Modern Tire Dealer - October 2024 by Endeavor Digital Editions

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Photo: Rice Tire Co.

Mike Manges By

MTiremakers flock to Mexico COUNTRY GAINS MOMENTUM AS

MANUFACTURING CENTER

ove over, U.S. and Canada. There’s another tire manufacturing powerhouse within the North American free trade zone that’s attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in outside investment: Mexico.

No fewer than four tire manufacturers are making major investments in new and/or existing tire production facilities in Mexico, with three — Yokohama Tire Corp., Zhongce Rubber Group. Co. Ltd. (ZC Rubber) and Sailun Tire Americas (STA) — having broken ground on future manufacturing plants within the last six months.

Yokohama’s plant in Saltillo, Mexico, which was first announced in March 2024, represents a capital investment of $380 million. It will begin production in 2027 and will have a planned, annual output of five million units.

Construction also is underway at ZC Rubber’s new plant in Mexico, which represents an investment of $550 million and will be located just 150 miles from the U.S. border.

ZC Rubber officials say the factory will be up and running by the end of next year and will initially have an annual capacity of 13.5 million passenger tires, plus 50,000 tons of OTR tires.

When fully operational, STA’s factory in Mexico, a $240 million joint venture with Sailun Singapore, will manufacture six million “semi-steel radial” tires a year, with the possibility of later producing an additional 1.65 million all-steel radials.

Sailun Tire Americas is one of three tire manufacturers building plants in Mexico. Yokohama Tire Corp. and ZC Rubber are the others.

Photo: Sailun Tire

These factories will be the first new tire manufacturing plants built in Mexico by non-native companies, at least to my knowledge, since 2018, when Michelin North America Inc. opened a light truck tire manufacturing facility in that country. Michelin’s other plant in Mexico, which produces passenger tires, is located in Queretaro. It dates back to 2002.

Other non-Mexican tire manufacturers that have existing tire production facilities in Mexico include Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Co., which opened a consumer tire plant in San Luis Potosi in 2017; Bridgestone Americas Inc., which opened a plant in Monterrey 17 years ago and operates another plant in Cuernavaca that dates back to 1980; and Pirelli Tire North America Inc. (PTNA), whose passenger tire plant in Guanajuato opened in 2011 and reached full operation in 2017.

PTNA has been particularly aggressive in expanding its capabilities in Mexico. In September 2021, its parent company, Pirelli & Cie SpA, approved a $36 million investment in the firm’s Guanajuato plant to boost annual production capacity there to 7.2 million units. Two years ago, Pirelli announced it would invest an additional $15 million in the factory, where it unveiled a new research and development center nearly 12 months ago.

Tiremaker investment in Mexico coincides with a steady increase in exports of tires from that country to the U.S. According to MTD’s 2024 Facts Issue, published this past January, an estimated 22.6 million passenger tires were exported from Mexico to the U.S. in 2023, a 6% year-over-year increase. (In 2022, Mexico exported 21.9 million passenger tires to the U.S., an increase of just under 4% from prior-year levels.)

The reasons for investment in Mexican production are many. Besides obvious cost savings in labor, having plants in Mexico helps insulate manufacturers from the unpredictability of overseas shipping — a dynamic that Ron Dolan, president of STA, alluded to this past summer when I spoke with him as part of MTD’s exclusive Mid-Year Q&A series.

“By expanding operations to Mexico, Sailun aims to enhance consistency, security and predictability in the production of its tires,” he said.

Jeff Barna, president and CEO of Yokohama Tire Co., upon breaking ground on Yokohama’s Mexico plant this past April, said, “We are not only bringing our products closer to our local customers, but (are) also enhancing the quality and accessibility of our offerings.”

ZC Rubber officials, at their plant’s Aug. 6 groundbreaking, offered similar sentiments, stating that the company’s Mexico factory “will greatly benefit both the North American and Latin American markets, providing customers with more efficient and high-quality products and services.”

While the number of U.S.-based manufacturing plants will remain greater than the number of Mexico-based tire manufacturing facilities well into the foreseeable future — Michelin, for example, has 11 plants in the U.S., while Bridgestone and Goodyear each have seven — it’s a sure bet that more tire manufacturers will build and/or expand tire production facilities “south of the border,” as long as reasons for doing so remain attractive. ■

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at mmanges@endeavorb2b.com.

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Beth Barron is CEO of Chabill’s Tire & Auto Service and also MTD’s 2024 Tire Dealer of the Year.

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MTD READER ADVISORY BOARD

the Tire Dealer of the Year

Beth Barron, CEO of Chabill’s Tire & Auto Service, joined an elite squad in September when she was named Modern Tire Dealer’s 2024 Tire Dealer of the Year. She is the 32nd winner of our award and the rst solo female executive to win. (Two other women have been honored alongside their husbands.) Since our announcement of this year’s winner, tire dealers all over the country have been leaning in to read about what Barron is doing to help Chabill’s Tire & Auto Service maximimize its market presence in Louisiana.

1. Beth Barron is MTD’s 2024 Tire Dealer of the Year

2. Purcell Tire acquires Jack’s Tire & Oil

3. K&M Tire acquires K&W Tire

4. Mavis discusses NTB/Tire Kingdom integration

5. Schuette guided ATD through ups and downs

6. Photos: Purcell Tire breaks ground on new D/C

7. Photos: Up-close at S&S Tire’s 50th anniversary event

8. Editorial: Private equity rms are here to stay

9. Goodyear launches Assurance WeatherReady 2

10. Joe Tomarchio offers tough love for the tire industry

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Industry News

Big Brand Tire & Service tops 215-store mark

ACQUISITIONS HAVE PLAYED BIG ROLE IN GROWTH

In 2021, Moorpark, Calif.-based Big Brand Tire & Service occupied the 51st spot on the MTD 100, operating 21 stores — all of them in California. Today, Big Brand Tire & Service has more than 215 locations across six states, making it one of the 10 largest tire dealerships in the United States.

Last month, the chain, which dates back to 1969 and is owned by San Francisco, Calif.-based private equity rm Percheron Capital, entered the Texas market via the acquisition of Tires to You, a dealership that has seven stores in the Austin area.

Big Brand Tire & Service also has locations in its native California, as well as Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.

“Austin is a key market for us and this acquisition aligns with our strategy of growth in high-demand regions,” said Joe Buscaglia, CEO of Big Brand Tire & Service, when the deal was announced.

Looking ahead, Big Brand Tire & Service “plans to signi cantly grow its presence” throughout Texas in the coming years.

Acquisitions have been a big element of the chain’s growth since it was acquired by Percheron in March 2021.

In November 2021, Big Brand Tire & Service acquired nine retail locations in Arizona from Potosi, Mo.-based Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.

The stores were located in Peoria, Tempe, Casa Grande, Yuma, Oro Valley, Avondale, Mesa and Phoenix. (Two outlets were in Tempe.)

Near the end of 2021, Big Brand Tire & Service made its biggest acqusition to date, picking up 107 retail stores from Vernon, Calif.-based American Tire Depot.

e deal, which did not include other American Tire Depot properties or businesses, bumped Big Brand Tire & Service’s store count up to 160.

Big Brand Tire & Service had also acquired Integrity Tire, a 15-store dealership based in southern California, as

Moorpark, Calif.-based Big Brand Tire & Service recently entered its ﬁ fth state, Texas, via the acquisition of Tires to You, a dealership that operated seven stores in the Austin area.

Photo: Big Brand Tire & Service

well as Tire World, a dealership that had six locations in the Colorado Springs, Colo., market.

Upon the American Tire Depot deal’s announcement, Chris Lawler, co-founder and managing director of Percheron Capital, said the private equity rm was “excited to partner with Big Brand and American Tire Depot to continue building a preeminent tire and automotive service platform.”

In early-2022, Big Brand Tire & Service revealed it had acquired three longstanding independent tire dealerships in Arizona: Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair, S&S Tire & Auto Service Center and C&R Tire.

Community Tire Pros, formerly owned by longtime tire dealer Howard Fleischmann, had ve locations in Phoenix and one in Glendale, Ariz.

S&S Tire, which was founded by Bob Slagle in 1976, had locations in Goodyear, Peoria and Surprise, Ariz.

At the time of the acquisition, the dealership was owned by Slagle’s son, Rob Slagle, and his family.

C&R Tire had a location in Scottsdale, Ariz., a store in Anthem, Ariz., and three stores in Phoenix.

In June 2022, Big Brand Tire & Service added 11 locations to its network by acquiring Tucson, Ariz.-based MPG Tire and Auto Service. e acquisition of MPG Tire bumped up the chain’s store count to more than 170 outlets.

At the time, Big Brand Tire & Service o cials said the company planned to “integrate its proprietary technology infrastructure and systems across each of the acquired locations, further enhancing MPG’s ability to provide superior customer service at a great value in a professional and friendly environment.”

Buscaglia said Big Brand Tire & Service was “pleased to welcome the 11 MPG locations to the Big Brand family as we continue to expand our growing footprint and partner with best-in-class operators across the country.”

In October 2022, Big Brand Tire & Service further expanded its holdings by purchasing the assets of AA Auto and Christenson Auto, both of which had locations throughout Nevada.

e deal included more than 15 stores and bolstered Big Brand Tire & Service’s presence in the southwestern United States.

According to its website, Percheron Capital has “over $3 billion in regulatory assets under management.”

Big Brand Tire & Service is one of two automotive-related companies within the rm’s portfolio.

e other is Caliber Car Wash, which operates more than 50 car wash centers throughout the U.S.

Percheron’s other holdings include Veritas Veterinary Partners, a nationwide network of specialty veterinary hospitals; Animal Dermatology Group; Blue Cardinal Home Services Group, a provider of HVAC, electrical and plumbing services; SafeBasements, a foundation repair and basement waterproo ng rm; and Lookout Pest Control, a pest control service provider. — Mike Manges

Bites K&M Tire acquires K&W Tire

Conti to build own D/C

Continental Tire the Americas LLC has broken ground on its first fully owned distribution center in the United States. Construction of the warehouse, which is located in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, area, began last month. The facility will have the capacity to store 800,000 tires and will span 753,000 square feet initially. Operations are scheduled to start in 2026. Continental currently has seven distribution centers throughout the U.S.

Honda honors Hankook

Hankook Tire America Corp. has earned two 2023 Mass Production Supplier awards from Honda. Hankook received Excellence in Quality and Delivery and Excellence in Value honors during Honda’s annual supplier conference in Columbus, Ohio.

GRI names managers

Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) has appointed Cara Junkins and Jeff Cole as national sales managers for the U.S. Junkins joins GRI with a 30-year career in the tire industry, holding roles at Continental Tire the Americas LLC, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Titan International Inc., U.S. AutoForce LLC and Yokohama TWS. Cole brings 28 years of industry experience and comes to GRI from Yokohama TWS.

Cosmo sponsors team

Tire Group International LLC’s Cosmo brand has announced a partnership with the University of Miami Hurricanes. Tony Gonzalez, CEO of TGI, and Joaquin Gonzalez Jr., president of TGI, are both alumni of the university.

YOHTA moves HQ

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. is moving its North American headquarters to Charlotte, N.C. The company says operations will not change or be interrupted and none of the company’s service or staff members will change as a result of the move.

K&M Tire Inc. has acquired K&W Tire Inc., which is based in Lancaster, Pa., and has six distribution centers throughout New England.

The deal was finalized on Sept. 7.

K&W Tire’s distribution centers are in Lancaster; Chester, Pa.; Allentown, Pa.; Claremont, N.H.; Ayer, Mass., and Beacon Falls, Conn.

K&M Tire officials say they are “excited about the opportunity to welcome K&W Tire employees and to serve its customers.”

“We’ve had a growing interest in expanding our distribution footprint within the northeast market,” says Cheryl Gossard, president of K&M Tire. “We feel that the team at K&W Tire fits our company culture and values and will be a wonderful addition to our team. We look forward to welcoming K&W Tire employees to the K&M Tire team and servicing the customers in this area, while making them the most important people in our business.”

Based in Delphos, Ohio, K&M Tire has more than 40 distribution centers in the Midwest, Central, Southwest and Northeastern portions of the United States.

Wheel Pros owner Hoonigan declares bankruptcy

Hoonigan, which was known up until October 2023 as Wheel Pros LLC, has filed for Chapter 11 relief.

In a Sept. 8 statement, Hoonigan officials said that “the company has entered into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) with a majority of its debtholders through which it expects to eliminate approximately $1.2 billion of the company’s debt and secure up to approximately $570 million of new capital.”

“Today’s announcement marks an important step forward for Hoonigan that will enable us to advance our industry leading position in the growing automotive aftermarket sector,” said Vance Johnston, CEO of Hoonigan.

“With a significantly strengthened balance sheet and new capital, this transaction will position us to invest in innovation and further drive financial performance. With the strong support of our financial partners, we remain laser-focused on providing cutting-edge products and best-in-class service to our partners throughout this process.”

In order to implement the RSA, Hoonigan filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 relief in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

“As contemplated under the RSA, the company expects to emerge under the majority ownership of a group of its current lenders, who recognize the potential of the automotive aftermarket industry and are confident in Hoonigan’s ability to continue to operate at its forefront,” say Hoonigan officials. “The RSA contemplates a swift in-court restructuring, with emergence from Chapter 11 anticipated within two months.

“Importantly, the RSA provides for a consensual, prepackaged restructuring proceeding, including a motion seeking to approve $110 million term loan debtor-in-possession (DIP) facility and a $175 million ABL DIP facility.

“The company anticipates that this will allow the business to continue operating in the ordinary course during the restructuring without impacting trade creditors, customers, employees, vendors or suppliers and will allow the company to honor its commitments to strategic partners. Further, the company’s operations outside of North America are not part of the court-supervised restructuring process.”

K&M Tire Inc. has added six warehouses to its network with the acquisition of Lancaster, Pa.-based K&W Tire Inc.

Photo: MTD

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Bites

VIP promotes manager

Auburn, Maine-based VIP Tires & Service has appointed Bob Guptill to the role of market manager, among other recently announced promotions. Guptill will oversee the dealership’s stores in Lewiston, Maine, while continuing to manage the company’s Auburn location. He joined VIP Tires & Service in May 2020 and is an ASE Master Technician.

Pirelli adds to EV fitments

Pirelli & Cie SpA says it has secured more than 500 homologations for its Elect series of electric vehicle (EV) tires since the line’s launch in 2019. The tiremaker says its P Zero line boasts the largest number of options with EV technology, followed by the Pirelli Scorpion and Pirelli Cinturato lines.

TIA elects new board members

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) announced the election of four members to its board of directors for the 2024-2027 term and the appointment of one member to fill a vacant spot for the 2024-2025 term.

Joining TIA’s board for three-year terms are Gary Schroeder of Bob Sumerel Tire Co., John Sparks of Spark Commercial Tire Inc., Sarah Mason of Fountain Tire and Chris Rhoades of BKT USA Inc.

Jeff Campbell of Tire Discounters Inc. will serve a one-year term to fill the vacancy created by Gary MacCausland’s move to the position of TIA secretary.

“TIA is thrilled to welcome these accomplished industry leaders to our board of directors,” says Dick Gust, CEO of TIA.

“Their diverse expertise and perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to advance our mission of promoting tire safety, technician training and industry advocacy. We look forward to their contributions and leadership.”

The new directors will take office on Nov. 4 during TIA’s Annual Membership Meeting before the start of the 2024 SEMA Show. That same day, TIA will host a Right to Repair Summit from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Melrose 4 meeting room at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nev.

Joining TIA’s board for a three-year term are Gary Schroeder of Bob Sumerel Tire Co., John Sparks of Spark Commercial Tire Inc., Sarah Mason of Fountain Tire and Chris Rhoades of BKT USA Inc. (pictured).

Photo: MTD

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Martins gains stakeholder

Walter Capital Partners is now a major shareholder in Quebecbased tire equipment supplier Martins Industries. The company says its intention is to support Martins Industries’ goal of growth via acquisitions.

Chuck McCourt retires

Chuck McCourt, a trustee of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation, has retired from the group. A 54-year tire industry veteran, McCourt is the longtime owner of McCourt Industries, which recently closed its doors.

Discount renews support

Discount Tire has renewed its presenting sponsorship of the Seattle Sounders FC, a Major League Soccer club.

Continental adds BestDrive location

Continental Tire the Americas LLC recently opened its 24th BestDrive commercial tire location, a facility in Charlotte, N.C.

The 49,000-square-foot outlet is equipped to handle “all light mechanical and service needs, including alignments, industrial press tires, balancing, wheel reconditioning and more,” according to Continental officials.

It also will distribute the company’s ContiTread retreads made at the BestDrive Carolina retread plant.

Continental Tire the Americas LLC’s new BestDrive commercial tire location in Charlotte, N.C., will distribute ContiTread retreads.

Located near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the new center “is ideal for access by its long-haul, regional-haul and on/off-road fleet customers,” according to Continental officials.

“We are extremely excited to be in the Carolinas and look forward to providing exceptional service and on-time delivery to the growing fleet business in this expanding market,” says Tom O’Niel, managing director, BestDrive.

“With the opening of this new store, we can bring Continental tires and innovation to our customers, which will be a game-changer for many,” says Gentry Asher, who manages the Charlotte BestDrive location.

Continental plans to expand its BestDrive operations in the Carolinas. “We see this as a great growth opportunity in a region with a strong and growing economy,” notes Jeff Puckett, director of retail for the company’s Americas region.

Photo: Continental Tire the Americas LLC

Numbers ThatCount

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

115+

Number of ATD distribution centers

Source: American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD)

Photo: ATD

$463

Average total service and parts sales per customer repair ticket at a car dealership

Source: National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)

Photo: MTD

32%

Percent of Canadians who erroneously refer to the sidewall for tire pressure information

Source: Tire and Rubber Association of Canada

Photo: 22700623 © Adamgregor | Dreamstime.com

406,000

Number of technician positions that will need to be lled due to retirements and turnover by 2027

Source: TechForce Foundation

Photo: MTD

10%

Share of tire dealers who said at least 91% of their technicians are ASE-certi ed.

Source: MTD Tire Dealer Automotive Service Study

Photo : Randy Hazelton Photography

Your Marketplace

John Healy By

I‘Low replacement urgency’ SELLOUT TRENDS CONTINUE

TO SLIP

n August, surveyed tire dealers indicated retail sellout trends were down low single digits, lagging July results. The average sellout decline among independent dealers was 2.7% year-over-year, compared to a 0.2% drop in July. For the second quarter, trends were flat to up slightly.

At the regional level, the Midwest and Southwest both saw negative volumes, while most other regions saw flat or positive volume trends. The Northwest reported the strongest trends, but it was a gain of a moderate 1.3% year-over year.

From our view, this all adds up to a muted summer, with sellout trends that were affected negatively by warm weather and low precipitation, which resulted in low replacement urgency. And there are still a few months before winter weather begins.

August was the fourth month in a row with negative sellout volumes after a robust 5.1% burst of growth in April. The turn of the season typically brings replacement closer to the front of the consumer’s mind. Things could go either way. Given the tougher comparable from September 2023, we would not be surprised to see a flat-to-slightly declining sellout number. But we also will not rule out the possibility of strong trends, given this long period of deferment.

The miles driven data offers a little hope, as trends were up 1.1% year-overyear in August. That’s against a healthy comparison of 1.4% growth a year ago. The August figures follow a 1.8% increase

from July. We continue to see miles driven trends ahead of pre-pandemic levels. Overall, we continue to expect flat-toslightly elevated trends, even against healthy comparables from a year ago.

OIL PRICES REVERSE COURSE

The costs of the raw materials needed to build a basic replacement tire increased 11.9% year-over-year in August and 3.1% above July figures. The increase in August comes after a 9.5% average year-over-year increase in input costs during the second quarter. These current hikes in the third quarter, if they held steady, would equate to a 10.4% increase in the period.

Natural rubber costs are by far the leading contributor to the increases, with a 67% year-over-year cost in August. The reason? Supply remains pressured in Southeast Asia.

Synthetic rubber prices also increased by 14.5% compared to August 2023. But other input prices are declining. Oil prices recorded their first price decrease since January. In August, oil prices fell an average of 6% year-over-year. Carbon black prices fell slightly, by 0.4%, while tire fabric/cordage costs dropped 3.3% compared to year-ago levels.

Our tire raw material index is up 7.6% on a year-to-date basis in 2024. But we note the index fell 9.7% in 2023 from 2022 levels. Given the rapid price deceleration last year, following two years of acceleration, we are not all that surprised that

raw material costs are moderating and increasing slightly in 2024. To us, this points to stability and a positive for the overall tire industry given the volatility the industry has experienced since 2020.

And we’ve heard from tire dealers that price decreases from multiple tire manufacturers have been pushed through to dealers, given the raw material declines of a year ago. We will continue to monitor changes in both the pricing and promotion environments.

THE WAIT CONTINUES

Dealers report that consumer deferment trends continue and with that, shoppers are still opting for lower-tiered brands when they do arrive at the sales counter. Overall demand for passenger and light truck replacement tires was negative when compared to August 2023. Of our contacts, 14% in the independent dealer channel reported negative demand trends in the month. Those numbers are on the backs of a net positive 6% demand trend in July.

The mild weather and low precipitation levels this past summer allowed customers to further postpone tire replacement or opt for lower quality tires. Dealers said demand for premium, tier-one tire brands was soft, while low-cost, tier-two and tierthree tire brands performed better.

August 2024 marked the third consecutive month where tier-three tire brands were the top performers for our dealer contacts. Technically, tier-three and tiertwo were tied in August, but the tie aligns with our long-term trends, where tier-two tires overall are the most in-demand segment. That trend remains viable more than a decade into our demand index. ■

SOURCE: NORTHCOAST

John Healy is a managing director and research analyst with Northcoast Research Holdings LLC, based in Cleveland, Ohio. Healy covers a variety of subsectors of the automotive industry. If you would like to participate in the monthly dealer discussions, contact him at john.healy@ northcoastresearch.com.

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All-weather tires

Shifting

Acategories?

ECLIPSE WINTER TIRE SALES?

By Madison Gehring

s the all-weather tire category continues to gain momentum, several questions have emerged. Will all-weather tire sales eventually outpace winter tire sales? And will continued consumer acceptance of all-weather tires eventually make winter tires obsolete?

“Considering all-weather tires provide added convenience and peace of mind over all-season tires, they have already eclipsed the sales volume of winter tires due to the larger market size and desire for added versatility,” says Cameron Parsons, product manager for Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.

Photo:

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All-weather tires

“This is due to the performance requirements in extreme winter conditions and heavy snowfall. Winter tires have a specialized rubber compound that is o en so er and more pliable in cold temperatures, as well as a more aggressive tread pattern with deeper grooves, sipes and optional studs.”

Joaquin Gonzalez Jr., president of Tire Group International LLC, says allweather tires perform well in winter conditions, but are not a total replacement to dedicated winter tires.

“Over the next 10 years, we may see a gradual shi towards all-weather tires, especially in milder climates,” says Gonzalez. “However, in areas with extreme winter weather, winter tires are expected to remain a preferred choice for their unmatched performance and safety.”

e climate the consumer lives in plays a role in how they choose their tires, says Michael Cati, global head of strategy and product, Omni United (S) Pte. Ltd.

“Drivers who currently use two sets of tires — all-season and winter — might consider switching to all-weather tires if they live in areas without prolonged heavy snowfall or icy conditions and wish to avoid the cost and hassle of maintaining two sets of tires.”

According to Jay Lee, product planning director for Nexen Tire Americas Inc., the potential for all-weather tires to eclipse winter tire sales hinges on several factors, including advances in tire technology, consumer preferences and regional climate conditions.

Michael Mathis, president of Atturo Tire Corp., says three conditions will have to be in place before all-weather tire sales can eclipse winter tire sales.

▸ According to ATD’s Steven Liu, the ﬁ rst step to selling all-weather tires is to assess the end user’s level of understanding regarding allweather tires and to “align their expectations based on past experiences.”

▸ “Adding all-weather tires to your product offering creates a great opportunity to up-sell a typical all-season replacement tire buyer when the virtues and values of the tire are properly presented,” says Michael Mathis, president of Atturo Tire Corp.

Photo: Atturo Tire Corp.

At Michelin North America Inc., sales of the Michelin CrossClimate2 allweather tire have already surpassed the company’s winter tire sales, according to Eric Schmedding, product category manager at Michelin. But the two categories will not replace each other, he says.

“ e all-weather market is a bit larger because the tires can be used in a wider variety of climates. Winter tires are best engineered for sub-zero temperature conditions, providing mobility in ice, snow and slush.”

David Poling, vice president of R&D and technical at Giti Tire R&D Center North America, Giti Tire (USA) Ltd., says that all-weather tires come in touring and all-terrain variants.

“First, tire manufacturers (will) need to provide the selection of sizes across the various market tiers. Second, retail dealers need to understand how and when to sell this type of tire to a consumer. Finally, the consumer needs to understand where this type of tire ts into the performance continuum and if it is a proper t for their needs.”

“All-weather tires, just in the touring category, are already eclipsing winter tire sales in North America,” says Poling.

“Touring all-weather tires ... are the fastest growing (passenger tire) segment and are approximately 5% of the total market.”

Jay Lee, product manager, North America, Pirelli Tire North America Inc., does not see all-weather tires completely taking over dedicated winter tire sales. Bridgestone Americas Inc. is bullish on the continued growth of the allweather category.

“Essentially, all-weather tires provide the versatility of reliable winter performance without compromising comfort or durability on dry roads, making them an ideal choice for consumers in mild environments seeking a balanced solution for year-round driving,” says Ian McKenney, senior product manager, Bridgestone.

“ e value proposition for all-weather would be the ease of only having one tire that can handle nearly any condition (and)

▸ “By effectively communicating the beneﬁ ts and addressing the speciﬁ c needs of your customers, you can increase the appeal of all-weather tires and boost sales,” says Jay Lee, product planning director for Nexen Tire America Inc.

Photo: American Tire Distributors Inc.

▸ “Winter tires are engineered for the most severe winter conditions, providing the kind of performance needed in extreme snow and ice,” says Jay Lee, product manager, Pirelli Tire North America. “While all-weather tires offer versatility, winter tires will remain necessary in areas with harsh winters.”

Photo: Pirelli Tire North America

Nexen Tire Americas Inc.

Photo:

When Confidence in the Rain Matters.

A little rain won’t delay your customers’ arrival when they switch to Bridgestone WeatherPeak tires. Help them stay in control with enhanced wet performance for better acceleration and grip on the road. A dependable tire matters. Your customers’ confidence in every turn, every season—that’s what really matters.

All-weather tires

▸ “An all-weather tire provides nearly the same wet and dry performance beneﬁ ts, while also including additional winter beneﬁ ts such as better ice and snow traction, plus a great mileage warranty,” says Cameron Parsons, product manager, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.

peace of mind that the tires you are driving on can perform on any day,” says Scott Bishop, vice president, USA independent dealer channel, PLT sales, Sailun Tire Americas. “All-weather tires last longer than winter tires and you don’t have the time, e ort and expense of switching over during the seasons.”

American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) believes the appeal of all-weather tires lies in their versatility, according to Steven Liu, vice president of product development for ATD’s Hercules tire brand.

“We have already observed widespread adoption and an increase in market share over the last few years,” says Liu. “Currently, the all-weather market accounts for approximately 15% of total tire shipments.”

The all-weather category simply “makes sense” for consumers, according to Philipp Schrader, product manager for

▸ At Michelin North America Inc., sales of the Michelin CrossClimate2 all-weather tire have already surpassed the company’s winter tire sales, according to Eric Schmedding, product category manager, Michelin. But the winter tire and all-weather tire categories will not replace each other, he says.

▸ “The retailer should also be aware of the differences with tires offering 3PMS as a basic beneﬁ t when compared to the overall performance of higher value products,” says Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president, automotive division, American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd.

touring and U.S. winter tires, Continental Tire the Americas LLC.

“If a consumer lives in a part of the country that experiences long periods of rain and the potential for snowfall in the winter, all-weather tires are the best choice for this customer,” he says.

One factor that plays into the all-weather segment’s growth potential is auto manufacturers equipping cars with this type of tire straight from the factory, according to Nick Gutierrez, territory sales and marketing director for Sentury Tire USA.

“Industry-wide, we are seeing steady growth in the all-weather segment,” says Moonki Cho, product manager at Hankook Tire America Corp.

“General forecasts show that the segment will grow anywhere between 5% and 7% through 2032.”

e growth of the all-weather segment can be attributed to ongoing consumer education, according to Steve Bourassa, North American director of products for Nokian Tyres.

Tire dealers have “discovered there is a willing audience of drivers who experience moderate winter weather and need a little extra protection,” says Bourassa. “Drivers are providing positive feedback about all-weather tires, which creates a virtuous circle that encourages dealers to sell more of them.”

▸ “Understanding what the consumer is looking for, both from an external environment and driving habit standpoint, will go a long way to recommending the right tire to meet the needs,” says Philipp Schrader, product manager for touring and U.S. winter tires, Continental Tire the Americas LLC.

A PERMANENT PLACE

“Dedicated winter tires will remain essential in areas with severe winter conditions,” says Mike Park, assistant director of marketing for Tireco Inc. “ e specialized design” of all-weather tires “o ers better traction and safety in snow and ice compared to all-weather tires.” Toyo’s Parsons says that winter tires serve a purpose that all-weather tires are not designed to replace.

Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. (ZC Rubber) officials note that areas with heavier snowfall will always have a demand for dedicated winter tires as

Photo: American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd.

Photo: Michelin North America Inc.

Photo:

Photo: Continental Tire the Americas LLC

All-weather tires

they have the “best performance in severe winter conditions.”

Continental’s Schrader agrees, adding that all-weather tires only perform “slightly above the minimum required threshold to receive the 3PMS (3-Peak Mountain Snow ake) marking, while winter tires far surpass that minimum threshold.”

ATD’s Liu cites dealer feedback that says consumers are looking for more product bene ts and shi ing performance attributes when purchasing winter tires. “ ere is also a growing demand for larger rim diameters and light truck tments. e market’s perception and use of studless versus studdable tires also in uence(s) purchasing decisions. All these factors contribute to making dedicated winter tires a unique o ering with staying power.”

Nexen’s Lee cites six reasons as to why dedicated winter tires will remain relevant: extreme winter conditions, regional variability, technological limitations, consumer preferences, regulatory factors and advancements in tire technology. “ e need for specialized winter tires will persist as long as there are areas with severe winter conditions and drivers who seek the highest level of con dence and performance in those conditions,” he notes.

Winter tires and “their corresponding summer tires” are not going away, according to Atturo’s Mathis. “ e all-weather tire is a compromise pattern that can do a lot of things very well. However, there will always be the more demanding driver who truly wants the absolute best performance

▸ Omni United’s Michael Cati says in order to sell all-weather tires more effectively, dealers need to understand the weather patterns in their region, familiarize themselves with customers’ needs and habits and offer customers various options.

▸ “Essentially, all-weather tires provide the versatility of reliable winter performance without compromising comfort or durability on dry roads, making them an ideal choice for consumers in mild environments seeking a balanced solution,” says Ian McKenney, senior product manager, Bridgestone Americas Inc.

Photo: Bridgestone Americas Inc.

▸ “All-weather tires offer convenience, allowing drivers to use one tire yearround without needing seasonal changes,” says Mike Park, assistant director of marketing for Tireco Inc.

Photo: Tireco Inc.

in any season. at is best delivered with true summer and winter tires.”

ter tires and will not easily trust an all-weather tire to perform up to their standards,” says Yokohama Tire Corp. Product Planning Manager Ryan Parszik. Hankook’s Cho agrees that consumer preferences play a role in demand.

“Hankook Tire’s Gauge Index found that a quarter of Americans say driving in bad weather is their top challenge on the road. is is also where regional weather patterns come into play, as areas with consistent, extreme winter weather may be more likely to steer towards a dedicated winter o ering.”

HOW TO SELL ALL-WEATHER

Omni United’s Cati says in order to sell all-weather tires more e ectively, dealers need to understand the weather patterns in their region, familiarize themselves with customers’ needs and habits and o er customers various options.

Sailun’s Bishop believes education about the functions of all-weather tires is important, as well. “Truly understand the characteristics of the tire — wet braking, dry braking, mileage, wet cornering, snow acceleration etc. — and not only look at all-weather tires as ‘winter market’ tires, but as an overall option for your customer,” he advises.

Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president, automotive division, American Kenda Rubber Co. Ltd., agrees that highlighting all-weather tires’ performance features and strengths can be the best way to sell the product to consumers. “ e retailer should also be aware of the di erences with tires o ering 3PMS as a basic benet when compared to the overall performance of higher value products,” he notes.

Photo: Omni United (S) Pte. Ltd.

Nokian’s Bourassa says there are trade-o s between all-weather and winter tire performance. “ ose tradeo s may be ne for drivers in moderate winter locales, but not for those who live in areas that see sustained snow and ice.”

“It’s easy to lump all-weather tires with winter because they both have 3PMS ratings,” says Michelin’s Schmedding. “Although all-weather tires will perform well in snowy conditions, that doesn’t mean they are only suitable for colder climates.”

“ ere is also a consumer behavior and buyer dynamic at play, as well, as some consumers have always had win-

▸ Chris Tolbert, director of sales for Trimax Tire, says dealers should “ask important consumer questions: ‘Where do you drive? How many miles a year? Is severe weather vehicle handling safety a very important concern?’ Then explain the features and beneﬁ ts of why there should be an investment” in allweather tires.

Photo: Trimax Tire

All-weather tires

“Most regions don’t have a severe enough winter to require a true snow tire,” says Ken Coltrane, vice president of product development and marketing, Prinx Chengshan Tire North America.

“Most manufacturers are introducing new all-weather tires now.”

Photo: Prinx Chengshan Tire North America Inc.

the enhanced features of the Autodiagnos™ TPMS D Tool or the efficient and highly affordable Autodiagnos™ TPMS SE Tool.

“ ere are now a lot of tires that are capable of meeting the 3PMS testing criteria, but don’t o er the overall wet, dry, ride, noise and wear characteristics that are only found from brands having elevated technologies.”

Paul Sepetjian, head of private brands for Turbo Wholesale Tires LLC, says tire dealers “should sell the (tire’s) features.”

▸ “There are still many markets — Europe as an example — where more than 30% of the market needs a winter tire for harsh winter conditions,” says Scott Bishop, vice president, USA independent channel, PLT sales, Sailun Tire Americas.

“If these conditions exist, there will still be a need for winter tires,”

Chris Tolbert, director of sales, Trimax Tire, says dealers should “ask important consumer questions: Where do you drive? How many miles a year? Is severe weather vehicle handling safety a very important concern? en explain the features and bene ts.”

Nexen’s Lee says to call out the di erence between all-weather and dedicated winter tires so that consumers can make well-informed choices based on their speci c driving needs. “Inform consumers

▸ “Industry-wide, we are seeing steady growth in the all-weather segment,” says Moonki Cho, product manager at Hankook Tire America Corp. “General forecasts show that the segment will grow anywhere between 5% and 7% through 2032.”

Photo: Hankook Tire America Corp.

Autodiagnos TPMS D Tool Diagnostics, TPMS service and tire service in one unit.

Autodiagnos TPMS SE Tool Full-featured TPMS service.

Photo: Sailun Tire Americas Bishop,

All-weather tires

▸ “A successful all-weather sale depends on a dealer’s ability to understand the circumstances in which drivers find themselves,” says Steve Bourassa, director of products, North America, for Nokian Tyres.

Photo: Nokian Tyres

that while all-weather tires provide reliable performance year-round, they differ from specialized winter tires in extreme conditions,” he says.

According to ATD’s Liu, the first step to selling all-weather tires is to assess the

end user’s level of understanding regarding all-weather tires and “align their expectations based on past experiences.

“Next, the dealer should help the user prioritize their desired attributes to identify the best option. From there, the dealer can present the pros and cons of each choice.”

Ken Coltrane, vice president of product development and marketing at Prinx Chengshan North America Inc., recommends pointing out the similarities in all-weather tires to other tires that consumers are more used to.

“Today’s all-weather tires are coming with similar warranties to their M+S (rated) cousins.

“While the cost is a little more, the convenience and versatility can help drive the sale.

“Both offer balanced performance year-round, but the defining difference is that all-weather tires carry the 3PMS rating, meaning they are designed to perform better on wet roads, ice, slush and snow in moderate conditions compared to all-season tires.”

▸

“There is also a consumer behavior and buyer dynamic at play, as well, as some consumers have always had winter tires and will not easily trust an all-weather tire to perform up to their standards,” says Ryan Parszik, manager, product planning for Yokohama Tire Corp.

Yokohama Tire Corp.

Tireco’s Park says dealers, when discussing features and benefits of allweather tires with customers, should focus on how all-weather tires perform in variable conditions and emphasize their year-round performance and safety. ■

Financial Advisory for the Automotive Aftermarket

Photo:

All-weather tires

All-weather tires have taken over the majority of Trusted Tire & Auto’s tire sales in the last three years. Jarid Lundeen, the dealership’s owner, says consumers prefer the ease of buying one type of tire for year-round use.

Photo: Trusted Tire & Auto

“I think over the course of time, over a four-year period, (consumers are) still going to buy the same number of sets of tires, but it just changed how they go about it,” he says.

In the end, he recommends what best fits a customer’s needs.

Three dealers, three approaches

ALL-WEATHER TIRES DON’T MEAN THE SAME THING IN EVERY MARKET

By Joy Kopcha

With the rising popularity and availability of all-weather tires from tiremakers, tire dealers have more opportunities than ever to present all-weather tire options to consumers.

We turned to three dealers in three different regions of the U.S. to find out how they are marketing and selling these four-season products to drivers.

Nick Johnson is the president and owner of The Ultimate Tire Shop Ltd., a single-store business in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Some might call him a purist when it comes to helping his customers prepare for the winter season.

“In the tire business in the Northeast, we all look forward to the fourth quarter, when we’re putting winter tires on cars and doing lots of extra business,” says Johnson. “The all-weather category curtails that. But the whole industry seems to be going in that direction. The only downside from my 47 years in the business is it takes away a chunk of business you won’t see again. You’ll lose the spring changeovers, the winter change-

overs, the selling of the winter tires (and) maybe some under-carriage looks.”

Though they aren’t his preference, Johnson says he does see where all-weather tires fit into the current landscape.

“In today’s day and age, people don’t have room and space to store their tires. They can’t be bothered. I still think — and know — nothing will work better in the winter than a winter tire, but all-weather seems to be the next new fad in the tire world. I think every once in a while, (tiremakers) need to reinvent the tire and wheel because they run out of things to do.”

He says all-weather tires might be good for consumers in some markets, but he has customers who need winter tires — and sometimes even studded winter tires — to navigate their driveways during the wintertime. “It might be better for the average customer, but I don’t know for the local tire store if an all-weather tire is beneficial to our business.”

All-weather tires also present a new issue: the need to communicate to consumers how long these tires will last.

“I try my hardest to keep people as safe as I can. I listen a lot to what customers are looking for in a product and what their needs are. My ultimate, number-one sale to anyone would be a winter tire. If there’s any hedging, from there I would not go to an all-season. I’d talk to them about an all-weather tire.”

A CHANGE IN THE HEARTLAND

At his four tire stores in North Dakota, Jarid Lundeen says, “We were heavily dependent on snow tires before all-weather tires came out.”

Lundeen is the owner of Trusted Tire & Auto, which has locations in Bismarck and Minot, N.D. He says over time, the company’s winter tire sales have mostly transitioned into the all-weather category.

“Our snow tire has got to be 60% less — maybe 70% — less because of this,” he notes.

He says his stores sell all-weather tires year-round, not just in the months when winter weather is most imminent.

“I think everybody in our market knows that winter is going to come and when it gets here you’ve got to be protected. Our customers appreciate the all-weather tire because it does offer the ability to be kept on all season and then offering the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (designation) for that time that you need that extra ice traction or extra snow traction.”

The transition to all-weather tire popularity has been rather swift in his markets.

Lundeen says his top-selling tire size is 225/65R17 and in 2024, his most popular tire has been the Firestone WeatherGrip, an all-weather product. Three years ago, his most popular tire was an all-season tire in the Firestone brand. “We don’t even carry that tire anymore.”

His stores have always leaned heavily into the Firestone brand and he keeps

them in stock. But Lundeen says he was surprised to see the dominance of this particular tire in his product screen.

Lundeen says when his team sells a tire size that’s available within the Firestone WeatherGrip lineup, 63% of his company’s sales will result in the sale of that tire. That means all other brands and tiers share the remaining 37%.

A SURPRISE IN THE SOUTH

Atlanta, Ga., isn’t known for its snowfall — except for how the rare winter storm with ice or light snowfall has the power to paralyze the southern city. But Michael Spencer, co-owner of TireSouth, says that doesn’t mean Atlanta drivers don’t need tires that can perform in the winter elements.

Spencer and his wife, Jessica, own TireSouth, an eight-store tire dealership with stores that serve the greater Atlanta market.

“In Atlanta, we’re kind of a milder climate, but that’s not to say we don’t have weather events,” he says. “You can expect one or two a year and when we do get them, we’re not prepared for them.”

He says the Michelin CrossClimate2 “has been a good performer for us.”

Some buyers of that tire might be people living in Atlanta who grew up somewhere else, he says, and “they’re still going home to visit. We don’t have a lot of weather here. It’s just to the north of us.

“If you’re going to Tennessee, you’ve got mountains and cold weather to con-

Johnson, owner of The Ultimate Tire Shop Ltd. in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., says he recommends the best tire to fit his customers’ needs.

tend with. I think having that additional (winter) capability would have a benefit — not to every driver in our market, but certainly to some.”

And though TireSouth isn’t stocking those tires on its own racks, Spencer says he looked at the inventory of several of his wholesale distributors and all-weather tires are in stock in a full complement of sizes in the Atlanta market.

To Spencer, that indicates all-weather tires are selling in Atlanta. “They wouldn’t be taking up shelf space if they didn’t think they would be able to move them.” ■

Nick

Photo: The Ultimate Tire Shop Ltd.

TireSouth opened its eighth location, in Roswell, Ga., earlier this year. Many might not think of the Atlanta, Ga., area as an all-weather tire market, but TireSouth co-owner Michael Spencer sees evidence there is demand.

Photo: TireSouth

Employee management

How to manage store managers

FIRST UNDERSTAND HOW THEY THINK, SAYS WONDERLAND TIRE’S SEIDEL

Mike Manges By

“To get buy-in, you need to understand your people,” says Ryan Seidel, director of operations for Wonderland Tire Co., a 14-store dealership based in Byron Center, Mich.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series in which successful “managers of managers” share strategies and best practices for mentoring, inspiring, motivating and guiding the people who run their stores. The second part will appear in the November 2024 issue of MTD.

As a multi-store operator, what’s the key to overseeing the people who are responsible for running your locations? At Byron Center, Mich.-based Wonderland Tire Co., it all starts with understanding how they think, which sometimes requires a little “professional help.”

Ryan Seidel, Wonderland Tire’s director of operations, says managers at the dealership’s 14 stores have taken the Myers-Briggs test, at the suggestion of the company’s owners, to gain a better

understanding of their personalities. The exam helps people pinpoint their personality types, based on how they answer a detailed set of questions.

It also helps Wonderland Tire’s leadership team, members of which have also taken the test, captain their store managers more effectively, according to Seidel, who adds that the Myers-Briggs quiz has even revealed a few things about his own management style.

“I’m an extrovert,” he says. “I’m a little quicker to action than others. Early in my career, if I met somebody who thought like me, I said, ‘Hey, this guy is really good!’

“But over the years, I’ve found value in people who think differently. What I’ve learned is my weakness is their strength and their strength is my weakness.”

Having a firm grasp of each store manager’s psychological makeup also makes it easier for Wonderland Tire’s leaders to enact changes within the company.

“In my experience, when you give a directive like ‘We’re going to do X, Y and Z,’ you may get some buy-in or you may not get buy-in.”

Several years ago, Wonderland Tire’s owners were forced to make a tough decision because of spiking fuel prices.

“We were bleeding money absorbing additional costs, but had never done a surcharge before,” Seidel recalls.

Instead of coming up with a number and imposing it on each outlet, Seidel first visited each Wonderland Tire store manager and asked for input on what rate the dealership should set.

“I went around and asked, ‘What do you think is fair?’ Some people said $10. Some people said $15. Some people said $20. I took an average and said, ‘Can we all agree on this?’

“Then I went around and got a verbal commitment from each manager. The following week, when we instituted the surcharge, we got 100% participation” — a feat that would have been tougher to pull off without approaching those managers first, he admits.

“To get buy-in, you need to understand your people.” ■

9/17/24 8:29 AM

Photo: Wonderland Tire Co.

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Employee management

Breaking barriers

Jake Zanavich uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with other Skander Tire & Auto Service team members.

Photos: Skander Tire & Auto Service

HOW A HEARING-IMPAIRED TECH FOUND SUCCESS AT SKANDER TIRE

Madison Gehring

Two years ago, Alex Skander, the owner of Skander Tire & Auto Service, received an application through Indeed from a person applying for a tire technician job.

Not thinking much of it, Skander brought the 19-year-old applicant, Jake Zanavich, in for an interview at his dealership’s Evans City, Pa., location.

Before sitting down with Zanavich, Skander, gazing through his shop’s window, watched the young man speak in American Sign Language (ASL).

He then realized that Zanavich was hearing-impaired and was using ASL as his main form of communication.

“I’m pretty comfortable and openminded with everything, but there was a moment when I was looking out the front window and saw him signing to someone else and thought to myself, ‘Oh man, what

did I sign up for?’ No one on my team knows ASL,” says Skander.

“It never crossed my mind to turn him away, but there was a moment of panic where I thought, ‘OK. How am I going to tackle this?’”

Skander invited Zanavich into his o ce. ey conducted the interview by typing back and forth to each other via the Notes app on their smartphones.

Skander says he quickly determined that Zanavich, who had previously worked for another tire dealership, had a great attitude and energy, in addition to the required technical experience.

By the end of the day, Zanavich was hired onto the Skander Tire & Auto Service team.

“I hired him without knowing how we were going to be able to communicate with him,” says Skander.

“I just gured we would gure it out. My crew is relatively young and openminded, so I gured it would be ne.”

Skander’s employees came up with the idea to order several small, dry erase boards and markers from Amazon and placed those around the shop.

Whenever someone needed to communicate with Zanavich or vice versa, they could grab a whiteboard and write it out.

Texting on phones and utilizing the Notes app also have been e ective forms of communication.

‘NOT A HUGE ISSUE’

The way Skander Tire & Auto Service operates made Zanavich’s assimilation into the dealership “not a huge issue,” according to Skander.

Skander says a lot of the communication at his store is nonverbal to begin with. His team already was using a tool that he calls “a oor sheet.

“Basically, the service writer will, in addition to writing up a work order at the front counter, go into an Excel document and write the customer’s name, which service advisor they will get, how many tires they need and the type of tires they need,” he explains.

“ is Excel sheet with all this information is then projected onto a big screen in the garage so that all the technicians know what is about to come in ve cars from now, so there are no surprises.”

Zanavich, in describing his early days at Skander Tire & Auto Service, says that he was surprised at how enthusiastically and quickly his co-workers found ways to communicate with him.

“I was impressed because many companies reject deaf people.”

LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Skander took it a step further. “It was pretty promptly a er we hired Jake that we started ASL classes,” he says.

Skander’s cousin, who is also the human resources manager at the dealership, knew someone at a local community college who teaches ASL.

“ is is why I take no credit for this,’ he explains. “It all just kind of happened (because of) the people around me.” e instructor agreed to come in and hold a class every Wednesday in the waiting room of Skander Tire & Auto Service, going over the basics of ASL. Skander says the cost to his company was “basically nothing.

“I paid her (and) I paid for the textbooks and put a notice out on Facebook for anyone who wanted to come,” even from outside the dealership. “We had a handful of people show up.”

Classes were not mandatory for Skander Tire & Auto Service employees, but around a dozen employees would show up for each class.

Skander says he and his employees who don’t have a hearing disability now use ASL when communicating with each other.

“We have segments of the building that are separated by glass windows and you can’t hear through them, so sometimes I will just sign the information through the window to my employees.”

Skander Tire has 11 service bays.

Zanavich says he and his co-workers can now “fluently talk to each other with no problems,” without the use of whiteboards or apps.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Skander is modest when discussing the adjustments he made to accommodate Zanavich. “This story is not about me or

Alex Skander, owner of Evans City, Pa.-based Skander Tire & Auto Service, hired an expert to teach ASL to his employees. Skander says he and his employees who don’t have a hearing disability now often use ASL.

my business and I don’t want to use this (article) for the wrong purposes,” he says. His advice to other tire dealers who have the opportunity to hire an employee with a hearing disability is to be patient, adding that his recommendations “would be the same if you were going to hire ... anyone who has a different ability, a different language or a different viewpoint than you: just take it slowly.”

Zanavich agrees that patience is the key and says it also comes down to a tire dealer’s trust in his or her employees.

“Alex puts 100% trust (in us) every day and I’ll put 120% in every day because I want to prove to Alex that I’m not a burden and it really worked and now I’m doing things that I love,” he says.

“There are so many barriers waiting for us, but if you are alongside (us), you’ll help us break those down.

“As a deaf person, the tire industry is hard because people don’t give you the benefit of the doubt.

“Please give people with disabilities the benefit of doubt. I promise it’ll be worth it because you’ll end up having a loyal employee who will never leave.”

Zanavich says he wants to continue to grow his career at Skander Tire & Auto Service by learning more about truck service and other areas.

“Deaf people are fully capable of doing tires and mechanical work.

“Just because we can’t hear doesn’t mean we can’t learn. Teach and you’ll be rewarded.” ■

Photo: Skander Tire & Auto Service

Robert Behar is a former oncologist and medical executive who is now investing in the tire industry as the owner and operator of 22 RNR Tire Express stores. He plans to have 100 locations, but says the timing is dependent on the economy, and ultimately, next month’s presidential election.

Photo: MTD

‘We’re going to go to 100 stores’

ROBERT BEHAR RETIRED FROM MEDICINE AND IS NOW A GROWTH-MINDED RNR TIRE EXPRESS FRANCHISEE

Joy Kopcha By

Robert Behar is among those who have traveled an unusual path into tire store ownership.

A former oncologist, Behar rst transitioned from treating patients to buying, building and operating hospitals. en that business extended to owning and running other specialty medical facilities, such as diagnostic centers and emergency rooms. Eventually, Behar sold his medical business and retired.

“Retirement didn’t really do well for me,” he says. “It lasted about two weeks.”

Behar started Summit Capital Partners, a private equity group. One division of his private equity operation is dedicated to automotive and speci cally, to opening and operating RNR Tire Express franchises. (Summit Capital Partners also invests in real estate, university housing and self storage businesses.)

In 2020, he opened his rst RNR Tire Express in Anderson, Ind. Four years later,

Behar has 22 stores throughout four states, with plans to expand even more.

“We’re going to go to 100 stores,” he says. “We’re in four states — Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Iowa. We’re happy to be in the Midwest and I think it’s a very good regulatory environment. We’re going to build the brand. We don’t think tires are going anywhere.”

TIRES ARE THE CORE

Behar’s newest store is in Akron, Ohio. It was built from the ground up — just like all of his previous stores.

Scott Robertson is vice president of Summit Capital Partners Automotive Services LP, the division that encapsulates Behar’s RNR franchises. Before joining Behar’s business, Robertson led the expansion of an automotive collision franchise.

Robertson says Summit Capital Partners wants to not only sell tires and wheels, but also serve a role in the communities where it operates. In Akron, the company redeveloped the site of a former discount bakery store. He says the Akron RNR Tire Expresss store, including its showroom of about 3,500 square-feet, is among the franchi-

see’s largest. As soon as a customer walks in the door, they encounter a colorful, large inventory of wheels.

“We want them to immediately see we’re a wheel and tire store,” says Robertson, who notes that tires represent between 50% and 60% of the business’s overall sales. “Our core business is renting tires.”

The Akron store has four service bays — three for tire and wheel installation. The fourth is dedicated to alignments and is outfitted with an alignment rack from Hunter Engineering Co.

RNR Tire Express zeroes in on tires, wheels and alignments and offers them through its unique rent-to-own, no-credit-needed business model.

Robertson calls it “the most gratifying part of this work,” because the payment schedule helps customers outfit their vehicles with tires that are safe for the road. “It changes people’s lives.”

Behar’s newest RNR Tire Express store opened in Akron, Ohio, and has three service bays for tire and wheel installation, plus one bay outfitted with an alignment rack.

FOCUSING ON SUPPLY CHAIN

Behar says he landed on RNR Tire Express’ model — and tires and wheels, in general — after studying different industries and looking at their specific financial metrics. “We’re looking for things like financial margins, returns, risks, how we can mitigate the risks (and) what the long-term mega-trends are.”

His first stores opened in spring 2020 in Indiana during the height of COVID19. “We steamed right through that and then we had this horrific inflation that popped up.”

Scott Robertson is vice president of Summit Capital Partners Automotive Services LP. He says the company’s RNR Tire Express stores sell both tires and wheels, but “our core business is renting tires.”

Photo: MTD

RNR Tire Express

Despite those headwinds, Behar’s business has continued to grow and his positive outlook for future expansion continues, as well.

“It’s like everything,” he says. “You have to have the right staff. You have to have the right inventory. You have to have the right marketing strategy. And it takes off on its own.

“I really like working with people. I’ve

mentored a lot of people. I’ve seen people grow and it’s been a lot of fun.”

There are fundamental principles guiding Behar and the growth of his automotive operation. One is his search for supply chain options outside of China.

“I started a process of divesting from China in our supply chain years ago, because I could see the political risks,” he says.

He’s concerned by how much of the United States’ tire and wheel inventory comes from China and what might happen to that supply chain if there were to be a confrontation between China and the U.S.

“This is an industry that has an enormous amount of supply from Asia. And in my opinion, this industry should look to diversify to other areas, like Africa or Latin America.”

In terms of the inventory in his stores, Behar says that “most of our tires are not made in China anymore. We are working very hard to diversify wheels.”

Even though he’s a franchisee under the larger RNR Tire Express umbrella, Behar says he and his team have the freedom to pick their own products.

DISRUPTION IS AHEAD

Supply chain concerns notwithstanding, Behar does see two big disrupters ahead for the automotive space. Both have played into his thinking of why tires are a good business for the future.

The first is electric vehicles (EVs). Behar says EVs “will completely disrupt the way that cars are built and how they’re built and who builds them. (EVs) are easier to build. They’re more modular and electric motors are far more simple than complex combustion engines.”

Eventually, he believes EVs will be outfitted with an economical battery that holds a 750-mile charge and “you’ll be able to charge your car once a month.”

Add to that advances in autonomous car technology and the fact that EVs require less lubrication and Behar says “the one thing that is always going to be there is tires. The tires are still there unless there’s an invention of a tire that lasts forever. The problem with that is, there’s no economic incentive for anyone to do that.”

Behar thinks autonomous driving will ultimately lead to his second expected mega disruption — the collapse of the automotive insurance industry.

By taking autonomous driving technology to the extreme, “90% of (auto) accidents would disappear very rapidly, within a matter of a couple of years,” he estimates. “Autonomous cars can’t drink and drive. They can’t be distracted. It’s impossible for them to (run) a red light or not stop at a stop sign.

“You should see a dramatic drop in accidents, which would really more or less bankrupt insurance companies.” ■

6/20/24 8:47 AM

“Alignments are a virtuous service that’s in the customer’s best interest — especially, when taking into account modern tire prices,” says Pete Liebetreu, vice president of product management and marketing at Hunter Engineering Co. (Pictured, a technician from Blain’s Farm & Fleet in Morton, Ill., performs an alignment.)

Photo: Hunter Engineering Co.

logical advancements and vehicles being increasingly more” connected.

“A connected vehicle still cannot measure its alignment, which means the (tire dealership) has the opportunity to provide value and attract customers” with the right set-up in place.

DIGITAL INSPECTIONS

“Digital inspection makes presenting alignment checks even easier,” says Liebetreu, who notes that Hunter’s HawkEye Elite alignment equipment can assess vehicle alignment issues in just “70 seconds or less.”

How to add an alignment to any tire sale

EXPERTS SHARE PROVEN BEST PRACTICES

Kim Klimas By

For dealers who are looking for an add-on service that’s easy to tack onto any consumer tire sale, wheel alignments can be just the ticket. With the right equipment, alignments don’t even require a hard-sell — that is, if you operate proactively.

According to Pete Liebetreu, vice president of product management and marketing at Hunter Engineering Co., it’s common for alignment issues to go unchecked.

“ e stark reality is that half the cars on the road today are out of alignment when measuring and comparing to manufacturer speci cations,” he says.

‘A VIRTUOUS SERVICE’ Alignments don’t have to feel like a hard sell. “Alignments are a virtuous service that’s in the customer’s best interest — especially when taking into account modern tire prices,” he says.

“ e cost of tires is a prime driver for an alignment that will save your customer money in the long run. Getting an alignment is one of the best protections you can put into your tire investment.” at approach is an e ective way to sell the service to customers, says Liebetreu.

Investing in the right equipment to help gauge when an alignment is needed also can help dealers di erentiate from their competitors, he adds.

“Traditional shops don’t tend to invest in fast, highly capable alignment equipment to check every vehicle.

“ ey sell alignments when tires wear unevenly or the customer purchases a new set of tires,” he says, adding that opportunities beyond those situations abound.

“When you invest in highly productive, durable alignment equipment, you ensure that your shop is ready to measure every vehicle, every day — even with techno-

With digital inspections, “you can send a text with an image of the red alignment printout and an explainer video or celebrate one more ‘green’ item passed.”

Inspections are also a great way to build customer trust. Liebetreu says tire dealers should “provide a courtesy check with every visit. Share the good news when (a vehicle) passes. Explain the value” of an alignment or another needed service when a vehicle fails.

But don’t beat around the bush, warns Liebetreu. “It’s very simple. Let them know you do alignment services and recommend the service with new tires.”

Victor Rivilla, marketing director at CanDo International, says “speed and accuracy” can be great assets when looking to make a quick alignment sale.

“No one wants to spend unnecessary time waiting for an alignment,” he explains, adding that older equipment that hasn’t been updated can slow things down.

Rivilla notes that with CanDo’s SWA-5D Alignment System, “a vehicle only needs to be placed on a li , then set up with the targets and then raised and lowered once while taking the measurements and making the adjustments.”

He recommends marketing alignments just like you would an oil change.

It’s basically “a drive-in and drive-out experience,” he says.

‘THE QUICKEST WAY’

“ e quickest way to sell a wheel alignment is to always attach it to a tire sale,” says Liebetreu, “or if your shop performs

services outside of tire work, alignments can also be presented to customers who are in for other services.”

He additionally recommends that technicians “present (alignment work) in such a way that the customer must decline.” And he suggests emphasizing safety considerations.

Liebetreu recommends using a straightforward framework and telling customers that “tires are expensive and safety and handling are priceless.”

Often, with this approach, the customer will say yes “sooner or later,” he says.

Rivilla emphasizes that highlighting safety and long-term cost benefits can be key to making an alignment sale.

“The quickest way to sell an alignment is by presenting facts and stats that show how a proper alignment contributes to greater savings in both fuel economy and the cost of tire replacement — and, even more so, overall safety.”

In addition, “for some late-model vehicles, alignment can also have an impact on the safety systems of these vehicles,” adds Liebetreu.

HOW ABOUT ADAS?

It also doesn’t hurt to highlight additional services that can be add-ons to an alignment service, notes Liebetreu. “We’ve established above that the alignment is additive to a tire sale. But not all alignments are created equal.

“Some alignments also require steering angle and/or safety system resets. And some tire dealers can charge extra for those additional services,” while others “choose a different route and just charge more for the base alignment and building these additional services in.”

He suggests that dealers “choose the path that best resonates with your shop style and customer base.”

Tried-and-true tactics also remain effective. “In the past, an alignment was a gateway to looking under the vehicle and finding suspension work. The durability of modern vehicles has slimmed these opportunities somewhat, but a good tire dealer will not forget they are still there.

“Again, this is virtuous work. Suspensions are a safety component.”

Liebetreu also emphatically suggests

that tire dealers “get into advance driver assistance system (ADAS) service. You are already doing steering angle resets and have been for years. Taking the next step into driving procedure resets for ADAS is no more complicated.

“These are add-ons that the manufacturers have built into modern alignments, so don’t ignore them,” he says, adding that ADAS service is “typically no more complicated than scan tool work, but is more easily performed and documented if your scan tool and aligner integrate.

“Move beyond driving procedures and add some of the forward-facing procedures for camera and radar alignment that go hand-in-hand with wheel alignment. These services require some space in front of the rack, but many can be performed in existing bays today by creative vehicle placement.

“ADAS work is the future and not nearly as scary as it seems as first,” says Liebetreu.

“There are really easy ways to level-up your ADAS capability without taking it all on at once.” ■

Commercial tire dealers contend with ‘choppy’ market

INFLATION, POLITICS AND OTHER FACTORS FOSTER UNCERTAINTY

Madison Gehring

“If I had to take a guess, the market next year will be flat, but we are going to prepare ourselves to be mobile enough to tackle it — whichever way it goes,” says Brian

Some of the country’s largest commercial tire dealerships are reporting a down or flat market in 2024. Lingering inflation, upcoming elections and possible tariff determinations are creating uncertainty among dealers and their customers.

Top executives from three of the biggest commercial tire dealerships in the United States recently sat down with MTD to discuss the challenges their companies are facing and what they expect next year to be like.

CARSON WRIGHT, executive vice president, Nebraskaland Tire Co. Inc., dba Nebraskaland Tire, Kansasland Tire and Coloradoland Tire and McWhorters

Tire and Service: “This has leveled off a little bit, but we are really having trouble finding good after-hours and service truck technicians. We’ve got a really good team right now, but we could use more for sure and we’re in smaller communities where it’s hard to find help. It’s hard to find guys who are willing to do the after-hour calls and we would be in a lot better shape if we could have 20 more of those guys.

“We have ads out everywhere to try and recruit more people. We throw a lot of money at this, too ... to try and incentivize these guys. But a lot of them just don’t want to do it or they say they’ll do it and then change their minds when they have to wake up at 2 a.m. in the middle of February.

Chase, president of Rice Tire Co.

Photo: Rice Tire Co.

Commercial Tire Dealer ®

“Demand is also really soft. We need to get demand back and get the fleets back on the road. Most of our stores are in the agricultural market and right now the ag economy is pretty soft and that drives almost everything here, one way or another. If there’s no grain to cut, the farmers can’t produce anything, so there ends up being no grain to haul and less commodities to move, so the drivers aren’t getting paid as much. This all trickles right on down to all the families that are supported by the farms.

“In the last month or two, we’ve maybe seen a small tick-up in the commercial tire market, but overall, it’s still down a lot compared to last year in our part of the world. Our profit percentage is up this year, but our units are down quite a bit. Profitability-wise on commercial tires, we are about even, with units down and gross profits up a little bit — which was maybe by design, but units are definitely off. That’s just because of soft demand. There’s just not as many trucks on the road right now.

“I wish I had a crystal ball to know what next year will be like, but I think we are preparing for a year that is very similar to this one. It’ll probably be flat compared to this year. We’ll adjust on the fly if we have to, but I think when the election is over, maybe people will be a little bit more comfortable with what’s going to happen and we will start to get a better idea of what’s going on. A lot of people are in a wait-and-see mode.

“You also have the Farm Bill this year that plays a big role in our economy here in

this part of the country. The two sides have different ideas on what that bill should look like. So the people in the farming economy kind of sit there with their plans on hold until they get an idea of what’s going to happen moving forward.

“With the softer markets, we have seen an uptick in demand for tier-three and tier-four tires. Most of those are container-load stuff and it’s all built off-shore, so we have to order factory direct.

“I would like more of that stuff to be warehoused domestically. Then we wouldn’t have to order our units 90 days out and play a guessing game of what we’re going to need by then.

“We’re also very spread out as a company. Our stores are about 60 to 70 miles apart. So if you’re bringing one container or two or three containers into one spot, you have to move them all over the place to hit all our locations. Inflation has caused transportation costs to be higher than normal. Fuel prices are down a little bit, but it’s still a bit cost-prohibitive to move all that stuff around. So if we can get it shipped right to our stores, that would be great.

“General inflation is really hurting and impacting our business. Everything just costs more now than it did three to four years ago. That has kind of bogged everything down a little bit — us included.”

BRIAN CHASE, president, Rice Tire Co.: “The labor market, for us at least, has really steadied out some and we’ve been able to increase our tenure or length of employment, which has been great.

“I expect the commercial tire market next year to remain kind of choppy,” says Joe Zaccheo, CEO and president of Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. “I expect to see minimal growth in the industry — around 2% or 3%.”

“From the sales side, the biggest challenge(s) (are) imports and the fluctuation in pricing and pricing surcharges, especially how imports undercut retread pricing and how it affects domestically made commercial tires. So on the sales side, it’s really been a tough balance of how low these imports have gotten compared to the tierone tires or retreads and finding that right mix that works for our customers and us.

“Operationally, our biggest challenges are (that the) costs of operations keep going up faster than the revenue and profit you make as a tire dealer, especially if you rent your locations. Any building you don’t own is going up much faster than the profits made at that store. And insurance — whether it’s health insurance for employees, business insurance or vehicle insurance — that’s all taken a huge increase in the last couple of years. The cost of doing business is currently rising at a rate as fast or faster than the profit you’re making running the business.

“For us, the market is slightly down. We have a lot of construction (business) in our area that’s quiet. They’re not building houses, warehouses or anything else at nearly the rate they were a couple of years

Photo: Sullivan Tire Co. Inc.

Commercial Tire Dealer ®

ago. So a lot of that has slowed or dried up business.

“Freight (rates) have been up and down. It looks like it’s starting to pick up a little bit again.

“Next year will be very interesting. I’d be surprised to see things take off again and make a U-shape or vertical take-off. If I had to take a guess, the market next year will be flat, but we are going to prepare ourselves to be mobile enough to tackle it — whichever way it goes.

“Outside of getting more customers, I would like to see more stability in tire pricing. We’re starting to get towards that, but they’re talking about tariffs from Thailand and they put out an initial (application) of a pretty small tariff, just 2% or 3%, which won’t really change much. But in a perfect world, I’d like to see tires priced to tiers, the way they should be.

“We have definitely noticed a trend in (customers buying) lower-tiered tires. More customers are coming in and asking for the lowest-priced tire we have to offer. It’s definitely a tougher challenge to up-sell right now than it has ever been.”

JOE ZACCHEO, CEO

and president,

Sullivan

Tire Co. Inc.: “Certainly (recruiting) employees or finding help is a concern. It seems like the younger demographic isn’t interested in coming into the tire business. It’s highly labor intensive. We do fine with hiring people and bringing people in. It’s just once they see what the job is like, they don’t stay a long time.

“With our newly formed ESOP (employee stock ownership plan), we are projecting our employee retention rate to increase substantially.

“We did add new locations this year. That has been a challenge for us to assimilate a different employee (base) and customer base into our portfolio, but we did it. We made the transaction and a couple months later, we got it going pretty well. We had to upgrade some equipment and needed to upgrade service trucks to help with the transition.

“Another challenge just from running the company is (our) medical plan. The high costs of providing a robust medical plan are a challenge. As the rates go up, claims go up. It all ties into inflation and the health insurance industry has seen a lot of inflation, as well. So now we are caught between balancing a reasonable contribution from our employees and try-

“I wish I had a crystal ball to know what next year will be like, but I think we are preparing for a year that is very similar to this one,” says Carson Wright,

executive vice president, Nebraskaland Tire Co. Inc., dba Nebraskaland Tire, Kansasland Tire and Coloradoland Tire and McWhorters Tire and Service

Nebraskaland Tire Co. Inc.

ing to combat the high increases in the amount of claims we are paying.

“We have brought in a new benefits consultant and they’ve helped us go out to the market on our prescription program or pharmacy benefit provider. So we’ve gone out to market with a new primary pharmacy benefit provider, as well as offering a life insurance plan, short- and long-term disability and a vision plan. They also helped us run a request for proposal (RFP) process for the providers we had been working with and when you do an RFP process, low and behold, the rates come down. So that was a really good initiative for us.

“Overall inflation is just a challenge. The government says it’s coming down, but it doesn’t feel like it. We are trying to operate as effectively as possible and that’s how we’re going to combat inflation.

“We are also a Bridgestone/Bandag retreader and we have two retread plants. For the national fleets, that’s a good service to provide. But for the local fleets, sometimes they tend to buy their tires from overseas or (they buy) other imports. A fleet can purchase imports at or below the price we can offer a retread. This is somewhat typical. Something will change.

There will be some dynamic in the marketplace where the import price will come back up and then retreads will be a more economical option for local fleets. But we’re not there yet.

“We would always like to see the national (tire) manufacturers looking at their national account service rates because we’ve had quite a big wage escalation just to keep a workforce. So we would look for some help from the manufacturers to look at their labor rate programs or commissions and look to increase those, which would be a help for next year.

“The current commercial tire market is kind of choppy. We’re up a little bit in sales this year and in units. Overall, business was very strong in 2023 for us. I expect the commercial tire market next year to remain kind of choppy. I expect to see minimal growth in the industry — around 2% or 3%.

“We certainly are going to look at adding to our footprint next year. We know there’s some consolidation going on and we’re a good exit strategy for some dealers. We’ve added five locations in the two or two-and-a-half years and we would like to continue growing. Certainly the economy settling down would help. Once we get through the election period, we hope to see some stability in the economy.”

MORE ACTIVITY

Despite facing shared challenges, some of the country’s largest commercial tire dealerships have grown through acquisitions, store relocations or the addition of new facilities in the past year.

In October 2023, Bethlehem, Pa.-based Service Tire Truck Centers Inc. (STTC)

Photo:

acquired Giant Tire Service of Hawthorne, N.J. This deal gave STTC eight locations in the New Jersey area. At the time, Walt Dealtrey, president and CEO of STTC, said that Giant Tire Service “has been widely recognized for its exceptional truck and earthmover services” for decades. He also said the acquisition was “an ideal match for both organizations.”

The Giant Tire Service deal brought STTC up to 54 total locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

In November 2023, Rice Tire Co., opened a new commercial truck tire location in Camp Hill, Pa. The outlet features three bays and spans 9,000 square feet. It’s the company’s 13th location.

In March 2024, truck stop chain Pilot Flying J announced plans to open 30 new Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J locations within the next year.

Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J is a joint venture with Columbia, Miss.based Southern Tire Mart LLC, the biggest commercial tire dealership in the U.S. “We are very excited about our partnership with Pilot and the opportunities

moving forward,” said Tommy Duff, who, along with his brother, Jim Duff, owns Southern Tire Mart. (The Duffs were the recipients of MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year Award in 2021.)

Southern Tire Mart and Pilot Travel Centers joined forces in January 2021 to establish the Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J network.

Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. made big moves in the commercial tire world this year.

In April 2024, the company unveiled a new in-house commercial wheel refinishing facility, which can process more than 1,000 wheels per day.

The new facility features new technology and eco-friendly processes to deliver wheel restoration. Trained technicians utilize state-of-the-art equipment for inspections, surface preparation, pre-treatment and automated coating.

“This investment reflects our dedication to providing our customers with unparalleled efficiency and a one-stop shop for all their commercial tire and wheel needs,” said John McCarthy Jr.,

president of McCarthy Tire. (He was MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year in 2019.)

In June 2024 McCarthy Tire relocated its Williamsport, Pa., location to a larger facility.

Given the larger footprint of the new outlet, McCarthy Tire closed its old Williamsport location.

Sullivan Tire expanded its footprint by buying the assets of seven Stratham Tire locations. The stores are in Bangor and Auburn, Maine, plus Portsmouth and Brentwood, N.H. The acquisition was announced in May and the locations took on the Sullivan Tire name at the beginning of June.

All of the newly acquired Sullivan Tire locations continue to provide complete auto service, while the Bangor, Auburn and Brentwood outlets also offer commercial truck service and tires.

Employees at the Stratham Tire locations had the opportunity to stay on as Sullivan Tire employees, “maintaining the local relationships that have been established in the area,” according to Sullivan Tire officials. ■

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE ON EVERY TERRAIN

Top 25 Independent Commercial Tire Dealers

2024 Modern Tire Dealer Top 25 Independent Commercial Tire Dealers in the U.S.

3. Pomp’s Tire Service Inc. Green Bay, Wis. www.pompstire.com

4. Snider Tire Inc.,* dba Snider Fleet Solutions Fort Mill, S.C. www.sniderfleet.com

5. McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. www.mccarthytire.com

6. Les Schwab Tire Centers

Bend, Ore. www.lesschwab.com

8. Purcell Tire & Rubber Co., dba Purcell Tire and Service Centers Potosi, Mo. www.purcelltire.com

9. Earl W. Colvard Inc., dba Boulevard Tire Center Deland, Fla. www.boulevardtire.com

SMART TIRES FOR

Top 25 Independent Commercial Tire Dealers

16. Pete’s Tire Barns Inc. Orange, Mass. www.petestire.com

17. Ziegler Tire & Supply Co., dba Ziegler Tire Massillon, Ohio www.zieglertire.com

Co. Frederick, Md. www.ricetire.com

19. Nebraskaland Tire Inc., dba Nebraskaland Tire, Kansasland Tire and Coloradoland Tire, and Mcwhorters Tire and Service Lexington, Neb. www.thetirestore.com

20. Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. Norwell, Mass www.sullivantire.com

21. Good Tire Service Kittanning, Pa. www.goodtire.com

22. Valley Tire Co. Charleroi, Pa. www.valleytire.com

23. Eastern Iowa Tire Inc. Davenport, Iowa www.eitire.com

24. Wonderland Tire Co. Byron Center, Mich. www.wonderlandtire.com

25. Graham Tire Co. Sioux Falls, S.D. www.grahamtire.com

Peter Gerry, CEO 0/25

president

*Estimated

**Rankings are based on MTD estimates of 2023 commercial sales.

HOW RANKINGS ARE DETERMINED: To be ranked on the MTD Top 25 Commercial Tire Dealers in the U.S. list, a dealer has to sell truck tires, have at least one retread plant and offer 24/7 emergency roadside service. Points are tabulated based on the number of outlets. Each commercial-only outlet receives two points. Each retread plant receives one point. The number of combined commercial/retail outlets is multiplied by the estimated percentage of commercial sales and then multiplied by two. The highest 25 point totals make up the list. Then dealers are ranked based on MTD’s estimate of their commercial sales.

TIRE MANUFACTURER-OWNED/TRUCK STOP NETWORK UPDATE: In addition to independent commercial tire dealerships, commercial tires and in some cases, retreaded tires, are also available through tire manufacturer-owned networks and truck stop chains:

• Bridgestone Americas Inc. says it will continue to operate nine GCR Tires & Service locations and two Bandag retread plants in the U.S.;

• Continental Tire the Americas LLC says it operates 24 BestDrive locations and five retread plant locations throughout the U.S., and;

• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., operates around 200 Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Center locations in the U.S. Truck stop chains continue to add locations. At press time, Pilot Travel Centers operated more than 870 Pilot Flying J Truck Care locations across more than 44 states; Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. operated more than 430 Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations; and TravelCenters of America Inc. operated more than 300-full service travel centers under several different brand names.

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Tire Repair

The do’s and don’ts of truck tire repair

WHAT TO DO — AND WHAT TO AVOID

TMike Manges

here are numerous things to keep in mind when repairing commercial medium truck tires, say tire repair experts.

The most important is strict adherence to industry-recommended procedures, says Robbie Bushnell, vice president of tire repair products at 31 Inc. “These tires are carrying heavy loads, so it is vital to repair (them) correctly.”

Knowing injury limitations is another critical aspect of truck tire repair, says Mike Frail, technical sales director at Rema Tip Top North America.

“A certified technician should know and understand that there are maximum injury limitations when it comes to repairing commercial truck tires — up to 3/8-inch max injury — within the tread/crown area only,” he explains. “If the injury surpasses the maximum injury measurements, that tire should be removed from service and sent to a certified section repair shop.”

“The next thing to consider is proper preparation of the injury,” says Brent Klomparens, senior director of customer experience, Americas, at Technical Rubber Co. Inc.

“For all puncture repairs, the tire must be demounted from the wheel so that a proper inspection of both the inside and outside of the tire may be performed.

“The injury should always be drilled from both the inside and outside of the tire in order to remove all damaged material.”

MISTAKES TO AVOID

Repairing a tire without first cleaning its inner liner is an easily avoidable mistake, according to Bushnell, who adds that lack of cleaning “will cause reduced adhesion due to silicones, mold lubricants, etc., that are on the liner.

“Not filling the injury channel with a suitable vulcanizing rubber stem” is another error that should be avoided. Filling the channel with a proper stem “is critical in maintaining the integrity of

“The injury should always be drilled,” says Brent Klomparens, senior director of customer experience, Americas, at Technical Rubber Co. Inc.

Photo: Technical Rubber Co. Inc.

the casing to allow it to be retreaded and extending the casing’s life,” says Bushnell.

Technicians also should avoid applying a repair before cement has completely dried.

“Technicians can be in a hurry and not allowing the cement to dry (shows) a lack of training,” explains Bushnell.

Klomparens agrees that “some technicians, in an effort to speed up the repair process, will not allow vulcanizing cement to dry completely,” which he says “will result in wet solvent being trapped underneath the repair unit.

“As this wet solvent continues to dry underneath the repair, it will result in air bubbles developing, which prevents the repair unit from making full contact with the inner liner.

“As the tire rolls down the road and generates heat, these air bubbles will increase in size and potentially create large enough gaps between the repair unit and the inner liner to cause the repair to fail.”

Rema Tip Top’s Frail also urges technicians to take their time when repairing medium truck tires.

Ensuring that repair tools and materials are in top working order is also paramount, according to Frail.

“In some instances, technicians are rushed through the field repair process and often skip steps or just don’t have the materials available to perform a proper industry repair.

“Both materials and tools (can be) found to be missing, worn-out, broken, contaminated, not available or non-accessible.

“Keeping tools sharp, cleaned and maintained for peak performance is essential when it comes to tire repair,” says Frail. “Worn tools need to be replaced when your buffing texture is not where it should be or if the injury channel is not cleaned out properly after using a dull carbide cutter.”

He emphasizes that “repair procedures and the step-by-step process must be followed” in all instances.

“If one step of the repair process is not followed, an issue down the road may occur and could possibly result in a mishap or even worse, a fatality.

“Education and certification are crucial for all tire technicians.”

Lifespan and how to extend it

PROPER INFLATION AND BASIC CARE MATTER

Modern Tire Dealer has partnered with AG Tire Talk to provide answers to insightful questions that farm tire dealers have about farm tire technology. This is the next installment in our ongoing series, which is designed to help farm tire dealers better connect with their customers. A trending question, followed by answers, will appear in our Commercial Tire Dealer section every other month. For complete answers, click on www.agtiretalk.com.

QUESTION: What is the average lifespan of a large ag drive tire, in terms of years of service; what steps can a producer take to prolong it; and what specific attributes should you look for when choosing a tire to maximize longevity?

NICK PHILLIPPI: product manager, technical support, North America, Ascenso Tires North America: Rear ag tires, using the 80% rule, should last eight years with no issues in normal conditions: correct PSI for weight and speed, normal torque,

about 20% roading and stored under cover when not used for longer periods.

I base that on the fact that most warranties today are seven to 10 years and someone knows the statistics to set those timelines. I have seen tires last 20 years and some that didn’t make it four. Some of this spread is due to the quality of the product, no doubt, and some is due to the care of the product. With more science involved, compounding has become very technical and very important. The use of chemicals and other ingredients,

done correctly, has helped in the areas of ozone cracking, stubble damage, wear and flexibility for all types of applications. The proper use of these ingredients adds cost to a tire and can’t really be noticed or appreciated by observation. Of course. good practices will add to the life of a tire. Proper inflation is key, even when the vehicle is sitting. Washing off the tires from manure, oils or other foreign substances is a good practice. Storing tires out of direct sunlight when possible will also certainly pay-off in tire life over time.

Photo: BKT USA Inc.

DAVE PAULK, manager, field

technical

services, BKT USA Inc.: The lifespan of an ag tire is dependent on how it is used and for what purposes. If an ag tire is used only in the field, it will last much longer before it wears out. Unfortunately, with farms scattered and tractors traveling on the road, the life of ag tires is diminished because of the road wear.

On mechanical four-wheel drive tractors, the fronts are drive tires, but wear out about 2:1 to the rears, especially where traveling on the road is required.

The reason is that the fronts usually turn 1.3 to 1.5 times faster than the rears.

The crown of the road also plays a part in how the tires wear. The right front tire will often wear out faster than the left front. The right rear tires will exhibit signs of road wear, but are larger and don’t turn as many times as the fronts. The road wear doesn’t show up as quickly.

Rotating the fronts from right to left will prolong the life for a while longer. Using correct, recommended wheels is important in several ways.

Generally, there is a recommended

'The lifespan of an ag tire is dependent on how it is used and for what purposes.'

Dave Paulk, manager, field technical services, BKT USA Inc.

wheel with alternates. The recommended wheel will give the tire a better footprint on soil and on the road.

Where compaction is important, the tire is spread out over a larger area — longer and wider.

Recommended alternate wheels will work without damaging the tire, but sometimes don’t give the optimum footprint.

If wheels are too narrow, it pulls the sidewalls of the tires in and puts more pressure in the middle of the tire’s tread.

If wheels are too wide, the beads are pushed out, which creates undue pressure in the bead area and lower sidewall.

Very high-flexion (VF) tires play prominently into this, as they can be run

at lower air pressures and give a wider and longer footprint with the correct wheels.

The use of steel belts in ag tires can serve a dual purpose. Tires can be made with a steel belt in the tread area or made with an all-steel casing.

A steel belt strengthens the casing and offers a measure of resistance to punctures in the tread area. It doesn’t make tires bullet-proof, but the steel belt does help.

They also help the integrity and form of the casing stay intact. Some tires are made with all- steel casings. These tires have steel running from bead to bead in a radial design. This helps to minimize damage to the sidewalls and tread area of the tire.

GREG GILLAND, vice president, global agriculture, Maxam Tire North America Inc.: In the agricultural industry, it is how the equipment is utilized or the inherent operational requirements that will affect tire life. As agricultural tires are considered (to be) off-road and not U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)-regulated, there are no firm rules to determine when an ag tire needs to be replaced.

AG Tire

However, how the tires are utilized will determine the usable service life of a tire. In all instances, the type of machinery, soil conditions, application (or intensity of use) and air pressure maintenance will have a direct impact on a tire’s ability to deliver an improved service life.

In all instances, whether working in the field at slow speeds or transporting machinery while roading from field to field at higher speeds, managing proper tire inflation pressures for every work application will ensure that the tires can deliver the optimal performance

and long service life by reducing ground compaction, as tire load is based on the actual load per axle or per tire as needed; greater crop yields, as the compaction impact on the soil is minimized by the improved tire footprint; improved fuel efficiency, as the tire is optimized for each

Image: Maxam Tire International

‘In the agricultural industry, it is how the equipment is utilized or the inherent operational requirements that will affect tire life.’

Greg Gilland, vice president, global agriculture, Maxam Tire

North America Inc.

work application or towed implement; and greater productivity in the field, as the tire’s footprint and traction provide increased efficiency.

DAVID GRADEN, operational market manager, agriculture, Michelin North America Inc.: While working around tires of all brands, I have personally witnessed an average of about a 14-year rubber life for higher-end tires and as little as eight to 10 years for low-cost tires. The next question is: how do we care for these tires, so they have a better chance to reach this rubber lifespan? Well, rubber is negatively affected by heat, excessive or continued work under torque, storage practices, etc. If you want to take steps to prolong the life of your customers’ tires and get all the life the rubber compounds have to offer, I recommend the following:

Keep a close eye on air pressure. Try not to let the air pressure fall too low over the winter months.

If possible, take the weight off your customer’s tires by lifting the machine slightly during prolonged periods of storage. This will help to prevent stress at the top of the tire casing and prevent flat-spotting; When the machine is not in use, customers should store in a cool dry place. Heat is the enemy of rubber and will cause it to fatigue much faster;

Make sure tires remain clean and free from any petroleum-based products. I have seen many tires where oil has puddled under or on top of tires for a long period of time. This causes rubber to become brittle and crack, and;

During operational months, pay close attention to tire pressure levels. Make sure to have them set at the proper recommended pressure for the load, speed and application. This will prevent unnecessary damage and wear on the lugs and the casing of the tire.

I firmly believe you get what you pay for when it comes to tires.

Much like your pickup truck or family vehicle tires, if you take care of your customer’s ag tires, they will last for a very long time.

JAMES CROUCH, national segment manager — agriculture and forestry, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America

Inc.: There is a huge range of variables influencing the lifespan of a farm tire, from the construction and quality of the tire to how it’s used; local soils and conditions; and even how a particular operator drives and turns. But farmers can pull a few levers that can help them get the most life out of their tires.

The first way to maximize tire life is to buy high-quality tires.

“With

Radials tend to last longer than biasply tires. Pay attention to the materials used in their construction. For instance, all-steel construction is best for durability and heat dissipation, while casings made out of polyester plies will hold their shape and wear better than nylon.

Stubble guard compounds minimize punctures and stubble damage. And special design features — ranging from reinforced sidewalls to bead guards — can boost tire life, too.

Tread pattern has a huge influence on tire life and not always the way people

more science involved, compounding has become very technical and very important," says Nick Philippi, product manager, technical support, North America, Ascenso Tires North America

Photo: Ascenso Tires North America

‘The most important factor in extending the life of most farm tires is minimizing the buildup of heat.’

James Crouch, national segment manager - agriculture and forestry, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America

Inc.

think. For instance, deeper lugs are not always better when it comes to choosing among R-1, R-1W and R-2 tires because tire life is not just a matter of how much rubber you have.

If you’re operating primarily in mud, the deeper lugs of the R-1W or R-2 can be a great investment.

But if you’re operating primarily in dry or hard soils or (are) doing a lot of roading, deep lugs will scour off more quickly or flex and crack, actually reducing your tire’s life. In those cases, you’d be better off with a shallower R-1 tread — or you could get away from the standard curved R-1 lug altogether.

For tractors doing a lot of roading, a denser, hybrid block tread can reduce abrasion wear and dramatically increase tire life.

And you’ll have a better ride, too, which can actually increase the life of your tractor.

The most important factor in extending the life of most farm tires is minimizing the buildup of heat.

As one of our engineers used to say, ‘A tire is born in heat, and it dies in heat.’ Don’t overload tires. Don’t operate at speeds higher than they are built to handle. And the single best thing you can do for ag tires is to operate them at the correct inflation pressure, which minimizes the chance of overheating.

CHRIS NEIDERT: ag marketing, training and development manager for Trelleborg and Mitas Tires — North America, Yokohama TWS: Unfortunately, trying to predict the average lifespan of an ag tire is like trying to pick the best automobile. There are a lot of variables and it depends on the application, environment and others.

But there are steps a producer can take to prolong tire life:

Adjust air pressure levels more often. There is no average pressure at which you can do everything. Type of ground, speed and the type of load all contribute to making an air pressure decision. Avoid overinflation. Many farmers tend to increase the inflation pressure in their tires as a precaution (and) to avoid having to check tire pressure based on load in order to save time.

Overinflation also can lead to premature wear in certain conditions. Practically speaking, an overinflated tire is more rigid, which is more suitable for the road.

However, in the field, it will have a reduced contact patch with the ground. This will reduce its traction capability, increase slippage,and increase ground pressure, leading to soil compaction.

‘Studies have shown that a tire’s lifespan will be reduced by 25% if you drive frequently on the road with underinflated tires.’

Chris Neidert, ag marketing, training and development manager for Telleborg and Mitas Tires, North America, Yokohama TWS

On the road, an overinflated tire will bulge in the middle, reducing contact with the ground in the center of the tread, which is likely to lead to faster, more marked wear on the central part of the tire. Avoid underinflation. There are different drawbacks to driving with underinflated tires. (We do not recommend this under any circumstances. It leads to excessive wear.)

When driving, an underinflated tire tends to flatten out into a characteristic form.

"Make sure tires remain clean and free from any petroleum-based products," says David Graden, operational market manager, agriculture, Michelin North America Inc.

Excessive casing deflection occurs at the level of the sidewalls and the tire cannot regain its original shape.

This leads to a rise in internal temperature (and) the structure of the tire deteriorates progressively and irreversibly, which may lead to a sudden puncture or break in the casing. Although wear does not appear immediately, it may become visible later, even after the inflation pressure has been adjusted.

Studies have shown that a tire’s lifespan will be reduced by 25% if you drive frequently on the road with underinflated tires, especially if this type of surface is highly abrasive.

The tire effectively overheats, making the rubber more supple and therefore more vulnerable to wear.

Ideally, you should adjust inflation pressure based on the load, the application and the type of ground. ■

Photo: Michelin North America Inc.

MR. TIRE AND BIG 3 TIRE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO LEVEL UP YOUR INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALERSHIP WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED TO REACH YOUR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL WITHOUT SURRENDERING YOUR IDENTITY.

Commercially Viable

Ascenso rolls out three new ag tires

Yokohama introduces telehandler tire

Ascenso Tires North America has released three new ag tires. The company’s MDR 1000 tire is made for tractors and sprayers. Ascenso’s new VIR 2500 implement tire is made with the company’s very high-ﬂ exion technology and includes a strong casing and steel belts for puncture resistance and an even footprint. And the company’s latest compact tractor tire, the UTR 240, combines aspects of R-1 and R-4 designs, resulting in a R-3+ tire.

The new Galaxy Giraffe ND Severe Duty Service (SDS) tire from Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. is for telehandler applications. Available in size 360/85-28, the tire features three layers of “specially engineered compounds (to) minimize heat buildup and vibration, while maximizing stability and ride comfort,” say Yokohama Off-Highway ofﬁcials. The tire also boasts a high load carrying capacity due to its 28-inch rim.

CEAT SPECIALTY TIRES www.ceatspeciality.com

ASCENSO TIRES

YOKOHAMA OFF-HIGHWAY TIRES AMERICA INC. www.yokohama-atg.com

NORTH AMERICA www.ascensotiresna.com

CEAT Specialty Tires’ new forestry tires are designed for log skidders, forwarder harvesters and other forestry equipment. The CEAT Logger XL has a reinforced sidewall and shoulder protectors to guard against impact and cuts. It’s available in the following sizes:

23.1-26 LS2 16PR, 28L-26

LS2 20PR and 30.5L-32

LS2 26PR. The new CEAT Forest XL features wide, robust lugs for maximum traction and is available in size 710/45-26.5 LS2 24PR.

Bridgestone launches mining tires

Maxam expands OTR tire line

Maxam Tire North America has released its new MS453PRO haul truck tire and the new MS501 45/65R45 underground mining tire. The MS453PRO sports a two-stage groove design, a higher ton-kilometers-per-hour rating than its predecessor and other features. The MS501 features a specialized compound for increased cut and impact protection, a deep off-set lug pattern, a deep undertread and belt package and more.

MAXAM TIRE NORTH AMERICA www.maxamtire.com

IMI unveils lug safety system

Bridgestone Americas Inc. has rolled out two new underground mining tires and a new loader tire. New Bridgestone underground mining tires include the Bridgestone V-Steel Mining Smooth Tread and the Bridgestone V-Steel Mining D-Lug. The recently introduced Firestone Super Rock Grip DeepTread Loader Dozer 2 is one of Bridgestone’s biggest surface mining tires and will be available later this year in two sizes: 58/85-57 and 70/70-57.

www.ascensotiresna.com tires INC.

International Marketing Inc. (IMI), in partnership with Redcat Industries, has created the Lug Linx Wheel Safety System, which is designed to indicate lug nut movement and provide quick identiﬁcation of a possible wheel-off or wheel damage. The Lug Linx Wheel Safety System is also designed to help retain loose lug nuts. The Lug Linx Wheel Safety System comes in two options: Lug Linx Standard and Lug Linx High Temp. Both versions operate identically, but cater to different temperature needs.

BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS INC. https://commercial.bridgestone.com

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING INC. www.imiproducts.com

CEAT adds forestry tires

YO U R B E S T M OV E

Business Insight

Dennis McCarron

How to go from ‘managed’ to ‘manager’

DEVELOPING CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY

One of the most difficult transitions in business is from front-line employee to front-line manager. There are other difficult transitions, like going from manager of people to manager of ideas — think vice president to CEO — but fundamentally, the move from “individual contributor” to “manager of individual contributor” is the most challenging. Why?

Not only is there a shift in skills needed to be effective, but also a shift in perspective in how a person sees themselves in the world. A first-time manager who gets the attention of leadership is usually promoted because of all the personal achievements they have made — most sales, most spiffs, highest this or that, etc.

And if you look at the statistics of why there is so much turnover for store managers and even service managers, it’s because they are applying their worldview to their new job.

When presented with a manager-level problem, their instincts are to tackle every job by themselves. That’s what got them here, after all: pure self-determination and drive (or stubbornness). That creates extreme burnout opportunities. The job of managing a store can’t be done if the manager thinks he has to sell everything, make every call, make every decision and control every movement of every employee. It just can’t be done.

So how do you manage a manager?

First, it’s your mindset. Without the mental commitment to doing things a different way, any manager will ultimately rely on their old skill set to get things done. And they will be successful initially doing it themselves. It’s what got them promoted.

But eventually, the weight of seven people’s jobs will crush an uninitiated manager. A new manager — or even a manager who hasn’t learned this yet — must realize they are in charge of the people who do the things that make a store successful. They can hold onto one or two things that identify strongly with their persona — some tire sales, alignments or whatever their “thing” may be. But it can’t be multiple things.

One of the most challenging skills to learn as a new manager is to go from being the best at something to teaching someone else how to be the best. Why is that challenging? Because for the first time, a new manager must give up instant gratification. You’ll hear it in their frustration. A common refrain is, “It’s just easier if I do it myself.” Easier, in this case, probably means faster. And to make matters worse, they’re right! It will be faster — this time. But faster isn’t the goal of a manager. Consistency is.

Being a manager means balancing speed with accuracy. The right amount of speed with the right amount of accuracy creates consistency. Consistency means sometimes sacrificing short-term gains for long-term improvement. Individual contributors are all about short-term success. All of their bonuses and pay are built around the notion of “only today matters.”

A manager must balance short-term success with building a team for sustainability. Initially, it’s a trade-off. After a few months of focusing on how good the team can be, it’s a no-brainer.

Once a new manager fully grasps how decisions have to be leveraged against multiple interests, prioritized, aligned with goals and executed, he will change his thinking — letting individual contributors focus on the daily “stuff” and instead focusing on providing the tools and training to support his team.

‘The job of managing a store can’t be done if the manager thinks he has to sell everything, make every call, make every decision and control every movement of every employee.’

Let’s talk about the second most important thing a new manager must learn: hat swapping. A manager in a tire dealership is constantly switching hats. Sometimes he’s the salesperson. Sometimes it’s a delicate enough situation where the manager needs to take over and prevent a catastrophe from happening. And sometimes you have to let an employee fall face first into a mistake. Mistakes are the best teacher because they leave a feeling. You can go to a class and listen to an expert. You can go to another class and learn how to pay bills on certain software. Both are learning constructs. But nothing is a better teacher than failing. That red-faced embarrassment will sear the words “I’ll never do that again” into a person’s psyche.

And when it comes to letting an employee fail, here’s a litmus test. If an employee panics when asked or told to do something, that’s a predetermined failure. In a situation like this, the store manager should do everything in their power to remove the employee from the scenario and figure out what tools or training need to be in place.

If you’re a manager and you think that your employees have the tools and training they need, let them try and if necessary, let them fail. Then discuss what happened, modify and move on.

Clearly, this isn’t an all-encompassing list of things managers need training on. But until you tackle the mindset of a new manager and how to switch hats, the other training won’t produce a return on investment. ■

Dennis McCarron is a partner at Cardinal Brokers Inc., one of the leading brokers in the tire and automotive industry (www.cardinalbrokers.com.) To contact McCarron, email him at dennis@cardinalbrokers.com.

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35X14.50R26LT FURY MTII F LOAD

37X14.50R26LT RT PLUS F LOAD

37X12.50R26LT RT PLUS F LOAD

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Mergers and Acquisitions

Best practices in a purchase agreement

FOCUS ON THE REPS AND WARRANTIES

Michael McGregor By

Over recent columns, I reviewed best practices with mutual confidentiality agreements, indications of interest (IOIs) and letters of intent (LOIs). The last remaining important document used in a transaction is called the purchase agreement. The purchase agreement is the legally binding document that outlines the transaction. It can either be an asset purchase agreement (APA) if assets are being sold or a stock purchase agreement (SPA) if it’s a stock sale. A well-drafted purchase agreement includes the following key sections:

‘Reps and warranties can significantly influence the outcome of the sale and they serve several important purposes.’

1. Introduction and definitions. This sets the stage for the agreement, identifying the buyer and seller and defining key terms that will be used throughout the document.

2. Purchase price and payment terms detail the agreed-upon purchase price, the payment structure (e.g., lump sum or installments) and any adjustments based on the business’ financial condition at closing. It may also outline any earnouts or contingent payments that depend on the business’s future performance.

3. Assets and liabilities specify what assets and liabilities are being sold. This section ensures that there is no confusion about what the buyer is acquiring and what obligations they are assuming.

4. Representations (reps) and warranties is one of the most critical sections, where the seller makes statements and promises about the business’s condition and the buyer verifies their authority to enter into the agreement.

5. Covenants are promises made by the buyer and seller regarding actions they will or will not take before and after closing. Covenants can include non-compete agreements, the maintenance of business operations and the handling of employees.

6. Closing conditions outline the conditions that must be met for the sale to be finalized. These might include obtaining necessary approvals, the accuracy of representations and warranties at closing and the absence of any material adverse changes since the process began.

7. Indemnification details how the parties will compensate each other for breaches of the agreement or for certain unknown liabilities that may pop up.

8. Termination outlines the conditions under which the agreement can be ended and the consequences of such termination.

9. Miscellaneous provisions include governing law, dispute resolution mechanisms and other legal boilerplate that ensures the agreement is comprehensive and enforceable.

Among all the sections described above, reps and warranties can significantly influence the outcome of the sale and they serve several important purposes. First, reps and warranties shift risk from the buyer to the seller. If the seller makes a representation that turns out to be false, the buyer may have grounds for a claim for damages. Second, these statements support the buyer’s due diligence process. By making reps and warranties, the seller provides assurance that the business is as it has been described. Last, if a rep or warranty is breached, it can trigger the indemnification provisions in the agreement, leading to compensation for the buyer.

Reps and warranties should be clear and detailed, covering all material aspects of the business, such as financial statements, tax matters, contracts, intellectual property, employee relations and environmental compliance. Here are some common elements you’ll find in a reps and warranties section.

Materiality qualifiers limit the scope of reps and warranties to issues that are significant to the business. They are useful in preventing the seller from being held liable for trivial matters.

Likewise, knowledge qualifiers can protect the seller from liability for issues they were genuinely unaware of. Buyers should seek to limit the use of these qualifiers to ensure they receive full disclosure.

Survival periods determine how long reps and warranties will survive after closing. A standard period is between 12 to 24 months, but this can vary. Some representations, like those concerning title to assets, may survive indefinitely.

Disclosure schedules are prepared by sellers to list exceptions to the reps and warranties. These schedules are critical for transparency and for protecting the seller from future claims. Buyers should review these schedules thoroughly to understand any potential issues.

Clearly define the breach remedies available in the event of a material breach of contract. The agreement should specify any caps on liability and any thresholds (baskets) that must be met before a claim can be made.

In a business sale, the purchase agreement is the critical document that governs the final terms of the transaction. By focusing on best practices in drafting this agreement, particularly in the area of reps and warranties, both parties can protect their interests and facilitate a smooth and successful transaction. ■

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.

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DEALER RESOURCES

ALER RESOUR

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Dealer Development

IHow to avoid tire store nightmares

LEARN FROM OTHERS TO DELIVER THE BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Randy O’Connor

f you’re at all interested in delivering the best possible customer experience, you should at the minimum be a student of what an outstanding customer experience looks and feels like.

I’m speaking directly to you and every team member in your dealership. This is for you — regardless of whether you’re the owner, a regional/district manager, a store manager, a service manager, a sales advisor, a technician or the chief errand runner. You all play a significant part in the customer experience and you should demand that your portion — as well as your teammates’ portions — of that end product more than meet expectations.

Your customers fuel your future. You can’t drive forward without them and they can’t drive forward without you. The experience they walk away with should be better than what they — and you — expect.

We’re an industry of amazing professionals and our communities rely on us to invest in our profession so that they can feel extremely confident about their investment in our hands.

If you’ve read my previous columns, you’ve read messages about breaking your habits. Well, let’s take it another step. Let’s assume you’re a mature business with a very clear organizational structure, job descriptions, roles and responsibilities — as well as systems and processes — in place.

You’re a mature business, but there’s always an edge to be gained. Consider asking each customer to outline, in writing, their expectations for the service they’ll be paying for. After the experience, ask them for feedback. That’s a good first step.

If you’d like to see a rock-solid, effective way of how this plays out, watch as many episodes of “Kitchen Nightmares,” starring chef Gordon Ramsay, as possible. Chef Ramsay’s approach is 150% right.

He, as a professional, walks into a restaurant and solicits the customer’s experience. Sure, they know he’s going to do this and that’s fine. But it’s a vital part of his process. And it should be a crucial part of yours.

Here’s another method. Take your personal vehicle to your best competitor in town. Better yet, find a tire dealership that’s within a two- to three-hour drive of your store. Select the best of the best. While there, pay attention to every detail of the customer experience they provide. Next, have a good friend take that list, visit your dealership and compare.

What’s next? Follow Chef Ramsay’s example. He knows what he knows and then he digs to find the underlying causes. That’s the magic. He then applies

You should already be investing in what it takes to separate your customer experience from the rest.

‘Your customers fuel your future. You can’t drive forward without them and they can’t drive forward without you.’

his knowledge to the underlying causes and suggests changes immediately. (Sure, this is all made for TV, but it’s also relatable and applicable. Consider Chef Ramsay to be an unpaid consultant, included in your streaming subscription.)

Start there, then invest in your business to fill in the gaps. To be clear, if you’re reading this you should already be investing in what it takes to separate your customer experience from the rest. And remember that if this experience meets your own expectations, chances are it will meet your customers’ expectations, as well. ■

Tire and auto industry veteran Randy O’Connor is the Owner/Principal of D2D Development Group (Dealer to Dealer Development Group.) He can be reached at randy@ d2ddevelopmentgroup.com. For more information, please visit www.d2ddevelopmentgroup.com.

Photo: Lexi Majoros

EV Intelligence

ICraig Van Batenburg

started my career after high school as a dealership and independent mechanic — later known as a technician. I loved to learn about cars, trucks and motorcycles. I worked on all three.

Big technological changes started right after I started full-time. That was in 1969. It was a time, like now, when safety and environmental legislation created major upheaval.

Many older technicians, tire dealership owners and others remember those days, which led to the emergence of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Highway Traffic

service?

and Safety Administration and other groups. In 2024, we have a movement to make cars safer with mandatory back-up cameras, self-stopping software and other safety systems.

However, more people are dying in crashes than before. Environmentally, we have made huge advances by making cleaner engines that produce much less harmful emissions, but excessive carbon dioxide remains a problem.

There are those who question the need for advanced safety systems, which certainly require more training and specialized equipment to repair. And more voices are being heard when it comes to

emissions regulations. These voices are always louder in an election year.

In response to these changes, your dealership must have a plan. Your customers are buying cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles that use high-voltage systems.

Doing nothing just kicks the can down the road. The longer you wait, the smaller your share of the local electric vehicle (EV) market will become.

Learning to work on hybrids is harder than learning to work on pure electric cars. A plug-in hybrid is the toughest. Are hybrids the easiest way to get started? No. But once you commit to fixing hybrids, you have to keep going. Many of your customers will move from a hybrid to a plug-in EV, then from that to a pure EV. It’s a natural progression.

The future of any shop is staying relevant. We learned that 50 years ago.

Finally, a word about ongoing education. Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC), my technician training company, is centered on “keeping independent shops in business” by offering, since 2000, high-voltage tech training. As we have grown, the solution to the question of “What do we need to learn to stay competitive?” has changed.

My perspective comes from my life’s experiences, listening to others and experimentation.

Education is a path of discovery. Once the teacher starts the class, the students are led to a new understanding. Informal “education” is hit and miss. Formal education is better. This has helped my business stay ahead of the competition and it will help your business do the same. ■

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

— or want to service — electric and

vehicles. For more information, see www. fixhybrid.com or email him at craig@fixhybrid.com.

Focus On Industry

‘An evolution of the off-road market’

SAILUN SAYS NEW R/T TIRE ANSWERS THE NEED FOR ‘ROAD MANNERS’

Madison Gehring

Sailun Tire Americas continues to expand its RoadX brand with the release of the RoadX RXQuest R/T, available through the Independent Tire Dealers Group LLC (ITDG) and Kal Tire.

The tire was highlighted at a recent rideand-drive event in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

Chris Barry, vice president of sales for ITDG, says ITDG asked its members what was missing or what they needed in the market.

“Our members came back and about 75% said there was a need for a rugged terrain (R/T) tire,” says Barry, who adds that Sailun and ITDG began their RoadX brand partnership around four years ago.

“We know we can grow with Sailun, as we want to grow with them,” continues Barry. “We don’t see a ceiling with them.”

THE NEW RXQUEST R/T

The RoadX RXQuest R/T is crafted for trucks and SUVs and has both on- and off-road capabilities.

The tire features an aggressive and robust construction, deep tread depths and is made with abrasion-resistant rubber.

Achieving an aggressive look was part of the driving force behind the need for the tire, as well.

“We start with a tire that looks the part,” says Wayne Cuculuzzi, vice pres-

RoadX

ident of products and product development for Sailun.

“By that, I mean a consumer walks into the showroom and finds the tire appealing in both tread design and sidewall.

“From that aesthetic point of view, the factory takes that and engineers the tire, so it works properly and still has that aesthetic.”

Another big feature of the tire is its 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake certification.

“This is one of the biggest features for our northern U.S. and Canadian customers,” says Jamie McIntyre, Sailun’s senior vice president of sales, Canada, and product development, North America

The tire also features staggered

The new

RXQuest R/T tire, made by Sailun Tire Americas, was highlighted during a recent ride-anddrive in Texas.

Photo: MTD

Focus On Industry

shoulder blocks to supply upgraded traction, an optimized tire casing with enhanced sidewall biters and a 45,000mile limited tread life warranty.

Similar to ITDG, Sailun found that customers wanted more R/T tires. (The company recently held a ride-and-drive event for another new R/T light truck tire, the Blackhawk Ridgecrawler R/T.)

According to Cuculuzzi, R/T is the quickest-growing light truck category.

“I think you are seeing an evolution of the off-road market,” adds McIntyre.

“A lot of people only used to run mud-terrains (M/T) because that was the only option.

“Now people need something not completely dedicated to the trail, but some-

thing that can be driven on the highway and is aggressive.”

Cuculuzzi says that most R/T, M/T and all-terrain (A/T) tires never see a gravel road, let alone go off-road.

“Consumers (like) how rough and aggressive M/T tires look, but now the R/T gives them a lot more” in terms of “road manners.”

ROADX LINE INVESTMENT

McIntyre says that Sailun is not done with its RoadX line. A few new RoadX brand products are launching in the next six months.

Uniontown, OH

Kopcha, Endeavor Business Media, 3515 Massillon Rd., Ste. 200, Uniontown, OH 44685

Owner - Full name and complete mailing address: Endeavor Media Holdings I, LLC, 905 Tower Place, Nashville, TN 37204; Endeavor Media

II, LLC, 905 Tower Place, Nashville, TN 37204;Resolute Capital partners Fund IV, LP, 20 Burton Hills Blvd, Suite 430, Nashville, TN 37215;RCP Endeavor, Inc, 20 Burton Hills Blvd, Suite 430, ,Nashville, TN 37215;Northcreek Mezzanine Fund II, LP,312 Walnut Street, Suite 2310,Cincinnati, OH 45202;Invegarry Holdings, LP,44235 Hillsboro Pike,Nashville, TN 37215;Everside Fund II, LP,155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central,New York, NY 10017Everside Endeavor F1 Blocker, LLC, 155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central, New York, NY 10017;Everside Endeavor International Blocker, LLC, 155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 -

Grand Central, New York, NY 10017;Everside Founders Fund, LP, 155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central, ,New

NY 10017;Suncap Endeavor Blocker, LLC,155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central,New York, NY 10017; Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one)

“There’s one happening very soon: the ultra high-performance all-season tire and following that, the all-weather tire,” says McIntyre.

Cuculuzzi also says that a RoadX M/T tire is “in the works,” but is in the beginning stages.

“If we see a need in the market for an M/T tire, our team will be ready to go to put one out into the market,” he says.

Sailun hopes to have a “full line” under the RoadX brand within the next six months to a year.

NEW TIRE FEEDBACK

“A great thing about this R/T tire for our customers is how aggressive it is,” Jason Rook, president and CEO of ITDG, told MTD during the ride-and-drive event.

“The RoadX RXQuest R/T really straddles the line of R/T and M/T tires, which helps as the M/T market dwindles.”

Rook and Barry also told MTD that ITDG members appreciate having an exclusive line of tires from Sailun.

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands,

“Our members benefit because they can go to market with something that is their own and they don’t have to compete with someone down the street (who’s) selling this tire,” says Rook.

“And Sailun is great because they work with us to control distribution.

“That’s the main thing. It gives our customers a high-value tire to sell, while still letting their customers buy the tire at a value price point.”

According to McIntyre, this is what Sailun wants to be known for.

“We say we are a solutions provider,” says McIntyre.

“There was a need ... for a solution (in) the R/T tire market and ITDG had a demand for a high-quality tire at our price point.” ■

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Focus on Industry

The new Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 was one of several tires highlighted by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. during a recent ride-anddrive event.

Photo: MTD

An all-weather refresher

GOODYEAR WEATHERREADY 2 DEBUTS IN 58 SIZES, WITH 20 MORE ON THE WAY

Madison Gehring By

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. introduced its new Assurance WeatherReady 2 all-weather tire during a recent ride-anddrive event in Akron, Ohio.

The company also highlighted its ElectricDrive 2 and Duratrac RT tires during the event.

Attendees drove the WeatherReady 2 and ElectricDrive 2 on Goodyear’s onsite test track and tested the Wrangler Duractrac RT at an off-road course in Garrettsville, Ohio.

Goodyear also demonstrated its new SightLine Tire Intelligence technology during the event.

WEATHERREADY 2

Goodyear officially launched the Assurance WeatherReady 2 on Aug. 20, but allowed customers to place orders for the tire before its release date.

The new tire features all-weather technology and comes with a 60,000-mile tread life warranty.

It also features Goodyear’s AquaTred Technology with an enhanced tread pattern of sweeping grooves to help expel water and slush.

The tread on the tire also features Evolving Traction grooves that transition over time from narrow sipes to wide grooves.

It also contains TredLock technology, which is comprised of interlocking elements in the tire’s sipes to help the product grip the road and improve handling, plus several other features.

The all-weather tire is also 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS)-certified and will initially come in 58 sizes, fitting 16- to 22-inch rims.

The Akron, Ohio-based company says it plans to add 20 additional sizes by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

The Assurance WeatherReady 2 tire will replace the Assurance WeatherReady tire in “most sizes,” according to Goodyear officials.

Goodyear says the tire is compatible with a wide range of popular vehicles,

including the Kia Telluride, GMC Acadia, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Traverse, Ford Explorer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mercedes GLE, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

MORE NEW TIRES

Goodyear says its ElectricDrive 2 tire was introduced earlier this year during the 2024 Consumer Electronic Show and hit the market in May 2024.

The tire, which is designed for electric vehicles (EVs), comes in 17 sizes and has around 70% market coverage, according to Goodyear officials.

It fits wheels ranging from 17 to 21 inches in diameter.

Goodyear anticipates size lineup extensions will begin in 2025 and continue through 2027.

The ElectricDrive 2 features Goodyear’s SoundComfort Technology foam to help minimize road noise.

Other features of the tire include an aerodynamic sidewall that lowers drag; an asymmetrical tread pattern for improved grip and responsiveness on wet and dry roads; and more.

Another product that was highlighted at the event is the Wrangler Duratrac RT, which was originally released in September 2023.

The tire boasts DuPont Kevlar for enhanced damage protection, a three-ply sidewall containing Goodyear’s Durawall compound and other features.

The Duratrac RT is also 3PMS-certified and is available in 42 sizes, from 30- to 35-inches in outside diameter. Seven more sizes will be added in the fourth quarter of 2024.

GOODYEAR SIGHTLINE

Goodyear also highlighted its SightLine technology at the event. SightLine was developed in collaboration with ZF, a global leader in vehicle systems technology, which has resulted in the integration of tire intelligence technologies with vehicle motion control software.

Goodyear SightLine integrates into ZF’s cubiX ecosystem, a scalable vehicle motion control software that coordinates all dimensions of vehicle dynamics.

This will help generate further tire and road data and ultimately will enable an improved driving experience with better comfort, control and efficiency, according to Goodyear officials. ■

Focus on Dealers

Martin’s Tire & Service goes the extra mile

FROM AESTHETICS TO PERKS, IT’S ALL ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE, SAYS OWNER

Emily Kline By

With a father as an auto repair facility owner, Martin Woods was immersed in the automotive industry from a very young age.

Later in his life and after working 13 years in retail loss prevention, Woods felt called back to his automotive roots.

As a result, he left his job and opened a tire dealership and auto repair facility, Martin’s Tire & Service, in the same building as his father’s business.

“It was split right down the middle,” says Woods. “The front five bays were his business and the back five bays were empty. I took over those and started my shop.

“After three years, my father said that he wanted to retire. As a result, I purchased the building from my grandfather, knocked down the wall dividing the two sides and opened all the bays. Presently, we’re a 10-bay full-service facility.”

EYE-CATCHING EXCELLENCE

“We want to make sure our customer experience is unparalleled,” says Martin Woods, owner of Burton, Mich.based Martin’s Tire & Service.

Photo: Pat Durham

The dealership provides “a lot of perks,” says Woods. “These include a three-year, 36,000-mile nationwide warranty; free roadside assistance for a year; free towing reimbursement and tire replacement coverage nationwide.”

Photo: Pat Durham

BEYOND AESTHETICS

When choosing his dealership’s color scheme, Woods kept in mind the importance of a clean look.

“The color scheme keeps the uniforms looking nice and clean, so that customers don’t see our techs in a filthy uniform,” he says. “Quality and making sure that everybody’s vehicle is in a neat and clean environment — from our lobbies to our bays — is important to us.”

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

When visiting Martin’s Tire & Service, which is based in Burton, Mich., one of the first things that customers notice is its eye-catching color scheme — a decision driven by Woods’ experience in retail.

“We paired black and safety orange to make sure that the shop popped,” he says. “When people come in for the first time, they’re like, ‘I’ve lived in this area this whole time and I never knew you were here.’

“Because our building sits sideways from the road, it’s sometimes hard to see. We have a small frontage road, which means our sign is also small, so I wanted to do anything I could to grab customers’ eyes as they drove by.

“The orange pops not only in the (company’s) logo, but also inside the bays. When the doors are open, you can see the orange stripe around the inside.”

In addition to the dealership’s cleanliness and colors, the value Martin’s Tire & Service offers its customers is highly important.

The dealership also offers loaner vehicles, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibrations and constant training for employees.

Woods is always sending his staff to training events and makes sure his frontof-house staff and technicians are enrolled in continuous training programs.

When asked why he and his team invest so much into the dealership, Woods says, “We want to make sure our customer experience is unparalleled.” ■

Honda Odyssey ■ 2024

DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION

The tire pressure sensor is an integrated unit made up of a tire valve stem, a pressure sensor, and a transmitter. The tire pressure sensors are attached to the inside of each wheel, around the valve stem. The sensor transmits internal tire information using an RF (radio frequency) band wave signal one time per 60 seconds to the body control module. Each tire pressure sensor has its own tire pressure sensor ID to prevent jamming by similar systems on other vehicles.

Components: The system consists of the following components:

• Body control module

• Tire pressure sensors

• Initiators

• System indicator

The system is controlled by the body control module. If a vehicle is equipped with keyless access function, the initiator and the LF antenna are integrated.

Body Control Module: The body control module sends signals to the initiators and receives signals from the tire pressure sensor to verify pressure sensor IDs every time the vehicle is turned to the ON mode. It also receives signals from the transmitters for tire pressure, tire temperature, and the sensor battery condition, and it continuously monitors and controls the system.

Tire Pressure Sensor: The tire pressure sensor is an integrated unit made up of each tire valve stem, a pressure sensor, and a transmitter. The tire pressure sensors are attached to the inside of each wheel, around the valve stem. The sensor transmits internal tire information using an RF (radio frequency) band wave signal one time per 60 seconds to the body control module. Each tire pressure sensor has its own tire pressure sensor ID to prevent jamming by similar systems on other vehicles.

Initiator: The initiators are mounted on the top of each wheelwell. When the vehicle is turned to the ON mode, the initiators send an LF (low frequency) band wave signal to the tire pressure sensor, switching them from sleep mode to normal function mode. When the vehicle is turned to the OFF (LOCK) mode, the sensors switch from normal function mode back to sleep mode to extend their battery life.

Wheel: The TPMS will not work unless TPMS type wheels are installed on the vehicle. The original equipment wheels have a TPMS mark on them, and are counterweighted by adding material to counterbalance the weight of the tire pressure sensor.

MEMORIZING THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR ID

Procedure

NOTE:

• See the HDS Help menu for specific instructions.

• When replacing the body control module, use the HDS to memorize sensor IDs.

• After the sensor IDs are memorized, reduce the pressure in all four tires to less than the appropriate specification, and check to see that the four tire indicators come on.

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

Memorizing a Tire Pressure Sensor ID: All four sensor IDs must be memorized to the TPMS control unit whenever you do any of these actions:

• Replacing the body control module.

• Replacing the tire pressure sensor.

• Substituting a known-good wheel with tire pressure sensor.

NOTE: To ensure the TPMS control unit memorizes the correct sensor ID, the vehicle with the new tire pressure sensor must be at least 10 ft (3 m) away from other vehicles that have sensors.

• When replacing the body control module, use the HDS to memorize sensor IDs.

Memorizing a Tire Pressure Sensor ID Automatically: After rotating the tires or replacing a tire pressure sensor, drive the vehicle for at least 40 seconds at a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) or more, and all the sensor IDs are memorized automatically.

NOTE: After the sensor IDs are memorized, reduce the pressure in all four tires to less than the specified tire pressure lower limit, and check to see that the four tire indicators come on.

Wheel Type and Specified Tire Pressure Lower Limit

• 18 inch wheel: 190 kPa (1.94 kgf/cm 2, 27.6 psi)

• 19 inch wheel: 195 kPa (1.99 kgf/cm 2, 28.3 psi)

Memorize a Tire Pressure Sensor ID with the HDS: The HDS can memorize the sensor ID of a new tire pressure sensor or a previously memorized sensor ID.

1. Turn the vehicle to the OFF (LOCK) mode.

2. Connect the HDS to the data link connector (DLC)

3. Turn the vehicle to the ON mode.

4. Make sure the HDS communicates with the vehicle and the TPMS control unit. If it does not communicate, go to the DLC circuit troubleshooting.

5. Memorize the tire pressure sensor ID by following the screen prompts on the HDS.

6. Turn the vehicle to the OFF (LOCK) mode.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

All images: Mitchell 1

REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION

Removal

NOTICE: Each tire pressure sensor contains a lithium anode battery that is not removable. The complete tire pressure sensor should be disposed of according to local battery disposal guidelines or requirements. An improperly disposed of battery can be harmful to the environment.

1. Remove the tire valve stem cap and the valve stem core to deflate the tire.

2. Remove any balance weights.

3. Break the bead loose from the wheel with a commercially available tire changer (A).

Note these items to avoid damaging the tire pressure sensor:

• Do the outside of the wheel first.

• Position the wheel as shown so the valve stem (B) is 90 degrees from the bead breaker (C) as shown in Fig. 1.

• Do not position the bead breaker of the tire changer too close to the rim.

4. Position the wheel as shown in Fig. 2. This will result in the tire machine (A) and the tire iron (B) being next to the valve stem (C) and it will move away

Fig. 3 Fig. 4

from the tire machine when the tire machine starts.

5. Remove the tire from the wheel.

6. Using the TORX bit (A), remove the TORX screw (B) and remove the tire pressure sensor housing (C) from the valve assembly (D) as shown in Fig. 3. Check the tire pressure sensor housing for any damages and replace if necessary.

7. Cut around the valve bulb (A) like in Fig. 4 to make the removal of the valve assembly easier.

8. Pull out the valve assembly (A) as shown in Fig. 5 vertically through the rim hole using the commercially available valve stem puller tool (B).

NOTE: Do not remove the valve assembly before removing the tire pressure sensor housing.

Installation

1. Install the tire pressure sensor housing (A) on to the valve assembly (B) as shown in Fig. 6

• Make sure the sensor housing is fully seated.

• Install the TORX screw until the screw head is in contact with the sensor housing.

2. Install TORX screw (C) using the TORX bit (D) and the adjustable torque screwdriver (E) and tighten it to specifications, as shown in Fig. 6.

3. Before installing the tire pressure sensor, clean the mating surfaces on the sensor and the wheel.

C

D

E

4. Apply a mild soap and water solution to the valve insertion cone surface.

5. Insert the tire pressure sensor in the rim hole.

NOTE:

• Make sure there is no gap (C) between the valve bulb (D) and rim.

• Make sure the tire pressure sensor is installed within the correct angle.

6. Install a commercially available valve stem puller tool (A) on the valve stem thread and pull the tire pressure sensor

(B) straight through the rim hole perpendicularly to the rim hole.

7. Lube the tire bead sparingly with a paste-type tire mounting lubricant, and position the wheel so that the tire machine is next to the valve stem and will move away from it when the machine starts.

8. Install the tire onto the wheel. Make sure the tire bead is seated on both sides of the rim evenly.

9. With a dry air source, inflate the tire to 300 kPa (3.06 kgf/cm 2, 43.5 psi) to seat the tire bead to the rim.

10. Install the valve stem core and adjust the air pressure to the specifications listed on the door jamb.

11. Install the valve stem cap.

12. Check and adjust the wheel balance. ■

Information for this column comes from the tire pressure monitoring systems data in ProDemand, 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.

POWER PRODUCTS

Ascenso is an off-highway tire brand that caters to the needs of the following key global segments: Agriculture, Industrial & Construction, Earth Mover, Material Handling, and Forestry. In our journey over the last 3 years, we have released and added more than 700+ sizes to our portfolio.

R1W tractor tire designed with a unique mud breaker

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Telehandler tire built for high-speed and tough working conditions

DETAILS:

Series: 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45

Sizes: 22, 20, 18, 17, 16, 15

DETAILS: 15 initial metric sizes

Series: 70, 65, 60, 55, 50

Sizes: 20, 18, 17, 16

Speed Rating: H, S, T, V

Speed Rating: H, T, V Klever H/T 4S KR620 Klever A/T Trail KR615A

Load Range: C, E, G

Two new 3PMSF certified light-truck tires from Kenda add depth to the Klever line up. Both the Klever H/T 4S and Klever A/T Trail boast patent pending tread designs and compounds to enhance performance in wet and dry conditions. The tread compound contains a unique polymer blend that allows for flexibility over a wide range of temperatures providing exceptional performance in dry, wet and winter conditions along with outstanding wear.

The new Klever H/T 4S is a true all-season tire with great road manners, while the Klever A/T Trail is built for adventures off-road, delivering rugged capability without sacrificing smooth, quiet on-road performance.

RMR51

A regional steer / all position tire with integrated sipes for superior all-weather traction and cooler running for extended tread life.

RTR71

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A clos d should r driv tir with intricate sipe patterns and integrated blocks with tie bars for dependable traction and uniform w ar.

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