Modern Tire Dealer - February 2022 by EndeavorBusinessMedia-VehicleRepairGroup

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‘Like a gold rush’ OTR tire demand will build in 2022 How to develop your pipeline of techs By customer demand: TireSouth eyes expansion

MAN OR MACHINE

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF TIRE SERVICE? February 2022 | Vol. 103, No. 2 | $10 | www.moderntiredealer.com

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The Industry’s Leading Publication February 2022, Volume 103, Number 2

F E AT U R E S Man or Machine: What’s the Future of Tire Service?

Demand for OTR tires will only build in 2022. Tire manufacturers discuss what to expect, starting on page 36.

DEPARTMENTS

Efficiencies of scale

Reading between the lines

Will automation replace ‘the human touch?’

4 Editorial

News and navigation tools for MTD’s website

8 Industry News Legislative issues to watch in 2022 TIA focuses on estate tax, fuel efficiency, Right to Repair and more

By customer demand

How to make Google work for you

16 Numbers That Count

Commercial Tire Dealer™

18 Your Marketplace

‘Like a gold rush’

All in the family

Truck tire service is all in the RIST

50 Business Insight How to get ahead of a shrinking workforce Get creative in building your pipeline of new technicians

52 Mergers and Acquisitions Meet a dealmaker Joe Tomarchio discusses Monro’s M&A strategy, how dealers can prep to sell and more

58 TPMS Cadillac CT4 — 2020-21

66 Ad index

TireSouth eyes expansion in Atlanta

Take control of your online profile

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

Sell-out trends continue to climb Miles driven should increase as we move through new year

Digital tread depth measurement devices hit the market

Dealers discuss the role of techs as technology develops

Lessons in true leadership Paul Zurcher’s principles provide formula for success

6 moderntiredealer.com

RoboTire says system can install four tires in 20 minutes

OTR tire demand will build in 2022, say manufacturers

Brad Schmucker guides Millersburg Tire through growth phase

Don’t skip steps during tire installation process

AG Tire Talk

Supply, prices squeeze ag tire market Tiremakers discuss why — and how long this will last

ON THE COVER: ROBOTIRE PHOTO PROVIDED BY RICK OSENTOSKI/AP IMAGES FOR ROBOTIRE

Modern Tire Dealer is a proud member of:

w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

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2/3/22 1:40 PM

Editorial

Lessons in true leadership

PAUL ZURCHER’S PRINCIPLES PROVIDE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS By

Mike Manges

ooks about “leadership” are a dime a dozen. Some are good. Some are just OK. I happen to enjoy books about leadership that have been written by — or about — independent tire dealers. There are several that fall into this category. Les Schwab’s self-penned book, “Pride in Performance,” is one. “How the Rubber Meets the Road: A Blue-Collar Roadmap to Success for Business Owners and Entrepreneurs,” written by Dick Erickson, the founder of Sun Tire & Automotive Service, is another. Both are excellent. However, up until a few weeks ago, I had never read a book on the subject of leadership quite like “Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Nine Proven Principles From the Life of Paul Zurcher.” Written by Paul’s granddaughter, Melinda Zurcher, the book was published in 2017. Twelve years prior, I had the good fortune of spending several days with Paul, the founder of the Best-One Tire Group. MTD was preparing to announce that Paul would be our 2005 Tire Dealer of the Year Award recipient. I drove to Monroe, Ind., to interview him. We discussed Paul’s early days as a tire dealer and how he had built Best-One into the powerhouse it had become. We covered his thoughts about how the tire industry — and selling tires — had evolved over the decades. We talked about how Paul had given many other successful tire dealers their start. But as we sat in his modest office, it became clear that Paul, a deeply religious man, wanted to discuss more than business. He talked about his faith and how it guided his work life and his personal life. He also discussed why “character counts.” (This quote from Paul became the headline of our September 2005 Tire Dealer of the Year article about him.) Paul then shared what he called his “code of honor” — nine principles that he strove to live and conduct business by: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

To seek God’s friendship, fellowship and guidance To develop effective relationships To treat everyone with honor, love, dignity and respect To be self-disciplined and self-controlled To do the right things right To be a positive, enthusiastic and passionate person To never compromise my integrity To plan for tomorrow today To live life now

“Where the Rubber Meets the Road” includes Paul’s expanded thoughts on each of these points.

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The first principle, he said, involves “opening yourself to God’s guidance and asking Him for the power to do what He asks of you.” The second principle can only happen when there is trust, which “comes from your inner core — from your character,” the most important quality a leader can possess, he explained. Treating everyone with honor, love, dignity and respect simply means “caring,” which Paul believed should be “the foundation of everything we do.” Integrity “is the foundaElaborating on the fourth prin- tion of character,” said ciple, he asserted that “only the dis- Paul Zurcher. “It is being ciplined really get good at anything” faithful in action to your and that “knowing your purpose values, your promises and your word.” focuses your life.” When discussing doing the right things in the right manner, Paul maintained that “we all know what the right things are. The hard part is committing to doing them. Character is doing the right thing, day in and day out — even when no one is looking.” Being a positive, enthusiastic and passionate person, he explained, “is easier said than done” and that “what you put into your mind — your programming — determines the person you will be.” Integrity “is the foundation of character. It is being faithful in action to your values, your promises and your word.” Planning for tomorrow today takes concentration and tenacity, he noted. “Throughout history, the men and women who have had the greatest impact are the most focused — the ones who mix their passion for their goals with foresight and planning.” (“An idea is worth a dollar,” he added. “A plan, well-executed, is worth a million.”) And finally, when it comes to living life now, “don’t put off living, loving, giving and appreciating,” he advised. “Life is too short to be little. Be big, be happy, be enthusiastic and especially be thankful and grateful.” Paul passed away in 2015 at the age of 90, but his advice still resonates. And I have no doubt that it will continue to do so. That’s real leadership. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of “Where the Rubber Meets the Road.” (You can order one by emailing corene.scheumann@ bestonetire.net.) I guarantee that it will be well worth your time. ■ If you have any questions or comments, please email me at mmanges@10missions.com.

MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:35 AM

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ModernTireDealer.com DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR THE INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER

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eNewsletters Sign up now for Modern Tire Dealer eNewsletters. We’ll send you the latest news and most popular articles. Go to: www.moderntiredealer.com and scroll to The Modern Tire Dealer Newsletter is the Definitive Source for Tire Dealer Success.

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Stories about Discount Tire, including two covering its recent purchase of Tire Rack, continued to show up among the most-read articles on MTD’s website.

Mergers and acquisitions highlight most-read articles Three articles about Discount Tire, including two detailing its acquisition of Tire Rack, were the most-read stories on MTD’s website during the past month. Other acquisitions also grabbed readers’ attention, with Mavis Tire Express Services Corp., Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc. and Distribution Stox Inc. making moves at the end of 2021. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Discount Tire CEO: ‘Nothing is off the table’ Mavis to acquire Tuffy Tire & Auto Service What’s next for Discount Tire and Tire Rack? DOC lowers tariffs on Chinese truck tires Harold Finkelstein of Max Finkelstein Inc. has died A newbie learns the tire business Discount Tire is acquiring Tire Rack Sun Auto Tire adds T.O. Haas Tire to portfolio Sell-out trends inch upward as 2021 wraps up Distribution Stox adds 4 warehouses in acquisition

HOME OFFICE 3515 Massillon Rd., Suite 350 Uniontown, OH 44685 (330) 899-2200, fax (330) 899-2209 Website: www.moderntiredealer.com PUBLISHER Greg Smith gsmith@10missions.com (330) 899-2200, Ext. 2212 EDITORIAL Editor: Mike Manges, ext. 2213 mmanges@10missions.com Managing Editor: Ron Ledgard, ext. 2216 rledgard@10missions.com Senior Editor & Digital Projects Editor: Joy Kopcha, ext. 2215 jkopcha@10missions.com PRODUCTION Art Director: Zach Pate Graphic Designer: Audrey Mundstock Production Manager: Karen Runion, ext. 2210 krunion@10missions.com Production Artist: Lauren Coleman MARKETING STRATEGISTS Bob Marinez bmarinez@10missions.com (330) 899-2200, ext. 2217 Marianne Dyal mdyal@10missions.com (706) 344-1388 Dan Thornton dthornton@10missions.com (734) 676-9135 Sean Thornton sthornton@10missions.com (269) 499-0257 Kyle Shaw kshaw@10missions.com (651) 846-9490 Martha Severson mseverson@10missions.com (651) 846-9452 MTD READER ADVISORY BOARD Rick Benton, Black’s Tire Service Inc. Jessica Palanjian Rankin, Grand Prix Performance John McCarthy Jr., McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. Jamie Ward, Tire Discounters Inc. CUSTOMER/SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE (800) 260-0562 subscriptions@moderntiredealer.com

EXECUTIVE OFFICE 10 Missions Media 571 Snelling Ave. N. St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 224-6207 CORPORATE OFFICERS President: Jay DeWitt Vice President: Chris Messer Vice President, Content & Events: Bryce Evans

Modern Tire Dealer (ISSN: 0026-8496) is published monthly by 10 Missions Media, LLC, 571 Snelling Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55104-1804. Copyright © 2022 by 10 Missions Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Modern Tire Dealer content may not be photocopied, reproduced, or redistributed without the consent of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at St Paul, MN and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS Send address changes to: Modern Tire Dealer, 571 Snelling Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55104.

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MTD February 2022

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Industry News

Legislative issues to watch in 2022

TIA FOCUSES ON ESTATE TAX, FUEL EFFICIENCY, RIGHT TO REPAIR AND MORE

“W

e’re going to see a lot of legislation on both the state and federal levels” during 2022 that will impact independent tire dealers, notes Roy Littlefield IV, director of government affairs for the Tire Industry Association (TIA.) At the federal level, “the first issue that’s going to be very important to tire dealers is the estate tax,” he says. “The majority of our members are small, family-owned businesses and TIA does not believe that death should be a taxable event. “TIA has pushed for full repeal of the estate tax in years past and we were able to double the exemption levels,” which will benefit business owners, says Littlefield. “But in 2026, we’re going to revert to previous levels if something is not done.” TIA also is pushing for supply chain relief and new ways to counteract the “extreme truck driver shortage. “We’ve been extremely active on these issues. We’ve seen some action, but not enough. Certainly some (tires) are hard to get right now. “When it comes to the driver shortage, this is an issue we’ve been facing for years, but I think COVID-19 has amplified the issue. It’s so hard to find reliable drivers right now.” Turnover at fleets also is high, he notes. “So TIA has done some things to try to address this issue,” including supporting the DRIVE Safe Act, which is part of the Biden Administration’s infrastructure bill. The legislation creates a pathway for people under the age of 21 to qualify for a commercial drivers license after completion of training. “We think potentially there is a large pool of younger drivers,” he says.

FUEL AND FEES

A possible consumer tire fuel efficiency

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mandate in California and tire registration fees are two other issues that TIA is tracking. As detailed in the September 2021 issue of MTD, the California Energy Commission has been asked to adopt and implement a “statewide fuel efficiency program to ensure replacement tires sold in California are at least as energy efficient” as original equipment tires. “Now it’s finally at the stage where we can see some action,” says Littlefield. “TIA has been very involved in talking with the commission. They want to hear from different actors in the industry. What TIA has really pushed for is education. “We spoke to the commission last (month). They’re going to begin testing rolling resistance levels of certain tires during the first half of 2022. “The commission wants to take a hard look at the market to see what’s out there, what’s being sold and what the limitations are. “If the commission is going to issue a proposal, it would come probably — at the earliest — at the end of 2022 and then there would be another comment period at that point.” The issue of tire registration fines also remains on TIA’s radar, says Littlefield. Last year, the United States Department of Transportation posted a notice in the Federal Register indicating that it had increased fines that could be applied to dealers who register tires incorrectly. “It’s $24,000 per violation and up to $113 million per location,” says Littlefield. “The fact (these fines) are still on the books and could be issued is very worrisome for us. We have still seen no action from” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “I think what NHTSA is waiting for is for the industry to come together — the retail side and the manufacturing side —

“We really need a federal response,” on Right to Repair. “Earlier this year, President Biden issued an executive order on Right to Repair and since then, TIA has had several conversations with the Federal Trade Commission on this issue.”

and (issue) a proposal to solve this. We’re still going to meet with NHTSA and will still meet the issue head-on.” Littlefield notes that commercial truck tires also have to be registered properly at the point of sale.

RIGHT TO REPAIR UPDATE

Ensuring that tire dealers have access to telematically transmitted vehicle diagnostic and repair data will remain another important effort, according to Littlefield. “Last year, we had a ballot referendum that passed in Massachusetts and we worked closely with the New England Tire & Service Association on this.” The effort “really showed the power of local, grassroots connections. “This ballot issue is going to allow owners of vehicles to get the mechanical data they need to allow their (preferred) shops to repair” their cars. “But we really need a federal response. Earlier this year, President Biden issued an executive order on Right to Repair and since then, TIA has had several conversations with the Federal Trade Commission on this issue.” MTD February 2022

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Industry News

Bites Bridgestone hikes prices Bridgestone Americas Inc. increased prices of its Bridgestone and Firestone brand medium truck and bus tires, OTR tires and Firestone brand ag tires up to 14% on Feb. 1.

Yokohama enacts increase Yokohama Tire Corp. raised its consumer replacement tire and commercial truck tire prices on Feb. 1. The hikes apply to products sold in the United States. Specific increase amounts were not disclosed.

Pirelli to fit Mustang EV Pirelli & Cia SpA has created a P Zero ultra-high performance tire for the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. The tire is available in size 245/45R20 103Y XL, with special markings on the sidewall to denote use on electric and hybrid vehicles.

ATD donates $1 million American Tire Distributors Inc. has donated $1 million to the Gary Sinise Foundation, which supports service members, veterans, first responders and their families through various programs. The gift will support the non-profit’s new Avalon Network initiative, which addresses the mental health of veterans and first responders.

Tire Discounters gives to WWP Tire Discounters Inc. has raised $131,095 for Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit that provides services to injured veterans and their families. The amount is a “fundraising record” for Tire Discounters, according to a statement from the Cincinnati, Ohio-based dealership, which has nearly 150 locations.

Steve Shannon Tire opens retread plant, picks Pre-Q Galgo

loomsburg, Pa.-based Steve Shannon Tire Co. has opened a new medium truck tire retread plant in its hometown and has joined Pre-Q Galgo Corp.’s network of independent retreaders. The state-of-the-art plant has the capacity to produce “well over 200 retreads a day,” says Jesse Shannon, the dealership’s co-CEO. Steve Shannon Tire has more than 30 locations throughout Pennsylvania and New York. “We chose Pre-Q Galgo as our tread rubber supplier because of their excellent reputation for quality products and outstanding customer service,” says Shannon. “We are excited to add Pre-Q Galgo retreads to the long list of products and services we offer that includes new tires from passenger to OTR, state-of-the-art service vehicles, Tire Industry Association-certified service specialists, fleet management, sales professionals, mechanical services and a complete fleet solution management program.” “We are proud to welcome Steve Shannon Tire to the Pre-Q Galgo family of independent retreaders,” says Eduardo Nava, vice president, Pre-Q Galgo. “Steve Shannon Tire has an excellent reputation for servicing its customers Steve Shannon Tire Co. has opened a new with the highest standard of quality retread plant and has joined Pre-Q Galgo and service.” Corp.’s network of independent retreaders.

Rice Tire acquires commercial tire dealership

rederick, Md.-based Rice Tire Co. has acquired American Fleet Services, a commercial truck tire dealership that serves the Richmond, Va., market. The deal includes a store in Ashland, Va., which has become Rice Tire’s 12th location. Rice Tire officials say the addition of the outlet expands their company’s service capabilities along Interstate 95, a major north-to-south corridor. The location will be managed by John Brookins and overseen by Rice Tire Regional Manager Mike Anderson. Rice Tire also operates two retread plants.

Plaza Tire adds location Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based Plaza Tire Service Inc., which is owned by Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc., recently added its fifth location in northwest Arkansas. Plaza Tire Service now operates 71 stores throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas.

DOC lowers some CV rates The United States Department of Commerce has imposed lower countervailing duties on medium truck and bus tires made in China. Prinx Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Co. Ltd. will now pay countervailing duties of 17.4%, while Quingdao Ge Rui Da Rubber Co. Ltd. will pay duties of 14.7%. Other named companies will pay duties of 15.6%.

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Rice Tire has acquired American Fleet Services, a commercial tire dealership in the Richmond, Va., area. Rice Tire now has 12 locations.

MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:37 AM

A LONG WAY

TOGETHER

WHEREVER YOU ARE, BKT IS WITH YOU No matter how challenging your needs, BKT is with you offering a wide range of OTR tires specifically designed for the toughest operating conditions: from mining to construction sites. Sturdy and resistant, reliable and safe, able to combine comfort and high performance. BKT is with you, even when work gets tough.

BKT USA Inc. 202 Montrose West Ave. Suite 240 Copley, Ohio 44321 Toll free: (+1) 888-660-0662 - Office: (+1) 330-836-1090 Fax: (+1) 330-836-1091

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1/27/2022 8:41:16 AM

Industry News

U.S. AutoForce acquires Max Finkelstein

Bites Mavis acquires Action Gator Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. has acquired Orlando, Fla.-based Action Gator Tire Stores’ retail outlets. Action Gator was listed as the 48th largest independent tire dealership in the United States in the 2021 edition of the MTD 100. The dealership was owned by Christensen Enterprises.

Bridgestone adds EV services Bridgestone Americas Inc. plans to expand its menu of services for electric and hybrid vehicles at nearly 45 of its company-owned stores. Markets include Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, Calif. Bridgestone also will install 50 charging stations across four markets during the first quarter of 2022.

Michelin buys non-tire business The Michelin Group has acquired 100% of AirCaptif, a France-based start-up that develops ultra-light inflatable structures “for protection and insulation,” according to Michelin officials. The acquisition is part of the company’s “Michelin In Motion” initiative, announced last year, that calls for up to 30% of the company’s total revenue to “come from activities related to and beyond the tire.”

SRNA names new CFO Tony Beiner is Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.’s new chief financial officer. Beiner, who joined the company in 2018 as its corporate controller, was promoted to its vice president of finance in 2020. He has 20-plus years of leading finance functions.

Love’s to expand network Love’s Travel Stops is planning to open more than 20 Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations during 2022 as part of an overall expansion push. There are currently 420 outlets in the Love’s Truck Care/ Speedco network.

.S. AutoForce LLC has acquired Max Finkelstein Inc., which is based in Astoria, N.Y., and operates 15 distribution centers throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. U.S. AutoForce now operates 62 distribution centers throughout 45 states. It acquired Treadmaxx Tire Distributors, which added 14 locations to its footprint, last year. “We will be able to combine our resources and build on the impressive momentum Max Finkelstein has created in serving their customers so passionately for over 100 years,” says Pat Hietpas, president of U.S. AutoForce, which is based in Appleton, Wis. “We welcome the opportunity to provide many additional products and programs to our valued customers,” Ira Silver, Max Finkelstein’s U.S. AutoForce added 15 distribution centers in the Northeast and president and CEO, said when the deal was Mid-Atlantic areas via its purchase announced. The transaction closed on Jan. 31. of Max Finkelstein Inc.

Harold Finkelstein dies

arold Finkelstein, longtime co-owner of Max Finkelstein Inc., which was acquired by U.S. AutoForce LLC last month, died in December at the age of 86. Harold and his brother, Jerry, took ownership of the wholesale-distributor in 1973. They grew the company, which was founded in 1919, from a store in Astoria, N.Y., into a 15-outlet operation. Finkelstein’s family notes that “from the start, it was clear that he was a gifted and savvy businessman. He conducted business with passion, charisma and had a natural ability for building relationships with customers, associates and vendors, whom he treated like family. “His lifelong dedicaion to Max Finkelstein Inc. and all that we hold dear will live on for generations.” Finkelstein also was a past New York Tire Dealers Association president.

Volkswagen picks Nexen Nexen Tire America Inc.’s N’Fera AU7 ultrahigh performance all-season tire will be original equipment on the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta in the United States.

Tire Cologne gears up Around 300 companies from more than 30 countries are expected to exhibit at The Tire Cologne, which will take place May 24-26, 2022, in Germany.

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Harold Finkelstein (far right) and his brother, Jerry — pictured in 2019 with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Chairman, CEO and President Rich Kramer — developed Max Finkelstein Inc. into a 15-location operation.

MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:02 PM

**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**BINDING EDGE**

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Industry News

Brison takes lead role at Hankook Tire North America

Bites Sailun taps Cambodia Passenger and light truck tire production is underway at Sailun Group’s new factory in Cambodia. Tires there are being made to support the North American market, as well as select regions in Europe.

Yokohama will use AI Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has developed a proprietary system that uses artificial intelligence to “predict the values of key tire characteristics,” according to company officials. Yokohama began using the system in December 2021. It will help the company accelerate new tire development and reduce tire design costs.

Continental takes tire to CES Continental AG showcased its sustainable concept tire, the Conti GreenConcept, at the recent CES 2022 show in Las Vegas, Nev. The tire “consists of a particularly high percentage of traceable, renewable and recycled materials” and has a lightweight design, according to Continental officials.

GRI takes home award Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) has received “Best Exporter of Rubber Products” honors as part of the Sri Lanka Presidential Export Awards program. GRI’s growth “has brought tangible results to Sri Lanka from many dimensions,” says GRI CEO Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma. The specialty tire manufacturer is based in Sri Lanka.

KYB updates tech program

ankook Tire North America, most recently known as Hankook Tire America, has named Curtis Brison its new president. He succeeds Sooil Lee, who remains CEO of Hankook Tire & Technology. In his new role, Brison will oversee Hankook’s U.S. and Canada operations — including the company’s consumer tire manufacturing plant in Tennessee — and will lead four departments. He also will continue to oversee Hankook Tire North America’s U.S. passenger and light truck tire operation, where he has served as vice president since joining the company in 2020. Rob Williams, who oversees all replacement and original equipment truck and bus tire sales at Hankook, has been promoted to senior vice president of truck, bus and radial sales. He will continue to lead Hankook’s truck and bus tire sales team and regional offices in the capacity of senior vice president. He joined the firm in 2019. “I am honored to work with our teams across North America,” says Curtis In a related move, Jong Jin (JJ) Park Brison, Hankook Tire North America’s has been promoted to vice president of new president. marketing. He will oversee Hankook’s marketing strategy, truck and bus tire marketing, technical service and America Regional Distribution Centers teams. He also will continue in his role of marketing director and U.S. sales innovation director. Park joined Hankook in 2005. “The North American market is critical to our global business strategy and Curtis, JJ and Rob have been instrumental to accelerating our growth,” says Lee.

KYB Americas Corp. is updating its ExcelGold Rewards Program to allow technicians to earn rewards for purchasing and installing the company’s shocks and struts. Each user will receive a KYB Excel-Gold prepaid Mastercard and have access to a dashboard that will show real-time updates on pay-out dates and amounts.

Tyrexpo Asia sets dates The next edition of Tyrexpo Asia, Tyrexpo Asia Bangkok, will take place in Thailand Oct. 2628, 2022. The international event will feature up to 120 exhibitors and is expected to draw some 3,000 attendees.

Myers, Federated join forces Myers Tire Supply has joined Federated Auto Parts. In a joint statement, the companies said each will benefit from the partnership.

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Sentury, CMA/Double Coin unveil dealer portals

oth Sentury Tire USA and China Manufacturers Alliance LLC (CMA)/ Double Coin have unveiled online portals that will help tire dealers with various functions. Sentury Tire USA’s portal, Access 360, “allows distributors to have full control over the ordering process, giving them the ability to see the available inventory in United States-based warehouses immediately,” says Maxwell Wee, executive vice president of Sentury Tire USA. Dealers also can retrieve packing lists, download account statements, process returns and submit claims and adjustments on-demand, while performing other functions. CMA/Double Coin’s new portal houses customizable promotional resources for dealers, allowing them to create digital advertisements and pricing quotes for customers. Dealers also can integrate videos into their social media channels. ■ MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:02 PM

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FOUR BRANDS, GREAT SERVICE

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Contact your Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America rep, call us at (800) 343-3276 or visit yokohama-oht.com to learn more.

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1/27/2022 8:45:02 AM

NumbersThatCount

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

26.6%

Average replacement retail sales margin for a light truck tire. SOURCE: MTD’S 2022 FACTS ISSUE

243,553

44,247

SOURCE: WWW.ASE.COM

Number of auto service professionals currently working in the United States

Student auto service technicians who hold ASE entry-level certification in the United States.

Formula One’s tires will undergo a transformation during 2022. Gone will be the 13-inch tires that have been present for decades and in their place will be 18-inch tires, provided by sole supplier Pirelli. SOURCE: MARIO ISOLA OF PIRELLI & CIE SPA

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$38 BILLION

Projected revenue of automotive parts sold through e-commerce in the United States. SOURCE: WWW.HEDGESCOMPANY.COM

MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:37 AM

A N N O U N C I N G

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1/27/2022 8:44:21 AM

Yo u r M a r k e t p l a c e

Sell-out trends continue to climb

MILES DRIVEN SHOULD INCREASE AS WE MOVE THROUGH NEW YEAR By

John Healy

ur recent conversations with tire dealers leave us with the view that retail sell-out trends are climbing on a year-over-year basis versus the same period last year. We note that activity levels are rising on a sequential basis compared with what we saw near the end of 2021. From a volume standpoint, during December 2021 — the most recent month for which data is available — we note that the Southeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions exhibited positive sell-out trends. December benefited from the continued rebound in driving levels, which were at slightly more depressed levels during the same period in 2020.

GOOD DEMAND

Looking at specifics, dealer commentary suggests that demand for replacement passenger and light truck tires was higher on a net basis during December 2021 versus the same period in 2020, while rising sequentially from levels seen in November of last year. The net number of survey respondents indicating they saw positive year-over-year demand was 64.3%, which compares to up to 50% during November 2021. Our contacts report that volumes could have been higher, but inflationary pressures — coupled with lower stocking levels, which drove prices even higher — hurt volume levels. Over the long-term, we continue to hold the perspective that volumes will be more

closely aligned with current gross domestic product growth, while consumers take to the road in greater numbers.

CONSUMER PREFERENCE

When examining product mix, our recent survey of tire dealers reveals that tier-two brands are still holding strong as the most favored tier by consumers. Industry contacts tell us this is likely a function of price increases on tier-one brands as consumers have been more willing to embrace the tier-two price point. Given the extensive price increases that have taken place in our industry over the last year — we believe up to 25% to 35% at most tire manufacturers — we are not surprised to see that many consumers favor tier-two brands versus more expensive tires. Going forward, we have observed throughout the pandemic that consumers seem to change their preference for certain tires and tiers based on the current COVID-19 situation.

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Turning to miles driven over the last few months, which has a significant correlation with the need to buy new tires, trends have improved sequentially. One of the services we track, Apple’s Mobility Trends Report, has indicated that the number of people who are searching for driving directions is higher than typical levels, but lower than our last update. Mobility trends plummeted 62% in

Snapshot of Dealers’ PLT Tire Volumes (Year-Over-Year Change) Oct-20

Nov-20

Dec-20

Oct-21

Nov-21

Dec-21

Average

Increase

40%

44%

45%

50%

64%

41%

Flat

30%

12%

10%

17%

15%

28%

Decline

30%

44%

55%

45%

33%

21%

31%

Total

100%

SOURCE: NORTHCOAST RESEARCH ESTIMATES

02_MTD_News-Numbers.indd 18

April 2020, when indexed to January 13, 2020. But as of Jan. 15, 2021, trends had increased by more than 40%. We maintain the view that miles driven will continue to increase as travel returns to a more normalized state.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS

The “basket” of raw materials to build a common replacement consumer tire rose 19.6% on a year-over-year basis in December 2021. This is a decrease from levels seen during the month of November. We note that carbon black saw its price increase on a year-over-year basis each month during 2021, with a continued upward trajectory in year-over-year gains and a record-high increase of 54.3% this past December. Crude oil prices jumped 50.4% in December 2021, but experienced a sequential decline of nearly 9% from November 2021. On the flipside, natural rubber prices declined by 6.2% in December 2021 — a third straight month of declines. Synthetic rubber costs were up 19.7% on a year-over-year basis this past December. Synthetic rubber costs also fell 3.2% from November 2021 levels and declined 1.5% from October to November. The cost of reinforcement materials continues to track at a negative rate.

UPBEAT OUTLOOK

As we look to the rest of 2022, many tire dealers tell us they have an upbeat outlook on volume trends, driven by the continued upward trajectory in miles driven and frugal customers who will continue to operate — and invest in — older vehicles. As such, we are hopeful that sell-out trends will gain momentum. ■ John Healy is a managing director and research analyst with Northcoast Research Holdings LLC, based in Cleveland. Healy covers a variety of subsectors of the automotive industry.

MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:37 AM

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SPECIALT Y 9/14/21 2:02 PM 1/27/2022 8:42:15 AM

M a n o r m a c h i n e — w h a t ’s t h e f u t u r e o f t i r e s e r v i c e ?

Efficiencies of scale ROBOTIRE SAYS SYSTEM CAN INSTALL FOUR TIRES IN 20 MINUTES

In this special section, MTD looks at automated tire service technologies — from a new, fully robotic tire and wheel installation machine to digital tread depth scanners — and tire dealers’ reactions to them.

Mike Manges

magine a fully automated machine that can grab a tire and wheel assembly from a tire changer and torque it onto a vehicle following original equipment manufacturers’ specifications — with the ability to change four tires in a total of 20 minutes. RoboTire, a four-year-old, Detroit, Mich.-based company, unveiled one this past November during the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show. Demonstrations of the RoboTire machine drew big crowds and plenty of interest from independent tire dealers, say RoboTire officials. The company also has drawn financial support from Discount Tire, which led a $7.5 million investment in it last October. MTD recently talked with RoboTire Founder and CEO Victor Darolfi, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Will Mapes and Senior Manager of Operations Ben Wilson about the RoboTire system and their plans for it. MTD: What was the genesis behind the RoboTire concept? What spurred the idea? Darolfi: The idea first came to me when I had to get my wife’s tires changed and I sat for several hours waiting for it. My background is in robotics. As I was sitting there, I thought there had to be something better. MTD: What level of interest have independent tire dealers expressed in the system so far? Wilson: We’ve been very pleased with the response from the tire dealer community. As you know, we started working with Discount Tire and right now we’re working on what a 2022 roll-out looks like for their stores. We’re also working with quite a few regional dealers located

03_MTD_Feature.indd 20

pretty much across the country about implementing RoboTire systems. We’ve hosted several dealers — ranging from large chain operators to single-store, small independent owners — for demonstrations at our headquarters in Michigan. MTD: What will Discount Tire’s investment in RoboTire help you accomplish? Darolfi: That investment allows us to build out and scale up our manufacturing facility. It also allows us to hire more people and bring out some technology that’s on our roadmap. Their investment is a nod of support. It endorses us, (which will help) us open more doors in the industry. MTD: Has Discount Tire installed RoboTire machines at any of its locations? Darolfi: We have installed our first system at (Discount Tire’s) training lab. MTD: It seems like the RoboTire machine takes up quite a bit of space, which may force dealers to retrofit their bays. Do you see this as a potential obstacle? Wilson: Size is something we are reevaluating constantly. The RoboTire (machine) does take up about one-and-a-half bays in a traditional floor plan. We have found creative ways to fit the system into our customers’ traditional bays. That being said, I’ve toured customer sites that have been very non-traditional. So it depends on the customer’s unique situation. A lot of our customers are using it as an opportunity to redefine floor plans and redefine processes. MTD: Will technicians still be involved in RoboTire’s tire installation process? Wilson: Definitely. We want to help elevate the role of the tire technician. We’re looking

RoboTire demonstrated its new automated tire installation machine in Hunter Engineering Co.’s 2021 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show booth. A Hunter tire changer is part of the RoboTire process.

to help create efficiencies and open up career opportunities for technicians to work on something a little different. MTD: How are tire specs uploaded into the system? Mapes: Our information comes directly from the manufacturers. We update our data extremely fast. We support virtually any vehicle, from a larger-size truck like a Ford F-150 down to your very common sedans, like the Honda Accord — from the current model year back down to about 1980. MTD: Does RoboTire have the ability to install custom tire and wheel packages? Mapes: We support any combination of wheels and tires that the original equipment manufacturers support. We do have that plus-size data from the manufacturers. Our system does support that. We’re continuing to evaluate (aftermarket combinations.) MTD: What are your short-term and long-term goals for RoboTire? Darolfi: Right now, our main focus is deploying and installing our backlog of orders, while continuing to demo systems for new customers. We’re ramping up our manufacturing facility in Michigan so that we’re going to get to a place where we ship out a full system every day within the next 12 months. Long-term goals? We have new products coming out for larger-sized vehicles. ■ MTD February 2022

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M a n o r m a c h i n e — w h a t ’s t h e f u t u r e o f t i r e s e r v i c e ?

Reading between the lines

DIGITAL TREAD DEPTH MEASUREMENT DEVICES HIT THE MARKET By

Mike Manges

re independent tire dealers ready to embrace digital tread depth scanning technology? A number of digital tread depth device manufacturers believe they are and have brought new technologies and products to market. “The need for highly advanced equipment is increasing proportionally with emerging vehicle technology,” says John Amato, manager of training for TPMS products, Autel. “We are seeing rapidly increasing demand for digital tread depth scanning, as well as many of our technology-based products, such as tire pressure monitoring system tools and sensors, as well as diagnostic scanners, battery testers and advanced driver assistance system calibration equipment,” “We expect adoption of (digital) tread depth tools to increase, especially in high-volume operations,” says Garrett Blake, business development specialist with Tyrata. “Speaking with tire dealers over the past several years, I’ve noticed a trend toward creating a customer experience closer to that of a new car dealer,” says Alex Smith, product manager for Hunter Engineering Co. Kyle Harris, product manager, Hennessy Industries Inc., predicts that tire dealers “will continue to adopt the latest technology to help them win and retain customers as their competition grows and evolves.” “Leading tire shops and service operations are always looking for ways to build customer loyalty and grow their business,” says Christopher Bahlman, head of diagnostics and services, Continental Commercial Vehicles and Services. “I think that raising the bar of professionalism might be the biggest benefit” of using digital tread depth scanning technologies, notes David Boyle, president and CEO of Tire Profiles.

Autel’s MaxiTPMS TBE200, a hand-held, laser-enabled tread depth measurement tool, “represents a new level of accuracy and efficiency in tire condition assessments,” according to Autel officials.

The Autodiagnos TPMS Tire Tread Depth Gauge from Continental helps technicians quickly and accurately measure tread depth and detect tire wear.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

Here’s a look at some of the tread depth measurement devices and technologies that are currently available: Autel: The MaxiTPMS TBE200, a hand-held, laser-enabled tread depth measurement tool from Autel,“represents a new level of accuracy and efficiency in tire condition assessments,” according to Autel officials. “When placed on the tread surface, the tool can take digital measurements of the tread, as well as determine if an irregular wear pattern is occurring.” The MaxiTPMS TBE200 can produce “a detailed health report” and offer service recommendations, as well. Continental: The hand-held Autodiagnos TPMS Tire Tread Depth Gauge, an accessory to Continental’s Autodiagnos TPMS D device, helps technicians “quickly and accurately measure tread

03_MTD_Feature.indd 22

The Coats Tread Depth Scanner does not require an operator and is offered in two configurations — surface mount and flush mount. The latter is geared toward tire dealerships.

depth (and) detect worn tires and tire damage, as well as identify improper alignment and possible worn front-end components.” The TPMS Tire Tread Depth Gauge from Continental also “lets technicians know when they have achieved a successful measurement.” MTD February 2022

2/3/22 1:42 PM

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1/27/2022 8:43:45 AM

M a n o r m a c h i n e — w h a t ’s t h e f u t u r e o f t i r e s e r v i c e ? Engineering uses lasers and sensors to automatically generate “three-dimensional tread depth results and edge wear detection in three to five seconds,” according to Hunter officials. The device is “currently operating in several hundred new car dealer service (centers) and automotive aftermarket service bays, including independent tire dealerships.”

The Quick Tread Edge drive-over reader from Hunter Engineering Co. uses lasers and sensors to automatically generate three-dimensional tread depth results and edge wear detection in three to five seconds.

Tire Profiles: TreadSpec is Tire Profiles’ drive-over option. The company also offers a hand-held option called Groove Glove. Both are available to tire dealers, but Groove Glove “was specially designed for (the tire dealer) market,” according to Tire Profiles officials. “Groove Glove is an all-in-one unit that has its own touch screen, so no other peripherals are needed. TreadSpec uses our TraXtion software to scan all four tires for wear and alignment.” Tyrata: The IntelliTread Drive-Over System from Tyrata is the company’s “most feasible solution for high-volume applications.” A subscription-based service, the device lets dealers “obtain tire wear trends” to create preventive maintenance schedules, reduce customer downtime and improve tire efficiency. Tyrata also offers a hand-held tool, the IntelliTread External Tread Reader, “in limited quantities.”

THE BEST FIT Tire Profiles’ Groove Glove device “was specially designed for (the tire dealer) market,” according to Tire Profiles officials.

The IntelliTread Drive-Over System from Tyrata can help users create preventive maintenance schedules. Tyrata also offers a hand-held tread depth measurement tool.

Hennessy: The Coats Tread Depth Scanner does not require an operator and is offered in two configurations — surface mount and flush mount. The surface mount option “is a quick and easy install for existing buildings,” say Hennessy officials. The flush mount option is ideal for dealerships that measure tread depth “on vehicles with low ground clearance. Both units use a stateof-the-art, light-based measuring system.” Hunter: The Quick Tread Edge drive-over reader from Hunter

03_MTD_Feature.indd 24

Are automated tread depth scanners more suited for bigger or smaller tire dealerships? That depends, say tool providers. Drive-over scanners are more practical “for very large-scale” operations, according to Autel’s Amato. He adds that “there are advantages that come with the portability of a hand-held device,” including the ability to use hand-held scanners off-site. Continental’s Bahlman says scalability should be an important consideration for tire dealers and adds that his company’s product allows “the smallest shop or the largest operation” to “get into the game.” Automated scanning tools are appropriate for “any tire dealership, big or small, that’s looking to streamline (its) customer service experience,” says Hennessy’s Harris. “Tire dealers need to use technology to help them improve their customer close rates on needed services and improve their customer retention rates.” The best candidates for “unmanned inspection technology are shops that first install this equipment in such a way to capture maximum opportunities (and) then implement a standardized process to communicate every result and explain the benefits of adequate tread depth to the customer,” says Hunter’s Smith, who adds that “these two factors are more important than sheer number volume.” Tire Profiles’ Boyle notes that the “vast majority” of his company’s Groove Glove devices have been sold “to independent and franchised dealers.” Tyrata’s Blake says independent tire dealers “are increasingly interested in knowing how to better compete on volume, not price,” and adds that automated tread depth scanning devices like his company’s drive-over system can help facilitate this shift. “Measuring tires by hand is at best time-consuming, but it also has significant error and is simply not done as often as it should for optimal tire maintenance.” ■ MTD February 2022

2/1/22 11:59 AM

25_TIRECO_0222.indd 25

1/27/2022 8:49:40 AM

M a n o r m a c h i n e — w h a t ’s t h e f u t u r e o f t i r e s e r v i c e ?

Will automation replace ‘the human touch?’ DEALERS DISCUSS THE ROLE OF TECHS AS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPS By

MTD Staff

ire dealership adoption of digital tread depth scanners and automated tire installation machines will depend on shop space, return on investment and other factors, according to dealers who recently spoke with MTD. T.J. White, who manages one of six Tire Source stores in the Akron, Ohio, area, says space limitations at the dealership’s outlets are a barrier to the installation of drive-over tread depth readers. “We would need one (drive-over reader) in each bay,” he says. “But the footprint at five of our stores is just not big enough.” Hand-held tread depth scanners could be a more appealing solution, he notes. Traditional tread depth gauges “aren’t always perfect and there’s also a lot of room for human error. And with some of the wheel wells on cars, it’s harder and harder to use a gauge when the vehicle is in the parking lot.” For optimal efficiency, he believes handheld, digital tread depth scanners need to be integrated with point-of-sale systems. “If it’s not integrated and doesn’t autosend to the point-of-sale system or invoice, it really is almost the same thing as taking a measurement with a traditional gauge.” When it comes to tread depth scanning and even tire/wheel installation, “I do think that robots and automation are definitely coming.” But no machine can fully take the place of an experienced technician, he says. “There are so many variables when it comes to installing tires. Is the tire directional? Is there corrosion on the wheel? Will the tire pressure monitoring system need to be rebuilt?” Ari Thielman, general manager of G.T. Silver City Tire Co. Inc. in Meriden, Conn., is familiar with new tread depth measurement tools and technologies. “We are currently using the Autel MaxiTPMS TBE200.”

03_MTD_Feature.indd 26

He says the product “gives you the ability to take pictures, take accurate tread depth (measurements) and upload or send information to the customer.” Thielman sees the value in both driveover readers and hand-held scanners. The latter devices “not only look professional. They also give a more accurate readout” than technicians filling out traditional inspection sheets. That said, Thielman doesn’t think automated devices will completely replace technicians. “A technician brings people skills and the ability to explain to the customer” what a service condition means. Ryan Jennings, manager of Mark’s Tire Service in San Luis Obispo, Calif., also is familiar with automated tread depth scanning devices. But he isn’t sold on them yet. “It would not make financial sense, at least in my opinion, to purchase an automated tread depth reader when a technician can walk out and do the same job with a (traditional) gauge.” However, he does see “the practicality of an automated reader (making) recommendations to a technician on how to rotate tires based on vehicle year, make and model. “Do I think humans, at some point, will be phased out of the service bay? Yes. Do I think it’s right around the corner? No. “I think there is a lot of proving that needs to be done before I would invest in an automated service bay.” Joe Hershberger, CEO of Joe’s Tire in Barnesville, Ohio, has reviewed automated tread depth scanners “at shows and I have considered them for our shops.” They have to add value to the customer experience, he adds. Three of Hershberger’s stores are located in Ohio. One is located in West Virginia. All are in small towns. “I do think that tire dealers in cities (who are) servicing higher-end vehicles

“There are so many variables when it comes to installing tires,” says T.J. White, who manages a Tire Source store in Montrose, Ohio.

would benefit a lot from these units. They will help set a dealer apart from others, look more professional and (would be good) for upselling. “I am looking forward to a time (when) we have more technology in our process,” reveals Hershberger. “Customers picking their tires and add-on services and scheduling their appointments should be able to be done at a kiosk in the store.” But other functions will remain the domain of human beings, he says. “We don’t believe these tools will replace human technicians,” adds Mitch Bruneel, vice president of Bruneel Point S Tire & Auto Service, which is based in Boise, Idaho, and has 12 locations. “Our stance is that tools are necessary to make us more efficient and accurate, but we will always need well-trained people to perform the day-to-day functions.” Will there eventually be a place for automated systems and devices? Bruneel thinks so. “But we don’t know where that falls for us because we have not invested in them as of yet.” ■ MTD February 2022

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TireSouth

Michael and Jessica Spencer both grew up with parents who were small business owners and together they’re building TireSouth in the Atlanta, Ga., market. “You have to know how to shift gears,” says Jessica.

By customer demand TIRESOUTH EYES EXPANSION IN ATLANTA By

Joy Kopcha

welve years ago, when Michael and Jessica Spencer opened TireSouth Inc. in the midst of the Great Recession, plenty of people warned them they were crazy. “Now is not the time to open a business,” Jessica remembers the chorus telling them. And it wasn’t easy. But that first TireSouth store in McDonough, Ga. is thriving and the Spencers are preparing to open their sixth store in the Atlanta, Ga., market during the second quarter of 2022. Jessica, a second-generation tire dealer, hadn’t really considered following her parents into the tire business until the recession hit. “That’s when the tire business really shined,” she says. “All my friends and

03_MTD_Feature.indd 28

people I knew in construction and other businesses like that” were out of work. “In tires, it wasn’t our busiest time, but we were still carrying on. It became more attractive and it just hit me. All the training my Dad had given me and all the things I had watched as a kid — it all fell into place. The lightbulb went off.” Jessica had grown up in her family’s business, Larry’s New & Used Tires Inc. She worked there after school and on weekends. Michael had also grown up in a small family business. They say opening their own tire dealership felt like the right path. But they were adamant they wanted to forge their own way. “We started this when we were both 24,” he says. “We’ve learned every lesson along the way — made every

mistake you could. Now, we’ve kind of figured out what we’re about, what our niche is and what works for us. We have a pretty good formula that’s ready to scale.” That niche might sound like a cliche, but it’s proven to be successful. “We’re service-oriented,” says Michael. “We’re customer-centric.” And with that mission, TireSouth has grown. The dealership’s first few additional stores weren’t locations the Spencers had scouted and dreamed of opening. They were necessities to expand capacity and serve more customers. “We had too many customers and couldn’t handle them all at the original location, so it required us to open another,” MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:39 AM

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TireSouth Market share by speed rating Brand rankings in the H- and V-rated categories Replacement passenger tire shipments in the U.S. totaled an estimated 222 million units during 2020. MTD estimates that the H-rated passenger tire segment totaled 63.7 million units and the V-rated and above passenger tire segment totaled 59.8 million units. Here’s a snapshot of brand market shares in both categories: H-rated replacement V-rated and above passenger tire market share replacement passenger (based on an estimated tire market share TireSouth has a 50-50 mix of tire sales and service work, which includes brakes, as well as lift kits, suspensions and the installation of other aftermarket accessories.

63.7 million units)

BRAND

2021 SHARE

says Michael. “That’s how we want to focus our growth — not just in store count, not just by opening in different markets. We grow because our customers demand it of us. We’ve put customer centricity at the forefront and it’s really worked out well.” They’ve since taken over the two stores Jessica’s parents owned in Clayton County, Ga., south of Atlanta. Now with five stores around the Atlanta metro area, TireSouth has grown to have 30 service bays and annual sales of $15 million. Tire sales and automotive service are a 50-50 mix. The company has 50 employees.

Michelin

11.0%

Goodyear

10.0%

Yokohama

6.5%

Bridgestone

GROWTH IN UHP

One piece of TireSouth’s success comes from sales of ultra-highperformance (UHP) tires. Michael says the process begins with “asking a lot of questions. “A lot of new vehicles are coming with UHP tires versus standard touring or all-season tires. When it comes to replacement, a lot of times the consumer doesn’t know that. “So we’re asking about their driving characteristics and (are) asking, ‘What did you like about your vehicle when you bought it new?’ “We’re trying to get to the root of what they’re going to be happy with versus just matching the fitment.” That same practice applies to the growing number of customers who are interested in off-roading. “‘What are you trying to achieve? Are you going for a look or do you want something that’s off-road-capable?’ I think the more questions our salespeople ask, the better our shop is able to achieve the results a customer is after.” The CUV, SUV and light truck markets are all increasing pieces of the UHP tire pie. “We’ve always done a lot of pickup trucks and light trucks because that’s what’s on the road around here. “Looking at the CUV/SUV market when it comes to UHP and performance, that is a segment that over the last couple of years has grown a lot for us.” Michael says UHP tires from Hankook Tire North America have been especially popular with TireSouth’s customers. “Hankook has been a big one for us as of late. They have a good value proposition when weighing performance and price.”

03_MTD_Feature.indd 30

(based on an estimated 59.8 million units)

BRAND

2021 SHARE

Michelin

12.5%

Goodyear

11.5%

6.0%

Bridgestone

8.0%

Continental

5.5%

Falken

7.5%

Hankook

5.5%

Continental

6.5%

Falken

4.5%

Hankook

5.5%

BFGoodrich

4.0%

Pirelli

5.5%

Nexen

4.0%

Yokohama

4.5%

Toyo

4.0%

Nexen

4.0%

Firestone

3.5%

Kumho

3.5%

Pirelli

2.5%

BFGoodrich

3.0%

Sentury

2.5%

Delinte

3.0%

Cooper

2.0%

General

2.0%

Toyo

3.0%

GT Radial

2.0%

General

2.5%

Kumho

2.0%

Sumitomo

2.5%

Landsail

2.0%

Firestone

2.0%

Nitto

2.0%

Nitto

2.0%

Sailun

2.0%

Cooper

1.5%

Sumitomo

2.0%

GT Radial

1.5%

Dunlop

1.0%

Sailun

1.5%

Primewell

1.0%

Dunlop

1.0%

Vredestein

1.0%

Vredestein

1.0%

Others

11.5%

Others

6.5%

Source: Modern Tire Dealer estimates

MTD February 2022

2/3/22 1:44 PM

31_NOKIAN TYRES_0222.indd 31

1/27/2022 8:47:48 AM

TireSouth Jessica notes that warranties also have developed into “a good selling point.” And while they say tire supply has been tight across the board, Michael admits the issue has been “maybe a little worse” for UHP tires than other products TireSouth sells. In general, he thinks any kind of specialty tire has been “a little bit tougher to track down” than an entry-level product or passenger touring tire. One thing that hasn’t affected UHP tire sales is consumer spending habits. The Spencers say their customers have accepted the price increases that have come down the pike over the last year. Jessica says that “2021 was a big spending year for our customers. I don’t feel like we had a lot of pushback on price, which is odd for a pandemic and all the uncertainty. Hopefully, it stays that way.” Michael attributes some of the dealership’s ability to overcome increased pricing to the work and time TireSouth employees spend educating consumers. They’re “explaining the value proposition or the characteristics that come along with a UHP tire versus an entry-level touring tire. “I think it comes down to educating the customer, then stepping back and letting them make the decision. We try to explain the value and what we’re offering. “If you take the time to explain it, most of them are going to end up in the tire that’s better-suited for them and their vehicle.”

“As we grow, we would like to buy more direct,” says Jessica. “We just haven’t shifted over yet.” Unlike their counterparts in other areas of the country, TireSouth and other tire dealers in Atlanta aren’t that far from a good number of the nation’s tire manufacturing plants. Has that lessened the blow of tire supply issues? “I would assume” that availability is better, says Jessica. “It’s been a challenge, but it hasn’t been a total upheaval in our business. “Sometimes you just have to work on tracking something down a little bit harder. But there are very few instances where we just can’t find something or you have a back-order status that doesn’t have an end date to it. (Tires) have been tougher to find, but we’ve been able to get our hands on them 99% of the time.”

With the sixth TireSouth store set to open later this year, Michael says the Spencers have an advantage in that they’re not spending all of their time at the sales counter. Having great employees “allows us to expedite growth.”

CARING FOR EMPLOYEES

Sports cars still represent a large share of the TireSouth’s overall ultra-high performance tire sales, but Michael Spencer says it’s clear that UHP fitments for SUVs, CUVs and light trucks are a growing business for the dealership.

SUPPLY CHAIN LESSONS

The struggle to find tires is accelerating TireSouth’s plans to someday stock and manage its own warehouse. For now, the company’s five stores mostly rely on daily deliveries from tire distributors. A distribution center is likely in the cards at some point as the company adds more stores. The Spencers agree that issues over the past year have emphasized this need. “Being more vertically integrated on our supply line is something that is very, very attractive to us,” says Michael. “To be able to control that supply and not be so reliant on distributors” is appealing. And supply chain issues have “probably expedited our plans on that.”

03_MTD_Feature.indd 32

As the Spencers work around supply challenges, they are applying the lessons they’ve learned from serving customers to managing their team. “It’s the old saying ‘Take care of the customer and they’ll take care of you,’” says Jessica. “It’s held true — and with employees, too. “We’re in a time where staffing shortages are everywhere. If you take care of your people — customers and employees — you’ll find a way to make it through and thrive.” In employee relations, that mindset is important. Jessica says she thinks there’s an advantage to being “not too big and not too small.” TireSouth has “always treated (our people) well (and) gone above and beyond. I think we treat and pay people a lot better than our competitors do and I think they know that.” The Spencers aren’t shy about sharing their vision and mission with employees, says Michael. “We want them to be part of the growth and let them know where our heads are at and where we’re trying to take the company and how that impacts them. “When they feel they’re a part of something bigger than just their day-to-day jobs, it definitely keeps people more engaged.” Jessica says she reminds the TireSouth team that “the road to the top of the corporate ladder isn’t that long. We’re not a huge company yet, so if you want to run a store, the climb is not that far. You can do it. “They see us remodeling stores and building new stores. They see it and believe it and feel that they’re part of it. That keeps them motivated and that pushes Michael and I to keep healthy growth going, as well.” ■ MTD February 2022

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1/27/2022 8:48:20 AM

Digital marketing

How to make Google work for you

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ONLINE PROFILE By

Dan MacDonald

ave you Googled your business lately? I hope so, because for a tire dealership, reputation is everything. If you give customers great service they can trust, they will stay fiercely loyal to you and tell their friends. If you don’t, watch out! Customers who feel like they have been underserved will let others know. Here are a couple online reviews that popped up when I Googled a tire dealership in my area:

“Rude receptionist with terrible customer service. Team has very poor time management skills. You deserve no stars.” “Booked an appointment and got there 15 minutes early. More than one hour later my car was still not in the bay. When I asked about my car, she said she could give me my car keys back. I do not recommend this business.” I don’t know about you, but reading reviews like these would have me quickly looking for another tire dealership. I suspect you would do the same. Selling tires and automotive service is a word-of-mouth business, so managing your online reputation must be central to your digital marketing strategy. In the customer’s mind, you are what people say you are online. Today, online reviews play a huge role in whether a consumer chooses to buy from a business. In fact, more than 90% of consumers seek out and read customer reviews prior to visiting or using a business. Most trust online reviews written by people they do not know just as much as they trust personal recommendations. Here are three reasons why Google reviews are so important:

03_MTD_Feature.indd 34

Online reviews can boost your company’s search ranking. And knowing how to improve your search engine optimization is very important.

1. Google reviews improve local search ranking. Online reviews can boost your company’s search ranking. Knowing how to improve your search engine optimization is very important. If customers can’t find your business when they’re searching, how can they possibly make a purchase from you? Having a lot of Google reviews helps drive you up in the ranking and can put you on page one of a Google search. 2. Google reviews increase trust. The vast majority of 18-to 34-year-olds (91%) trust online reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends if the reviews sound authentic and there are multiple positive reviews for the same business. And you should not ignore Yelp and Facebook. Yelp’s online review platform has more than 135 million unique users and while tilted towards restaurants, it provides categories for almost every sector, including tires and automotive service. And with nearly 1.4 billion monthly active users, Facebook is an online review site to be reckoned with. 3. Google reviews influence purchase decisions. Positive online reviews can give just the validation consumers are looking for when making a choice. Google uses a five-star rating system. If your business has a low star rating or a lot of recent negative Google reviews, customers could be turned off. Experts say 3.3 is the minimum star rating that a business should have.

then fill in the requested information. 2. Make your listing stand out. After you update your Google business listing, make sure it’s compelling and filled with relevant information that will entice searchers. Your business description should include all the information about your dealership that customers might find relevant, including the tire brands you sell, special services you offer and your competitive advantages, like having ASE-certified technicians. Include up-to-date hours of operation. Upload high-resolution photos. Google has found that listings featuring photos receive 42% more requests for driving directions from Google Maps and 35% more click-throughs to a business’ website. 3. Invite your customers to give you a review. After you’ve taken the time to optimize your Google business listing, start collecting reviews. Make a proactive effort to ask all your customers to write a Google review of your business. Studies show that 77% of customers are willing to provide a business review. Send customers either a text or email with a link to your Google review page so they can just click on the link and write a review. Make it easy for them.

Here are three key steps to getting more Google reviews for your dealership:

Also explain to customers that their feedback helps you continually improve your service. Let them know their opinion matters. And send an invitation to all customers, not just loyalists. You want to instill a sense of authenticity and trust. ■

1. Claim ownership of your Google business listing. The first thing you need to do is claim your Google business listing. This is free. Just go to Google and type “Google my business.” A link will pop up. You

Dan MacDonald is a freelance writer and former public relations vice president for Bridgestone Americas Inc. Dan founded MacDonald Communications, which focuses on public relations and digital marketing. He can be reached at (615) 681-5387 or dan@ maccomm.net. Website: www.maccomm.net

MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:00 PM

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1/27/2022 8:50:59 AM

Commercial Tire Dealer™

‘LIKE A GOLD RUSH’

OTR TIRE DEMAND WILL BUILD IN 2022, SAY MANUFACTURERS By

Mike Manges

“Even though we are not in a large shortage cycle, it is still just as important for dealers to forecast their customers’ needs and communicate with manufacturers to ensure they have a continual supply of the necessary tires,” says Chris Rhoades, assistant vice president, OTR, BKT USA. Shipping times also are improving, which will help dealers, he adds.

espite supply chain constraints, the North American OTR tire market made a dramatic rebound in 2021. Infrastructure projects, elevated commodity prices and other factors will help ensure that demand for OTR tires remains robust in the new year, according to tire manufacturers. Here’s a look at how and why the OTR

Also in CTD Brad Schmucker guides Millersburg Tire through growth phase................43 Truck tire service is all in the RIST.....44 AG Tire Talk: Supply, prices squeeze market ...................................46

04_MTD_CTD-CommerciallyViable.indd 36

tire market turned around. Suppliers also share their forecasts for 2022 and discuss trends that OTR tire dealers should monitor as business continues to boom. MTD: Can you describe what OTR tire demand was like in 2021? Chris Rhoades, assistant vice president, OTR, BKT USA: OTR tire demand in 2021 rose above pre-COVID-19 levels, despite supply chain and logistics issues. Aggregates and construction demand continued to grow at a normal pace. Tony Cresta, product manager of commercial products, China Manufacturers Alliance LLC (CMA): In 2021, we saw

OTR tire demand increase from an overall, roughly flat 2020. Shawn Rasey, director of global business development, earthmover tires, Continental Tire the Americas LLC: The rebound in demand was a bit sharper and more pronounced than we anticipated coming off a patchy 2020, which was affected by COVID-19. That rebound was pretty much sustained throughout the year, with both dealers and end users going back to work. Like most industries and businesses, we did see some limitations on growth, fueled by both labor shortages and tire supply. Loic Ravasio, general manager, global and Americas OTR, Goodyear Tire & MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:02 PM

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OTR tires Rubber Co.: OTR tire demand continued to recover in 2021. While demand for mining tires was slightly behind other OTR segments, we expect it to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. Jimmy McDonnell, vice president of sales and marketing, Maxam Tire North America: Overall, special tire demand was strong. Many construction projects related to infrastructure improvements proved to drive demand post-COVID-19. Heavy equipment operators saw strong demand for new machines, with growth only limited due to supply chain issues with components. Machine inventories are still very low and have not been rebuilt yet.

Bruce Besancon, vice president, marketing and strategy, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc.: The 2021 OTR tire business was like a gold rush and tires were the gold. After losing 20% to 30% of their sales in 2020, dealers and original equipment manufacturers came back strong in 2021 — gaining back what they’d lost and continuing to build strength right through the end of the year and into 2022. While customers were calling for tires, manufacturers were working hard to increase capacity, meet demand and shore up their partner-dealer relationships. MTD: What’s your forecast for 2022?

Jaye Young, mining business line marketing director, Michelin Group: Tire demand was very strong in both the quarry and mining sectors, driven by recovery-focused infrastructure investments, increased energy consumption and demand for commodities like copper, iron ore and nickel needed to support the transition to sustainable energy sources like batteries, windmills and solar panels.

Rhoades (BKT): We don’t see demand slowing down for 2022 and are predicting a record growth year for BKT. We are continuing to increase capacity for key sizes, as well as adding mining tires like 37.00R57, 40.00R57 and 50/65R51 to round out our offerings. Shipping costs continue to be at record highs, but we are seeing an improvement on shipping times, as well as ports clearing.

Stephen Reynolds, OTR director, Triangle Tire USA: There was strong demand for both haulage and loader tires throughout 2021 that seemed to be evenly distributed among mining, construction and quarry segments. Typically, you would think of late-November and most of December as the slower time of the year. However, Triangle saw record sales in November and December.

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Cresta (CMA): So far, we have seen indications that 2022 will continue to be an uptrend for OTR tires. Both our warehouse stocking orders and customer factory-direct orders increased from the fourth quarter of 2020 to 4Q 2021. This means keeping our newest warehouse in Houston, Texas — as well as our southern California and Memphis, Tenn., warehouses — stocked with an increasing amount of sizes and SKUs to meet demand. The North American OTR tire market is the largest in the world and with large investments being made in infrastructure and the expansion of the leisure industry — construction of hotels, stadiums and casinos is on the rise — the market is poised to continue to grow.

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Bruce Besancon, vice president, marketing and strategy, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc., says 2021 was a “wild west market,” driven by accelerated demand that coincided with “a logistics issue like nothing we’d ever seen. “Think back to last spring, when a container ship blocked the Suez Canal for less than a week. We saw the ripple effects of even a short interruption of shipping. “And then we had tie-ups for the rest of the year that have led to back-ups in ports around the world, global imbalances in containers and huge increases in the cost of shipping and raw materials.” As supply chain problems persist, “things we used to think we knew about… are being re-written every day. Our most successful customers will be the ones who are a lot more diligent about managing orders, timing and inventory.”

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MTD February 2022 1/21/22 9:23 AM

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1/27/2022 8:58:08 AM

OTR tires

“I think 2022 is going to be a continuation of 2021,” says Bruce Besancon, vice president, marketing and strategy, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. “Equipment manufacturers are working as hard as they can to meet demand for new machines and that demand is going to continue as the economy keeps expanding. Right now, machinery is moving all over the country.”

related to COVID-19 spikes, possible continued labor shortages, tire manufacturers playing catch-up related to supply and regional differences in dealing with COVID-19 containment policy. Overall, it feels like demand in 2022 should be equal to or slightly better than 2021, if supply is available to support it. Ravasio (Goodyear): Our forecast for 2022 includes a continual upturn across all segments. McDonnell (Maxam): We are forecasting strong growth for 2022. In North America, economies are emerging from the global COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government has passed an infrastructure bill that is going to yield strong growth for the specialty tire market for years to come — building momentum through 2022 and really kicking in (during) 2023, when new projects are expected to be started and underway. Young (Michelin): We will see continued growth in demand in 2022. In fact, 2022 will return to pre-COVID-19 levels of demand. Reynolds (Triangle): All indications are that demand will increase in 2022, particularly in the construction and quarry segments. With the passing of the infrastructure bill, staples of the industry — like concrete production and road construction — should thrive, putting pressure on the struggling supply

04_MTD_CTD-CommerciallyViable.indd 40

chain to keep up. The cause for concern is that no one is able to predict when ocean freight might start to return to normal and some of the models we’ve seen are predicting no real relief until the end of the year. Besancon (Yokohama): I think 2022 is going to be a continuation of 2021. Equipment manufacturers are working as hard as they can to meet demand for new machines and that demand is going to continue as the economy keeps expanding and new infrastructure improvements get underway. Right now, machinery is moving all over the country. Quarries are busy, mines are busy, logging and construction are being driven by a huge market for new homes and container handlers are moving 24/7 at ports. Every segment we serve is running in high gear. MTD: What are some trends that OTR tire dealers should monitor in the new year? Rhoades (BKT): OTR tire dealers are being met with price increases, as well as freight surcharges, that have to be communicated to the end user. Even though we are not in a large shortage cycle, it is still just as important for dealers to forecast their customers’ needs and communicate with manufacturers to ensure they have a continual supply of the necessary tires. MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:03 PM

41_ZC RUBBER_0222.indd 41

1/27/2022 8:53:54 AM

OTR tires Cresta (CMA): With global supply chains lessening but nevertheless extending into 2022, it will be as important as ever to manage your demand and orders with your OTR tire suppliers. In 2021, delivery times from order to your doorstep were extended and we all felt the pressure. This is improving through hard work on both sides and it will remain an important factor in 2022.

Rasey (Continental): Supply planning for customer needs — particularly in regard to timing — (and) the continuing evolution of smart tire technology and advanced solutions, focused on helping end users better manage safety, productivity and asset management. Tire dealers will play an increasingly important role in this arena and will find new ways to integrate these technologies into their day-to-day service portfolios.

Ravasio (Goodyear): Two of the top trends OTR tire dealers will see in 2022 are service beyond tires and sustainability. Service beyond tires includes reliable services and tire management solutions that lower total cost of ownership for fleet operators. Sustainability efforts will continue to be a major focus and we’ll continue to see achievements and new innovations in this space. Jimmy (Maxam): Supply chain challenges — ensuring they have supply of products needed by their customers.

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Young (Michelin): I think shipping challenges will continue into 2022 and the key focus for dealers is going to be to pay more attention than ever to their inventories and accelerate (their) demand forecasts. Dealers and manufacturers will need to forecast earlier and more accurately than we have historically to compensate for the longer shipping times and the lack of flexibility caused by existing back-logs. Reynolds (Triangle): Forecasting needs has always been a crucial piece of the puzzle for dealers trying to control their inventory costs. In 2022, this could become the most challenging aspect for a dealer because rather than predicting their needs and placing orders in the short-term, they may be forced to account for an unpredictable supply chain timeline. Those who can forecast further out and are bold enough to place orders early are likely to have more success in navigating what is likely to be a challenging year. Besancon (Yokohama): I believe we’re going to see the market continue to grow. Manufacturers are putting machines into the field, but not just to replace retiring machines. They’re expanding the number of machines — the number of wheel positions — in these growing segments. That’s good for the tire industry on both the original eqauipment and aftermarket sides of the business. I also think we’re going to see a shift toward more data transparency as manufacturers work closely with customers to help them understand our business processes and help them learn to plan more effectively. We’re going to see more transparency up and down the supply chain. MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:03 PM

Ag tires

ALL IN THE FAMILY BRAD SCHMUCKER GUIDES MILLERSBURG TIRE THROUGH GROWTH PHASE By

Ron Ledgard

illersburg Tire Service Inc. is closing in on 70 years of being in business and one person who has been there for nearly every step is Brad Schmucker, the company’s CEO. His father and uncle started the business in 1953 in Holmes County, Ohio. And as Schmucker — who was born that year and later ran around the place as a youngster — gets ready to step back, he couldn’t be more proud of his family and the business they run. “At the end of May, I will have been doing it for 50 years. And come June 2, I guess, I am going to retire. “But I will probably be back in on June 3 because I told the kids I was going to help them,” Schmucker says with a laugh. His son, Brandon, is the president of the company and his daughter, Brittany, is vice president/treasurer. “My brothers worked here. And my two grandsons, Wyatt and Owen, are the fourth generation. When they aren’t in school, they come in. Nothing makes me any prouder than having one of my grandsons working beside me or helping. That, to me, is the ultimate. I can get emotional” about it. Schmucker’s right-hand man, Steve Kauffman, who works in the company’s wholesale division, also plans to retire. They both started around the same time. “I said it would be an honor for him to walk out with me,” Schmucker says of Kauffman. “Except he will golf the next day and I will go back to work!” Schmucker recalls his early years with the dealership. “It seems like yesterday. I graduated on Sunday and went to my Dad’s school of hard knocks on Monday. I started cleaning the bathrooms, stacking tires, worked in the retread shop, loaded trucks, drove trucks — I have done it all.” Millersburg Tire, which employs 40 people, got its start with ag tires, but it covers the gamut of products now, selling w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

04_MTD_CTD-CommerciallyViable.indd 43

Brad Schmucker’s family has owned Millersburg Tire since 1953. Pictured with Schmucker (far right) are his son, Brandon; daughter, Brittany; and wife, Diane.

The fourth generation of Schmuckers, Brad’s grandsons, Wyatt and Owen, now work in the family business.

passenger, light truck and commercial truck tires. And it has a wholesale division. Schmucker bought the business from his brothers and his father, Sheldon, in 2007. “From 2007 to 2018, we doubled our business. We are continually growing every year.” Schmucker credits the farming community and just being diligent in how his employees do business for the dealership’s overall success. “We give good service and good prices,” he says. “And we treat people the way we want to be treated. Just be nice. It’s not rocket science. You don’t have to be a Harvard graduate to do these things. “People like to come to a place where people are nice. They want to go where people know their names. We try hard each and every day. We aren’t perfect. Dad always said you can never please everybody, but you can never quit trying. We still use that to this day.” And Schmucker isn’t afraid of a challenge. “If somebody calls and says, ‘I can’t find these tires,’ that is a throwdown. I am ready to put my parachute on, jump out of the plane and find those tires.” As you speak with Schmucker, you can’t help but be drawn in by his genuine manner. This is evident when he talks about Ivan Barkman, one of his sales staff who suddenly passed away in November 2021. “We just got a card in the mail addressed

to him after he passed,” says Schmucker. “Boy, it was tough for me to hold it together. It was somebody he had taken care of two or three months prior sending the card. We will definitely save that note. “I find as I get older that when somebody takes a minute to send a handwritten note, it usually makes me tear up. I’m not going to lie to you.” Millersburg Tire still specializes in ag tires. “My Dad built the foundation on farm tires. In this last year, we fell just a tad short of (selling) 6,000 farm tires. If I could tell him that now, I would say, ‘Dad, you know when you started out with those two or three tires you used to sell …’” Schmucker says the dealership is doing well despite present headwinds. Millersburg Tire has about 1,000 tires on back order as the pandemic continues. (On the ag tire side, Schmucker deals mostly with Firestone and CEAT brand products.) The people of Holmes County have taken part in Millersburg Tire’s various celebrations over the years. Schmucker was planning another for early-2022, but had to scuttle it due to the pandemic. Those festivities will be brought back soon, he hopes. Schmucker loves how one of his customers, who has since passed away, talked about Millersburg Tire. The customer would tell him, “If Millersburg Tire doesn’t have it and can’t get it, you don’t need it.”

2/7/22 9:34 AM

Service

TRUCK TIRE SERVICE IS ALL IN THE RIST DON’T SKIP STEPS DURING TIRE INSTALLATION PROCESS

Mike Manges to inspect all tire and wheel assembly components. “S” reminds technicians to snug lug nuts in a star pattern. And “T” reminds them to torque wheel fasteners to specification.) The idea is “to flow through the acronym so that no steps are overlooked,” says Stover. Following each step of the RIST process is “a must. RIST is designed to prevent wheel-offs. You want to accomplish installing the wheel or wheel assembly without it ever exiting the vehicle without assistance from the technician. “It can be life-ending if a wheel assembly comes off ” a truck, says Stover. “That’s an unguided missile going down the road — heading into oncoming traffic.” The industry, he adds, still experiences “way too many” wheeloff incidents. Here are some RIST-related tips to keep in mind when working with truck tire and wheel assemblies, according to Stover: Take your time. “I don’t know why, but some people think they have to get out there and get things done in a quick manner,” he says. “I feel we have to place an emphasis on doing the job right, rather than just how fast we get the job done. If you did the job quickly, but not correctly, what did you accomplish? This is not a race. Take your time, do the job right and keep everyone on the road safe.”

The first step in the RIST process is removal of all debris from mating surfaces, says Tim Stover, vice president, strategic accounts, Bob Sumerel Tire Co. (Pictured is an ARLIE cleaning tool.)

ost commercial truck tire service technicians are familiar with the RIST process, which “is an acronym that is designed to recall the proper procedures when bolting a tire and wheel assembly onto a vehicle,” says Tim Stover, vice president of strategic accounts for Erlanger, Ky.-based Bob Sumerel Tire Co. Those who aren’t should acquaint themselves with the procedure immediately, he adds. (The “R” in RIST reminds technicians to remove debris from rim mating surfaces. “I” reminds them

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Add oil. “When RIST was first developed, there were numerous configurations of wheels and we still — on occasion — get a studpiloted wheel or something of that nature,” says Stover. “Today, techs are primarily working with a hub pilot assembly and that assembly has to go together wet.” He says technicians should put two drops of oil on studs, plus drops on lug nut collars. “Let’s say a tech does everything else according to RIST, but applies a torque wrench to a dry stud or nut. They’re not getting the proper torque and therefore, they’re not achieving proper clamping force. One of the things I say when visiting a service tech is, ‘Show me your oil can.’” Don’t jump around. “If you don’t start with the very first RIST step — cleaning all the components — none of the rest will ever come together. Not following a single syllable of the RIST procedure” can expose tire dealers to potential lawsuits should a wheel-off occur. He also recommends brushing up on the difference between torque and clamping force. “Torque is a measure of a twisting motion designed to achieve a specific clamping force. Achieving proper clamping force is what RIST is all about.” MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:50 AM

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2/11/22 12:17 PM

A G T i r e Ta l k

SUPPLY, PRICES SQUEEZE AG TIRE MARKET TIREMAKERS DISCUSS WHY — AND HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST

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: Why are ag tires so difficult to find, why are prices increasing, how long will this continue and what should producers do to make sure they have the tires they need? DAVE PAULK, manager, field technical services, BKT USA: The tire industry has been faced with many difficulties over the last 18 months during COVID-19. Although agricultural tires have been in demand as farmers have received government subsidies and invested in farming equipment, manufacturers are challenged to keep up with demand. There have been many complications getting the raw materials needed to produce tires because of restrictions imposed during and after the shutdowns from the pandemic. Rubber and other raw material prices continue to increase month over month. Getting tires to customers is also a challenge. For the logistics industry, there has been a shortage of containers, with estimated 12.5% of the global capacity being unavailable. Shipping and freight costs are escalating almost daily. There is a shortage of laborers at the ports, as well as truck drivers for transportation. Containers of tires that have already arrived at ports are many times held up for several extra weeks before reaching the customers. Concurrently, there is a new energy crisis and due to shortages, coal futures are soaring, with an increase of more than 200%. These macro-economic factors of the market are certainly creating barriers. Many tire manufacturers had to cut down on production

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to adjust to the changing environment. The greater challenge for them is to adapt and keep on the move. BKT is working closely with our distributors and dealers to ensure that they receive the tires they need to cover current demand and order effectively for future needs. DANA BERGER, ag business development manager, Continental Commercial Specialty Tires: We have all seen the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another. The pandemic shut down many key operations and material supply for tires. Steel, natural rubber, carbon black, silica — the list goes on. And all of the materials are not sourced in one place, either. Add this to the challenges we have faced through logistics channels, at ports, with trucking companies and driver shortages and don’t forget to factor all industry labor shortages. It’s truly amazing that tires were manufactured, let alone made it to the wholesalers, distributors, dealers and end users. If we had to count the individuals involved from start to finish, from sourcing materials for production to mounting a tire to a tractor, we would lose count. In March 2020, the planting season was already planned for and who knew we would be approaching the 2022 planting season, learning how to make pandemic life “normal?” Keep in mind, farmers are considered essential workers. Even when many were working from home, farmers were out using their tires. Plant shutdowns don’t happen on a farm. MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:04 PM

A G T i r e Ta l k As with any commodity, the law of supply and demand comes into play. When there is high demand and a low supply, prices always go up. The only challenge with this is that market demand hasn’t decreased, despite price increases. Enter demand-pull inflation, where demand for tires exceeds the manufacturer’s capacity. This creates a great challenge for sales.

‘Replacement ag tire demand has continued to be strong’ — David Graden, operational market manager, agriculture, Michelin North America Inc. Salespeople put in long hours planting the seed with a new customer — growing their interest and building rapport — before they can reap the reward. To not have tires to sell is a painful topic to share with those seedling customers. What is even harder is not knowing how long the industry will continue to be affected. Several countries are now facing another variant of COVID-19, expos are being postponed again and some are being cancelled, even now. We certainly don’t want to see this demand-pull effect be the norm, but it’s very hard to say when this situation will level out. Farmers will need to plan ahead as much as possible. If they find the right size tire in stock and expect to need a replacement, they should jump on it.

Original equipment manufacturers also have struggled with a shortage in resources and getting new equipment to the farmers. This will keep demand for replacement tires at a high level, at least into 2023, with brand loyalty not carrying much weight until some relief can be seen on the horizon. GREG GILLAND, vice president, global agriculture, Maxam Tire North America: The agricultural tire market is facing unparalleled demand and is up significantly versus the same period last year. The primary factor for this incredible leap in demand is core crop prices for 2021. Despite the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, we have experienced almost a doubling of crop prices in less than 15 months, beginning in the second half of 2020. This explosion of demand is primarily centered on the global need for wheat, soybeans, corn and cotton. Improved profits for farmers and growers have fueled unprecedented global demand for new equipment and/or tires for their vehicles. This has accelerated new equipment demand from the original equipment manufacturers, which has severely strained the global tire supply as manufacturers are reacting to the combined tire surge in both original equipment and aftermarket needs. As we look at 2022 and beyond, these are the trends we are observing. OEM demand for tires will remain high as tire manufacturers react to their factory needs well into 2022; farmers and growers will need to purchase equipment and tires to amortize their 2021 profits earned; cash crop prices are expected to remain high

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2/10/22 9:31 AM

A G T i r e Ta l k well into the first quarter of 2023, which will allow more farmers to purchase equipment or tires into the first half of 2023; and the global population continues to grow, which will create a permanent strain on food supply for the years to come. In addition, the current global delays caused by container or port distribution and/or ground freight problems — with no end in sight — will artificially continue to drive tire demand, as well sustain current crop prices. Farmers and growers need to remain proactive and monitor all of their equipment needs to include tires. In this case, proactive means farmers and growers must be placing orders now for what they think they may need in the next six-months-to-a-year. Maxam’s objective in the years to come is to grow our tire production capacity so we can continue to deliver radial products in the right sizes with the right load capabilities, that when operated at the right air pressure, will deliver the value our customers expect.

‘This is not the time to skimp on tires’ — Blaine Cox, national product manager, agriculture, gulf and turf, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. DAVID GRADEN, operational market manager, agriculture, Michelin North America Inc. As many of us know, replacement tire demand can be driven by many different factors. If I were to prioritize those factors, I would say seasonal weather, net farm income and global agricultural economics would be at the very top. Of course, we can’t always plan for the weather, but to some extent, we can keep our thumbs on projected net farm income and global agricultural economics. As ag tire manufacturers, we manage our forecasted demand based upon these two projections, plus historical hits/misses and what we see in farming practice evolution. To explain what is occurring today, we need to look back to the beginning of COVID-19. Farmers who were negatively affected tended to rely heavily upon manual/migrant workers and/or grow and supply foods to our schools, restaurants and businesses. All other farmers and producers were affected very little, but still received COVID-19 financial relief. This — in addition to low input costs — are a big piece of the net farm income equation that led to more spending. Unfortunately, from a manufacturing perspective, the entire world almost completely shut down for four to eight weeks, while we all continued to feed ourselves and others. In a normal year, ag tire plants have to build constantly in order to keep up with demand. By the third and fourth quarters of 2020, all ag tire manufacturers were playing catch-up, while demand continued to increase. In early-2021, we began to see major shortages of raw materials like nylon and rubber. To further compound these issues, we began to see more cargo ships catching up and carrying more cargo, fewer trucks and truck drivers, massive increases in goods due to the spike in demand caused by the influx of cash into our economy, etc. We have been and are currently living in a snowball that continues to evolve. Jump ahead to today and replacement ag tire demand has continued to be strong, while net farm income is beginning to flatten, input costs are rising and COVID-19 relief is still being paid out. Unfortunately, we are all still experiencing higher raw

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material costs, while shipping container costs went from $3,000 to $18,000. Trucks and truck drivers are still very limited and labor costs have skyrocketed. Manufacturers of all shapes and sizes have to raise prices to cover these additional costs and even are finding creative ways to solve the logistic issues. Some ag tire manufacturers are curbing their demand by increasing prices, while others are cancelling orders and charging more for logistics. Either way, the light at the end of this tunnel is still a bit dim. We will see some relief around the late second half of 2022. Pricing will still be high and campaigns will be few and far between, but supply is improving. Michelin is maneuvering through this very fluid situation on a daily basis, as I am sure our competitors are doing the very same. NORBERTO HERBENER, OE applications engineer, Trelleborg Wheel Systems: Ag tires have been difficult to find because of several factors. With the pandemic in full swing in early-2020, customers hesitated in any kind of tire purchase because of the uncertainty as to what was to happen. Tractor production stopped and some tire production stopped, creating future pent-up demand. The ag tire market does go in cycles and 2021 caught up the cycle. The tire industry also is suffering a similar problem to other industries — a labor shortage. Many people are not working and because tire building is a skilled service, laborers are difficult to find. With fewer people making tires, factory output is lower. On the other hand, crop yield has been good. More than 14 billion bushels of corn were produced in the U.S. in 2020. That’s a 9% increase (from 2019 levels). Commodity prices also are high. Producers realized a large windfall from 2020 and this triggered spending. Tractor manufacturers could not keep up with the sudden influx of tractor orders. Consequently, tire manufacturers could not keep up with the sudden influx of orders from tractor manufacturers. Producers should place orders right now with their tire dealers. And we suggest that tire dealers place orders with manufacturers to get in line when tires become available. BLAINE COX, national product manager, agriculture, golf and turf, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc.: Many farm tires have been hard to find over the past year or so due to supply chain constraints at every level, from sourcing raw materials to shipping finished tires to dealers. Supply chain challenges have also contributed to high raw material prices, which have been a major factor in driving up tire costs. The bad news is that economists say it will be months or longer before today’s constraints let up. One of the great benefits of working for a company that specializes in farm and other OTR tires is that the off-road lines don’t get pushed aside by the demands of larger markets, like passenger or light truck tires. Our factories are dedicated to OTR and our team members are experts in keeping those lines moving. When supplies are tight and costs are increasing, it also really pays off for customers to know their tire dealer and trust that he or she is going to be able to get them the tires they need for the job they’re doing. This is not the time to skimp on tires and figure there will be a replacement around if something goes wrong. Selling a quality tire that’s purpose-built and application-specific for your customers’ equipment and conditions is the best way to ensure long, reliable service. This is a time when trust, expertise and relationships really pay off more than ever. MTD February 2022

2/1/22 12:04 PM

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1/27/2022 8:54:34 AM

Business Insight

How to get ahead of a shrinking workforce

GET CREATIVE IN BUILDING YOUR PIPELINE OF NEW TECHNICIANS By

Dennis McCarron

few years ago, it was stated that the average age of an ASE master-certified technician in the United States was approaching 60 years old. That’s a lot of wear and tear on the human body — a lot of busted knuckles, kneeling on cold concrete and staying after hours to finish a job that should have taken an hour, but a busted bolt turned it into a nightmare. The average age of an ASE-certified technician today, according to one source, is 40 years old. How can that be? Well, I know what didn’t happen was a flood of new, energetic, able-bodied and eager folks decided during the pandemic to become ASE master-certified. What it appears to be is two-fold. First, the baby boomers retired. Boomers made up a huge percentage of this kind of technician. If the average age of this technician was almost 60, you know the top age wasn’t more than about 65. So over the last few years, there’s been an increase in retirements by sheer necessity. The second factor is a little harder to see. Under the big number is a breakdown of how it spreads out. Fifty percent of technicians are over 40 — there’s no cap on the top number — while 25% are 30 to 40 years old and 25% are 20 to 30 years old and are likely closer to 30 by the nature of testing requirements. It would be interesting to see the numbers in five-year increments, but that data is not available. So we’ve seen a great tide of retirements and a shrinking workforce decades in the making. Part of this can be blamed on the enormous push by the education system to put high school kids in college and drop any kind of shop or vo-tech classes. Amazingly, the estimated job growth

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for technicians is expected to decline just over 3.5% over the next 10 years, even though wages are rising, technology is advancing at breakneck speeds, shops are finally evolving into the shops of tomorrow and the number of cars on the road isn’t going down.

As an industry, we need to go out looking for people who aren’t looking for us. Simple math tells you if demand is consistent or increasing and the ability to service that demand is declining, you’re going to have some problems. What can you do to get ahead of this situation? Let’s look at three potential solutions. 1. Get aggressive. This is going to be the most controversial point. Some refer to this as “stealing” technicians from other shops. I’ve never been a big fan of this concept. However, I’ve had many lively debates about what actually constitutes a “theft.” If a technician is very unhappy where he or she is currently working and you can vastly improve that person’s work life, is it stealing? I’m sure we could all debate about where the line gets drawn. 2. Get ready to spend a lot of money on training. This is the sweet spot. You hire for attitude and approach to work in general and teach/train the specifics. For too long as an industry, we just hired people and they got right to work, pumping out oil changes and flat repairs. We are in a drastically different time now. Owners of tire dealerships must begin to dedicate a

significant allocation of resources in training and development in young technicians. Weekly time must be spent on skill development. There’s a myriad of types of training available, from one-on-one training with local experts to online and industry-recognized programs like those offered by the Tire Industry Association. 3. Get rid of the old ways of looking for employees. Two of the most frustrating things to hear in our industry are “I’m too busy to go out looking for techs” and “Well, it’s been slow, so I don’t think I can afford another tech right now.” As an industry, we need to go out looking for people who aren’t looking for us. Unemployment is 3.9%. There aren’t many highly desired mechanics wandering around town, desperate to find a job. And as mentioned earlier, the funnel of high school graduates entering skilled trades was cut off years ago. You must create the interest yourself. You must connect with the right person, create a multi-faceted development plan and then execute and follow through. Even though the warning bells were sounded years back, all is not lost. This isn’t a doom and gloom column. It’s a wake-up call to change. There’s plenty of profit to be made, which can support a robust training and development program for young technicians. And there are still bad employers that have good employees who want a change of scenery. Get creative in your employee search. ■ Dennis McCarron is a partner at Cardinal Brokers, one of the leading brokers in the tire and automotive industry (www.cardinalbrokers.com). To contact McCarron, email him at dennis@cardinalbrokers.com.

MTD February 2022

2/10/22 9:32 AM

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1/27/2022 8:55:55 AM

Mergers and Acquisitions

Meet a dealmaker

JOE TOMARCHIO DISCUSSES MONRO’S M&A STRATEGY, HOW DEALERS CAN PREP TO SELL AND MORE By

Michael McGregor

oe Tomarchio Jr. is a special adviser for acquisitions to the CEO of Monro Inc. In his 18 years with Monro, he’s been an executive vice president in charge of acquisitions, tire sourcing and marketing and between 2006 and 2014 he ran all store operations for the 1,100 locations and more than 7,000 employees Monro had at the time. Joe is the original “Mr. Tire” in that he co- founded Mr. Tire in 1970 with his brother, Fred, and sold it to Monro in 2004. Joe has been involved in more than 60 sizable acquisitions over the past 18 years and has been part of the team that has seen Monro triple in size over that same time period. There is no one with more experience with acquisitions in the tire and service business, so we interviewed Joe to learn more about him and Monro’s ideal current targets. McGregor: Mr. Tire had 26 stores doing $52 million in revenue back in 2004 and had an amazing per store average back then. What was going on with Monro at the time? Had they been thinking, “We’ve got to expand beyond mufflers?” Is that why they acquired Mr. Tire? Tomarchio: Monro recognized that the exhaust business was peaking with the advent of stainless steel. Prior to stainless steel, in the Northeast — with all the salt on the roads — you’d be replacing exhaust systems every two or three years. But with the advent of stainless steel, they last 10-plus years. The CEO of Monro at the time was smart to realize that he’d better take Monro in a different direction by getting into the tire business and getting into underhood because Monro was highly focused on undercar. McGregor: What was behind your decision to sell Mr. Tire to Monro? Tomarchio: We looked at our situation and figured that we had to get substantially larger or someone could come into our market and potentially eat our lunch. Although we had number one market share in the Baltimore, Md., market at the time, we were caught in that space of being too big to think small, too small to think big. To really grow exponentially, we would have had to leverage our balance sheet up and take a risk that we just weren’t willing to take at that time. Our thought process was that we didn’t want to be worse off in 10 years from where we were at that time. We’d been through the years of high inflation, longshoreman strikes, trucking strikes, rubber company strikes, tire shortages, the Gulf War and two oil embargoes. I mean my brother and I had seen it all.

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Although we persevered through all that, my brother felt strongly we could do better by focusing on the real estate business. That is the main reason why we sold the business and kept the real estate. We thought that there were going to be two kinds of tire dealers in the future — the small independents that had probably five stores or less, who had that personal touch with employees and customers, and the mega dealers. The guys in the middle were going to get hurt or cramped because they can’t keep the personal touch and they don’t have the leverage of a Monro, a Firestone or a TBC Corp. on a lot of different levels. I’m talking about logistics, marketing, management, access to capital, training and spending the kind of money that you need to spend to stay on top of the new technologies that are coming into the marketplace. McGregor: Did you know at that time that Monro was looking to grow as fast as it has? Tomarchio: When Monro was recruiting me, they made it very clear that “The one overwhelming they were going to have a thousand thing I see is that tire dealstores in the foreseeable future. I could ers don’t collect for the value of their service, their see how this could happen. convenience and their Monro has always had a strong trustworthiness,” says Joe balance sheet and being a publicly Tomarchio, special advisor traded company, it had continual for acquisitions to Monro Inc.’s CEO. “They just access to capital. don’t charge enough.” So now I’m at Monro, I’ve got this strong balance sheet behind me and I have every one of the CEOs I’ve worked with saying, “Joe, use your resources, your contacts (and) your knowledge of the industry to help us grow exponentially.” I had the ability — and still do, for the most part — to pick up a phone and get somebody on the phone. McGregor: What are some of the more notable transactions that you led for Monro? Tomarchio: Oh, I’ve been involved in some great ones. First of all, because of my tenure in the business, a lot of dealers we acquired were friends and business associates of mine through decades of being in the business and sitting on different manufacturers’ advisory councils or going on dealer trips and to conventions. So I had a lot of contacts. Bob Dabrowski at Tire Warehouse was a great one, up in New MTD February 2022

2/1/22 4:26 PM

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1/27/2022 8:56:38 AM

Mergers and Acquisitions

Monro acquired Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based Mountain View Tire & Service Inc. in 2021. The dealership had 30 locations throughout southern California. Its founder, Nick Mitsos, was MTD’s Tire Dealer of the Year in 2011.

England (with) 40 some locations. He’s still a friend of mine. Ken Towery Tire, God bless his soul, was a great acquisition. Chris Jones at Tire Barn lives about three miles from me here in Naples, Fla. Ron Kramer down in Tidewater, Va., had 21, really nice Goodyear stores. The Mitsos family at Mountain View Tire in California are great operators (and) Allen Tire in the Los Angeles area, as well. Dan and Diane Hennelly at Tire Choice in Florida, Lewis Wexler at Free Service Tire in Tennessee, Skip Lightfoot’s Skip’s Tire in the (San Francisco) Bay Area — a lot of great ones. McGregor: What is Monro currently looking for in acquisitions? What types of businesses and geographies are top of mind for you or most attractive? Tomarchio: We are highly focused on acquiring good retail operations. They could be 100% service or they could be 100% tires or any combination in between. Any place that fits our model in the U.S. we’re interested in, but we are laser-focused right now on the South and southwestern United States, looking for platforms in Texas, Alabama, Arizona and New Mexico, as well as expanding our existing footprints in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. We like good retailers that have invested in their business and have a strong track record of profitability. We like acquiring a good business with a great customer base, a great reputation and quality employees. Quality people take care of the number one asset, which is the customer base. We honor all the tenure of the employees that are coming on board. If they’re on their benefits, they transfer over to us — no waiting. I think we have 8,400 employees now and the lion’s share of them are from acquisitions. Our track record speaks for itself. We take care of our people. And I’ve got to tell you, our new CEO, Mike Broderick, is a people person. And he is out in the stores quite a bit because he understands how important that is. Under

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Mike Broderick, we’re upgrading our stores, really focusing on the human capital and making sure our stores are staffed properly. We’re in a great position with a great balance sheet to take it forward. McGregor: Any advice for tire dealers in terms of what they should do to prepare their businesses before a sale to a company like Monro? Tomarchio: The one overwhelming thing I see is that tire dealers don’t collect for the value of their service, their convenience and their trustworthiness. They just don’t charge enough. They think they have to be the lowest price. And I see that when they get hit with a price increase and they hesitate to pass the price increase along. You do need to be competitive, but the number one thing I would tell people is raise your prices. Number two is that a lot of tire dealers defer investments in equipment, technology and building maintenance. We’re then faced with the dilemma of “What’s it going to cost us to bring these into the 21st century?” Sometimes the view’s not worth the climb and we pass on those businesses. And the third thing is if you’re looking to sell your business, you need to take a year — preferably two — and separate church and state. You can’t run your personal affairs out of your business. Separate them so that you have a clear financial statement that you can (use to) quantify the expenses that are related directly to the business from the expenses that are not inherent to running the business. McGregor: So what’s Monro’s current philosophy regarding keeping the name of some of these tire dealerships versus changing them to Mr. Tire, Tire Choice or Monro Auto Service & Tire Centers? Tomarchio: If you buy a great company that has a great name, MTD February 2022

2/7/22 9:47 AM

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Nominate a candidate for MTD’s 2022 Tire Dealer of the Year Award Established in 1993, Modern Tire Dealer’s Tire Dealer of the Year Award is the oldest, most prestigious honor of its kind. Each year, Tire Dealer of the Year Award candidates are evaluated in five categories: California dreaming or new reality? Fuel efficiency ruling could have big impact On the fast track RNR Tire Express builds steam How to sell brake service

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Do you know an independent tire dealer who excels in these areas? Nominate him or her today! DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS MAY 27, 2022. To nominate, go to: www.moderntiredealer.com/awards For more information, contact MTD Editor Mike Manges at mmanges@10missions.com

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO RECOGNIZE AN OUTSTANDING TIRE DEALER! 55_DEALER OF THE YEAR_0222.indd 55

1/31/2022 10:37:28 AM

Mergers and Acquisitions the last thing you want to do is go in there and just turn the barrel upside down. There’s a lot of changes going on integrating an acquisition, anyway. Changing the name of a company that has a great name in a market we’re not currently in is not a priority at first. If we have a lot of stores in an area like the Northeast and we acquire somebody, we’re going to change the name to our brand because then we get the leverage of the marketing. But to go out into California and just arbitrarily change the name to one of ours — there’s no benefit. Mountain View Tire — talk about a great brand. Same thing with Allen Tire. Great brands — they have great customer bases (and) great employees. Now with that being said, we are narrowing down (our) brands — like, there’s no longer the Tread Quarters brand. We’ve done away with that.

Tire Choice is one of the many retail brands that Monro currently offers.

Tomarchio: I always try to look for the silver lining, but to those who have lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you. But I’d tell you that from a business perspective, we all found that we could do more with less. Maybe the payroll as a percentage of sales has come down. Dealers have shrunken store hours (and) in some cases, days. I’m running Tomarchio: I think it’s several things. One of them is that interest across several very well-run companies that have closed Saturdays, rates are very low, so money is cheap. Then you have private equity which you would never have dreamed of before. Companies have firms and hedge funds that just have billions of dollars of cash to not reopened on Sundays. So it’s made businesspeople, in general, more cost-conscious, as opposed to revenue-driven. invest. If they don’t use it, they lose it. I’ve seen companies spend a little less in marketing and spend And our industry, even though it’s consolidated quite a bit in the last, say, 20 years, is still a very fragmented it more efficiently. business that can be consolidated. This is Across the board, businesses are doing better. where I think we have the advantage because And I think the level of cleanliness of some Valuations go hand in Monro has been around for 65 years and we of the stores has improved. Those are some buy and hold onto businesses. of the good things. glove with the low interest Private equity’s modus operandi is to sell Now on the other side, lots of people have rates and the just prodithings off in three to seven years, with five said, “How much more of this is coming? Is years being the sweet spot. You would be it time for me to exit?” gious amount of capital hard-pressed to find a private equity firm My philosophy is none of us are getting out that’s out there. entering the space that has been holding for of this life alive. After you have your wants, seven years or more. needs and desires covered, as you become Also, Monro is a AAA-rated credit tenant. A lot of the tire older, time is more important than the money. dealers who are selling their companies want to keep the real And then as you become even older yet, good health is number estate. If private equity is buying the business, who’s going to be one and time and money take second and third place. operating that lease five to seven years from now? So that’s where McGregor: So you’re thinking that with COVID-19, a lot of Monro has an advantage. business owners are reassessing their exit timing? McGregor: Back to your experience as a tire sourcing guy, how do you think the relationship has changed between tire retailers Tomarchio: They absolutely are reassessing. I’ve heard these and manufacturers over the years? conversations — “Joe, I had this happen and you know what? You’ve been contacting me for years. I’m ready to talk.” Tomarchio: Well, it’s changed immensely. Back in the ‘70s and And I think that’s what COVID-19 has done and why you’re ‘80s, when my brother and I were buying tires, there were more seeing so many acquisitions recently. independent domestic rubber companies. The deals that were flying Valuations go hand in glove with the low interest rates and the and the terms that you (could) get were just crazy. I mean, we had just prodigious amount of capital that’s out there. The stock market’s floor plans which were basically consignments from the rubber doing well (and) the economy’s doing well. (There are) trillions of companies. And that really was one of the catalysts that helped dollars in consumers’ bank accounts still. us grow. So we put our money into equipment and new locations. But this cycle never stays way up here. It’s a vicious cycle when In return, we stayed as loyal as we possibly could to these the market turns down. When you’re at the top, you think it’s going manufacturers for as long as we could. That loyalty has eroded to last forever. It doesn’t. ■ between retailers and manufacturers — no question. McGregor: Let’s talk about market activity right now. It’s never been as active as it is today. What do you attribute that to? What’s changed that there’s just so much deal-making activity?

McGregor: What’s the biggest impact that COVID-19 has had on the industry, from your viewpoint?

05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 56

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.

MTD February 2022

2/8/22 9:34 AM

TUNE IN FOR

NEW EPISODES!

LISTEN TODAY BY VISITING

moderntiredealer.com/podcast MTD_Podcast_Print_2022.indd 57_MTD PODCAST_0222.indd 57 1

2/9/2022 2/9/22 8:40:05 8:31 AM AM

TPMS

Cadillac CT4 — 2020-21

DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION

Note: When a tire pressure sensor is replaced or tires are rotated, the sensor ID must be memorized by the tire pressure monitor system (TPMS) control unit. See TPMS reset procedures.

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION

TPMS operation The TPMS warns the driver when a significant loss of tire pressure occurs in any of the equipped tires. It allows the driver to display the individual tire pressures and their locations on the driver information center. The system uses the body control module (BCM), driver information center, instrument cluster, remote control door lock receiver and a radio frequency transmitting pressure sensor in each tire assembly. Each sensor has an internal power supply. The tire fill alert (TFA) feature, if equipped, provides visual and audible alerts (light flashes and horn chirps) to drivers to assist in inflating an underinflated tire to the recommended tire pressure without the need to check a gauge or the instrument panel.

05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 58

Each sensor has its own unique identification (ID) code, which it transmits as part of each right front (RF) message and must be learned into the BCM memory. Once all four IDs have been learned and vehicle speed is greater than 25 mph, the BCM continuously compares IDs and pressure data in the received transmissions to the learned IDs and pressures to determine if all four sensors are present and if one or more tires are low. If the BCM detects a low tire pressure condition or a malfunction in the system, it will send a serial data message to the instrument cluster requesting the appropriate tire pressure monitor indicator illumination and also display the appropriate data message on the driver information center, if equipped. The sensors continuously compare their last pressure sample to their current pressure sample and will transmit in alert mode if a 1.2 psi change in tire pressure has been detected in either a stationary or rolling state. When the tire pressure system detects a significant loss or gain of tire pressure, the tire pressure monitor indicator icon is continuously illuminated on the instrument cluster and if equipped, a check tire pressure type message is displayed on the driver information center. Both the indicator MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:53 AM

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SOLUTION POWERFUL SCAN TOOLS DIAGNOSTICS

TS508

TPMS SERVICE TOOL

• 4 MX-Sensor Programming Methods • Exclusive TPMS Status Screen

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TRAINING VIDEOS

YOUTUBE

1/27/2022 9:01:23 AM

TPMS icon and driver information center message can be cleared by adjusting the tire pressures to the recommended psi.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Tire fill alert malfunction Circuit/system description Instead of just warning the driver via the driver information center (DIC) when the vehicle tires are low, this feature provides

an audible and visual indication to the driver when they are putting air into the low tire to aid in achieving optimal tire pressure. The feature begins when the tire pressure telltale is illuminated for a low tire. When the driver starts to fill the low tire, the vehicle will flash the turn lamp of the corner that is being filled. This will provide feedback to the driver that a fill event is occurring. When the placard tire

pressure is achieved, the vehicle will notify the driver with a single, short, horn chirp, similar to the one heard when locking the vehicle. The turn signal lamp of that corner will then stop flashing and become solid for a short period of time. If continuing to fill the tire and an overfill occurs, the vehicle will notify the driver by sounding the horn three short chirps. Diagnostic aids The TPMS will not activate the tire fill alert properly under the following conditions: • There is interference from an external device or transmitter; • The air pressure from the inflation device is not sufficient to inflate the tire; • There is a malfunction in the TPMS; • There is a malfunction in the horn or turn signal lamps; • The identification code of the TPMS sensor is not registered to the system; • The battery of the TPMS sensor is low.

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05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 60

Circuit/system verification Note: The tire fill alert service procedure needs to be done consecutively within the same day. 1. Verify all the tire pressure sensors installed on the vehicle are compatible with tire fill alert: • Aluminum valve stem: The scan tool tire pressure sensor identification parameter begins with 0 or B, meaning the tire fill alert is compatible. • Rubber valve stem: 315 MHz-scan tool tire pressure sensor identification parameter begins with a 9, meaning the tire fill alert is compatible. • Rubber valve stem: 433 MHz-scan tool tire pressure sensor identification parameter begins with a 4 or 8, meaning the tire fill alert is compatible. 2. If any tire pressure sensor installed on the vehicle is not compatible with tire fill alert, replace the appropriate incompatible tire pressure sensor; 3. Check sensors to ensure they are reporting properly; 4. If any of the sensors is not reporting properly, then follow the TPMS service procedure; 5. While the vehicle is parked and in accessory power mode, release air

1/19/22 1:23 PM

MTD February 2022

2/3/22 1:54 PM

TPMS

AUTOMOTIVE INTELLIGENCE

TPMS KITS Ask Your Autel Distributor for Details

Figure 1: This is a tire pressure indicator sensor. Whenever the tire pressure indicator sensor is removed from the rim, install a new valve stem and a new bolt. Do not reuse the old parts.

from the tire until the TPMS telltale is illuminated; 6. Using a high-pressure compressor (flow rate has to be higher than 0.15 psi per second), start filling the tire with air; 7. Monitor vehicle corner lights and horn chirps; 8. If the tire fill alert works and there is no issue with the feature, then stop. If the tire fill alert is still not working, proceed to step 9; 9. While the vehicle is parked and in accessory power mode, release air from the tire until the TPMS telltale is illuminated. 10. Monitor and log the tire fill alert current state parameter: non-monitor, monitor, active or achieved. The initial state should be in monitor mode; 11. Using a high-pressure compressor (flow rate has to be higher than 0.15 psi per second), start filling the tire with air; 12. Monitor as the scan tool tire fill alert parameter changes its state from monitor to active to achieved; 13. If parameter states are changing while the tire is being filled with air and no lights or horn feedback are being issued, then refer to lighting diagnostics, and; 14. If parameter states are not changing while the tire is being filled with air and no lights or horn feedback are being issued, then refer to BCM diagnostics.

TPMS RESET PROCEDURES

Tire pressure indicator sensor learn Tire pressure sensor learn with EL-52545 (Preferred) w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

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The EL-52545 allows the tire pressure sensors to be learned without transmitting RF data between the tire pressure sensors and the vehicle. When using the EL-52545, each tire pressure sensor ID is learned to the EL-52545 and stored internally. The EL-52545 is then connected to the vehicle diagnostic link connector (DLC) using the onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) interface module, which is part of the EL-52545 kit. The stored tire pressure sensor information will then be loaded into the K9 BCM. Using the EL-52545 to learn tire pressure sensors will prevent the vehicle from learning errant nearby tire pressure sensors from other vehicles in a service facility environment, especially if the tire pressure sensor batteries are low. This is the General Motors (GM) recommended method to learn tire pressure sensors: 1. Turn on EL-52545; 2. Select RDR from the on-screen display. Note: Make sure the TPMS tool battery is sufficient to complete the TPMS learn process. Do not place the TPMS tool directly on the valve stem. The TPMS tool should be placed against the tire sidewall near the valve stem. The TPMS sensor learn activation procedure may have to be repeated up to three times before determining a sensor is malfunctioning; 3. If available, scan the QR code on the vehicle’s tire placard or certification label. If QR is not available, select MMY from the on-screen display and manually input the vehicle information;

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TPMS 4. Approach the vehicle starting with the left front tire and read each tire pressure sensor information by pressing the green trigger button with the EL-52545 located near the tire valve stem. Read each tire pressure sensor in the order identified on the EL-52545: • If any tire pressure sensors do not respond, replace the tire pressure sensor only after several attempts have been made to identify all sensors. The undetected sensor will be identified with “No Sensor Detected” displayed in the table. After sensor replacement rerun the procedure; • Go to next step if all tire pressure sensors do respond. 5. Verify the battery value for each tire pressure sensor in the table on the EL-52545 is OK: • If it’s not OK, replace the tire pressure sensor and rerun the RDR procedure; • If it’s OK, go to the next step. 6. Verify the pressure and temperature values are reasonable based on the ambient conditions and actual tire pressure: • If either value is inaccurate, replace the tire pressure sensor and rerun RDR procedure; • If both values are accurate, go to the next step. 7. Ignition on/vehicle in service mode; 8. Connect the EL-52545 OBD-II interface module to the EL-52545; 9. Verify the OBD-II icon is displayed on the EL-52545 and the green com LED is flashing on the EL-52545 OBD-II interface module; 10. Connect the other end of the OBD-II interface module to the vehicle diagnostic link connector (DLC), and; 11. Select OK on the EL-52545 and follow the on-screen instructions. Tire pressure sensor learn with EL-50448 (Alternative) When EL-50448 TPMS activation tool is used in the activate mode, it produces a low-frequency transmission that activates the sensor. The sensor responds to a low-frequency activation by transmitting in learn mode-remotely triggered. When the

BCM receives a learn mode transmission while in learn mode, it will assign that sensor’s ID to the location on the vehicle relative to the order in which it was learned. Note: In the event that a particular sensor is activated and the horn does not chirp, it may be necessary to rotate the wheel so that the valve stem is in a different position due to the sensor signal being blocked by another component. Make sure the TPMS tool battery is sufficient to complete the TPMS learn process. Do not place the TPMS tool directly on the valve stem. The TPMS tool should be placed against the tire sidewall near the valve stem. The TPMS sensor learn activation procedure may have to be repeated up to three times before determining a sensor is malfunctioning. 1. With ignition on/vehicle in service mode, using the driver information center buttons, initiate the TPMS learn mode. A double horn chirp will sound indicating the learn mode has been enabled. The left front (LF) turn signal will also be illuminated; 2. Starting with the left front tire, activate the sensor by holding the antenna of the tire pressure monitor activation tool aimed upward against the tire sidewall close to the wheel rim at the valve stem location. Press and release the activate button. Ensure that the transmit indicator on the special tool indicates that the sensor activation signal is being transmitted. Wait for a horn chirp. If the horn does not chirp, repeat the sensor activation sequence with the tool. Once the horn chirp has sounded, the sensor information is learned and the turn signal in the next location to be learned will illuminate; 3. After the horn chirp has sounded and the right front turn signal is illuminated, repeat step 3 for the remaining three sensors in the following order: • Right front • Right rear • Left rear 4. When the left rear sensor has been learned and a double horn chirp has sounded, the learn process is complete and the BCM exits the learn mode. Demounting/mounting procedures Caution: The tire should be demounted from the wheel using the tire changer manufacturer’s instructions. Use the following information to avoid damage during the demounting/mounting procedures.

TIRE DEMOUNTING AND MOUNTING

Figure 2: This is a tire pressure indicator sensor. Apply light pressure when installing the tire pressure indicator sensor nut to ensure it’s positioned correctly.

05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 62

Removal procedure Warning: Approved safety glasses and gloves should be worn when performing this procedure to reduce the chance of personal injury. Use a tire-changing machine in order to demount tires. Do not use hand tools or tire irons alone in order to remove the tire from the wheel. Damage to the tire beads or the wheel rim could result. Do not scratch or damage the clear coating on aluminum wheels with the tire changing equipment. Scratching the clear coating could cause the aluminum wheel to corrode and the clear coating to peel from the wheel. MTD February 2022

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TPMS Damage to either the tire bead or the wheel mounting holes can result from the use of improper wheel attachment or tire mounting procedures. It takes up to 70 seconds for all of the air to completely exhaust from a large tire. Failure to follow the proper procedures could cause the tire changer to put enough force on the tire to bend the wheel at the mounting surface. Such damage may result in vibration and/or shimmy, and under severe usage lead to wheel cracking. 1. Raise and support the vehicle; 2. Remove the tire and wheel assembly; 3. Remove the valve core and release the air pressure; 4. Deflate the tire completely. Note: Rim-clamp touchless tire changers are recommended; 5. Use the tire changing machine to remove the tire from the wheel following the manufacturer-specific directions for the tire changing machine being used; 6. When separating the tire bead from the wheel, do not allow the bead breaker to contact the valve stem/TPMS sensor as they will be damaged. Failure to position the valve stem in the proper position while demounting and mounting the tire may result in the TPMS sensor becoming damaged; 7. Position the tire machine removal head to the outer tire bead so that it will operate without contacting the valve stem/ TPMS sensor; 8. Using the tire changing machine, remove the outer tire bead from the wheel; 9. Position the tire machine removal head to the outer tire bead so that it will operate without contacting the valve stem/ TPMS sensor; 10. Using the tire changing machine, remove the inner tire bead from the wheel and remove the tire. Warning: Approved safety glasses and gloves should be worn when performing this procedure to reduce the chance of personal injury. Refer to information on the tire sealant material safety data sheet and follow guidelines for handling and disposal; 11. If a tire sealant product was used/found within the tire and the tire is repairable, use mild dish soap, clean water and shop cloths to remove the sealant residue; 12. If a confirmed GM-approved tire sealant product has been used/found within the tire, use mild dish soap, clean water and shop cloths to remove the sealant residue from the tire pressure indicator sensor; 13. If a tire sealant product was used/found within the tire and it cannot be confirmed that a GM-approved product was used, replace the tire pressure indicator sensor. Tire pressure indicator sensor replacement (snap-in style), or tire pressure indicator sensor replacement (clamp-in style); 14. Use medium coarseness steel wool to remove any rubber or corrosion from the wheel bead seats; 15. Inspect the tire and wheel for any damage, replace as necessary. Installation Procedure Approved safety glasses and gloves should be worn when performing this procedure to reduce the chance of personal injury. When mounting the tires, use an approved tire mounting lubricant. Do not use silicon or corrosive base compounds to lubricate the tire bead and the wheel rim. A silicon-based

05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 64

compound can cause the tire to slip on the rim. A corrosive type compound can cause tire or rim deterioration. 1. Apply mounting lubricant to the tire bead and the wheel. Rim-clamp touchless tire changers are recommended; 2. Use the tire changing machine to install the tire to the wheel following the manufacturer-specific directions for the tire changing machine being used; 3. Place the inner tire bead onto the wheel. Failure to position the valve stem in the proper position while demounting and mounting the tire may result in the TPMS sensor becoming damaged; 4. Position the tire machine installation head to the inner tire bead so that it will operate without contacting the valve stem/ TPMS sensor; 5. Using the tire changing machine, install the inner tire bead to the wheel; 6. Position the tire machine installation head to the outer tire bead so that it will operate without contacting the valve stem/ TPMS sensor; 7. Using the tire changing machine, install the outer tire bead to the wheel. To avoid serious personal injury, do not stand over the tire when inflating. The bead may break when the bead snaps over the safety hump. Do not exceed 40 psi when inflating any tire if beads are not seated. If 40 psi will not seat the beads, deflate, relubricate the beads and reinflate. Overinflation may cause the bead to break and cause serious personal injury; 8. Some run-flat tires may require more than 40 psi to seat the bead. In such a case, a tire safety cage (1) must be used. Consult the tire manufacturer for its individual repair policy; 9. Inflate the tire until it passes the bead humps. Be sure that the valve core is not installed at this time; 10. Install the valve core to the valve core stem; 11. Inflate the tire to the specified pressure as stated on the tire placard; 12. Balance the tire and wheel assembly; 13. Install the tire and wheel assembly; 14. Remove the support and lower the vehicle.

TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR SENSOR REPLACEMENT (SNAP-IN STYLE)

Removal Procedure 1. Raise and support the vehicle; 2. Remove the tire and wheel assembly; 3. Demount the tire from the wheel; 4. If a tire sealant product was used/found within the tire/wheel, use mild dish soap, clean water and shop cloths to remove the sealant residue from the tire and wheel surfaces; 5. Use a suitable tool inserted into the hole of the valve stem to prevent it from rotating; 6. Remove and discard the tire pressure indicator sensor bolt; 7. Remove the tire pressure indicator sensor by pulling it straight off of the valve stem. Do not scratch or damage the clear coating on aluminum wheels with the tire changing equipment. Scratching the clear coating could cause the aluminum wheel to corrode and the clear coating to peel from the wheel; MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:56 AM

TPMS 8. Remove and discard the valve stem by pulling it through the wheel. Installation Procedure Never install the tire pressure indicator sensor on unapproved wheel rims. Whenever the tire pressure indicator sensor is removed from the rim, install a new valve stem and a new bolt. Do not reuse the old parts. 1. Before installation, verify the orientation of the valve stem for the correct position of the tire pressure indicator sensor; 2. Remove the new bolt from the new tire pressure indicator sensor and pull it straight off of the new valve stem; 3. Apply lubricant to the new valve stem; 4. Using a tire valve stem installation tool, pull the valve stem through in a direction parallel to the valve hole on the wheel. Ensure the flat of the valve lines up with the flats of the snap in the enclosure; 5. Assemble the tire pressure indicator sensor to the new valve stem; 6. Use a suitable tool inserted into the hole of the valve stem to prevent it from rotating; 7. Install and tighten the new tire pressure indicator sensor bolt. See fastener specifications; 8. Check that the valve stem is concentric and completely seated in the valve stem hole of the wheel; 9. Make sure that there is a gap between the valve stem and the tire pressure indicator sensor. The tire should not have contact with the tire pressure indicator sensor during installation to prevent damage to the tire pressure indicator sensor.; 10. Mount the tire to the wheel.; 11. Inflate the tire to the specified pressure as stated on the tire placard; 12. Install the new dust cap; 13. Install the tire and wheel assembly; 14. Perform the tire pressure indicator sensor learning procedure. See tire pressure indicator sensor learn; 15. Remove the support and lower the vehicle.

7. Remove and discard pressure indicator sensor nut (1); 8. Remove pressure indicator sensor (1); 9. Remove and discard the metal tire pressure indicator sensor washer (2); 10. Remove and discard the rubber tire pressure indicator sensor washer (3).

TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM

Installation procedure (See Figure 2 on page 62) 1. Ensure that the sealing surfaces of the tire pressure indicator sensor (1) and the wheel are clean of dirt and debris; 2. Install a new rubber tire pressure indicator sensor washer (3); 3. Install a new metal tire pressure indicator sensor washer (2). The air passage of the tire pressure indicator sensor (1) must face away from the wheel; 4. Install the tire pressure indicator sensor (1). Note: Apply light pressure when installing the tire pressure indicator sensor nut (1) to ensure it’s positioned correctly; 5. Install and hand tighten new tire pressure indicator sensor nut (1); 6. Ensure that the tire pressure indicator sensor (1) is properly oriented and flush with the wheel surface; 7. Tighten the tire pressure indicator sensor nut (2); 8. Mount the tire to the wheel; 9. Install new valve front and rear stem (1); 10. Inflate the tire to the proper pressure as indicated on the tire placard; 11. Install new tire pressure indicator sensor cap (2); 12. Install the tire and wheel assembly; 13. Remove the support and lower the vehicle; 14. Perform the tire pressure indicator sensor learning procedure. See tire pressure indicator sensor learn. ■ Information for this column comes from the tire pressure monitoring systems data in ProDemandR, Mitchell 1’s auto repair information software for domestic and import vehicles. Headquartered in San Diego, Mitchell 1 has provided quality repair information solutions to the automotive industry since 1918. For more information, visit www.mitchell1.com.

TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR SENSOR REPLACEMENT (CLAMP-IN STYLE)

Removal Procedure (See Figure 1 on page 61) 1. Raise and support the vehicle; 2. Remove the tire and wheel assembly; 3. Remove and discard pressure indicator sensor cap (2); 4. Remove and discard valve front and rear stem (1). Before the tire is removed from the wheel, note the following items: • When using the tire machine to separate the tire bead from the wheel, position the bead-breaking fixture 90 degrees from the valve stem; • When removing the tire from the wheel, ensure a tolerance is maintained between the tire machine fixture or irons, tire bead, and the sensor. 5. Demount the tire from the wheel; 6. If a tire sealant product was used/found within the tire/wheel, use mild dish soap, clean water and shop cloths to remove the sealant residue from the tire and wheel surfaces; w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 65

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS FASTENER SPECIFICATIONS

Tire pressure sensor replacement, clamp-in style

Callout

Component

Specification

Metric (English) 1

Tire Pressure Indicator Sensor Nut

9(80 lb-in)

Tire pressure sensor replacement, snap-in style

Callout

Component

Specification

Metric (English) 1 Callout

Valve stem, tire pressure indicator sensor bold

1.4 (12 lb-in)

Tire and wheel removal and installation Component

Specification

Metric (English) 1

Wheel Nut [5x]

140(103 lb-ft)

2/3/22 1:55 PM

Ad Index WHEN YOU CONTACT ONE OF OUR ADVERTISERS PLEASE BE SURE TO MENTION YOU SAW THEIR AD IN MODERN TIRE DEALER ADVERTISER

PAGE

WEBSITE

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc.

www.aftermarketjackpot.com

American Omni Trading

www.thunderertireusa.com

Atlas Automotive Equipment

www.atlasautoequipment.com

Atturo Tires

www.atturo.com

Autel

23, 59, 61

www.autel.com

BKT USA Inc.

www.bkt-tires.com

California Tire Dealers Association

www.catiredealers.com

Continental Corporation

www.redi-sensor.com

Continental Tire

www.continentaltire.com

Deestone

www.deestone.com

Durofix Inc.

www.durofix.com

Falken Tires

www.falkenspiff.com

GT Radial

www.gtradial.com

Hunter Engineering Company

www.hunter.com/qcc

John Bean

www.wheelaligners.johnbean.com/

K & M Tire Inc.

www.kmtire.com

Ken-Tool

www.kentool.com

Kenda Tires USA

IBC

www.kendatractionrewards.com

Linglong Americas Inc.

www.linglongtire.com

Maxxis Tires

www.maxxis.com

Nexen Tire America Inc.

www.nexentireusa.com

Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.

OBC

www.nittotire.com

Nokian Tyres Inc.

www.nokiantires.com/outpost

Pre-Q Galgo Corporation

www.pre-q.com

Sentury Tire

www.senturytireusa.com

Tireco Inc.

www.milestartires.com

Transamerica Tire Company Ltd.

IFC

www.transamericatire.com

Tyres International

www.tyresinternational.com

Wrenchers LLC

www.wrenches.com

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc.

www.yokohama-oht.com

ZC Rubber America Inc.

www.arisuntires.com

05_MTD_Columns-TPMS.indd 66

MTD February 2022

1/31/22 7:57 AM

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1/27/2022 8:39:53 AM

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1/27/2022 8:38:30 AM