleagues in Atlanta or our agency in Los Angeles. at means that my a ernoons are typically when the majority of the meetings happen.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
Not to take those quiet periods for granted, as they are few and far between!
Tell us about your family.
I live just outside of London with my partner and our continental giant rabbit, Oscar.
Name one thing you wish the average American better understood about the tire industry.
Quality tires are manufactured the world over. I think there is a misconception about quality based on a brand being new to the market or being manufactured in Asia. We invest heavily in R&D before our products are manufactured and we take pride in the results.
Name a talent you wish you had. If not learning how to play a cool musical instrument, I could do with brushing up on some Excel skills. Spreadsheets are not my forte!
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
Hold an open day, meet people in an informal setting and get to know them outside of an interview room.
were genuine and excited about the business, so I wanted in!
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
My biggest accomplishment in this industry is that I have been able to live in differ ent parts of the United States and work with so many different dealers, fleets and Bridgestone teammates. The relationships I have cultivated these last 14 years have made all the moving worth it!
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your work day?
In my current role, I manage our business development managers who support our largest Bridgestone/Bandag commercial dealers and truck stops in the U.S. We collaborate through both tactical and strategic initiatives to grow our busi nesses and ensure we are supporting our end user customers across all channels.
My wife, Jodi, and I have been married for seven years, currently living in Nashville, Tenn. We have two English Bulldogs named Benson and Vito. They are the best!
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
Ryan Day, coach of Ohio State’s football team. I am a huge Buckeyes fan.
What attracted you to the industry?
A friend who was in the business with a steady job.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I wouldn’t call it a challenge, but more of an adjustment. I moved a few hours from where I was born and raised to better my career and had to learn to fit in with a new team and building new customer relationships. This was my fourth store for Tirecraft.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jason Meyer is who I started working for in the beginning. He is still a mentor for me today and pushes me all the time to grow and succeed.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Constant growth over the past 15 years to becoming a manager of a location.
Bridgestone Americas Inc. Nashville, Tenn. | Age: 37
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest? Try to be involved as much as possible with local colleges to find talent. This is an amazing industry and the more recruitment that can be had at the beginning of one’s career journey, the better. I was recruited directly out of college and I am grateful that I had the opportunity.
I was a student at the University of Akron and with Akron, Ohio, being the rubber capital of the world, I had the opportunity to learn more about the industry and the different companies in the business. The people I met
Tell us your biggest pet peeve. When people drive way below the speed limit in the left lane and don’t let you pass.
Tirecraft Canada Inc.
Innisfil, Ontario | Age: 36
What was your first job in the industry?
Road service tech.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron, Ohio | Age: 34
What attracted you to the industry?
As a kid, my answer to what do you want to be when you grow up was never ‘a tire girl,’ but here I am! During college, I had an internship selling residential waste services door-to-door. That internship taught me a lot about sales and that I was pretty good at it. I met Goodyear at a career fair and figured (that) if I can sell residential waste services, certainly I could sell truck tires, so I decided to talk with them.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I started in this industry fresh out of college at 22 years old. By 24, I was managing about a dozen sales associates for Goodyear. Being
a young female district sales manager in a male-dominated industry isn’t always the easiest hurdle to overcome when your sales associates and customers have been in the industry longer than you have been alive. I learned very quickly that respect does not come with your title. It must be earned.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
I’d have to say my biggest accomplishment was my first real sale to a new customer. One day, I called on a truck and trailer repair company and they expressed some interest in our products. After about the fifth sales call to them, I finally received an order for 16 drive tires, and I was ecstatic! We ended up throwing their whole shop a pizza party to celebrate! That sensation of accomplishment was like a launchpad for my career and it gave me the confidence I needed to start to close more sales.
Tell us about your current job and responsi bilities. How do you spend your work day?
My current role as the cross-category planning manager for commercial focuses on creating programs and incentives for our dealer network to reward them to purchase and sell Goodyear commercial products. I am also heavily involved with the commercial integration of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., which we purchased last year. I am currently working through our pricing and programs strategy as one team for 2023.
How do you recover from a bad or stress ful day?
My mom taught me early on to pick my battles and don’t let little things get to me. She calls it ‘salt and pepper.’ She says, ‘There are bigger things to worry about in life than spilling the salt and pepper shakers.’
What was your first job in the industry?
I was offered a job at Les Schwab when I was 18 in 2010.
What attracted you to the industry?
The ability to help people on a daily basis and build relationships through earning their trust and business.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Definitely the rise in costs of products in the automotive world — tires, wheels, mechanical parts, etc.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
The entire leadership team here at Tire-Rama. My regional manager, Greg Harper, and our vice president and CEO, Greg Passon and David Wehr. They started from the bottom and have shown that hard work and believing in your business can lead to great things.
They’ve always treated me like family.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Starting as a counter sales representative and growing to be able to get the opportunity to manage a store.
forefront of technology development and the automotive aftermarket and ATEQ TPMS provided that.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
W. Rippetoe, formerly of Schrader (Sensata) and now with Sensoteq, had a big impact on my career. Rippetoe was always available for questions and willing to provide guidance allowing my career to grow.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
Creation of an all-inclusive North American TPMS database for sensor relearns and other make- and model year-specific infor mation. This allowed for strong relationships with the sensor manufacturers, both in original equipment and the aftermarket.
Development engineer principal Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron, Ohio | Age: 39
What was your first job in the industry? My first job in the tire industry was working in the Goodyear tire manufacturing plant in China as a process and quality engineer.
ATEQ TPMS Tools Novi, Mich. | Age: 32
What was your first job in the industry?
Technical support for ATEQ TPMS.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
Understanding the differences in how every company looks at data in the aftermarket.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
My biggest accomplishment is being part of developing a new repair technology for aircraft tires, which increased the tire’s ability to be retreaded. The big technical challenge was to find a method that would make the casing remain in service for more retread cycles. By having a casing last longer, it would reduce scrapped tires and drive better sustainability.
Tire-Rama Auto Repairs and Tires
Post Falls, Idaho | Age: 30
What attracted you to the industry?
The evolving technology and rapid changes.
I was looking for a career that was on the
Tell us about your current job and responsi bilities. How do you spend your work day?
I’m a lead engineer in the global technical operation teams, focusing on compound
and reinforcement material testing. My job responsibilities include test development to characterize compound and reinforcement material properties, standardize test methods globally within Goodyear and testing maintenance and continuous improvement.
What’s the best book you’ve read lately?
“The Choice” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger. The author is a survivor from a World War II concentration camp and a renowned psychologist. It is a remarkable and inspiring story that illustrates the extent of human courage and that we are capable of choice and change, despite enduring the unspeakable horrors that the author went through.
Tell us about your family.
I have a Goodyear family. My husband also works for Goodyear. He is from the U.S. and I am from China. We met in Luxembourg and we are now living in Akron, Ohio. Both of us love traveling and hiking. We have a 4-year-old daughter who loves singing and dancing.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why? I would have loved to have lunch with Queen Elizabeth II. She endured an enormous amount of pressure as a figurehead of a nation, but at the same time, she was able to conduct herself with personality and humor.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve.
One of my biggest pet peeves is taking half a day to complete a computer update, especially when something is urgently needed.
Grove City, Ohio | Age: 37
What was your first job in the industry?
My first job was working as a mechanic at Liberty Tire Recycling.
What attracted you to the industry?
I was attracted to the industry because of the uniqueness of the business and I love working with my hands. Working in the tire
recycling industry, it takes a lot of thinking outside the box and maintenance, which are my two strongest attributes.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The biggest challenge of my career has been learning the equipment and figuring out ways to make it more efficient and
My advice for finding good employees would probably be to look for someone who enjoys helping people and is hungry to improve as a person and employee in this industry.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
Twenty years from now, I expect to be running my own shop or shops. I enjoy working in a smaller and more customer care-driven shop, so I would love the opportunity to bring it to places throughout the state of Nebraska and maybe the Midwest region of the United States.
What’s your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
My biggest accomplishment is still underway. I have maintained my role in the shop as a service technician, where I started. On top of that, now I perform commercial service calls, manage other technicians and sell tires over the phone and in the office.
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
The one thing I wish someone would’ve told me before entering this company is how often I would be educating customers on what should be common knowledge about tires.
If you could have lunch with a celebrity, who would it be, and why?
If I could have lunch with a celebrity, it would probably be Rory McIlroy or John Daly. They’re both amazing golfers and I would love to pick their brain about the game at lunch and maybe play a round or two with them.
Tell us your biggest pet peeve.
My biggest pet peeve while working is probably the swollen aluminum cap on lug nuts. It’s just an unnecessary inconvenience that can sometimes slow down productivity.
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
What’s one thing you wish someone would have told you before you took your current job?
I think the best advice someone could have given me as a newbie would be to always remind yourself that you have the talent to fix an issue or deliver results, so stay calm and don’t stop believing while you work to that final solution — even if it does take a little longer than you would like.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your work day?
My highest priority is to develop and industrialize new consumer tread compounds that advance product performance differentiation and integrate new technology that gives Goodyear a competitive advantage. My specific support is for product releases for our original equipment customers, especially General Motors and Tesla.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? Being an introvert, I think my biggest challenge has been finding my voice in the broader organization.
What’s the best book you’ve read lately?
The last book I finished reading was Agatha Christie’s “Crooked House.” It was an enjoyable re-read and it is nice to return to the classics every once in a while.
If a tire dealer asked you for advice to find good employees, what would you suggest?
I would suggest looking for an employee that is open and honest, above all else. I believe these character traits naturally build respect, trust and camaraderie between people and since nothing gets done in a bubble, will make a very effective team member. ■
Jim Pangle, who starts his term as Tire Industry Association (TIA) president this month, understands independent tire dealers.
He spent his first 27 years in the tire industry as the owner of a Fountain Tire Ltd. store in Edmonton, Alberta. He also has owned a commercial tire center and retread plant.
Pangle later moved into Fountain Tire’s corporate office, where he now works as a business development specialist.
He says this experience puts him in a unique position to serve TIA’s members, particularly fellow tire dealers.
“Being a store owner and manager prepared me to understand the challenges of our industry — both at the store level and organizational level.”
In this interview, Pangle discusses issues that will take priority during his term as TIA president and what he hopes to accomplish. (He was joined by Dick Gust, TIA’s CEO.)
MTD: What are the most pressing issues facing TIA’s tire dealer members?
Pangle: I think the three biggest issues are people, training and electric vehicles (EVs.) From the people side of it, there’s a major shortage across North America. It’s not unique to the United States and it’s not unique to Canada. It’s across the entire industry. I see it every day as I talk to store owners.
That leads to training, which has always been a priority of TIA and will continue to be, going forward. At the end of the day, we want the same thing for our people — to come home safely.
Without training, you don’t have the people. And without people, you don’t need training. And we’re seeing how fast EVs are entering the market. There’s a lot to learn
Gust: We need to start pulling more people who are interested in becoming a technician
into our industry and I think EVs are going to be a way to get more people interested. Jim and I have been talking about this for a long time.
Pangle: We want to develop best practices for TIA members to safely service EVs — the proper lift points, the proper equipment and the proper training. It’s going to be another training avenue that I believe we’ll head down.
MTD: TIA continues to address legislative issues that impact dealers. Can you bring us up to speed on some of the things the association has been working on?
Gust: One thing we need to remember is that we have a great (legislative affairs) team that has been around for a long time. Jim will bring a unique perspective because we are so close to these issues here in the States, but there are (legislative) concerns from dealers in Canada.
The infrastructure bill in our country doesn’t impact Canadian tire dealers, but Right to Repair could at some point. We were pleased that no new taxes were directed at our industry via the infrastructure bill. We made sure small businesses weren’t going to be impacted by that.
In the recent Inflation Reduction Act, there’s additional funding for Internal Revenue Service people and the concern we have is how that’s going to be directed. We’re spending a lot of our time and resources talking to people in Washington D.C. to ensure that small businesses won’t be targeted.
We’ve worked to repeal the estate tax and we’ve had some successes.
Jim and I have talked about how we’ve addressed political issues in the U.S. But maybe there are some ways to work together on Canadian issues.
Pangle: Lots of what happens in the U.S. spins off into Canada very shortly. We want to be prepared.
“We want to develop best practices for TIA members to safely service EVs,” says Jim Pangle, the Tire Industry Associa tion’s new president.
Photo: TIA
MTD: What’s the biggest thing you want to accomplish during your term?
Pangle: The biggest issue facing our industry is lack of (employees). That’s going to be the biggest thing. I would like to see some kind of discussion around where we need to go to attract these people.
I’d like to see something down the road where tire technician becomes a certified trade. We’ve had some discussions.
Gust: We have to update some of our train ing programs. We’re updating our Certified Automotive Tire Service (ATS) program and hope to have that done in late-2023. As we create more best practices for EVs, I can see that moving into the ATS program in 2023 or 2024.
MTD: Why is it important for tire dealers to get involved with TIA?
Pangle: The industry is evolving at a faster pace than ever, especially advancements in vehicle technology. I can’t stress enough the importance of TIA’s training.
TIA also provides an opportunity for those in the tire industry to connect with other organizations. Non-members have no idea what they’re missing by not being part of TIA.
TreadWright Tires LLC, a Houston, Texas-based beadto-bead tire remolder, is moving from an e-commerce model to selling more units through traditional wholesale distributors and is looking for customers who can help accelerate that process.
“TreadWright has always been a technology start-up company,” says Anthony Showen, who, together with a private equity partner, acquired the rm in 2014 and quickly extended its remold technology into the light truck arena. (For most of its 40-year history, TreadWright produced non-branded remolds for ag and construction applications.)
“Since then, we have brought to market over 40 light truck sizes in four different tread patterns,” says Showen — all produced at TreadWright’s 60,000-square-foot manufacturing center in Houston.
TreadWright’s lineup includes mud-terrain and all-terrain (A/T) light truck tires marketed under the Axiom, Claw, Dirt Lord, Mud Lord and Warden names.
Showen says the company “is the largest light truck remolder in the world, with a capacity of 10,000 units a month,” and has a proven technology that’s “ready for mass distribution.”
TreadWright’s remold process starts with a premium casing, according to Showen.
“TreadWright builders extrude a so rubber compound onto each tire with a sidewall veneer layer. ese tires are then placed into individual molds for curing. Each tire comes out identical with a new Department of Transportation number.”
Because TreadWright’s process recycles “70% of the tire... we use this cost saving to purchase some of the best rubber compounds in the world to o er six-month road hazard warranties and 40,000-mile warranties on A/T treads.
“Remolding (also) allows us to produce an environmentally friendly tire that is a ordable and made in the United States,” which Showen says is another selling point of the product.
For the last several years, TreadWright “has been focused on building a strong presence in the e-commerce space,” says Showen. e company’s products are available through Walmart. com and Amazon.
e latter company “requires a less-than-1% rejection rate to be a fully quali ed vendor,” he adds. “Amazon and Walmart have great drop ship programs, which means we can full ll
TreadWright Tires LLC actively promotes the fact that its bead-to-bead remolds are made in the United States. This is a big selling point for the company, says co-owner Anthony Showen.
“We have the greatest workforce in the world, right here in the U.S.,” he notes. “I think company leaders across all industries should be dedicated to growing (domestic) production options.
“The greatest achievement of my career has been building a U.S. manufacturing plant that not only provides an affordable tire, but also a sustainable tire. The belief that manufacturing in the U.S. can’t be done cost effectively is a myth.”
TreadWright’s insistence on 100% domestic production has created “a very loyal customer base that believes in our product and supports our local workforce.”
TreadWright touts bene ts of ‘made in the USA’“TreadWright has always been a technology start-up company,” says Anthony Showen, who, together with a private equity partner, acquired the rm in 2014 and quickly extended its remold technology into the light truck tire arena. Photo: TreadWright
orders from our three distribution centers,” which are located in Houston, Colorado and Oklahoma.
“If you are a small company like Tread Wright, you get the marketing power of two of the biggest retail giants in the U.S. “This has allowed us to bring our new technology to market without a crippling marketing budget.”
E-commerce accounts for 90% of the
company’s business and has been its most profitable sales channel. “But the cost of doing business” via e-commerce “continues to rise,” says Showen.
“Freight costs are up 25% through FedEx home deliveries,” which has prompted Tread Wright to explore other distribution options.
THE CUSTOMER CONNECTION Showen says the company is looking at
selling through “independently owned distribution companies in the short term.
“This has more to do with our volume — 10,000 tires a month — and the fact they have a more intimate relationship with their customers.
“The mature dealer has a longer sales cycle and the wholesale already has a relationship with dealers. This reduces the sales cycle.”
TreadWright can offer “deep discounts with exclusive sales territories,” says Showen, who adds that the company will prioritize distributors in rural areas due to the light truck bent of its products.
30% of shoppers are overlooked by traditional payment options; a massive $40 billion dollar sales opportunity for retailers.
Katapult opens up a world of brand-new customers by offering lease purchase plans based on fairness and transparency.
Showen says TreadWright is looking at selling through “independently owned distribution companies in the short term. This has more to do with our volume — 10,000 tires a month — and the fact they have a more intimate relationship with their customers.”
“However, this will change over the next few years as we enter the passenger and small SUV segments.”
At the same time, TreadWright is “considering partnerships” with existing retreaders. (“We have standing purchase orders for nearly $3.5 million worth of casings for 2023.”)
The firm — which is “on the cusp” of being a $100 million a year company over the next three to five years — also is looking at destinations “for relocating our Houston manufacturing operation. We are looking to move into two separate locations more centrally located to shipping and distribution routes.” ■
Finding the right tool is only step one in making sure your dealer ship excels in providing tire pres sure monitoring system (TPMS) service. The second step is mak ing sure your TPMS tools and software are current.
Officials from 31 Inc., Autel U.S., Bartec USA LLC, Continental Automotive System., Hamaton Automotive Tech nology Co. Ltd., Launch Tech Co. Ltd. and Schrader TPMS Solutions recently weighed in on tips and tools for optimal TPMS service.
director of TPMS products and support, 31 Inc. “The Elite combines the simplicity and ease of use customers have learned to count on from Smart Sensor, with the advanced features of a high-end TPMS tool.”
The Smart Sensor Elite offers a color display, easy-to-follow menus, built-in relearn procedures, placard adjusting, Wi-Fi updating, Bluetooth OBD II and more. The tool also comes with a lifetime of free software updates.
Rice says technicians should keep these seven things in mind when using TPMS tools:
• Keep your tool charged;
• Keep the tool updated;
• Select the correct make, model and year of the vehicle;
• Check lights on the dashboard;
• Test sensors before touching them;
• Scan sensors before installing, and;
• Confirm whether the system is a direct or indirect TPMS.
John Amato, director of product training at Autel, says the MaxiTPMS ITS600 can meet the needs of tire installers who are performing general service and maintenance.
Photo: Autel
the MaxiTPMS ITS600 can meet the needs of tire installers who are performing general service and maintenance.
The Smart Sensor Elite tool offers a color display, easy-to-follow menus, built-in relearn procedures, Bluetooth OBD II, Wi-Fi updating and other features, says John Rice, director of TPMS products and support, 31 Inc.
Photo: 31 Inc.
31 Inc.’s Smart Sensor Elite tool was recently updated to display sensor bat tery status. When a sensor is scanned, the tool shows its battery health. A red battery symbol means the sensor has a low battery and a green symbol indicates the battery is fine.
“The Smart Sensor Elite is a revo lutionary TPMS tool,” says John Rice,
Rice says a direct TPMS uses the sensors from the wheels or tires, while an indirect TPMS uses the vehicle’s ABS sensors. Indirect systems are used by Audi, Honda, Mazda, Volkswagen and others.
“Even though they represent a small percentage of total vehicles with TPMS, it is important to identify these vehicles early during your initial inspection, so you are not pulling your hair out later trying to figure out why the sensors are not responding on a 2018 Volkswagen Passat.”
Autel offers the MaxiTPMS ITS600 for TPMS, says John Amato, the company’s director of product training. Amato says
“Within the last 12 months, Autel has released on-board Department of Transportation (DOT) registration software, as well as a unique cloud reporting system that enables the ITS600 to produce a detailed vehicle health report,” says Amato.
“The new software allows the techni cian or manager to print, email or share the report directly with the customer via a link sent through a text message.”
The MaxiTPMS ITS600 is a wireless, touchscreen Android-based tablet that aids in “TPMS service, vehicle diagnostics and service functions.
“The ITS600 can activate, read and relearn all known sensors, (plus) perform TPMS system diagnostics and four com mon maintenance services,” says Amato.
“Additionally, it provides DOT number scan and on-board tire registration.
“Number one, ease of use. Does the tool make TPMS service easier and more accurate?”
The second factor is coverage. “Will this tool fix the vehicles that come into your service bay?”
A third consideration is durability. “Robust OBD cables and the ability to withstand the rigors of a tire shop are essential,” says Holloway.
And, finally, updateability is crucial. Holloway says keeping TPMS tools up to date is “critically important.”
technicians should keep in mind when performing TPMS services. First, keep TPMS tools updated.
He recommends updating TPMS tools monthly since there are many things that can initiate a software change.
“Keeping your scan tool up to date with the latest software will ensure quick and accurate relearning,” says Dobrowolski.
Second, he says to use the Continental tool’s vehicle identification number (VIN) reader to verify vehicle data.
“Advanced technology of the TechRITEPro provides for faster TPMS service, exibility in TPMS service and use and greater coverage of TPMS sensor solutions,” says Scot Holloway, CEO, Bartec USA LLC.
Photo: Bartec
The pro version of the ITS600 includes basic diagnostics for all systems and an additional 20 service functions to handle a variety of tasks.”
When selecting a TPMS tool, “diagnostic capability, superior coverage, update costs and a company (dealers) trust” should be factored into the equation, according to Amato.
“The most important thing is the tools’ ability to accurately diagnose the system and aid in the tech’s ability to plan and execute a repair procedure.”
Bartec came out with its TechRITEPro — a sensor programming and TPMS diagnostic tool — in April 2022. It’s designed to offer technicians of all levels “high-powered functionality at an entry-level price,” says Scot Holloway, CEO, Bartec.
“The advanced technology of the TechRITEPro provides for faster TPMS service, flexibility in TPMS service and use and greater coverage of TPMS sensor solutions,” says Holloway.
The TechRITEPro comes with features that include VINDicate , which detects a vehicle’s make, model and year; Bartec’s Rite-Sync system; a field replaceable battery for fast changes; and ergonomically friendly design.
Holloway says Bartec’s mission is to continue to make TPMS service easier and faster for technicians.
There are four things technicians should keep in mind when choosing TPMS tools, according to Holloway.
Continental’s new Autodiagnosis TPMS D features diagnostic and service capabilities and the company’s recently unveiled Autodiagnosis TPMS SE is designed solely for TPMS services.
“Both tools can trigger, diagnose and read original equipment passenger vehicle sensors,” says Peter Dobrowolski, product manager for diagnostics and services, Continental.
“They also feature an OBD-II mode that can streamline sensor relearns in under two minutes on most Asian, domestic and European makes.”
e TPMS D works with OE sensors and more than 20 a ermarket sensor brands. It is “ideal for shops that only require a single tool to handle all of (their) TPMS services.”
The TPMS SE is “ideal for shops that have multiple bays and need to use more than one TPMS tool at the same time.”
Dobrowolski says there are two things
“If your tool has a VIN reader, you should use it to determine the vehicle’s exact year, make, and model data so you can accurately identify the correct replacement TPMS sensor.”
Hamaton’s Hybrid HT TPMS can “read 100% of OE and aftermarket sensors and configure or program all U-pro Hybrid generations,” according to Ryan Dalton, marketing manager, Hamaton.
Hamaton uses ATEQ’s Sync-ID that has “standardized OBD II relearn procedures for over 90% of vehicles with direct TPMS.”
This way, technicians can learn one process and apply it widely, says Dalton. The tool also allows technicians to perform an electronic control unit (ECU) unlock — necessary for Lexus and Toyota models — in under two minutes.
The Hybrid HT TPMS holds up to 800 service records and allows technicians to register a new placard value when “fitting tires with a different load
Both of the new TPMS tools from Continental can trigger, diagnose and read original equipment passenger vehicle sensors, according to Peter Dobrowolski, product manager for diagnostics and services, Continental.
Photo: Continental
The Hybrid HT TPMS holds up to 800 service records and allows technicians to register a new placard value when “ tting tires with a different load index,” says Ryan Dalton, marketing manager, Hamaton Automotive Technology Co. Ltd.
Photo: Hamaton
The new TSAP 3 allows for the programming of over 20 aftermarket TPMS sensors.
Photo: Launch Tech
index. Technicians can compare reports and then tailor the service accordingly. “For example, a persistent loss of pressure could be, in fact, the result of a faulty valve rather than a repeat puncture,” notes Dalton.
In addition, Wi-Fi updates have “streamlined” the tool’s updating process by eliminating the need for a laptop. e Hybrid HT also comes with real-time sensor updates providing the “latest coverage.”
Launch Tech is getting ready to release
its new TSAP 3 tool. Haresh Gobin, product development manager for Launch Tech, describes the TSAP 3 as a “Wi-Fi-enabled, comprehensive TPMS Service tool that will support automotive repair and tire facilities, as well as addressing various TPMS application service requirements and tire faults.
“The TSAP 3 is an aftermarket TPMS tool and it allows for the programming of over 20 aftermarket TPMS sensors,” says Gobin.
“It has the ability to perform OBD resets and cipher Euro, Asian and domestic vehicles’ OEM TPMS sensors and displays relearn instructions.”
Gobin says technicians should remember the basics when using TPMS tools. These include checking the age of the tire and conducting a visual inspection of the tire.
“Best practices (also) include checking for underinflated tires,” he adds.
Yanick Leduc, global technical training manager, for Schrader TPMS Solutions, says it’s essential that technicians keep their TPMS tools updated with the latest software.
Photo: Schrader
Schrader is promoting the EZ-ID function on its Schrader (ST-1) tool. Yanick Leduc, global technical training manager, Schrader, says the feature can list the sensor ID activated with the tool and is able to compare it with a list of sensor IDs saved on the ECU.
The process activates all sensors and displays the sensor IDs on the tool screen to then guide techs to connect and extract sensor IDs.
The IDs are displayed on the tool’s screen, showing a visual graphic report identifying any sensor ID mismatch.
Leduc says it’s essential that technicians keep their TPMS tools updated with the latest software.
He recommends connecting the tool once a month to Wi-Fi or a computer to check if a software update is available.
“Also when activating a sensor through the sidewall, the tool (should) be placed in one of the following positions — at the junction of the rim and tire; just over the valve system; or aiming the tool to point at the sensor enclosure.” ■
In turning around any business there are usually two phases. First, you need to arrest the slide by cutting expenses and rationalizing the busi ness, then you begin to rebuild.
Last month, I explained how Larry Jeffries, the former CEO of Tredroc Tire Services Inc., closed 20% of the com pany’s 30 locations, reduced headcount by 25% and exited three money-losing businesses.
But he still had more things to do before growing.
Here’s the rest of the Tredroc turn around story, in Jeffries’ own words.
“Once we got through round one, we’re now evaluating what we have. Our six retread plants were losing a great deal of money, so we consolidated to four plants and became profitable.
“We identified additional staffing cuts. We kept the best and built a strong team.
“We were transparent. Previously, managers didn’t have access to the P&Ls so we shared them. My CFO and I went to every store twice a year (and) sat down with the management and sales teams. We went through every KPI, went through every financial and said, ‘Guys, this is where we’re at. This is what we need to do. You help me, I’ll help you.’
“Every manager (and) every sales person had my cell number.
“All along, we had to manage the banking side because we were… close to the edge.
“We had no inventory management system and were operating with a huge inventory. It was all guesswork.
“So we built an inventory manage ment system from scratch and that helped free up a tremendous amount of cash.
“That inventory reduction helped us with the bank. We reduced our debt by almost 60%.
“We began making money, but I told
everybody, ‘We need to operate this company as if we’re on our last dollar. Know your money, know your budget, and stick to it.’
“There were 19 different compensation plans between the three companies, but they were all geared towards driving sales.
“We automated everything, consoli dated the comp plan and changed it to margin-driven.
that because I don’t want to lose you as a customer, but I’m not going to service you and lose money.’
“Some of that business came back at more profitable rates. When we pulled the unprofitable business out of the stores, we had record profits.
“Those customers we fired ate up so many resources. So we freed up resources for profitable business.
“We had our growth plan in place for 2020 and then COVID-19 hit. That put us back on our heels a bit. But we reevaluated and managed to ride through the hard part without laying off a single employee.
“We emerged from that period in a good position because we were already tuned and ready to go.
“We didn’t put caps on it. I said, ‘I’m going to pay you as much as you want to earn, but you have to sell with profitability and sustainability in mind.’
“Everybody was up in arms, but the first year we changed the comp plan, every salesman but one made more money than the prior year.
“And the company made more money than it had ever made at the time. We incentivized them to sell profitable stuff. That was the key to the kingdom.
“We did a deep dive evaluation ana lyzing truck routes and made them more efficient.
“We made decisions to fire customers. We sat down with the big customers and said, ‘What can we do to become a better partner to you?’
“Some of those conversations were easy. Some of them were hard because while we were there, we said, ‘We’ve got to raise your price.’
“One customer looked at me and said, ‘I’m telling you right now, you’re not going to make money on me.’
“I responded, ‘Well, I’m sorry to hear
“Looking back on it, we just went back to the basics,” says Jeffries.
“It wasn’t just me making decisions or my CFO making decisions. It was everybody making the decisions together. And when you have that, you have cohesiveness of a team and everybody’s going in the right direction.
“One of my best leaders I ever had was Larry Morgan.” (Editor’s note: Morgan is the former owner of Morgan Tire & Auto and a past recipient of MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year Award.)
“He told me one time ‘There’s three things you need to remember to have a successful business.’
“And I said, ‘OK, what?’
“And he said, ‘It’s pretty simple — people, people and people.’
“He said, ‘You get those three things and you won’t have any problems.’” ■
Michael McGregor is a partner at Focus Investment Banking LLC (focusbankers.com/automotive/tire-and-service). He advises and assists multi-location tire dealers on mergers and acquisitions. For more information, contact him at michael.mcgregor@focusbankers.com.
‘WE JUST WENT BACK TO THE BASICS’
‘We automated everything, consolidated the comp plan and changed it to margin-driven.’
Iwant you to go outside and see if there is a giant red cross on a sign pole outside your building. Go ahead and check just to make sure. Now check your most recent income statement. Go to the net profit line and see if there’s a nega tive sign, because if there’s a red plus sign outside, there will be a minus sign on the bottom of your income statement.
As a successful tire dealer, you should be helping charities — not be a charity.
Sometimes a down-on-his-luck customer may need a kind soul to take pity on him and help him out. There’s a time and a place for that.
Hopefully, you may have a process for this, either working with a real charity or having a selection process that can pick a deserving recipient.
However, if your charity is being run at the counter and every complaint about tough times is met with a discount, it won’t take much to mutilate the bottom line of your dealership.
It is possible to be empathetic to customers and maintain profitability. After all, you’re here to take care of the entire community — not risk closing your doors over a handful of local residents who are looking for a less expensive repair.
Make sure your employees know to not sell with their own wallet.
They should present options for customers — not discounts.
Is your dealership run like a non-profit? In a scenario like this, employees look for “donations” from customers just to cover expenses.
If you’re operating as a non-profit, I can guarantee you that your profit margins on parts and tires — along with your labor rate — aren’t in line with today’s metrics to run a business.
In order for a tire store to turn a profit, it needs to have proper margins and it also needs to recommend additional, legitimate services to customers. A dealership will not be profitable if it only does the minimum requested work.
The things customers ask for are usually the least profitable items you sell.
Customers rely on professionals to bring complete pictures of their vehicle’s health and present an honest assessment so they can decide what they will do now, what they will do later and what they won’t do.
It’s OK if a customer says no. It’s not OK to avoid letting them know.
Hopefully, you’re running your business as a for-profit company because that’s what it is. That means making sure you charge the right price, you sell the right parts, you back
your warranty, you pay your employees well — more on that later — and at the end of the month, you have about 10% of your sales in profit so that you can fund your cash flow easily.
Net profit doesn’t go in the owner’s back pocket. It funds tire purchases, pays your taxes, makes repairs and upgrades to your facilities possible and helps make sure that when it comes time to sell your business, there’s a cushion for all the new taxes you’re going to have to pay.
Good employees also should be rewarded. Employees who regularly show up to work on time, hit their goals, actively seek out educational opportunities and create bonds with customers and employees alike should be treated like royalty.
But there is a limit. Professional service advisors should consume about 7% or less of gross profit. In a store with $1.5 million in sales and a gross profit of $900,000, that should equate to about $60,000 in total compensation — not including payroll taxes.
This is achieved by selling equal amounts of tires, parts and labor. If a store is light on service — or heavy on tire sales, depending on how you look at it — this number will skew downward as tires are less profitable than service.
A tire dealership’s biggest ongoing struggle is typically controlling payroll.
Total payroll should be kept under 50% of gross profit at all times. Any higher and the store is just spinning its wheels as a charity or a non-profit. It doesn’t take a lot of overtime or just pushing cars through with only requested services to reduce your business’ net profit to nothing.
So it’s time to make a choice as you gear up for 2023. Do you want to be a charity, a non-profit or a for-profit busi ness? If you want to make a profit in this business, start with charging the right prices, employ professional sales advisors who present legitimate findings, back your warranties, control your payroll and keep the place looking clean. That’s a good start to a new year. ■
Dennis McCarron is a partner at Cardinal Brokers, one of the leading brokers in the tire and automotive industry (www.cardinalbrokers.com). To contact McCarron, email him at dennis@cardinalbrokers.com.
In order for a tire store to turn a profit, it needs to have proper margins.
You may have more tools for servicing hybrid vehicles than you realize. I ordered a Honda Insight — the first hybrid sold in the United States — back in 1999. At that time, I owned and operated Van Batenburg’s Garage, which special ized in Hondas and worked on other Asian cars and light trucks.
To work on my new Insight, I needed my updated card for my Vetronix Mas tertech scanner, the Honda set of printed shop manuals and some high-voltage gloves. The hybrid car had not arrived yet, but I was getting ready to service and repair my customers’ cars and now a hybrid was in that mix.
The manuals were ordered from Lun dgren Honda, Vetronix told me the new card would be in the mail in March 2000 and I went in search of high-voltage gloves at Grainger.
Once I arrived to buy my safety gloves, the man at the counter did not believe me when I told him my new car had a battery rated at 144 volts DC. He called in another person, who looked at his paper catalog to see what I needed. What did I know? No gloves were in stock, so they ordered them. So far, I had no hybrid car, shop manuals, scan tools or high-voltage gloves — nothing. I was off to a slow start, but you have to start somewhere.
Once all those pieces of the puzzle came together, I was on my way to discovering the world of high-voltage systems. That was over 22 years ago. Electrified motor vehicles have come a long way. If you are just getting started in hybrid (HEV) repairs, here is the list of personal protective equipment, tools, and shop equipment needed to fix HEVs. If you want to add plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and pure electric vehicles (EV) to your offerings, you will need more equipment.
First, buy some high-voltage gloves rated Class Zero at 1000 volts AC, in your size. Include in that purchase leather outer protectors, a storage bag, glove powder and linen liners. Wear eye protection — either a face mask or goggles when you know the high-voltage system may be live. You can go all-out and wear “arc flash” clothing and high-voltage insulated boots, but those are mostly used in the design process at research and development centers.
The use of orange cones, caution tape, insulated surfaces on your work bench, signage for high-voltage storage of parts, a lock-out room for high-voltage bat teries and lock-out boxes for keys and service plugs are all part of a safe shop environment.
Teach your employees about what type of fires can result when working on EVs. (For example, removing oxygen from the area around a lithium cell will not help.)
Know what type of fire extinguishers to use. If safe to do so, let any vehicle burn outside the shop, not in it.
When buying a digital volt ohm meter (DVOM), look for a CAT III 1000 voltrated unit. Make sure the leads and ends are also rated the same. Any scope you are using on a high-voltage system (over 60 v DC) also needs the same rating as your meter and for an added level of safety, use “differential probes” with your scope.
The type of ohm meter needed for test ing the windings of a stator is called a “milliohm meter.” Buy one that plugs into the wall. Insulation testers — sometimes
called a “Megger,” which is a trademarked name — are needed for testing for highvoltage leaks to the chassis.
These two meters are essential. Add to this a Fluke SV225 ghost voltage elimi nator or equivalent. The ghost voltage adapter is a DVOM accessory that allows the DVOM to measure circuits subject to stray or ghost voltages from adjacent to high-voltage wiring.
Nothing beats a factory scanner, but many aftermarket scan tools will work. The one you have now is most likely OK for HEVs.
There are two types of packs (or mod ule) balancers — OEM balancers and aftermarket balancers. They have very different purposes. Aftermarket balancers are usually chargers, as well.
Some discharge the entire NiMH pack, while others will work at the module level. If you use an aftermarket, highvoltage piece of equipment, make sure you use all of your personal protective equipment and be safe.
Heat is the enemy of most everything on a car. A high-voltage battery pack has a cooling system — or should have one — and a thermal camera is a great tool to find those hot spots. In 2000, my current company, Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC), was loaned a $32,000 thermal camera from Fluke Corp. to do some research on hybrid cars. Today, a similar camera is half the size and under $2,000. Small adapters for your cell phone are under $100.
How many insulated tools are enough?
That question can be answered this way. What part of the EV can be powered down and what will still have energy in it that can harm or kill you? Everything on an EV can be brought to zero volts before disassembly, except the high-voltage battery pack. The high-voltage battery is isolated, but not discharged. It is still hot. You will need insulated tools to work in the high-voltage battery box.
As long as you “safe down” the EV properly and test all potential high-voltage sources before using a non-insulated tool, you will be OK. Just be aware of the high-voltage pack at all times.
Once an EV comes in, before you sell the job, make sure you have what you need. That requires reading the vehicle’s service information. Once you know what special tools you need, locate them and make a decision. Is it worth it?
EV battery packs can weigh in at 1,500
pounds, so you will need a lift table for EV battery removal, plus a fixture to hold the pack. Each OEM has its own type, but universal tables and holding fixtures are entering the market.
Once a sealed EV pack has been opened up, it must be leak-tested to be sure it is waterproof.
If you can get your local utility to help fund these DC fast chargers and maybe level I and II, as well, it will be to your benefit to have them at your shop. Some shops have done that at no fee to them, as there are federal and state dollars available for this.
Without the tools and equipment required, you may have a tough time work ing on an EV. Personal safety is always the most important issue and having good tools, equipment and information is essential.
This is what most techs call a charger. It stands for “electric vehicle supply equipment.” You will need both levels to test, along with a break-out box, if the plug-in vehicle will not charge.
As far as we know, ACDC is the only company that builds and sells a “break-out box” for EVSE diagnosis. We call it a service equipment break-out box or a “SEBOB.” (More info at www. FIXEV.com. )
As many older EVs find their way into your dealership, make sure you have everything you need. Don’t forget to have your high-voltage gloves tested every six months and always wear them when servicing these vehicles. ■
Craig Van Batenburg is the CEO of Van Batenburg’s Garage Inc., dba Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC), which is based in Worcester, Mass. A 50-year automotive service industry veteran, Van Batenburg provides training for facilities that service — or want to service — electric and hybrid vehicles. For more information, see www. fixhybrid.com or email him at craig@fixhybrid.com.
the most important issue.
“We want to grow further with you,”
John Hagan, execu tive vice president of sales for Nexen Tire America Inc., told Nexen customers during the company’s recent dealer meeting in Banff, Alberta.
“We want to be your number-one sup plier. We want to be the best business to do business with — day in and day out.”
Hagan — along with Brian Han, Nexen Tire America’s CEO, and Jason Yard, the company’s director of marketing — dis cussed several initiatives that Nexen is undertaking to support its growing dealer network.
Nexen is enhancing production at its plant in the Czech Republic in order to take some pressure off its production facility in South Korea. (The latter plant supplies all of Nexen’s tires that are sold in North America.)
“That was the benefit of the Czech plant at the beginning,” when it opened in 2019, according to Hagan. “Before Czech, (supply) was coming out of China and South Korea, for the most part.
“So when Czech opened up, it freed more capacity for South Korea to help the United States grow. We got a lot of benefit from that.”
Most of Nexen’s four plants worldwide are “at full capacity” and the company’s South Korea plant is operating at full throttle now, Han told MTD.
“We’re also improving machinery and production systems, so I think that will (result in) enhancement of production” and supply to North American tire dealers.
Tariffs enacted during 2021 “really didn’t have an impact” on Nexen’s ability to ship tires to the right customers at the
right time, said Hagan.“We maintained our supply chain.
“And we maintained our pricing. We’d go up in price a little, but not the full magnitude.”
Nexen Tire America’s overall business in 2021 “was very good,” said Hagan. And this year has delivered more of the same.
“We’re definitely back to pre-pandemic levels,” he told MTD.
Hagan and Han also discussed Nexen’s original equipment fitment (OE) strategy. The company has more than 140 OE fit ments globally.
Nexen’s most recent fitments — on the 2023 Kia Niro and 2023 Kia Niro EV, both for the U.S. market — were announced this past August.
The company’s OE fitments are gen erating good pull-through for its dealers, according to Hagan.
Nexen has been “targeted and selective” in working with vehicle manufacturers in the U.S., he said, adding that fitments need to “support where we’re trying to go.
“We’re going for the premium fitments – 18, 19 and 20 inches. And then we’re (expanding) on the electric vehicle (EV) side, from an OE standpoint.”
Hagan believes there is plenty of oppor tunity for Nexen in the EV arena.
“A lot of OE (vehicle) manufacturers –Ford, General Motors, Stellantis – have all made statements that they’re increasing their EV market share. We’re following closely.”
Explaining Nexen’s EV tire design approach, “we’re using current tread pat terns and names, but are changing the specs (of the tire) at the size level to meet OE manufacturers’ performance requirements.
“We want to make sure our dealers have profitability and it’s sustain able,” says John Hagan, executive vice president of sales for Nexen Tire America Inc., right, with Brian Han, CEO of Nexen Tire America.
Photo: MTD
“Some manufacturers are creating whole different tread patterns and whole different names, which, in our opinion, creates complexity on the dealer side.”
Nexen also has been pleased with the growth of its Roadian light truck tire line.
This past June, the company launched its newest Roadian product, the Roadian ATX, an all-terrain tire.
Late last year, Nexen introduced the Roadian HTX2 highway-terrain tire.
Roadian has been “very important” to Nexen’s overall growth in the North American market, said Hagan.
“We’ve put out two great products — the Roadian HTX2 and the Roadian ATX — each with a more aggressive design. Everything has been positive.”
When asked about future products, Han told MTD that the company is developing “all-weather tires for the passenger and SUV category.”
Nexen executives reported that the com pany’s Next Level associate dealer program continues to pick up members.
More than 4,000 dealers belong to the
‘We want to grow further with you,’ Nexen tells dealers EXECUTIVES TALK DEALER SUPPORT, SUPPLY, OE STRATEGY AND MORE
group, whose o erings — including a robust sales incentive program — continue to expand. “I would like to say we’ve created something great” with the Nexen Next Level program, Hagan told MTD, “which I think we did.
“But it’s really the turnaround time a er we get done with the quarter on getting money to that Next Level dealer.
“If a quarter closes, 15 days later we’re cutting checks.”
Other gains have been the result of “increased distribution over the last two years, with pick-ups like U.S. AutoForce, the Tire Alliance Groupe and more retail, like Monro.” (Nexen also sells through TBC Corp., he revealed.)
“Overall, over the last two to three years, our distribution footprint has really grown. But we’re also taking care of our current distribution.”
When pitching Nexen to new dealers and distributors, the company focuses on “warranties, value — we don’t play the pricing game,” Hagan told MTD.
“We want to make sure our dealers
have pro tability and it’s sustainable. Our message has been pretty steady over the years. And we don’t see changing that strategy because quite frankly, it works.”
MORE ENHANCEMENTS Nexen moved its corporate sta and headquarters from California to Ohio last year. e move came with enhancements to the company’s dealer support infrastructure, including the addition of an East Coast call center; an expanded team that is “very young, energetic and focused;” and a new customer relationship management tool, which “has been huge for us.
“Anything that happens during the day, we’re getting it almost as it happens. And if not, we give (our salespeople) 24 hours to get it into our system and we can see all of the customer’s activity,” said Hagan.
“ e goal is to be faster to market.”
Nexen also is ramping up its marketing and advertising to generate more brand awareness among consumers.
is includes continued live event activations, sports marketing partnerships, new
tire launch kits, an enhanced social media presence and more, according to Yard.
“We have a ve-year plan to double down on consumer awareness,” he said.
Independent tire dealers will remain critical to Nexen’s ongoing growth, Hagan told MTD.
“We don’t have warehouses in every other state” to supply big box retailers. ( e company owns and operates three distribution centers — one in Ohio, one in Georgia and another in California.)
“We’ve done a very good job of maintaining our distribution channel. And our real focus going into 2023 is to make sure we are giving all of our customers what they need – not what (we) need only.
“We need to make sure we are reacting very quickly to our customers’ needs, which the industry does not do a good job of, in my opinion. We need to improve on that and improve our share of account with customers,” he said.
“We’re hoping for a very successful 2023 and beyond. We’ve established a very good framework and foundation.”
“We’ve turned over all of our light truck (tire) patterns and we’ve added new products every year over the past four years,” says Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president of American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd.’s automotive unit.
Photo: MTD
American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd. might be — by its own admission — an “underdog” brand in the light truck segment. But the company says its light truck tire sales are growing.
“We are a 1.5% to 2% market share brand” despite having “only been in the light truck tire segment for a little over 20 years,” Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president of Kenda’s automotive division, told attendees of the company’s recent light truck tire “boot camp” event in Arizona.
According to Stotsenburg, Kenda has been picking up extra steam in the light truck tire segment since 2016 and has continued to make progress.
“We’ve turned over all of our light truck (tire) patterns and we’ve added new products every year over the past four years. We’ve had double-digit increases in our product sales.”
Year-to-date, Kenda’s light truck tire sales are up “about 15%,” he added.
“Underdog” was a common phrase uttered by Kenda officials over the duration of the boot camp event.
Stotsenburg told attendees that pandemic-related production delays held up the launch of the Kenda Klever M/T 2 KR629, which originally was scheduled to be released this past sum mer after debuting at the 2021 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show.
The Klever M/T 2 KR629 contains Kenda’s proprietary T3 Triple Threat Sidewall, which company officials describe as “an optimized tread compound,” as well as interlocking tread blocks, a symmetric tread design, raised letters and other features.
“The product is going to be completed and rolling out with 33 sizes by the end of 2022,” said Stotsenburg.
“We anticipate that the tire is going to exceed what we sold in the older product — the original Klever M/T — that is now going to be discontinued.”
During the boot camp event, Al Henderson, senior engineer and automotive team leader at Kenda, walked dealers through how Kenda’s products are engineered and made.
e event also included plenty of time behind the wheel for participating Kenda tire dealers, who spent two days driving on several of the company’s tires across rugged Arizona terrain.
“Our R/T product has been exceptional and it continues to grow ... year a er year.”
Stotsenburg expects that growth will continue even if the U.S. economy nds itself in a recession in 2023.
“We think that value-priced products, like Kenda’s, are going to have an upli as people are looking for products to put on their vehicles during a time when money is tight.”
Stotsenburg also believes the company’s mud-terrain (M/T) light truck tire sales will grow a er the Klever M/T 2 KR629 fully rolls out.
Nathan Keaton, manager at the Parrish Tire outlet in Carrollton, Ga., attended American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd.’s recent light truck tire “boot camp” event in Arizona. He said that light truck tires make up 65% of his store’s sales.
“The biggest thing for me was to come out and check on how Kenda puts on this rideand-drive,” he told MTD during the event.
Keaton said ride-and-drive events give salespeople rst-hand experience with products. That experience, he added, creates more enthusiasm when selling Kenda tires and other products.
Jim Williard, vice president of sales at Jones Tire Co. in Selma, Ala., agreed with Keaton that the Kenda boot camp event was more of an educational experience about how to sell light truck tires than anything else.
“Most people come into (our) store and say they want a mud-terrain tire, but 90% of the people that say that will never use a mud tire for what it was made to do,” said Willard.
“Our job is to learn the brands and learn how the tires work, so we can point our customers in the right direction for the tire that will best suit them and their needs.”
Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president of Kenda’s automotive division, says that’s what the company wants its dealers to experience.
“One of the things we want our customers to walk away with — regardless of their direct opinion on Kenda — is to feel that they will know more about light truck products, so that they can help their customers.”
tool
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. unveiled the latest addition to its Open Country light truck tire line, the Open Coun try R/T Trail, at a media ride-anddrive event in Big Bear, Calif., in October, just prior to the company’s Trailpass Experi ence consumer event.
Todd Bergeson, senior manager, product planning and technical services for Toyo, told attendees the new Open Country R/T Trail is not a replacement for an existing product, but a new product slotted between the Toyo Open Country R/T and the Toyo Open Country A/T III.
The tire is specifically designed for light truck and SUV owners who want higher levels of off-road performance, but also are looking for a tire that is quiet and capable, according to Bergeson. Initially, the tire will be available in 29 sizes, starting this month.
Most of the sizes are going to be produced at the company’s White, Ga., production facility.
The new tire is the second Toyo product developed at the company’s research and development facility in White, Ga. (The Open Country A/T III was the first tire Toyo developed in the U.S.)
Bergeson said the company’s development team spent “extensive time with off-road enthusiast clubs across the country” com ing up with the new tire’s performance parameters.
Referring to the tire as a “hybrid” between an all-terrain and mud-terrain, he said it will eventually be available in 47 sizes, fitting wheels ranging from 16-inches to 24-inches in diameter — in load ranges C, D, E and F and speed ratings from Q to T— and up to a 38-inch overall diameter.
The tire is available in LT, P-metric, Euro-metric and flotation sizes.
The Open Country R/T Trail performs “with better off-road grip than a traditional all-terrain tire — most evident in sand,
mud and deep snow,” said Bergeson.
He added that the tire does not bear the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) designation.
However, its tread pattern is designed for optimized onand off-road durability, trac tion and stability, delivering optimal grip and performance in both wet and dry conditions.
The Open Country R/T Trail features staggered scal loped shoulder blocks and extra-thick sidewall lugs that dig into soft terrain and uneven surfaces.
Additional features contributing to its durability and off-road capabilities include wide circumferential grooves, lateral zig-zag grooves, stone ejectors, four-way tapered notches and a rim protector, according to Toyo officials.
Bergeson pointed out that the tire’s heavy-gauge sidewall is designed to help protect it from cuts, impacts and punctures and reduce damage to wheels.
Within the different Open Country product offerings ranging from “rugged to refined”, Toyo places the Open Country R/T Trail in third place, toward the rugged side.
Toyo believes the purchasing mindset of the typical customer for the tire is “I’m more of an all-terrain customer, but I want something a little more extreme. I don’t need 3PMS, but expect great on-road performance.”
The Open Country R/T Trail is backed with a 45,000-mile treadwear warranty and the Toyo Tires No Regrets 45-Day/500-Mile Trial Offer.
“We want to be known as a true enthusiast brand,” said Tim Chaney, vice president of marketing for Toyo.
“We are trying to expand and engage with off-roaders.”
Chaney added that the company is using the slogan of “Any vehicle, every terrain” in the outdoor enthusiast marketing campaign for its Open Country tire lineup.
This falls under the company’s broader slogan of “We make tires people love.”
Chaney pointed out several other market ing initiatives that are underway at Toyo.
He said Toyo has the longest running sponsorship of Ultimate Fighting Cham pionship events that appear on ESPN and will continue that sponsorship, using the slogan, “Tough people love tough tires.”
In addition, the company has signed a partnership with Ken Block, who is produc ing some Audi EV videos.
The company also hosts its Trailpass Experience event, which is a gathering of the outdoor, off-road and overlanding community.
And Toyo employs an active social media presence on Instagram and YouTube.
Chaney said Toyo is the number oneranked tire brand on both of those channels, with 3.7 million total fans/followers.
When a tire pressure sen sor is replaced or tires are rotated, the sensor ID must be memorized by the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) control unit. (See TPMS reset procedures.)
For information on tire inflation pressure, see the label attached to the center pillar on the driver’s side.
The TPMS is not a substitute for regular checks of tire inflation pressure. Be sure to check tire inflation pressure, as usual.
After removing the tire from the wheel, remove the TPMS transmitter. Then check it as follows and replace if necessary:
1. Wipe off the agent on the TPMS transmitter housing. In particular, remove it thoroughly around the pressure detection hole;
2. If any of the following conditions are found, replace the TPMS transmitter and then register the tire pressure sensor ID code. Replace the valve, the valve core and the cap, and then install the tire assembly to the wheel:
• Damage (deformation or scratch, etc.) on the exterior of the housing;
• The agent cannot be removed thoroughly from inside the pres sure detection hole.
NOTE: If the TPMS transmitter is reused, the pressure measurement func tion should be checked as follows:
• Inflate the corresponding tire to 36.2 psi or more, and perform step 2 in the TPMS transmitter check (See “TIRE PRS. SENSOR ID REG. (Set 2)” METHOD ).
• Inflate the corresponding tire to 21.7 psi or less, and perform step 2 in the TPMS transmitter check (See “TIRE PRS. SENSOR ID REG. (Set 2)” METHOD ). If abnormal pressure difference 2.9
psi or more is observed, replace the TPMS transmitter and register the tire pressure sensor ID code.
3. If the conditions above are not found, the TPMS transmitter can be reused. Replace the valve, the valve core and the cap only. Then install the tire assembly to the wheel.
1. Select “4tires ID Reg. (Change tire PRS.)” and start the tire pressure sensor ID registration. NOTE: If the ID code registration is not finished within 20 minutes, all the ID codes registered in the TPMS transmitter before will be erased and the ID codes will need to be registered again;
2. “4 SNSR ID Registration Do you want to start? Note Finish ID Registration within 20 minutes.” is displayed. Then,
• You can start out the following operations from any TPMS trans mitter. The tire pressure sensor ID registration has no order.
• On completion of the tire pressure sensor ID code registration, the tire pressure sensor ID code is displayed on the scan tool (M.U.T.III) screen.
• The scan tool cannot identify which registered TPMS trans mitter is used for each wheel. For this reason, write down the tire number for each wheel when the tire number and ID code is displayed on the scan tool during ID code registration.
• It may take approximately one minute for the ID code to be dis played on the scan tool screen after the tire pressure is reduced.
• If the ID code is not displayed, reduce the tire pressure another 2.9 psi or more. If the ID code is not displayed yet, rotate the tire to displace the TPMS transmitter, and reduce the tire pressure 2.9 psi or more again.
• If the ID code cannot be registered for all the four wheels, the ETACS-ECU or receiver antenna <Vehicles without KOS> or KOSECU <Vehicles with KOS> may be faulty. Thus replace the ETACSECU or receiver antenna <Vehicles without KOS> or KOS-ECU <Vehicles with KOS>. First, replace the receiver antenna and register the ID again. If the ID code still cannot be registered for all wheels, then replace ETACS-ECU as next step.
• If the ID code can be registered for one wheel or more, the TPMS transmitter in which the code cannot be registered may be faulty and thus needs replacement.
3. Decrease the tire pressure to 27.4 psi or less by changing 2.9 psi or more, and register the tire pressure sensor ID code of each wheel to ETACS-ECU <Vehicles without KOS> or KOS-ECU <Vehicles with KOS>. NOTE: The TPMS indicator illuminates for tire pressure alarm.
4. “4 SNSR ID Registration Completed.” is displayed. Then, select “OK.”
5. After one minute or more has passed, correct the tire pressure for all wheels with ignition switch “ON.”
6. Check the data list “Registered ID reception, Tire 1, 2, 3, 4” if “YES” is displayed for each tire. When “NO” is displayed, drive the vehicle for approximately five minutes, then check the display again. If “NO” is still displayed, register the ID code again.
You can check the tire pressure sensor ID on the diagnosis screen as described below:
1. Operate scan tool MB991958 as follows:
• Press “Special function” button on the diagnosis screen, then select “Tire Pressure Sensor ID Check” from the menu;
2. Check the tire pressure sensor IDs on the scan tool screen.
According to the following procedures, identify which registered TPMS transmitter corresponds to which wheel, and check the tire pressure and acceleration value of each TPMS transmitter. The display shows the data received most recently.
1. Check the data list “Air Pressure, Tire1, 2, 3, 4” and write down the tire pressure for all wheels.
2. Perform the following procedures for four wheels in order, identify the wheel by checking the tire pressure of each wheel.
• Change the pressure of tire for 20 kPa (2.9 psi) or more so that the TPMS transmitter sends the latest sensor data.
The tire pressure can either be decreased or increased.
It may take approximately one minute that the data of tire pressure change is displayed on the M.U.T.-III screen. If the data of tire pressure change is not displayed on the scan tool screen, the most possible cause is that the radio wave sent from
If the exterior housing of the TPMS transmitter is damaged, it should be replaced.
Photo: Mitchell 1
the TPMS transmitter cannot be received. In this case, the radio wave may be received by performing the procedures from (1) again, after turning the tire to change the TPMS transmitter position. If the tire pressure change is still not displayed on the screen, the TPMS transmitter in which the ID code is not registered may be installed or the TPMS transmitter may be faulty. Therefore, perform ID code registration or replace the TPMS transmitter according to the instructions of trouble shooting for DTCs. At this time, do not register the ID codes or replace the TPMS transmitter. Check the data list screen to determine which tire number corresponds to the wheel whose tire pressure has changed.
3. Check the tire pressure or acceleration value shown in the screen, if needed.
4. After checking the tire pressure change, adjust the checked tire pressure to the proper value.
The tire should be dismounted from the wheel using the tire changer manufacturer’s instructions. Use the following information to avoid damage during the demounting/mount ing procedures.
WARNING: Certain components of this vehicle, such as TPMS sensors, may contain perchlorate materials. Before deployment and/or disposal of these components, review and comply with all applicable federal, state and local regulations:
• Replace the valve with a new one every five years or when the tire is replaced.
• If the TPMS transmitter is replaced, execute “Tire Pres sure Sensor ID Registration” on scan tool MB991958 “Special Function.”
Be careful not to damage the TPMS transmitter. NOTE: For
the opposite side, repeat the same procedure, following the process listed below:
1. Fix the tire on a tire changing machine. Then apply a bead breaking shoe to the shown range to disengage the tire bead from the wheel. (Do not allow any impact or shock to the TPMS transmitter with a tire lever or tire bead).
2. Fix the tire on a tire changing machine so the TPMS transmitter is positioned 30 degrees from tool.
3. Use a tire lever to disengage the upper bead.
4. Rotate the tire in clockwise direction of arrow to disengage the tire bead from the wheel.
5. Fix the tire on a tire changing machine so the TPMS transmitter is positioned 30 degrees from tool.
6. Use a tire lever to disengage the lower bead. Do not attempt to remove the TPMS transmitter without depressing the portion indicated by the arrow.
7. Rotate the tire in clockwise direction of arrow to disengage the tire bead from the wheel.
8. Remove the TPMS transmitter from the valve while depressing the latch portion of transmitter.
9. Cut down the entire groove to remove the valve.
For valve installation, the projection shown by the arrow should face towards the outside of the wheel.
Do not attempt to install the TPMS transmitter without depressing the latch portion. Make sure the TPMS transmitter and the valve are installed securely:
1. Install the TPMS transmitter into the valve while depressing the latch portion. (If the TPMS transmitter is disconnected from the valve, the tab securing the TPMS transmitter to the valve may be broken.)
2. Pull the TPMS transmitter from the valve by hand to make sure it is secure.
1. Prepare the tire and fix the rim. as usual.
2. Put the tire on the wheel, so that the cross point of the bead with the wheel is approximately 20 cm (7.9 inch) away from the valve.
3. Engage the shoe and make sure that 20 cm (7.9 inch) is maintained between the cross point and the valve. The arrow shows the direction of rotation of the wheel. The standard shoes can pass over the sensor without damaging it.
4. Turn the wheel to engage all the first side of the tire.
5. Put the second side of the tire in position, so that the cross point of the bead with the wheel is approximately 20 cm (7.9 inch) away from the valve. The curved arrow shows the direction of rotation of the wheel. The standard shoes can pass over the sensor without damaging it.
6. Turn the wheel in order to engage all of the second side of the tire.
WARNING: Certain components of this vehicle, such as TPMS sensors, may contain perchlorate materials. Before deployment and/or disposal of these components, review and comply with all applicable federal, state and local regulations:
• Replace the valve with a new one every five years or when the tire is replaced.
• If the TPMS transmitter is replaced, execute “Tire Pres sure Sensor ID Registration” on scan tool MB991958 “Special Function.”
Ensure cap is always in place except when adjusting tire pressure.
1. Remove the valve cap.
2. Rotate tire so the valve stem is in the 6 o’clock position.
3. Use a long-reach 17.2 mm (0.68 inch) socket to unscrew the valve nut a few turns. Slowly push valve stem into tire so that tire pressure is relieved.
4. Once tire pressure is released, remove nut and let TPMS transmitter fall into tire.
Be careful not to damage the TPMS transmitter. For the opposite side, repeat the same procedure:
1. Fix the tire on a tire changing machine. Then apply a bead breaking shoe to the shown range to disengage the tire bead
from the wheel. Do not allow any impact or shock to the TPMS transmitter with a tire lever or tire bead.
2. Fix the tire on a tire changing machine so the TPMS transmitter is positioned 30 degrees away from tool.
3. Use a tire lever to disengage the upper bead.
4. Rotate the tire clockwise to disengage the tire bead from the wheel. Do not allow any impact or shock to the TPMS transmitter with a tire lever or tire bead.
5. Fix the tire on a tire changing machine so that the TPMS transmitter is positioned 0-30 degrees away from tool.
6. Use a tire lever to disengage the lower bead.
7. Rotate the tire clockwise to disengage the tire bead from the wheel.
Remove the seal washer to prevent scratching the valve of the TPMS transmitter:
1. Hold the TPMS transmitter and the seal washer, then extract the seal washer. Take care to not damage the valve thread. If the valve comes out from transmitter, install it to where it was.
2. Clean the TPMS transmitter and valve stem when not removing the valve, and then remove the valve from housing.
Install the seal washer to prevent scratching the valve of the TPMS transmitter:
1. Install the valve to housing as shown in illustration. Visually check that TPMS transmitter is not deformed or damaged. While installing the nut, push the TPMS transmitter to maintain the lower lip of the transmitter case is in contact with the wheel without clearance.
2. Insert the seal washer up to the base of the TPMS transmitter, securing the valve base with a thumb. Wipe clean.
3. Install the valve without modifying the angle of the stem (retain position of delivery). The laser marking should be
This diagram shows the proper installation of the valve to the housing.
visible at the operator.
4. When the valve is completely inserted, maintain the TPMS transmitter in contact with the wheel, then screw manually the nut until it contacts the wheel.
5. While maintaining the TPMS transmitter contact with the wheel by applying pressure to the back of the valve, slightly press on the cap towards the center of the wheel in order to adapt the angle of the valve/TPMS transmitter to the profile of the wheel. It is mandatory to guarantee the contact of the housing unit on the rim drop center.
6. While maintaining the TPMS transmitter and valve in position, screw the nut with a torque wrench. Take care that the wrench socket is correctly inserted on the nut.
1. Prepare the tire and fix the wheel, as usual.
2. Put the tire on the wheel so that the cross point of the belt with the wheel is approximately 20 cm (7.9 inch) away from the valve;
3. Engage the shoe and make sure that 20 cm (7.9 inch) is maintained between the cross point and the valve. The standard shoes can pass over the sensor without damaging it.
4. Turn the wheel in order to engage all the first side of the tire.
5. Put the second side of the tire in position, so that the cross point of the belt with the wheel is approximately 20 cm (7.9 inch) away from the valve. The standard shoes can pass over the sensor without damaging it.
6. Turn the wheel in order to engage all of the second side of the tire.
After tire inflation, retighten the valve nut to 8.0 ± 0.5 N.m (71 ± 4 in-lb). This is necessary because the TPMS transmitter is secured to the wheel with the valve nut and rubber grommet. (The rubber grommet will be depressed by tire pressure or deteriorate over a period of time, which requires the valve nut to be retightened.) Inflate the tire to required pressure, then retorque the valve nut to 8.0 ± 0.5 N.m (71 ± 4 in-lb). ■
Information for this column comes from the tire pressure monitoring systems data in ProDemandR, Mitchell 1’s auto repair information software for domestic and import vehicles. Headquartered in San Diego, Mitchell 1 has provided quality repair information solutions to the automotive industry since 1918. For more information, visit www.mitchell1.com.
1-800EveryRim OEM Wheels 87 www.everyrim.com/MTD
31 Incorporated 89 www.31inc.com
Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc. 55 www.hawaiigetaway2023.com
Alligator 97 www.alligator-tpms.com
American Express 67 www.americanexpress.com/business-solutions
American Omni Trading 5 www.thunderertireusa.com
Apollo Vredestein Tires Inc. 17 www.vredestein.com
ASA Automotive Systems Inc. 25 www.asaauto.com
Aston Technologies 34 www.astontechnologies.com
Atturo Tires 45 www.atturo.com
Autel 81 www.autel.com
Bartec USA 83 www.bartecusa.com
BendPak Inc. 63 www.bendpak.com/ergochair
BKT USA Inc. 11 www.bkt-tires.com
Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions 41 www.blackburnswheelfinder.com
Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer Nationwide Network 27 www.affiliatedretailer.net
Continental Tire 35 www.continentaltire.com/offers Cosmo Tires 39 www.cosmotires.com
EasyPay Finance 50-51 enrollment.easypayfinance.com/MTDnov2022
Falken Tires 37 www.falkenspiff.com
Firestone Tire 33 www.firestonetire.com
Fury Off-Road Tires 53 www.furytires.com
Gaither Tool Company Inc. 91 www.gaithertool.com
GT Radial 61 www.gtradial.com
Hunter Engineering Company 73 www.hunter.com/wheel-balancers
Independent Tire Dealers Group 21 www.itdgusa.com
K & M Tire Inc. 49 www.kmtire.com/mrtire
Katapult 78 www.katapult.com
Kenda Tires USA IBC www.kendatractionrewards.com
Linglong Americas Inc. 7 www.linglongtire.com
Maxxis Tires 71 www.maxxis.com
Mighty Auto Parts 47 www.mightyautoparts.com/try-vs7
Milton Industries 24 www.miltonindustries.com
Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. OBC www.nittotire.com
Nokian Tyres Inc. 57 www.nokiantires.com/r5
Prinx Tire North America Inc. 29 www.prinxtire.com
Raybestos 77 www.raybestos.com
Sailun Tire Americas 9, 30-31 www.erangetires.com
Schrader TPMS Solutions 95 www.schradertpms.com
Sentury Tire USA 15 www.delintetires.com
Sunbit 23 auto.sunbit.com/learnmore
Toyo Tires 19 www.toyotires.com/CelsiusSport
Transamerica Tire Company Ltd. IFC www.predatortires.com
Van Batenburg's Garage 66 www.fixhybrid.com
WheelerShip LLC 59 wholesale.wheelership.com
Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. 13 www.yokohama-oht.com
Yokohama Tire 65 www.yokohamatire.com
ZC Rubber America Inc. 69 www.arisuntires.com
