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The Industry’s Leading Publication November 2019, Volume 100, Number 11

F E AT U R E S 32

DEPARTMENTS 2 Editorial

Greatest business trip ever: I think back to 2010 as the reminiscing begins

Crossover appeal

How to catch (and retain) great employees Real-world tips for reeling in ‘keepers’

Winter car care

On the Rise: Meet the next gen

4 moderntiredealer.com

News and navigation tools for MTD’s website

6 Industry News

Environmental issues took top priority for outgoing TIA president

16 Numbers that Count

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

Focus on Industry 88 ‘We want to be the best in the value product tier’ Sailun showcases all-season touring and light truck tires, discusses next growth steps

92 Mergers and Acquisitions

Process vs. people? You need both to run a profitable tire dealership

96 Sales Tactics

Trust trumps features and benefits: First, seek to understand. Then sell

98 European Notebook

Up to 15% of the market and growing: Mobile tire installation picks up steam in Europe

Think like a consumer when the temperature drops

Past, Present, Future

Getting the word out

Dill’s Brian Rigney wants to make the association’s views clear

All-in from the start

National dealers’ association organized at Chicago

Tires Editor Jerry Shaw helped create and nurture TIA’s predecessor

Delegates representing over 500 tire dealers sponsor new body having for its aim cooperation between dealers, manufacturers and consumers

90 20 Group Insights

Are you selling yourself short? Start pricing for the value you deliver — now

Growth in the CUV/SUV segments creates opportunities for UHP tire dealers

Tire technology ‘building blocks’

81 86

Dealers bare souls about radial tires!

Make sure your customers understand what goes into a tire, and how those elements impact vehicle performance

A century old — but just getting started From humble beginnings, Max Finkelstein looks to next 100 years

99 TPMS

Chrysler Jeep and Renegade, 2015-2017

104 Products 106 Ad index 107 Classified ©GETTYIMAGES.COM/CHANDLERPHOTO

Modern Tire Dealer is a proud member of:

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

78 1

Editorial

Greatest business trip ever I THINK BACK TO 2010 AS THE REMINISCING BEGINS By

Bob Ulrich

used to be a bullfighter.” Jose Rios told me that on a business shopped for golf clubs — and a third-tier truck tire line for Love’s trip to China in 2010. That trip ranks as my favorite during my nearly 230 stores. Nine years later, Love’s has more than 490 locations, 34-year career at Modern Tire Dealer. including 350-plus truck service centers. I will not quite reach 35 years because I am retiring. Mike • Ross and Lynne Kogel, Tire Wholesalers Inc., Troy, Mich. Ross Manges, our recently hired executive editor, will take over for was one part tourist, two parts businessman in his quest to get a me on Jan. 16, 2020. I have a few months left, so I will go into more better handle on Double Coin, one of his Chinese suppliers. Ross detail in my next two editorials. has since turned over the business to his son, also named Ross. Back to Rios. He and his wife, Lucy, are wholesale and retail/ • Art and Brenda Leblanc, Pete’s Tire Barns Inc., Orange, Mass. commercial tire dealers based out of Medley, Fla., near Miami. Art, vice president of Pete’s, has been with the company for close Lucy’s Tire Inc. is an export and U.S. wholesale tire operation also to 40 years. He and his wife are also big Beatles fans. known as Lucy’s Tire Americas. Their Falcon Tire Centers chain • Rick and Jan (Melanie) Stewart, Action Tire Co., Forest Park, has one retail tire and service center and five commercial truck and Ga. Rick, CEO and president, started the business in 1985. light truck tire and service centers throughout Fla. • Jim Parkhouse, Parkhouse Tire Inc., Bell The two were among the most eclectic group Gardens, Calif. He has been CEO of the company, the of independent tire dealers with whom I ever 11th largest independent commercial tire dealership traveled. We flew to Shanghai, China, as guests of in the U.S., for more than 48 years. China Manufacturers Alliance LLC (CMA) and • Verdo Gregory, Commercial Tire Sales, Fresno, its parent company, Double Coin Holdings Ltd. Calif. Verdo is owner-operator of the 53-year-old (which has since been renamed Shanghai Huayi specialty tire distributor. Group Corp. Ltd.). That was nine years ago, but it remains unforgettable. All the dealers were very different, but from After blogging about Jose and his former profesmy point of view we all got along really well. That sion, I found out he never was a bullfighter. Bring included the wives, too. As I said before, it was it up and he and Lucy still think his ruse is funny. I my best business trip ever: highly informative, may be running out of time to get even, but revenge entertaining, fun, and definitely memorable. still crosses my mind. And it proved helpful in an unexpected way. The trip was set up by CMA executives, including Parkhouse pointed out a flaw in the way we listed President Mike Chang and Aaron Murphy, who Ricky Benton of Black’s Tire the top 25 independent commercial tire dealers in Service explores the Double moved to TBC Corp. in 2016. Donna Rosman, now Coin OTR tire plant in Shanghai. the U.S. He was right, and the changes we made in Donna Murphy, also helped host the trip. determining their proper rank improved the 2011 list. While the dealers were good guests, they never I haven’t kept in touch with everyone on the trip, forgot why they were there: to see Double Coin’s commercial tire unfortunately, but I have remained particularly close with Jose and factories in Shanghai and Rugao, China. They were interested in Lucy. I have spoken at Black’s Tire Service events, and see both Ricky what Double Coin supplied (truck and small OTR tires), what it was and Ryan at other dealer events at least once a year. Hopefully, Ross on the verge of supplying (giant OTR tires) and what it wanted to Kogel the Elder (that makes him sound like a Dungeons & Dragons supply in the near future (ag tires). There was even a question about character, doesn’t it?) will attend the 2019 Specialty Equipment the possibility of supplying passenger tires, which has yet to happen. Market Association Show in November (my last). The other dealers on the trip were: Why everything clicked on this trip, I don’t know. During the same time frame, China was hosting the World Expo. Thanks to • Ricky Benton Sr. and his son Ryan from Black’s Tire Service tickets from Double Coin, we attended the expo for three days and Inc. in Whiteville, N.C. At one point, Ricky wanted to understand visited pavilions from five countries. The U.S. pavilion was the least the relationship between CMA and his competition; he wasn’t impressive of the five, although it was fun watching Ryan Benton complaining, he was fact-finding. That was my favorite question interviewed about World Cup soccer at the venue. of the week, both reasonable and bold. Ricky was MTD’s 2015 Tire That certainly added to the fun. But chemistry sometimes just Dealer of the Year happens. And that’s no bull. ■ • Dan and Kim Jensen, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla. The youngest couple on the trip, Dan If you have any questions or comments, please email me at bob.ulrich@bobit.com.

MTD November 2019

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Winning by the numbers Most of the items of top interest to readers of www.moderntiredealer.com this past month were numbers-oriented. Les Schwab is ranked number one, Tire Rack compares 4 A/S tires, the Tire Industry Association elects 4 dealers, 4 generations of Zieglers grow a business, 4,045 Cooper truck tires are recalled. Here are the top 10 new items. l. Still going strong: Les Schwab is ranked No. 1 by CR 2. Tire Rack compares 4 premium grand touring A/S tires 3. One tire dealer’s new approach to pending price increases 4. TIA elects 4 tire dealers to board 5. This Michelin DC serves 60% of customers in North America 6. 4 generations of Zieglers know how to stay in business 7. TireHub will open 2 more distribution centers in 2019 8. Tire Factory buys a Tennessee tire distributor 9. Michelin will hike truck tire, retread prices 10. Cooper recalls 4,045 truck tires for thin innerliner

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MTD November 2019

Industry News

Environmental issues took top priority for outgoing TIA president

ohn Evankovich, outgoing president of the Tire Industry Association (TIA), has worked nearly 30 years at Sam’s Club Inc. in Bentonville, Ark. He started out as a tire technician, was promoted to management positions over the years, and 15 years ago was named director of the company’s tire and battery centers. There are currently 581 Sam’s Club outlets that sell tires. That number will grow as “there will be a tire and battery center in every new Sam’s Club built,” he told us. The outlets sell Michelin, BFGoodrich, Goodyear and Pirelli brand tires. He became involved in TIA years ago when he had a question about tire pressure monitoring systems. He turned to Kevin Rohlwing, TIA’s senior vice president of training, for an answer. Rohlwing’s knowledge so impressed him that he recognized the value in becoming a TIA member. “We joined TIA, and after working with them over the years, I considered running for the board,” he said. Freda Pratt-Boyer, TIA’s president in 2014, urged him on and “it’s been a wonderful experience. I will continue to be involved in many ways because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t imagine not being involved.” MTD asked him about his year as president and what the future will hold for him. MTD: What assistance and advice did outgoing president David Martin give you once he handed over the gavel last year? Evankovich: Dave and I have become good friends over the years. He and I have been each other’s sounding boards, while he was president and while I was moving up through the chairs. His advice was to be patient, stay the course. Also, ask a lot of questions, especially on areas I’m not familiar with. And take the time to listen to what others say. We’re elected by our peers, and they have spoken on what they want to see from the president, from the executive board. It’s a pretty big responsibility. It makes us put aside our personal business thoughts and really look at the collective good. I feel we’ve done a really good job with that and

Outgoing Tire Industry Association President John Evankovich is director of Sam’s Clubs’ tire and battery centers.

we’ve laid the foundation for many years to come. I’m very confident with Brian Rigney coming up and Dan Nothdurft behind him, we’ll not only stay the course, but we’ll accelerate our growth. MTD: As incoming president, you told us you wanted to continue to strengthen the collaboration between the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and TIA, and attract new members to TIA. Please give us an update on these initiatives. Evankovich: We continue to strengthen the collaboration between USTMA and TIA. That’s something I’ve been involved with since I joined TIA. On critical industry issues, we have to work together. When that happens we all win, and that benefits the consumer, the retailer and the manufacturer. The level of communication now is as good as it’s ever been in my time with TIA. We don’t always agree on everything, but what we do agree on is to work together to move forward. Currently, TIA has nearly 13,500 members, and that’s a growth of about 14% over last year. TIA continues to drive value to our membership, and I think more and more are seeing that and are joining.

MTD: What advances in TIA’s government affairs are you most proud of now that your term is ending? Evankovich: I felt it was important for TIA to take a leadership role in regard to environmental concerns, to bring together the legislators, the regulator s of the industry, in areas of political activism. For instance, there are a lot of scrap tires out there and we need to work hard to make sure we’re getting the best use out of them and make sure the tires are disposed of properly. One of my primary goals as TIA president was to reenergize TIA’s environment advisory council — to expand its educational programs, its leadership role in issues of environmental sustainability. I was aware of the environmental council that was formed in 2010, but it sort of faded away. What we did was reinstate it primarily to develop an educational resource that can serve as a sort of clearing house for environmental issues that affect the tire industry. We continue to work on that by driving awareness and working with legislators, industry key leaders. The council’s mission is to identify recycled manufactured products and promote environmentally sustainable practices through education. We want to develop methods to use raw materials so that scrap is 100% recyclable. We want to “close the loop.” That’s been my goal for the last 20 years. As an example, in Cotton Plant, Ark., population 649, there’s a scrap tire pile with 440,000 tires. We need to get it cleaned up — take that town out of jeopardy. No one wanted to do anything about it. We’re working with people in Arkansas. Right now, there’s no progress because of some litigation going on. But we’re lining up resources so that once that’s settled we can get it cleaned up quickly. In three to four months, it could be cleaned up. We are watching other legislation in states concerning use of crumb rubber. A bill in Maryland would classify crumb rubber as a hazardous waste. If that happens, it will have a huge impact on the scrap tire industry. Continued on page 8 MTD November 2019

Industry News

Bites Audi picks Hankook Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. will be the original equipment tire supplier for the new Audi Q8 SUV. In the U.S., Hankook will supply the Dynapro HP 2 Plus in three sizes for the four-door vehicle: P275/50R20 113H X, P285/45R21 113H XL and 285/40R22 110H XL.

Poddar is honored Arvind Poddar, chairman and managing director of Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT), has been named Best Transformational Leader by the Asian Center for Corporate Governance & Sustainability, which “aims at bringing about qualitative improvement in the corporate governance and sustainability practices of Asian companies,” say BKT officials.

Nokian is resorts’ official tire Nokian will continue as the official tire of adventure lifestyle company POWDR. The three-year contract extension will provide new opportunities for resort guests to learn about Nokian tires. The company operates winter resorts in Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Vermont.

Continued from page 6 MTD: What was the most challenging aspect of being TIA president? Evankovich: Keeping up with change — the industry is changing, the scope of retailing is changing, distribution is changing — and keeping up with that takes work. The industry is more digital, it is a more connected world with more information out there to sort through. We have to stay in front of that to serve the needs of our members. We know most consumers look online before they go to a brick and mortar location. It’s going to continue to change at an even faster pace as time goes on.

MTD: Now that your year is over, what do you hope your legacy will be? Evankovich: The most worthwhile project has been working on scrap tire initiatives. It will have the most long-lasting effects. It’s not just about the industry, but it’s about environment — quality of life. It just makes sense to me to reuse that raw

Women in Auto Care honors 3 Jennifer Maher, dual-CEO of TechForce Foundation and America’s Automotive Trust, has been named Auto Care Woman of the Year by Women in Auto Care, a community of the Auto Care Association. Cindy Frasca, chief operating officer of Kukui Corp., received Woman of Excellence honors. Jamie Carlson, owner of Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid in Grand Rapids, Mich., received the Female Shop Owner of the Year Award.

DOL issues overtime rule More than one million workers will be eligible for overtime pay thanks to a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rule that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020. The rule updates the earnings thresholds necessary to exempt executive, administrative and professional employees from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime pay requirements.

Monro names Rajkowski COO Monro Inc. has hired Robert Rajkowski to serve as its chief operating officer. Rajkowski will oversee store operations for the chain. He most recently served as COO of AAMCO Transmission and Total Car Care.

Now that he might have more spare time, John Evankovich hopes to spend it with his wife, Angela, and their sons, Ryan Boyer, 28, and Lucas Evankovich, 22, riding motorcycles through the Ozark Mountains or cruising on their boat on Beaver Lake in Rogers, Ark.

material and make something useful. I’ve made great friends who have guided me and helped me develop skills that have helped me to continue the course for TIA as president. I want that legacy to carry on. Brian and those after him will continue to drive value to TIA members to meet the needs in this fast-changing industry. — Lori L. Mavrigian

VIP Tires completes expansion in Maine

IP Tires & Service has added four service bays, new shop equipment, and inside storage for up to 2,000 tires to its Brunswick, Maine, location as part of a recently completed, 5,000-square-foot expansion. VIP also expanded the store’s customer waiting area by 500%, while adding laptop bars, a new coffee station and other amenities. “We value our customers and believe in giving them an outstanding in-store experience,” says Tim Winkeler, president and CEO and VIP Tires & Service. “In order to deliver on that, it’s important that we not only provide our customers with exceptional auto car service by highly VIP Tires & Service CEO and President Tim Winkeler (in trained technicians, but the center) cuts the ribbon at the reopening of the dealeralso with friendly and ship’s recently expanded Brunswick, Maine, store. knowledgeable store staff, and a place where they can work or relax while they wait.” With 59 locations throughout New England, VIP Tires & Service is the 20th largest independent tire store chain in the United States, according to the 2019 Modern Tire Dealer 100 list. MTD November 2019

A LONG WAY

TOGETHER

SR 41 BKT USA Inc. 2660 West Market St., Suite 100 Fairlawn (Akron) - OH 44333 Toll free: (+1) 888-660-0662 Office: (+1) 330-836-1090 Fax: (+1) 330-836-1091

All-Steel casing Extra-long tread life Excellent traction Superior stability Steel belts

Industry News

Michelin, Snider celebrate 1.5 millionth service call

Bites Goodyear expands test track Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has added a second vehicle dynamics area at its proving grounds in San Angelo, Texas, which is celebrating its 75th year in operation. Goodyear also is building an additional evaluation facility for its OTR tires at the San Angelo location.

VIP Tires donates to schools The VIP Tires & Service store in Framingham, Maine, recently donated $4,930 to schools in the area. The money was raised through VIP’s “Oil Changes for Education” initiative, which offered consumers $10 oil changes with 100% of the proceeds going to Framingham area schools.

ATD earns HR recognition American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) has been named a recipient of Charlotte Business Journal’s 2019 Best in Human Resources Awards.

Point S Canada turns 40 Point S Canada marked its 40th anniversary with an event for retailers and suppliers in Lisbon, Portugal. The Point S Canadian master franchisee is Unimax Tire Ltd. There are 225 Point S outlets in Canada.

Love’s adds 6 truck centers Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. opened six Love’s Truck Tire Care Centers and Speedco locations in five states in August and September 2019. The locations are on-site additions to existing Love’s Travel Stops.

MaddenCo is honored MaddenCo Inc. has been recognized for its “continuous technological evolution” by GeneXus S.A., a worldwide software engineering firm based in Uruguay.

PressurePro, TGI collaborate Advantage PressurePro LLC is integrating its tire performance management technology with TGI’s global trailer tracking solution, which will give fleets immediate access to real-time tire condition reports.

Prometeon expands services Prometeon Tyre Group is expanding its fleet management services through a partnership with GreenRoad Technologies Inc.

ichelin North America Inc. recently hosted a lunch for Snider Tire Inc. employees to celebrate the completion of the 1.5 millionth Michelin OnCall emergency road service event. The service call took place this past May, when a Snider service truck responded to a request for help that was placed by LandStar. Michelin launched the OnCall program in 2009.

Snider Tire, which does business as Snider Fleet Solutions, is a Michelin Commercial Fleet Services (MCSN) member. It also is the third largest independent commercial tire dealership in the United States with 76 commercial locations, according to the MTD Top 25 Independent Commercial Tire Dealers list, which was published in the October 2019 edition of MTD.

Consumer tire price hikes continue

okohama Tire Corp. is the latest tire manufacturer to raise prices on its consumer tires. The company boosted passenger, high performance and light truck tire prices up to 5% on Nov. 1. John Healy, managing director and research analyst for Northcoast Research Holdings LLC, says Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (up to 5% effective Oct. 1) and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. (up to 2%) recently informed channel partners of price hikes on consumer tires. Other recently enacted price increases include: Name

% increase

Lines

Date

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations

Up to 5%

Select passenger and light truck replacement tires

Sept. 1

Michelin North America Inc.

Up to 5%

Select passenger and light truck tires

Sept. 1

Pirelli Tire North America Inc.

“Will vary by line and tire size”

Passenger and light truck tires

Oct. 1

Marangoni signs Pete’s Road Service

ullerton, Calif.-based Pete’s Road Service Inc. has joined Marangoni Tread North America Inc.’s dealer network and will offer Marangoni’s spliceless Ringtread and Unitread products. Pete’s Road Service has 10 locations throughout Southern California. Its retread plant has an annual capacity of more than 30,000 units. “The switch to Marangoni offered us the ability to broaden our market, grow our market share and be more competitive,” says Kyle Fletcher, the dealership’s president. “We have been independent for 50 years and by aligning ourselves with Marangoni, we will continue to enjoy our independence long into the future.” Pete’s Road Service Operations Manager Noe Lara (left) and Kyle Fletcher, the dealership’s president, examine a Marangoni tread application machine.

MTD November 2019

COUNT ON PROVEN EXCELLENCE. COUNT ON SUMITOMO.

Becoming an outstanding commercial tire brand requires excellence in all areas, not just one. Sumitomoâ€™s product quality, application coverage and fill rate were ranked in the Top 3 by nearly 600 dealers in the last 3 Tire Review annual surveys.* Count on proven excellence, count on Sumitomo. Learn more at SumitomoTruckTires.com. *Survey conducted by Marketplace Insights on behalf of Tire Review for its 2018 Brand Study (August 2018 Sourcebook issue).

For what drives you.

Industry News

Bites

Uncle Cooper offers tire advice in campaign

Bridgestone retains name Bridgestone Americas Inc. and the Nashville Predators have extended their naming rights agreement for Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., through 2030.

EPA recognizes Michelin Michelin North America Inc. received the 2019 SmartWay Excellence Award “for outstanding environmental performance and leadership” from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

FTR says ‘fleets are nervous’ Preliminary North American Class 8 truck orders dropped 72% in September 2019 from year-ago levels, according to FTR Associates. The transportation intelligence provider says fleets “are nervous. Freight growth continues to ease back.”

New board member at AACF The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) has appointed Interstate Batteries’ Vice President of Sales Shannon McWilliams to its board of trustees.

20 years for Big O franchise Les and Tina Foster’s Big O Tires franchise in Gardner, Kan., has reached 20 years in business. To help celebrate, $20 for every set of Big O Tires sold on the anniversary of the opening date was donated to the local American Legion Women’s Auxiliary.

Myers has interim leader Andrean Horton has replaced Dave Banyard as Myers Industries Inc.’s CEO and president on an interim basis. Horton also serves as the company’s executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary.

Pirelli earns UN recognition Pirelli & Cie SpA has been named a Global Compact LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) participant company by the United Nations (UN).

Meineke adds franchises Meineke Car Care Centers LLC secured more than 25 license signings between July 1 and Sept. 25, 2019. In addition, new Meineke franchises have recently opened in the greater Charlotte, N.C., area, as well as in Virginia and Texas. Meineke is a division of Driven Brands Inc.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s recently launched national ad campaign is introducing drivers to a new source of tire advice, “Uncle Cooper.” “Personifying a nononsense relative who is an expert in all things automotive, Uncle Cooper will never steer drivers wrong about the right tires,” say Cooper officials. The campaign,

which includes TV spots as well as digital and print ads, was inspired by research conducted by Cooper “which showed that customers lack confidence in their tire buying decisions.” “We are telling consumers, ‘You don’t have to be a tire expert because you now have an ‘uncle’ for that,” says Jessica Egerton, Cooper’s director of brand development.

“Uncle Cooper” will deliver tire-related advice to consumers.

New law bans unsafe used tires

new California law prohibits the installation of unsafe used tires in that state. The legislation, which was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in late September, will require auto repair facilities to visually inspect used tires to determine whether they meet the state’s criteria of an unsafe used tire. This includes tires that have been worn to

2/32-inch tread depth or less, tires with exposed plies, tires that have bead area or sidewall repairs, a tire that has any innerliner or bead damage, and more. The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, which supports the law, notes that the legislation “does not ban the installation or sale of all used tires. It targets used tires with specific, well-established, unsafe conditions.”

Leeds West moves into New Mexico

reenwood, Colo.“Entering into the New based Leeds West Mexico market was a noGroups (LWG) has brainer for LWG,” says Judd substantially boosted its Kyle Shader, LWG CEO. footprint with the acquisi“It allows us to build tion of six Big O stores in out the states surrounding New Mexico. Colorado, continuing to creLWG purchased the ate consolidation and large stores from Keith Blake, expansion opportunities for Michael Pr yor, Mitch us along the Interstate 25 Beranek and Scott Koldencorridor and the midwest hoven. Terms of the deal region.” have not been disclosed. Shader adds that LWG is The transaction boosts “committed to shifting our the firm’s Big O store hold- Judd Kyle Shader, LWG acquisition focus to largerings to 23 locations and scale growth opportunities marks the 14th “new Big O Tires location and this deal aligns perfectly with our added into the LWG portfolio within the growth objectives and operational last 80 days,” according to LWG officials. strengths.” MTD November 2019

ALL-WEATHER TIRES HAVE A NEW NAME. IT’S VREDESTEIN.

“This tire could signify a paradigm shift in the Grand Touring All-Season landscape”

“Excellent tyre with best characteristics in all weather conditions. Good handling balance and turn-in, short wet and snow braking distance”

“In key safety and performance metrics, the Vredestein Quatrac Pro clearly excelled”

contact.us@apollovredestein.com | (770) 302-2163 | www.vredestein.com

Industry News

OK Tire Stores teams with Hockey Canada

Dates December 4-5 Scrap Tire Conference, Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation (STREF), co-sponsored by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), Greenville, S.C. www.stref.org.

2020 January 10-12 Mid-America Tire Dealers Association Convention, Sporting K, Kansas City, Kan. (785) 286-1110 www.matda.org

K Tire Stores Inc. will be the exclusive auto service and tire retailer of Hockey Canada over the next four years. Hockey Canada is the not-for-profit governing body for amateur hockey in Canada and supports more than 750,000 players, coaches and officials throughout the country. The group also develops programs that make hockey accessible and affordable for local communities. OK Tire will work with Hockey Canada “on various grassroots programs in communities from coast to coast,” say OK Tire officials. The programs will be supported by the Hockey Canada Foundation, as well as OK Tire supplier Bridgestone Americas Inc. There are more than 300 independently owned OK Tire franchises in Canada.

January 18-25 Ontario Tire Dealers Association Winter Conference, Royalton Luxury Resort, Antigua, West Indies (289) 887-4046 www.otda.com

January 27-30 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas (904) 937-2900 www.hdaw.org

“Partnering with Hockey Canada makes perfect sense as the organization shares the same values of community, family and being proudly Canadian as OK Tyre,” says OK Tire CEO and President Jim Caldwell.

January 30-31 North Central Tire Dealers & Suppliers Association Mid-Winter Conference & Trade Show, (location TBA) (952) 544-6805 www.northcentraltiredealers.com

February 19-21 Tire Industry Association’s Off-the-Road Tire Conference, Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Palm Springs, Calif. (800) 876-8372 www.tireindustry.org

February 19-22 Mobile Air Conditioning Society Training Event & Trade Show, Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, Tenn. (215) 631-7020 www.macsw.org

February 24-26 Automechanika Riyadh, Al Faisaliah Hotel, Prince Sultan Grand Hall, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia +971 4 389 4500 www.automechanikariyadh.com

Magna Tyres Group ramps up capacity

agna Tyres Group has expanded its production capacity in Thailand and The Netherlands due to “growing demand for non-Chinese tires,” according to Magna officials. The manufacturing ramp-up will enable Magna to supply customers more effectively, including through companies like

Tires Direct, with whom it has formed a strategic alliance. “We see that distribution and partnerships have played an important role in our brand growth story so far and believe that Tires Direct can spread it even more with its warehouses,” say Magna officials. Magna supplies mining, port and material handling tires.

TireHub adds warehouses

ireHub LLC plans to open two new distribution centers — one in Lakeville, Minn., and another in Columbia, S.C. — during the fourth quarter. The Lakeville facility will serve the greater Minneapolis market, while the Columbia center will help TireHub serve existing customers in that area. TireHub, which is a joint venture between Bridgestone Americas Inc. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., also has relocated centers in Austin, Texas; Knoxville, Tenn.; Mobile, Ala.; Oakland, Calif.; and Las Vegas, Nev. The company operates 69 distribution centers throughout the United States. ■ MTD November 2019

BETTER VALUE. SMARTER CHOICE.

YOU AND ALLIANCE TIRE AMERICAS. There’s more to working with Alliance Tire Americas than just great margins. Every Alliance, Galaxy and Primex tire is backed up by a global network: R&D, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and a nationwide team of field engineers, sales reps and customer service specialists committed to your success. It’s our fast, convenient Warranty Wizard app, and our ATG Online software that makes building and tracking orders a snap. It’s more than 2,000 SKUs to give your customers—and you—more choices than ever. And if we don’t already make the tire your customers need for a specific application, let us know. We could team up with you to bring something new and innovative to market. Contact your Alliance Tire Americas rep today or call us at (800) 343-3276 to see how Alliance, Galaxy and Primex tires can help you build your business.

MORE CHOICES. MORE SERVICE. MORE VALUE.

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/IQONCEPT

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/VADIM ZHAKUPOV

SOURCE: ADROIT MARKET RESEARCH

Number of microprocessors in today’s vehicles that collect telematic data.

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/CHOMBOSAN

$231.6 billion

Total value of the vehicle telematics market by the year 2025.

SOURCE: HITACHI ©GETTYIMAGES.COM/ PAVLO STAVNICHUK

25 gigabytes

34%

Amount of data uploaded by vehicles each hour.

Share of the global vehicle telematics market controlled by North America.

SOURCE: HITACHI

SOURCE: ADROIT MARKET RESEARCH

Percent increase of passenger tire imports from Vietnam from 2015 through 2018.

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/JIRAROJ PRADITCHAROENKUL

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/NIKADA

212.4%

SOURCE: MTD’S JANUARY 2019 FACTS ISSUE

53.4 million ©GETTYIMAGES.COM/JIRAROJ PRADITCHAROENKUL

NumbersThatCount

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

Number of truck tires shipped from China to the U.S. in the last seven full years. The country exported 8.9 million truck tires to the U.S. in 2018. SOURCE: MTD’S JANUARY 2019 FACTS ISSUE

MTD November 2019

F-RATED! HIGHER

CARRYING CAPACITY. INFLATION PRESSURE. From 15” - 24” wheel diameters!*

F RATED

APPROVED

12 PLY CONSTRUCTION

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UHP Tires

CROSSOVER GROWTH IN THE CUV/SUV SEGMENTS CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR UHP TIRE DEALERS

t’s been a slow build, but the traditional, four-door sedan — for decades the main staple of the “Big Three” auto manufacturers — has never been more out of fashion in North America than it is now. Over the last three years, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. all announced massive retreats from car production so they could turn their attention to the CUVs, SUVs and light trucks segments, which are growing briskly. At the same time, shipments of H-rated and above performance tires, which includes products that fall under the “high performance” and “ultra-high-performance” designations, continue to grow. In 2018, within the U.S., shipments of H-rated-and-up P-metric and metric tires totaled 119.3 million units compared to 108.3 million units the previous year, according to Modern Tire Dealer research. Where will UHP tires fit within a landscape dominated by CUVs and SUVs? That’s what MTD set out to learn when it asked tire manufacturers to weigh in on the future of UHP tires in the CUV/SUV arena. Tire maker representatives also offered advice about how independent tire dealerships that sell UHP tires can differentiate their products in an already-robust field. Responses are listed alphabetically by brand.

MTD: What is your outlook for the UHP tire market, given consumers’ preference for CUVs and SUVs over sedans? Michael Mathis, president, Atturo Tire Corp.: The modern SUV is the replacement for the performance sedan. The performance capability of a 2019 SUV rivals that of a 2009 sports sedan. We see the market for UHP tires targeted at these vehicles continuing to expand in both OE type sizes, as well as aftermarket applications, all with the aim of enhancing the ability of the vehicle. Phil Watson, public relations manager, BFGoodrich (Michelin North America Inc.): CUVs and SUVs are being designed as sports cars, with many having paddle shifters as standard equipment. Our tires have evolved along with trends in the automotive industry. As we see consumer preference increasing for CUVs and SUVs, we’re designing our products to fit both vehicle and performance demands. Daniel Kelly, product planner, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC: Despite a decrease in sedan sales and a market shift toward CUVs, SUVs and light trucks, the outlook for the UHP tire market is holding steady as consumer demand increases for sportier models with more power and responsiveness.

Travis Roffler, director of marketing, Continental Tire the Americas LLC: The UHP market continues to grow. This is due to the fact that many of today’s most popular SUVs and CUVs are coming equipped with UHP tires from the factory. This is on top of the fact that SUVs and CUVs continue to grow in their total share of the vehicle market in the U.S. Vehicle manufacturers continue to double down on this segment, and are continuing to introduce more new SUV and CUV platforms. Jenny Paige, product manager, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.: While there will always be sports cars and a need for traditional UHP tires, the growth in the CUV and SUV space has impacted UHP tire sizing, as it has in touring passenger tires. As CUVs and SUVs have grown in popularity, their designs have changed to provide a higher level of handling and performance, and hence the need for a sportier performance tire and higher speed rating. UHP tires, with their lower aspect ratios and greater grip and stability, have come to fill the gap for modern CUVs and SUVs. As such, the market is seeing traditional UHP tire lines extending into larger sizes to fit Lexus, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche SUV platforms. Even Audi, with the Q3, requires a 20-inch rim diameter and a Y speed rating.

PHOTO COURTESY MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA INC.

Making the performance traits stand out is one thing, but Michelin also sees an opportunity to make its BFGoodrich brand ultra-high performance tires stand out from the competition visually — with customizable colored sidewall letters.

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE980AS

CONTINENTAL EXTREMECONTACT DWS06

MTD November 2019

APPEAL By

Joy Kopcha and Mike Manges

Tsuyoshi Johnson, product planning manager, Falken Tire Corp.: The sharp increase in consumers trending toward CUVs and smaller SUVs, in general, is real. It’s only natural that the demand for high-powered versions of CUVs/SUVs would follow. OEMs like Mercedes-Benz (AMG GLC63 and AMG GLC43) and Fiat Chrysler (Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and Trackhawk trims) understand this trend and are offering multiple trims with higher power output. Federal Tire Corp.: We have noticed a significant growth in every car brand’s development of high performance CUVs and SUVs. With enhanced horsepower and torque, and sporty chassis/exteriors and interiors, UHP tires are the best fit on these vehicles. There will definitely be great growth in the UHP market with the increased demand for SUVs and CUVs. Dave Shelton, director of industry relations, Giti Tire (USA) Ltd.: Still growing in the OE, replacement, and still some in the aftermarket. Performance-minded drivers have grown accustomed to the “stick” (or grip), as well as the precision delivered by UHP tires and really do not like to give up that advantage. Note the latest CUV/SUV offerings like the Land Rover Velar have UHP OE tires — oh, and yes, 550 horsepower. Even in everyday driving situations, the

COOPER ZEON RS3-G1

control one has with tires that go, stop, and turn precisely allows for the best navigation. Terry Smouter, director of sales management, Hankook Tire America Corp.: There has recently been a lot of growth in the CUV and SUV market and we expect this to continue over the next five years. According to IHS Markit data analysis, the global SUV sales portion has shown a steady increase compared to other vehicle segments. In 2017, SUVs accounted for 39.2% of all vehicle segments and IHS predicts in 2021 it will be more than 43%. We also can see more and more SUVs and CUVs installing high performance products and this, of course, includes UHP tires. Hankook is well-aware of this trend and has been busy developing a product mix to align with this increase in SUV and CUV sales. We expect tire sizes over 18 inches, including UHP, to show a 7% growth. Steven Liu, senior director, proprietary brands, Hercules Tire & Rubber Co.: Passenger cars remain the largest segment but are declining as the market shifts toward CUVs in the next four years. With that said, 50% of vehicles ready for their first tire replacement are either a CUV or a pickup, and it is forecasted that CUV and pickups will represent two-thirds of new vehicle sales by 2022. Traditionally, UHP tires have been categorized by speed rating. However,

FEDERAL EVOLUZION F60

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

in the last decade, the industry has seen significant growth in W-rated sizes, which will continue as the fastest-growing segment over the next few years. Maxxis International-U.S.A.: Despite the sales decline of new sports cars and sedans recently, there are still plenty of people looking for performance for their existing vehicles. We also see the OEMs experimenting with high performance crossovers and crossover coupes, usually with large diameter UHP fitments, so we think UHP is here to stay. Jay Lee, product planning director, Nexen Tire America Inc.: In the past, UHP tires were mostly related to sports cars or sedans. These days, as sedan sales and production decrease in the U.S., CUV/ SUV vehicle segments are increasing, and so is demand for UHP in new fitments. UHP tire sales for CUV/SUV are increasing every day, which will continue in the coming years. Steve Bourassa, director of products and pricing, Nokian Tyres plc.: Although consumer purchases are trending higher for CUVs and SUVs, there is always a need for performance and power. In recent years, there are many impressive vehicles that are categorized in CUV/SUV but are equipped with high-output engines. The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, Maserati Levante, Audi

GOODYEAR EAGLE EXHILARATE

HANKOOK VENTUS S1 NOBLE2

UHP Tires SQ5, Porsche Macan S, Lamborghini Urus and even Tesla Model X are examples of vehicles that are satisfying consumer needs for performance, while providing the space and luxury feel that comes with a vehicle of this size. Pirelli Tire North America Inc.: We believe there will be continued growth in the UHP segment.

Mark Pereira, manager of marketing communications, Sailun Tire Americas: The UHP market has always been a niche segment, but for those who demand the most out of their cars, UHP tires are still a must-have in any tire brand’s portfolio. The UHP tire market allows us to push the levels of performance and engineering in all of our products, as the research and development

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ClearContact – A Trademark of the Continental Corporation

CO6074 ModernTireDealer_ClearContact_WorldClassWipers_HalfIsland_11-19_V2.indd 1

10/3/19 9:25 AM

behind every UHP tire represents the next generation of advancements in driving dynamics, tire design and special compounds to continue moving forward. Nick Guiterrez, sales director, Sentury Tire U.S.A. Inc.: We understand the demand for SUV and CUV UHP tires. Our massive staggered fitment offering gives us the edge and will keep us among the leaders in the industry. Jon Vance, senior vice president, product marketing, TBC Corp.: UHP will always be an important segment in the industry, as a portion of consumers will continually value key attributes such as enhanced handling and high-speed performance and look for the opportunity to plus-size. The replacement market will continue to be driven by many later OE model fitments, which are W- and Y-rated. As OE trends continue, so too will aftermarket tires, with an enhanced performance touring segment, in efforts to ultimately achieve a UHP level of performance. Sonny McDonald, national training manager, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: The UHP market is already alive and well in the CUV and SUV market. If you look at the OE sizes on most of these vehicles, the rim diameters are 17-inch and larger, the aspect ratio is 55 or smaller, and the speed/performance is V-rated and higher. That is the classic definition of a UHP tire. Today, almost every trim level CUV and SUV has a UHP-sized product, including 19- and 21-inch rim diameters. For example, Toyo builds a 235/55R19 101V Open Country A39, which is OE on the 2019 Toyota RAV4. The 2019-2020 Chevy Blazer is option-equipped with a 265/45R21 104V and the 2020 Ford Explorer is option-equipped with 275/45R21 110W sizes. Tire dealers will see increased revenues and profits from this new market segment. Bob Abram, senior manager of consumer product planning, Yokohama Tire Corp.: For the last 15 years, the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association has reported steady, and at times even aggressive, growth in the UHP all-season segment. Looking forward, growth is still projected through 2024. The outlook for UHP should still be strong, despite the shift in vehicle preference to CUV/SUV. There are a few good reasons for this. The first is that because CUVs are on the rise, there are now CUVs in many shapes, sizes and varying performance levels. These vehicles have different tire types and sizes, as fitted at OE, and often, UHP tires, MTD November 2019

MADE TO MO E MOV M177 Steer Long Haul

M154 Steer Regional

M144 Steer Motorcoach

M153 Steer Waste Haul

M677 Drive Long Haul

M920 Drive Long Haul/Regional

P R E M I U M . PO P U L A R . P RO F I TA B L E . The scope of commercial connectivity spans town-to-town and coast-to-coast. No matter what your commercial customers need, they’ll find it in Toyo Tires. They’ll also find that you’re a dependable dealer — one they’ll stick with for the long haul. “Cassidy Tire has been a Toyo dealer for more than 40 years. The commercial products have been a big part of our growth... Toyo provides our fleet customers with great performance, and low cost of ownership. One of the biggest benefits of selling the Toyo line is knowing your customers won’t have any issues… It’s a win-win for all of us.” — BRYAN AHERN, CASSIDY TIRE & SERVICE

UHP Tires

HERCULES RAPTIS R-T5

MAXXIS VICTRA VR-1

whether all-season or summer, are part of that mix. Secondly, many smaller CUVs now have the same tire sizes that larger luxury or performance cars had in the past. MTD: In a crowded field, how can tire dealers differentiate your UHP products? Mathis, Atturo: Atturo is differentiated in the market as a specialist in the SUV/light truck segment. This applies to our multi-terrain tires as well as our UHP AZ850. Atturo launched our brand 10 years ago, with the UHP AZ800. We subsequently developed the AZ850, which includes run-flat technology. The AZ850 line offers the correct load index and speed ratings for modern SUV and CUV vehicles. Watson, BFGoodrich: Our customers are attracted to our authentic, distinguishable and engaging line of products. We have a long history of performance and products that complement any modern sport vehicle. Not only do our UHP tires offer performance, but they also offer ways to enhance the look of a vehicle with exclusive, customizable colored sidewall letters. Kelly, Bridgestone: Bridgestone UHP tires are inspired and built on decades of advanced racing technology and innovation. This expertise continues to guide the development of Bridgestone and Firestone performance tires for passenger vehicles, as our engineers collaborate to share key learnings and help drive the category forward. Today, Bridgestone offers a portfolio of products in almost every UHP subcategory — from high performance all-season tires, such as the Firestone Firehawk AS tire, to extreme UHP summer tires, with the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R tire — to provide maximum grip and confident handling, speed and braking.

NEXEN N’FERA AU7

Roffler, Continental: Our objective with every product we sell is to create a balance between consumer value, product performance and dealer margin. Both the Continental ExtremeContact Sport and ExtremeContact DWS06 and the General G-Max RS & G-Max AS05 consistently perform at top levels in performance in their respective competitive set. Our Total Confidence Plan on Continental products is the best warranty in the business: class-leading mileage warranties, a 60-day Customer Satisfaction Trial, free road hazard in the first 12 months or 2/32s of tread wear, and free, three-year flat tire roadside assistance. Paige, Cooper: With many UHP tires on the market, we recognize that it can be challenging for dealers to differentiate among various offerings from different competitors. Cooper believes that providing education and support related to our products is the best way to help dealers truly understand the differences between our products and others. We have online learning courses, such as for the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 UHP product, to help dealer sales professionals understand the unique characteristics of the tire and what makes it a great value, blending performance and price. Johnson, Falken: At Falken, we believe earning OE fitments is a testament to consistent development in technology and innovation. This is why we were ecstatic to hear our Azenis FK510 SUV was selected as an OE tire for the 2019 Porsche Macan. We also ensure our UHP products are tested by drivers who demand the most from their tires, which is why we’re excited to see our Azenis RT615K+ selected as the spec tire for SCCA’s Solo Spec Coupe class. We believe our abundance of motorsports success speaks volumes about the quality

SAILUN ATREZZO SVA1

and performance of our products. While competitive performance is expected from the UHP segment, Falken aims to differentiate our product offerings by keeping safety at the core of the performance requirements. Federal: For Federal’s UHP product line, we provide the 595 series and the Evoluzion series. Technically, we group them into two different segments of UHP products. Based on Tire Rack’s definition, our 595 series falls under the extreme performance summer tires segment, and the Evoluzion series (tires) are max performance summer tires. The patterns on the 595 series are all-directional, designed specially to achieve excellent maneuverability with hyper-focused dry grip. The Evoluzion series (tires) are all asymmetrical, high performance street tires. Shelton, Giti: The street UHP tires of today perform better in the dry than those racing tires of yesteryear, and still perform superbly in the wet, whereas the old race tires did not. GT Radial UHP tires have great breakaway characteristics with easy recovery built in so drivers can be close to the limit on track days, with extra security for any surprises during the daily drive. Ron Henegar, senior product marketing manager for consumer high performance and winter tires, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: When it comes to UHP tires, one of the ways dealers can differentiate the many products available on the market is through wet performance. While many UHP tires perform well in dry conditions, dealers are looking for a tire that performs well in all-season conditions, and consumers are asking for tires that perform in wet conditions. Smouter, Hankook: Hankook’s Ventus line of UHP tires is designed to provide excellent grip, response and handling for the performance-minded driver. Our Ventus MTD November 2019

+, /"!&1

+""!"!

UHP Tires PHOTO COURTESY NOKIAN TYRES

lineup has tested well globally and Hankook is proud of our ability to meet the strict OE requirements of the best automotive brands around the world. Liu, Hercules: The UHP tire market is crowded and ever-evolving. Technological breakthroughs continue to allow for expanded capability and minimized technical compromises, especially with the heightened emphasis on today’s vehicles’ performance and versatility. To remain at the forefront of technology and design, Hercules launched the Raptis R-T5. The all-season UHP tire offers dry and wet grip, reduced stopping distance, and 3D siping to give consumers greater control, responsive handling and tighter cornering. SENTURY DELINTE DS8 Maxxis: In the case of the VR-1 Extreme Summer The shift in vehicle trends is leading Nokian to extend its zLine A/S tire line for more CUVs and tire, our engineering focus was to maximize the cost/ SUVs. The company will add seven sizes in 2020. performance ratio. We understand a lot of customers have a budget to work with, so we engineered the VR-1 to have an warranty, which includes mileage, road hazard coverage and 36 excellent balance between cost, dry/wet lap times, tread wear and months roadside assistance on these two products. heat cycle performance. We think we have one of the best offerings Bourassa, Nokian: Both the passenger and SUV versions of the out there for someone who wants maximum value out of their Nokian zLine A/S are UHP all-season tires that provide sporty handling extreme summer UHP. demanded by many of these vehicles and drivers. What differentiates Lee, Nexen: Nexen has two, primary representative UHP products: the zLine A/S products from others is the quiet, comfortable ride the N’Fera SU1 and the N’Fera AU7. The N’Fera SU1 is a UHP provided during times when utmost performance is not required. summer tire and offers superior grip on dry and wet conditions. These include long load trips and urban driving, when comfort and The N’Fera AU7 offers low road noise, plus superior comfort and silence are appreciated in what are often expensive or luxury vehicles. grip, especially in wet conditions. Nexen offers a total coverage Pirelli: The P Zero is Pirelli’s flagship UHP tire. These tires are specifically designed and developed with vehicle manufacturers to deliver the optimal driving experience. Pereira, Sailun: The Sailun Atrezzo SVA1 has been specifically designed to deliver impressive value for those who enjoy driving. The SVA1 allows consumers to get the most out of their car’s performance, but for much less than they would expect to pay for such a high-quality UHP tire. Plus, the Sailun Atrezzo SVA1 includes a 40,000-mile tread life warranty, separating us from other value-tier brands. The Atrezzo SVA1 has been positioned in the market as a top value-tier UHP alternative. This allows Sailun products to represent a smart buy for consumers and an easy sell for dealers. Guiterrez, Sentury: Quality. Tire dealers know a high-quality tire when they see one. Sentury manufactures the Delinte and Landsail brands in one of the very few, fully automated tire factories in the world. With the D7 UHP, the DS8 UHP and the LS588 UHP, the Delinte and Landsail brands are building the largest collective of staggered fitment applications in the tire industry for sport luxury, modern muscle, SUVs and CUVs. As an example, the All Season DS8 has a huge offering of staggered fitments, with wheel diameters ranging from 18 to 32 inches and over 82 different fitment sizes. Vance, TBC: Continued improvements in product quality within our value proposition tire lines, such as Sumitomo and TBC’s proprietary brands Velozza and Atrezzo (note: TBC is the exclusive distributor of Sailun brand products in the U.S.), offer dealers an enhanced profitability alternative compared to top and mid-tier products. With flexibility in managing their stocking levels, dealers are able to order tires where the performance and quality far exceed purchase price expectations. McDonald, Toyo: The UHP market segment has always been a race to the top for tire manufacturers to showcase their most advanced technology in compounding, construction, and tread design. It is C O N T IN U ED O N PAG E 2 9

MTD November 2019

THE ALL NEW, ALL SEASON TIRE FOR CUVS & SUVS

CROSSOVER TO A BETTER RIDE

MEETING THE MARKET Crossovers and SUVs are more popular than ever, and their segment of the market is only increasing. Drivers count on their versatility and dependability, from cross-country road trips to trips to the store. The Nexen Roadian GTX touring tire meets this need and exceeds expectations. Drivers want a long tread life. They want all-season traction. They want the best mileage and a comfortable ride. On every count, the new Roadian GTX delivers.

A GROWING MARKET Crossovers and SUVs are the fastest-growing vehicle segment.

90%

THE ROADIAN GTX COVERS OVER 90% OF SMALL CROSSOVER TO MID-SIZED SUV MODELS.

1/3

ALMOST 1/3 OF NEW MODELS FOR 2017-2020 ARE CROSSOVERS.

MARKET RESEARCH

EXTEND YOUR JOURNEY

Out of 999 respondents, 39.9% felt that Mileage/Life of tire was the most important feature to them.

The Roadian GTX comes with Nexen Tireâ€™s comprehensive warranty coverage, which goes above and beyond those offered by comparable competitors.

70,000 MILE

MILEAGE/LIFE OF TIRE 39.9%

TREAD WEAR WARRANTY

TRACTION 27.6%

36 MONTHS

RIDE COMFORT 14.6%

OF ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

FUEL EFFICIENCY 12.0%

ROAD HAZARD PROTECTION FOR 1 YEAR OR 2/32NDS" OF WEAR

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE 5.9% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

THE IDEAL COMPLEMENT CROSSOVERS

Nissan Rogue, BMW X3, Subaru Outback, and more

MID-SIZE SUVS

Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Highlander, BMW X5, and more

NO SACRIFICE ON COMFORT Drivers value a smooth ride, so computer simulations were used to create optimized block designs and sequences that reduce noise and increase comfort.

EXCEED YOUR MPG EXPECTATIONS. With a design that helps Crossovers and SUVs get more mileage from every gallon, the Roadian GTX is made for drivers who want to cut fuel costs and fuel emissions.

LIGHT SNOW? NO PROBLEM. The Roadian GTX uses additional sipes, an optimized profile, and new compound technology to ensure upgraded traction in light snow conditions, which makes it a well-rounded all-season option.

WEAR LIFE FOR YOUR LIFE Drivers place long tread life at the top of their tire wish list. And with the new Roadian GTX, that wish comes true. Its long wear life makes it a great fit for on-the-go drivers who want a tire they can depend on for years to come.

34 SIZES AVAILABLE

Inch

Product Code

Load Index & Speed Symbol

Ply Rating

Max. Air

Max. Load (lbs)

psi

Measuring

Section Width

Overall Diameter

Tread Depth

Approved

inch

/32"

Rim

UTQG

Sidewall

225/60R17

1,709

6.5

6.0~8.0

9.0

27.6

9.5

680 A A

Black

17060

225/65R17

102

1,874

6.5

6.0~8.0

9.0

28.5

9.5

680 A A

Black

17054

235/60R17

102

1,874

7.0

6.5~8.5

9.4

28.1

9.5

680 A A

Black

17570

235/65R17

104

1,984

7.0

6.5~8.5

9.4

29.1

7.5

600 A A

Black

17061

245/65R17

107

2,149

7.0

7.0~8.5

9.8

29.5

9.5

680 A A

Black

17052

225/60R18

104

1,984

6.5

6.0~8.0

9.0

28.6

9.5

680 A A

Black

17045

235/55R18

104

1,984

7.5

6.5~8.5

9.6

28.1

7.5

600 A A

Black

235/60R18

103

1,929

7.0

6.5~8.5

9.4

29.1

7.5

600 A A

Black

17571

235/65R18

106

2,094

7.0

6.5~8.5

9.4

30.0

7.5

600 A A

Black

17055

245/60R18

105

2,039

7.0

7.0~8.5

9.8

29.6

9.5

680 A A

Black

17048

255/55R18

109

2,271

8.0

7.0~9.0

10.4

29.0

9.5

680 A A

Black

17056

255/60R18

108

2,205

7.5

7.0~9.0

10.2

30.0

9.5

680 A A

Black

17062

255/65R18

111

2,403

7.5

7.0~9.0

10.2

31.1

9.5

680 A A

Black

17057

265/60R18

110

2,337

8.0

7.5~9.5

10.7

30.5

9.5

680 A A

Black

17043

225/55R19

103

1,929

7.0

6.0~8.0

9.2

28.8

9.5

680 A A

Black

17033

235/45R19

1,521

8.0

7.5~9.0

9.3

27.4

9.5

680 A A

Black

17037

235/50R19

1,709

7.5

6.5~8.5

9.6

28.3

9.5

680 A A

Black

17572

235/55R19

101

1,819

7.5

6.5~8.5

9.6

29.2

7.5

600 A A

Black

17047

245/55R19

103

1,929

7.5

7.0~8.5

10.0

29.6

9.5

680 A A

Black

17407

255/50R19

107

2,149

8.0

7.0~9.0

10.4

29.1

9.5

680 A A

Black

17414

255/55R19

111

2,403

8.0

7.0~9.0

10.4

30.0

9.5

680 A A

Black

17566

255/60R19

109

2,271

7.5

7.0~9.0

10.2

31.1

9.5

600 A A

Black

17413

275/55R19

111

2,403

8.5

7.5~9.5

11.2

30.9

9.5

680 A A

Black

17046

235/55R20

102

1,874

7.5

6.5~8.5

9.6

30.2

9.5

680 A A

Black

17038

245/50R20

102

1,874

7.5

7.0~8.5

10.0

29.7

9.5

680 A A

Black

255/45R20

101

1,819

8.5

8.0~9.5

10.0

29.1

7.5

600 A A

Black

109

2,271

8.0

7.0~9.0

10.4

30.1

9.5

680 A A

Black

107

2,149

8.0

7.0~9.0

10.4

31.0

9.5

680 A A

Black

17568

Size

SPEED RATING

RIM SIZE

17051

17569

P/ LT

H, V & W

17"-22"

17039

255/50R20

17049

255/55R20

17410

265/45R20

108

2,205

9.0

8.5~10.0

10.5

29.4

9.5

680 A A

Black

17040

265/50R20

111

2,403

8.5

7.5~9.5

10.9

30.5

9.5

680 A A

Black

17406

275/40R20

106

2,094

9.5

9.0~11.0

10.9

28.7

9.5

680 A A

Black

17408

275/45R20

110

2,337

9.0

8.5~10.5

10.7

29.8

9.5

680 A A

Black

17409

275/55R20

113

2,535

8.5

7.5~9.5

11.2

31.9

9.5

680 A A

Black

17412

285/45R22

114

2,601

9.5

9.0~10.5

11.2

32.1

9.5

680 A A

Black

NEXEN TIRE AMERICA INC. Corporate Headquarters, 21073 Pathfinder Rd., Ste. 100, Diamond Bar, CA 91765 T: (909) 923-4011 F: (909) 923-3991 E: info@nexentireusa.com NexenTireUSA.com |

UHP Tires C O N T I NU ED FROM PAGE 24

similar to car manufacturers building their supercars to highlight their latest, greatest technology, plus generate media attention. The true UHP enthusiast will spend more time on research — utilizing a tire manufacturer’s website, enthusiast forums, and third-party testing — before making a final decision than a typical tire buyer. Training and educating the tire dealer is the best way to differentiate a tire manufacturer’s UHP products. Duane Sampson, product marketing manager, Yokohama: Two of the Advan products launched in 2019 are the AdvanA052 and the Advan Apex. Since the launch of the Advan A052 in April, it has competed for thousands of miles in the One Lap of America and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and totally dominated the Street Touring class of the SCCA Solo Nationals. The Advan Apex, which launched in August, follows the legacy of Yokohama high performance products in the U.S., like the A008, the AVS Intermediate and the ES100.

SO WHAT’S NEW?

Capitalizing on continued growth in the CUV and SUV vehicles segments, tire manufacturers are making significant investments in their UHP offerings. Atturo is positioning the AZ850 as a performance tire for the modern SUV, CUV and sport truck that is designed to take advantage of the increased power and handling ability of these vehicles. The asymmetric tread design features different inside and outside contours for optimum balance across the tread, which evenly distributes pressure to enhance comfort and handling. The BFGoodrich Comp 2-AS Plus uses the proven tread design of the current BFGoodrich Comp 2-AS. Combined with the latest evolution in tread compound technology, Michelin stretched the performance capabilities for even better wet, dry and snow driving. The tire debuts this month and will be available to consumers in 2020. Bridgestone launched the Potenza RE980AS in 2018 as “a flagship tire” engineered for drivers of performance and luxury vehicles who enjoy taking a curve in any weather. Engineered for premium sports cars and sedans, it is optimized for precise handling year-round. The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

PIRELLI PZERO PZ4

is for drivers who want a true all-season tire without sacrificing performance handling and traction, even in rain and light snow. The tire offers wet and dry grip, injecting confidence into every turn and straightaway. The Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 was created with technology to meet high-performance needs. The tire’s wide tread creates a stable footprint, and it is backed by a 45,000-mile warranty, a 500-AA-A UTQG rating, and, as the tire maker notes, “plenty of great online reviews.” Federal has positioned the Evoluzion F60 as its flagship tire “for ultra-high performance driving” with superior responsiveness, handling, braking and grip. Giti’s GT Radial Champiro UHP AS delivers straight-line stability, cornering grip and braking capabilities in both wet and dry conditions, as well as handling and grip in light snow. It boasts four wide circumferential grooves, multi-depth sipes and other features. Goodyear says its Eagle Exhilarate UHP all-season tire is the result of more than three years of research, development and testing. The tire features Goodyear’s ActiveGrip Technology for handling and traction, ActiveBraking Technology for enhanced braking, ActiveStrength Technology for

TBC SUMITOMO HTR Z5

confident handling, and a wear gauge tool that makes it easy to see remaining tread. For summer driving, Hankook promotes the Ventus S1 evo2 and the Ventus V12 evo2, which provide performance, crisp handling, and driving confidence. In the UHP all-season segment, Hankook has the Ventus S1 Noble2, with high performance at high speeds, combined with up to a 50,000mile tread wear warranty and light winter performance. The Hercules Raptis R-T5 is an all-season UHP tire made with “top-tier technologies” plus design and advanced materials. It marries the year-round versatility of a premium touring tire with the control of an ultra-high performance tire. The tire is backed by a 45,000-miles tread wear warranty, a 45-day trial, and road hazard protection. Maxxis says its Victra VR-1 features a compound that gets up to operating temperatures quickly and provides dry traction on the street or during competition. Engineers made sure the compound heat-cycled well, so the tire stays fast throughout the life of the tire. The Victra VR-1 is available in 15- to 18-inch diameters. Nexen is promoting its N’Fera AU7 as a UHP tire for all seasons. It provides traction in dry and wet road conditions, and has 3D kerf sipes to reinforce block stiffness and improve handling. The N’Fera AU7 features a 45-day trial offer, along with a 50,000 mileage warranty and 36 months of roadside assistance. Safety, performance, comfort and luxury all came together in the Nokian zLine A/S, a performance all-season tire designed for fast driving throughout the year. Precise handling capabilities and technology advances ensure the Nokian zLine A/S will get consumers where they want to go, as quickly as they want to get there, says the company. The Pirelli P Zero PZ4 leverages knowledge gained from the company’s partnership with top original equipment manufacturers into the ultra-high performance product. The tire is available in two versions, the P Zero (PZ4) Luxury Sedan and the P Zero(PZ4) Sport Car, that provide drivers with a customized experience. The Sailun Atrezzo SVA1 is engineered for high-speed performance, cornering and braking. It’s available in more than 40 sizes, and features an asymmetrical tread design, offers wet and dry traction, has a solid center rib for directional stability, wide shoulder blocks for high-speed cornering, and more.

UHP Tires

Sentury is targeting SUVs and CUVs, as well as passenger cars, with the Delinte DS8 All-Season UHP. The DS8 has a vast offering of staggered fitments, with wheel diameters ranging from 18 to 32 inches and more than 82 different fitment sizes. It is backed by 50,000-mile and road hazard warranties. TBC calls the Sumitomo HTR Z5 its maximum performance summer tire, and says the product outperforms its predecessor, the

PHOTO COURTESY YOKOHAMA TIRE CORP.

PHOTO COURTESY TOYO TIRE U.S.A. CORP.

Toyo’s Sonny McDonald says tire manufacturers engage in “technological warfare” to differentiate their UHP products.

The Yokohama Advan Sport A/S+ has been “decades in the making,” says Duane Sampson, thanks to global racing events.

Sumitomo HTR Z3, with major improvements in wet braking, wet handling, dry braking and ride comfort. The tire features widened circumferential grooves for advanced hydroplaning resistance and an increased shoulder and contact patch to prevent irregular wear. Toyo says its Proxes Sport creates a greater connection to the road with improved contact, grip and handling. This max performance

summer tire combines Toyo’s Nano Balance Technology with a unique tread design to deliver in wet and dry conditions. It is backed by a 25,000-mile warranty and Toyo’s 500-mile trial offer. Certain sizes of Yokohama’s new UHP all-season tire, the Advan Sport A/S+, fit midsize or small CUVs. This year Yokohama also released the Geolandar X-CV, a W-rated, all-season tire for performance CUVs. ■

MTD November 2019

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Consumer Promotion

Human Resources ©GETTYIMAGES.COM/CHANDLERPHOTO

How to

catch (and retain) great employees REAL-WORLD TIPS FOR REELING IN ‘KEEPERS’ By

Dennis McCarron

ost independent tire dealers get into the tire and automotive service business because they enjoy fixing vehicles or selling things. Many probably started working for a larger chain or their father/mother/ grandparents and got pretty good at fixing and selling, so they thought, “I’d like to be my own boss doing this.” And they scraped together enough cash, took on enormous debt, and hung their shingle outside. As their customer base grew, they found they needed help, and they set out to hire the best service techs and salespeople their town had to offer. As business grew, they spent less time doing the things they originally loved and more time managing the “HR” side of the equation. Like other independent dealers who have more than five employees and three bays, they quickly discovered that the “HR” side consumed a great portion of their week. Handling personnel issues is not glitzy, glamorous, or exciting. It certainly doesn’t result in the rush of adrenaline that a good sale or a successful mechanical diagnosis generates. Some find human resources to be repetitive, and even boring. But knowing how to manage the HR function properly is

critical. Let’s look at four major HR areas, which I will call “buckets.”

BUCKET NO. 1

The first major bucket is your hiring process. Ages ago, you could put a “help wanted” sign outside your store. Someone would eventually inquire, and you’d eyeball them, ask a few questions, and hire them on the spot. Many times they’d start working that day. You would never do that today, I hope. You wouldn’t get a response email from an online job website, and then read it and hire the person, right? When hiring, make sure that you engage in the following practices: • Go look where the talent is, not where it used to be. So many dealerships are still casting fishing lures in places where good techs and salespeople used to be. Those fishing holes dried up years ago. Stop waiting for a miracle. Go where the talent is today. Good techs are working in other stores, not posting resumes on Indeed. They may not even be working on cars. They could be working in a completely different industry. Passive forms of recruiting where you sit back and let technology find talent are not enough. You need to proactively recruit where employed salespeople and

technicians are spending time. Are they aware of you? Do you geo-fence? Do you buy ads on Facebook? Modernize your searches. And update your presentation. Is your store modern-looking or does it look the same as it did 30 years ago? Still have those iPads that you’re afraid to use, sitting in a box in your office? Use them. • Update your interview questions and process. I’ve covered interviewing in the past, so as a summary: have a planned, written-out interview ahead of time, with questions based specifically on the candidate, including their resume and experience. The questions written out ahead of time must be based on actual events in the candidate’s professional past. Don’t ask about how they think, how they feel about something, or about hypothetical futures. In other words, avoid questions beginning with, “Where do you see yourself in three years?” or “What would you do if you found money in a customer’s car?” or “How do you feel about doing oil changes?” or “Do you like working on cars?” These and similar questions fail to get at what’s important: Does the interviewee have the needed skill set and right frame of mind? If you focus on the candidate’s history, his or her attitude toward that skill will show. MTD November 2019

If you ask a candidate directly about his or her attitude, most will be aware enough to provide an answer that “should” be said. When you ask about recent experience, the candidate will focus on recalling specific details, and his or her attitude will shine through in the answer. • Select carefully. You cannot choose between option A and nothing. There must be at least two choices for you to select the best. Ideally, recruiting is an ongoing process and you save the resumes and notes of people you have interviewed in the past so you can make comparisons, which will lead you to choosing the best of the possible, not just one option. If you haven’t kept up with recruiting and interviewing people, you will likely be desperate to fill an open position, which will lead you to put a halo on the very first person who responds to a help wanted ad. Don’t fall down that hole. Hiring is easy. Termination can be difficult and costly. Be difficult up front, ask the tough questions, and maintain your brand’s high standards. Would you let this person work on your mom’s car? Would you let this salesperson present an estimate to your neighbor? • Perform drug tests and physicals. You owe it to your family and the other people you already employ to protect the assets of your company and prevent someone

from destroying everything you’ve built. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen drugs or alcohol abuse ruin a business. Spend the few dollars it takes to protect your million-dollar baby.

BUCKET NO. 2

Training is the second bucket. You’ve created help wanted ads that speak to interested candidates, including the current 80-million-plus workforce known as millennials (see sidebar for more). You conducted interviews, asked good questions, and made your choice. Do not do what your grandpa, who started your dealership, did. Grandpa most likely adhered to the adage, “He’ll figure it out or he won’t. We’ll see in a few weeks.” That philosophy no longer serves a purpose. First, you’ll burn through good people quickly, and waste time and resources bringing people into the company. Second, you don’t have spare candidates to burn through in this market, where talent is a rare commodity. You must have an onboarding process — otherwise known as formal training. And that on-boarding process should include these few steps: • Get the employee up to speed on all that your company has to offer. This is a critical bonding moment that helps endear the employee to the company. Step-by-

step, review the benefits, perks, spiffs, manufacturer programs, and how each program works. Tell them the story about how grandpa started the company with $4 in his pocket. Maybe you stormed out of the big box retailer hell-bent on showing them you could do better. Whatever your dealership’s story is, tell it. This is what helps develop the culture of the company. Walk the employee around your facility. Show him or her where the changing room is, as well as the lunch space, the fire extinguisher, the eye wash station, and the location of the cameras. Spend time with the new employee. Don’t make excuses that you don’t have time. You don’t have time not to do this. You’ve invested significant resources in obtaining this person. Don’t squander it. These are the requirements of running a successful business in the 21st century. • Set aside a few hours a day to focus on training. “But this is more time spent away from making money,” you might think. Your new employee is an investment. You may miss a few leads or sales while focusing on a new hire. But that is far less costly than letting an ill-prepared employee fumble around for years trying to figure it out on his or her own. Ours is not a simple industry. You’ve been doing it a long time, which makes it feel simple.

Technician level

Certification requirements

Ability requirements

General service

Driver’s license.

Perform tire replacement, Current pay based oil change service and light on agreed hire rate. maintenance in required due times.

$12-$15/hr.

Maintenance & repair technician

Previous position requirements + 1 ASE.

Previous position requirements + brake and/or suspension repairs.

Current pay + $3 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, ASE certification bonus.

$15-$18/hr.

Diagnostic technician

Previous position requirements + 3 ASE ; + 10 hours ongoing/ offered training.

Previous position requirements + proven ability to diagnose drivability, electrical, and engine performance problems.

Current pay + $6 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, ASE certification bonus.

$21-$24/hr.

Lead technician Previous position requirements + 5 ASE; + 20 hours ongoing/ offered training per year.

Previous position requirements + meetings with management to discuss improvements in shop.

Current pay + $6 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, ASE certification bonus.

$27-$30/hr.

Master technician

Previous position requirements + notable hours a week assisting OTJ training of other employees.

Current pay + $8 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, ASE certification bonus.

$35-$38/hr.

Previous position requirements + 8 ASE; + 40 hours ongoing/ offered training per year.

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

Pay increase

Avg. pay range (national)

Human Resources Advisor & Mgt. level

Avg. pay range (national)

Certification requirements

Ability requirements

Pay increase

Service advisor

Driver’s license. High school diploma.

Learn and be able to explain in detail POS system and functions. Learn and be able to explain in detail shop flow system. Basic customer interaction skills. Ability to write up basic customer requests and pose knowledgeable questions when customer has symptoms. Basic math (cash-out) skills.

Current pay based on agreed hire rate.

$12-$15/hr.

Professional service advisor

Previous position requirements + 3 tire manufacturer program certifications; +2 parts manufacturer (or equivalent) program certifications; + ASE C1 certification.

Previous position requirements + display common selling skills like overcoming objections, explaining features, functions and benefits of products, listening skills, and ability to offer solutions to customers’ problems (ex: don’t have time, don’t have funds, etc); + ability to timely build complicated estimates within POS system; + successfully handle disgruntled customers to both the company and the customer’s satisfaction.

Current pay + $3 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, profit sharing program based on personal performance.

$15-$18/hr.

Assistant manager

Previous position requirements + 1 online spreadsheet competency certification (free); + 10 hours ongoing/ offered training (free: Kahn Academy, EdX, or management programs like Bridgestone’s RMW, etc.).

Previous position requirements + ability to create schedule without conflicts; + ability to manage teams + ability to be in charge while alone and perform as instructed; + think creatively on marketing and sales initiatives within tight budgets; + manage social media complaints to customer and company satisfaction.

Current pay + $5 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, profit sharing program based on store performance.

$20-$23/hr.

Service manager

Previous position requirements + specialized shop management course; +2 ASE certifications; + 20 hours ongoing/ offered training per year.

Previous position requirements + hold productive, solutionbased team meetings where problems are solved; + manage shop workflow and technical skill development of employees.

Current pay + $6 an hour; eligibility for spiffs, increased profit sharing program based on store performance.

$26-$29/hr.

Store manager

Previous position requirements + subscription to businessoriented website, service, or organization (Automotive Management Network is $129/year, Association for Talent Development is $259/ year base but is not auto specific, AMi is industry specific, among others); + 40 hours ongoing/ offered training per year.

Previous position requirements + spend significant amount of work week building skills of employees; + meet with ownership weekly on financial metrics, employee performance, event planning, budgeting, and more.

Current pay + $5 an hour or possible conversion to salary; eligibility for spiffs, increased profit sharing program based on store performance.

$31-$34/hr.

MTD November 2019

Human Resources But trust me, to a new hire, that point-ofsale system that you mastered years ago is a super-complicated tool that seemingly takes a thousand keystrokes and mouse clicks to produce the right invoice at the right margins. Watch the new person perform an oil change or brake job. Just watch. You’ll be amazed at what you see, either positively or negatively — the

latter, especially, if you didn’t conduct a good interview. Training a new employee properly can take months. It seems like a lot of time, but the reality is it isn’t, and I’ll tell you why. Humans can only absorb so much information at a time. Overload goes in one ear and out the other. Training should be limited, focused, and progressive.

Are millennials truly unique?

Good management bridges generational divides In my article, I mentioned “millennials.” What often comes up in management conversations is how to deal with members of this demographic. First, how do you define a millennial? Generally, millennials were children when 9/11 happened. Experts always disagree about the exact year one generation starts and another ends, but each generation has several key moments — many times tragic, yet well-known — that occur when they are young, and tend to define how members of that generation see the world. The boomers lived through the assassination of President Kennedy. They also lived through the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. They experienced the moon landing. These events were reported on TV, which taught the boomer generation that being connected to technology is important. The Cold War, which they also lived through, showed them how important establishing and maintaining competitive advantages are. Which generation came after boomers and immediately preceded millennials? Gen Xers, of which I am one, are a smaller, more often overlooked group. Gen Xers receive less press than boomers and millennials, yet also

were exposed to tragedy, such as the AIDS epidemic and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. Many Gen Xers grew up in households where both parents worked, often late, and generally learned to be self-sufficient. Some Gen Xers can be suspicious of big companies and big government, which is one reason why some of today’s most prolific entrepreneurial leaders have grown out of this generation. Some of these entrepreneurs also have grown those selfstarted companies into massive global corporations, but that’s another story. It’s safe to say that millennials have probably surpassed boomers as the most wrongly written about and over-analyzed generation. How do you manage a millennial? By managing. At the beginning of my accompanying story, we talked about how you may have started your business because you loved selling or fixing things. But somewhere along the line, you decided to be the boss. The boss fixes people, not cars. The boss sells a culture and a set of standards, not wiper blades. You manage millennials the same way you’d manage anyone else: by making sure they step up and do the actual job you’re paying

them to do. Be selective in who you allow to wear your uniform. Lay out the path and provide the tools to get there. Get out of the way of the good ones. Step in and help the ones who struggle. Learn to speak their language. People so often say, “Gee, the young people today are so different.” They’re not. They are trying to figure out the world — just like we were at their age. When I bring up this point, usually there is someone who says they have an employee who reacts in an overly sensitive way to discipline and then they lament this person’s entire generation. There were overly sensitive people in the 80’s, the 70’s, the 60’s and so on. You get the point. And if for some reason this is truly an issue for you, it can be solved by changing your interviewing process to include questions like, “Tell me about the last time you were disciplined by your boss — or, if just getting out of school, your teacher.” The fundamentals of HR, or personnel management, haven’t changed. What has changed is how to find good employees, where to find them, and living up to their high expectations of what a boss should and shouldn’t do. Adapt and live up to those standards. You’ll be happy you did.

Teach in blocks, or break skills down to the component level. And very importantly, don’t move onto the next skill until the person has mastered the current one. This may inadvertently tell the employee that what they are doing now is acceptable. If you think training this way takes too long, I will argue that training the wrong way not only takes years, but it can cost you dearly in mistakes.

BUCKET NO. 3

The third bucket is career path transparency. Create milestones. You don’t need a ticker tape parade down Main Street every time a wiper blade is sold, but make sure you celebrate success. First alignment performed (with printout!) by themselves? Announce it and applaud. Complete a manufacturer’s e-learning course? Announce it at the next meeting and celebrate. The more positive reinforcement associated with completing steps, the more likely the employee will continue acquiring a skill. However, praise must be genuine and from the heart. Honestly congratulate employees on their success. Make eye contact and smile. Clap. It’s not rocket science, right? Conversely, do not tolerate employee aversion to required training. Employees who refuse to take required training must be shown the consequences of their actions. No merit raises, no spiff eligibility, or any other equal-tiered punishment is required after an employee refuses to comply after having been given a few chances to make the effort. Allowing the employee — any employee, not just new hires — to continue without penalty sends a strong message that training, growth and skill building are always optional. Employees usually choose the path of least resistance. Establish hand-in-hand financial and HR-related rewards. Examples include: for every ASE certification you complete, you get a $xx.xx increase in base pay, and for certain ASEs you get a promotion (example: from general service to maintenance/ repair tech to diagnostic tech to lead tech to master tech.) On the sales side, it could be a progression from service advisor to professional service advisor to assistant manager to service manager to store manager. It doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, the less complicated, the better. Yet it must be MTD November 2019

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Human Resources spelled out, and employees need to understand that increased pay is a reward for following the path laid out by the owner and management. It’s simple, yet sophisticated.

BUCKET NO. 4

Discipline is the fourth bucket. Over the years of working with tire dealership owners and managers, I have found this area to be the single biggest challenge affecting the work environment. Too often, the issue of employee discipline is avoided at first, with various reasons, like “I’m just too busy,” or “The employee’s skill set is too valuable to risk challenging their attitude,” or “It’s not a big deal,” and others. But little things have a cumulative effect. It’s like a clogged artery. A few French fries here and there are not a big deal, but a few years of eating fries with every meal and your arteries clog and you could be a candidate for a heart attack. The best recipe for employee discipline is addressing issues right away. Many times, a simple statement will be enough, such as, “I have to let you know that this behavior is unacceptable around here. Just don’t do it again, and we are fine.” Then shake hands and maybe engage in a follow-up conversation once and again (everyone has their hot buttons) and it will never build. But when ignored, the beast grows. And the consequences and emotional toll of a later conversation can become

BB12L*

very dramatic. Soon enough, the employee could realize that he or she now has the owner over a barrel. The owner can’t lose the skill the employee brings to the table but can’t stand the employee’s bad behavior or attitude — and neither can the other employees. If the owner continues to allow the bad behavior, the good employees leave, and a doom cycle starts to appear. What should you do if you let bad behavior go on too long? • First address the actual problem, which is you have let it go on too long. Tell the employee, “I’ve allowed this to go on far too long, it’s taken a toll on the business, and I must address it at this point.” This is now a problem you share. They caused it, but you allowed it. • Work toward an amicable solution. “Since we both are at fault here, I want to work with you to solve the problem,” you can say, followed by, “Here’s the main guideline: The behavior (showing up late, going home early, yelling, belittling coworkers, bad-mouthing management behind our backs — whatever) has to change, and rewards are only given out for continued success, not for just changing.” Also, avoid giving employees raises just because they cease behaving badly. Otherwise, you incentivize them to return to their old ways. • There must be negative consequences for not doing it right. This isn’t always termination. It’s taking away spiff/bonus eligibility, taking away perks like scheduling

preferences, or whatever you deem to be effective. And emphasize that the consequences will escalate when no apparent attempt to change is noticed. However, when an employee is honestly making an effort to change, you must positively reinforce the attempt every time. “Thank you for pulling that car in right away,” or “Hey, I know it got crazy today, so thanks for keeping your cool. It didn’t go unnoticed.” In addition, there must be something that you, as an owner or manager, can do. Since you were both part of the problem, have the employee think of something that you can change. It could take the form of communicating with the employee more frequently or helping with some other issues. The only rule here is you can’t take responsibility for the behavior off the employee’s shoulder. It’s the employee’s burden to carry. As management, you can only offer to assist and support — not do it for them. Those are the four buckets of managing people in today’s environment. Get wickedly proactive in seeking talent, interview hard, connect early, train heavily, and hold people accountable — while showing them how they can advance and gain personally from doing things the way you want them done. ■ Dennis McCarron is a partner at Cardinal Brokers Inc., the leading brokers in the tire and automotive industry (www.cardinalbrokers.com). To contact McCarron, email him at dennis@cardinalbrokers.com.

Changing the way the world changes tires!

BB9L*

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*Covered by one or more U.S. patents, including: U.S. Patent 10,266,019 U.S. Patent 9,822,893 U.S. Patent 9,649,897 U.S. Patent 9,033,306 U.S. Patent 8,752,604 and other U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications listed at www.gaithertool.com

P: 217-245-0545 E: sales@gaithertool.com W: www.gaithertool.com 38

MTD November 2019

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Seasonal Service

Bob Ulrich

efore you know it, the winter season will be upon us. It officially starts Dec. 21 and runs through March 20. So winter car care needs to start now. Performing multi-point inspections is particularly crucial when harsh weather hits. What are the main points? Gene Petersen can tell you. As tire program manager for Consumer Reports, he knows what consumers want and need during the winter months. That perspective can give you an edge when your customers drive into your bays after the temperature starts to drop. Why should they do all the work when you can do it for them? Modern Tire Dealer asked Petersen what winterizing tips CR would pass along to its readers, which, we believe, will help you better understand the mindset of your customers. Our belief is if you know what your customers are thinking, you will know how to not only serve them, but also exceed their expectations.

“First of all, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about tires,” he said. “Certainly, at the very least, consumers should check out the tires that are on their cars today. If they’re significantly worn, they might want to consider buying a new set of tires for winter. They can use a quarter, which helps define the tread depth in the tires. If you can see all of George Washington’s head, you’ve got 4/32nds or less in the tread. “At that point, consumers might want to consider shopping for new tires. They may not need them right away, but for winter traction it’s best to consider thinking about shopping for new tires now. “The caveat this year is many of our readers are interested in this all-weather category. Obviously, by far the most common type of tire is all-season. But these all-weather tires, which happen to be somewhere in between all-season and designated winter tires, can be used all year. There’s a real interest in having one tire do it all. “Of course, dealers will want to make

All-weather tire testing

CR ranks them with performance all-season tires Consumer Reports (CR) and Tire Project Manager Gene Petersen have tested five all-weather tires to date. Their scores appeared in the November 2018 issue of CR, under the Performance (V-rated and higher) AllSeason Tire category. “The tires we’ve evaluated that fit the all-weather category would include the Toyo Celsius; the Nokian WR G4, their latest allweather product; and the Michelin CrossClimate+,” he said. “We’ve also tested the Vredestein Quatrac 5. The last of the five is

©GETTYIMAGES.COM/FILMFOTO

Winter car care THINK LIKE A CONSUMER WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS

the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady.” CR tested 25 different tires. Based on CR’s five-grade scale, the Michelin CrossClimate+ finished atop the category rankings, with strong marks in every test procedure, including dry, wet and ice braking; snow traction; hydroplaning resistance; handling; and ride. The Goodyear WeatherReady finished in a three-way tie for fourth. The Nokian WR G4 was the only tire to receive the highest grade in the ice braking test category.

“Nokian was one of the first to come out with what we would call an allweather product — being a tire that has the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on it that you could use all year long,” said Petersen. “There’s a smaller group of manufacturers in this country who are now offering such a product. Some of that has been fueled by the mandatory use of winter-type products in some provinces in Canada. This provides another avenue for people to buy one tire to do all things for them, for all seasons.”

sure the tires are properly inflated,” he said. “As we know, as it gets colder. the inflation pressure does decrease — about one psi for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit. So that’s a good thing, to make sure it’s topped off. “Also, (dealers should) make sure the tires are rotated, particularly for someone who has a front-wheel drive vehicle, where the front tires tend to do all the work and rear tires are along for the ride. It’s good to rotate those tires so they wear evenly and there’s good traction on all four wheel positions.”

NECESSARY ACCESSORIES

Petersen next mentioned the need for consumers to check their batteries. “As it gets cold out, (battery) efficiency decreases. We say at the very least, inspect the battery. Make sure the terminals are tight and clean. If it’s more than four years old, the consumer might consider having it checked and maybe replaced. “Another thing to consider is windshield washer fluid. Consumers want to make sure that’s topped off. They will want to make sure they are using a winter mix. At least in Connecticut here, where our test track is located, retailers sell a winter mix that will stay liquid in very cold weather. That’s a good thing to consider.” Windshield wipers should also be checked. But Petersen said consumers shouldn’t rely on the wipers to do all the work because the ice and snow can damage them. That is why he suggests each carries a good brush and ice scraper in the car. Perhaps that is something you can sell or give away to your customers to make sure they keep their windows clear. Dealers also can help out their customers by cleaning the vehicle’s lights “usually in the front of the car, for automatic emergency braking or a forward collision warning system,” said Petersen, as well as backup cameras, which are required on new models sold in the U.S. ■ MTD November 2019

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL TOUEY, HALIBUT BLUE LLC

This team from McCarthy Tire Service represents the progressive work of the under-40 talent in the tire industry. Back row, from left, Mary Kate Henry, Daniel Horn, Gary Lambert Jr., Tim Lambert and Colleen Horn Doyle. Front row, John McCarthy III.

MEET THE NEXT GEN I came face to face with the next generation of one of the nation’s largest, fastestgrowing tire dealerships in the country this year. And let me tell you, they’re an impressive bunch. They’re smart. They’re engaged. They’re in the trenches. They respect the 90-plus years their family has poured into the business, and they want to play a role in solidifying the company’s future for the next century. That’s why they put in long hours and log lots of miles visiting the stores and people that make their business tick. They’re in their 20s and 30s, and yet they

plan to remain in the tire industry for the long haul. McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. knows it’s lucky to have six members of the McCarthy fourth generation reporting for work each day. Lucky isn’t a big enough word to describe it, really. The “fourth gen” as they’re known internally is part of the company’s secret sauce. They embody everything we want to celebrate in On the Rise. This is the fourth year Modern Tire Dealer has highlighted young, rising stars in the tire industry. They offer shots of hope, innovation, energy and business savvy. We’re thrilled to introduce them to you. — Joy Kopcha

Daniel Horn

DIRECTOR OF SALES MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. WILKES-BARRE, PA. AGE: 30

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

Age. As a whole, the tire industry is made up of an older group of people. The idea of working and handling dirty tires isn’t the most appealing job for an 18- to 21-year-old coming out of school. I think that is why you see such a huge age gap in this industry. Age has been a big hurdle for me personally, due to my positions I have been in over the last nine years. When you take

WHO & WHERE... Trevor Adams .......................54 Sid Attravanam ....................44 Sydney Boyd ........................50 Justin Chalk .........................52 Jonathon Cole......................46 Michael Devers.....................60 Colleen Horn Doyle ..............43 Steve Hamilton ....................48 Brady Hansen .......................54 Mary Kate Henry ..................46 Daniel Horn...........................42 Gary Lambert Jr. ..................44 Tim Lambert.........................50 John McCarthy III.................48 Phil Meade............................58 Whitney Moore ....................43 Ari Thielman .........................52 Matthew Thornhill ...............60 Sarah Tolai ............................58

on a regional sales manager role and now the director of sales role, you are overseeing people who might be double your age. That is sometimes a hard pill to swallow for someone who has been in the industry for 20 to 30-plus years. The only way around that is to show them your work ethic and win them over with it.

What was your first job in the industry?

I worked pumping gas at one of our locations, but also had some days where I worked in a warehouse boxing up old documents that were damaged in a flood and transporting them to another building.

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now? MTD November 2019

Continuing to grow McCarthy Tire’s market share. I hope to still be implementing change each day and driving our company to new heights.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

Time off. We have seen that more and more people are looking for a healthier work/life balance. Some people would rather be paid less but have more vacation time.

Do you live by a mantra or motto?

women were not in it, I faced challenges. I was also 19. One meeting I went to I was told I was in the wrong room as they didn’t expect a young female to attend. The customers have been easier to address as a female, but the industry wasn’t as accepting at times. Our customers have appreciated having a female perspective and a family-owned, multi-generation business.

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them?

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” I have always felt that this relates to me and what I do in the sales side of the business. Wins are great and need to be celebrated, but know that it can always be taken away. On the other side, mistakes are very valuable to an individual. As long as they aren’t massive mistakes, you will have the opportunity to correct them.

I would tell anyone joining the industry to be prepared! It is a fast-paced industry and there is never a dull moment. For those who like change and a non-monotonous work environment, this is the place! It’s an industry that has seen the need to adapt. Those who engage in this mindset can really thrive! As a female, I would encourage other females to join the industry. There is much more diversity in this industry from when I started, and I have only seen great things come from that.

If tomorrow you could move into any other position in your company, what would you choose, and why?

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

I think at this point I am very happy with where I am. It is a high-stress job, but I love it. I do miss being a commercial sales rep though. Being on the road all day, every day, was fun.

Whitney Moore

OFFICE MANAGER G.L. MOORE TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE INC. DBA G.L. MOORE TIRE PROS & AUTOMOTIVE SPRINGFIELD, MO. AGE: 35

What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

I am serving on the national dealer council for Tire Pros for the Midwest region. Being a female and being younger, I have worked to break the mold of what people think of when it comes to being a tire store owner. My dad is the current owner and will always be involved in the business, but we are transitioning me to more of an ownership role, so he can step away and enjoy some much-deserved retirement.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

My father, Mark Moore, has had the biggest influence. Seeing the passion he has for the industry and for customer service has helped shaped my persona in the business. Getting to help people every day is rewarding. I have strived to show the importance and safety of what we do, as opposed to just selling products and services.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? Being a female and starting in the industry at a time when many w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

Personal development is something I think more employees are looking for now. The opportunity to grow professionally, whether through promotions or even just education, role changes, etc., is something that employees value. Most want to feel they are a part of the business, and that can be shown by allowing them to spread their wings.

Colleen Horn Doyle GENERAL COUNSEL MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. WILKES-BARRE, PA. AGE: 33

What was your first job in the industry?

As a family member, I jumped into the business at a very early age and spent summers answering phones and assisting with billing. I think my earliest memory is showing up at the Wilkes-Barre store after school and helping to fold invoices.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

My dad, Neil, who is vice president of operations, has had the biggest influence on my career. My dad inspires me to be both a great employee, a great employer, and a great parent. As a mother of

three children, work-life balance is something I am always focused on, and something I hope our employees focus on as well. Growing up, my dad was my coach and never missed a game, a practice, or anything that was important to his children. It was not until later in life that I realized how incredibly busy he was at work.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

I feel that I am often the person in the room who is providing cautionary advice or pointing out the roadblocks in certain endeavors. As my brother will joke, I am always playing defense on a team where everyone else is playing offense.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Sheryl Sandberg. I think she’s an inspiration to all working women.

What’s the worst cliché made about your generation?

That we are a generation that is constantly “playing on our phones.” We may be attached to our iPhones, but it’s a necessity as we live in a time of instant gratification.

Name a talent you wish you had.

I wish I had a photographic memory. It would be a huge timesaver to remember every term of a deal, lease, or contract without going to any files.

What’s your go-to song for a road trip playlist?

With three kids under the age of five, my road trip playlist usually consists of the “Mary Poppins” soundtrack and other Disney tunes. Maybe one day I will return to adult music, but until then I will enjoy Disney!

If we gave you $1,000 and one hour, how would you spend the money?

An hour of quiet shopping — no kids and no cell phone!

Sid Attravanam

MANAGER OF TIRE AND VEHICLE DYNAMICS COOPER TIRE & RUBBER CO. PEARSALL, TEXAS AGE: 28

What was your first job in the industry?

My first job was data and race engineer with a Trans-Am team based in Dallas, Texas, right after college. They ran race-prepared Chevrolet Camaros all over the U.S. I instrumented the vehicles and interacted with drivers about vehicle setup and strategy for each race. I had to make tire setup adjustments depending on what the driver liked and the weather at the track. I traveled with the team to a few races and test sessions all over the U.S.

What attracted you to the industry?

Since childhood I have wanted to do something in the automotive/ tire industry. I remember watching the cartoon “Wacky Races” on TV and thinking working on cars looks fun! As I grew older, I

noticed mobility and transportation are a common engineering challenge for people all over the world. People want to get to places faster, safer and in less expensive ways. In college, I was involved in the Formula SAE program at the University of Texas at Arlington where students design a formulastyle race car and compete against other universities from all over the world. During my time on the team, I was involved in almost every step, including design, manufacturing, testing and presenting our design at the Formula SAE competition. It was during this experience that I was exposed to the technical side of tires and how complex they can be. Digging through tire data and using it to design, test and tune the race car set my desire to join the industry.

What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

My biggest accomplishment thus far has been implementing new approaches at Cooper to understanding tire and vehicle performance. While a tire and vehicle have had thousands of hours of engineering dedicated to their design, the consumer often buys the product based on how it “feels” when driving. My team is working to better understand the subjective nature of tire and vehicle performance.

What’s the worst cliché made about your generation?

That we are lazy and entitled. Yes, we love our Uber, Instagram and insta-everything! But that also means there’s huge untapped potential in our generation. I think most of my generation is just looking to be inspired.

What advice would you give your high school self?

I would tell myself to calm down and be patient. Life’s just starting!

Gary Lambert Jr.

DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING, INVENTORY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. WILKES-BARRE, PA. AGE: 32

What was your first job in the industry?

While in high school and college, I worked in various departments each summer learning the business from the ground up. These departments included the warehouse, truck service, the retread plant, and commercial/retail sales. This is how the two previous generations learned the business and it was expected of us as well.

How do you spend your workday?

I currently oversee purchasing, inventory and IT. I have a strong team that works with me including some outside vendors to keep everything going. MTD November 2019

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What attracted you to the industry?

I have always had a passion for cars, so working in the retail bays was appealing and ended up being a lot of fun for me. When I was younger, my father would take me to work with him on Saturdays so I could “help” work the counter. Having kids of my own now, I realize that it was probably more work for him, but it allowed me to see how things worked on a daily basis.

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?

That puts me at the age of 52, the company will be 113 years old and we will hopefully be celebrating $1 billion in sales.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

This, without a doubt, would have to be my grandfather, Jack McCarthy, who I spent a lot time with over the years. My grandfather suffered a stroke the same year I got my driver’s license, so I became one of his ways to get around. While driving around we covered a wide range of topics, from business practices to where you could get the best fast food. He had many sayings, but the one that stands out the most to me is, “God gave you two ears and one mouth so you can listen twice as much as you speak.”

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

I think employers should offer education programs to teach employees how to budget and save for the future.

Tell us something about yourself others might not know.

I had a weird obsession with Christmas lights. As a kid, I would go around the neighborhood putting up everyone’s Christmas lights. When I was in high school, it turned into a nice little business around the holidays, and friends helped me decorate 40+ houses. I always wondered why no one else enjoyed putting up their Christmas lights. Now I wish there was a kid like me in my neighborhood to put up my Christmas lights.

Jonathon Cole

PRODUCT MANAGER FOR ATLAS EQUIPMENT INTEGRATED SUPPLY NETWORK INC. LAKELAND, FLA. AGE: 34

What’s the biggest issue facing the tire industry?

The introduction of non-pneumatic tires. Eventually it will happen, but we have a long way to go to get there. Many aspects of the tire industry are going to be turned upside down by this. Sales for tire changers, wheel balancers, tire repair products, and even air compressors will either fall or disappear at some point. This will challenge tool and equipment suppliers to create new products,

but also will challenge stores to adapt, as flat repair services were once perceived as a service offered to win a potential new customer.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

I was a part of a downsizing at a previous job. I felt devastated and lost. However, I didn’t let it get me completely down, and I bounced back from it and launched myself into the position I am in today.

How do you spend your workday?

I’m responsible for all product development and marketing for the entire Atlas Equipment line of products. I am researching future new products or enhancements and studying my competition.

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them?

Don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back. Be willing to approach new customers and present new ideas.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

Open doors. I value working for an employer that listens to every employee, from the top all the way to the bottom. It really boosts morale.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

My first Indianapolis 500. I grew up in Indiana and spent 28 years of my life there. As a kid, the Indy 500 was everything and finally going in 1995 was a wonderful memory. Being surrounded by over 300,000 people and watching the sport that I loved was an incredible experience and I will never forget it.

Tell us something about yourself others might not know. I ran for city council in my hometown at the age of 20.

What advice would you give your high school self? Don’t change a thing.

Mary Kate Henry

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. WILKES-BARRE, PA. AGE: 29

What was your first job in the industry?

My first job in the industry was when I was 13 years old. My job was answering phones and helping our receptionist. I was very nervous about starting my first day as I wasn’t sure if I would direct them the correct way or answer their questions.

Tell us about your family.

My husband, John, and I just got married in May 2019! We have MTD November 2019

ADVERTORIAL

Going with Goodyear was the best decision we ever made BOB KELLOGG OWNER

WARREN TIRE & SERVICE CENTER It was 1983, and Wayne Kellogg, who had worked for another independent tire dealership for many years, was ready to open his own business. With the help of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Kellogg bought into an existing dealership in Glen Falls, N.Y. This marked the beginning of Warren Tire Service Center Inc. and a relationship with Goodyear that Wayne’s son, Bob, calls “the best decision we ever made.” Since then, the Kellogg family has built Warren Tire Service, which is headquartered in Queensbury, N.Y., into a 15-location, 127-employee chain that offers both consumer and commercial tires throughout “The Empire State.” (A new, eight-bay location is currently in development in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) While in high school, before he started working in the family business, Bob’s father had him work for a friend who owned a service station. He then attended the United States Naval Academy and flew Navy helicopters during his tour of duty. It was after he left the military that Bob decided to join the company. In 2007, Bob became the majority owner of the company and is now serving as its president. He shares management duties with his sister, Denise Potter, and attributes much of Warren Tire Service’s success to the support that Goodyear provides. “Because we’re independent, we can sell any brand,” he says. “But we’ve stayed loyal to Goodyear because they’ve stayed loyal to us. And we’ve found that the more aligned with Goodyear we are, the more successful we are.” To this day, Bob remains very hands-on in running the company. He visits all of the locations at least once every two weeks to make sure he stays in close contact with all the associates and knows what is taking place within each location. Warren Tire Service is a member of the Goodyear Tire & Service Network, an advantage that it aggressively promotes

with signage, a branded website and other customer-facing tools. Network membership has internal benefits as well, according to Bob. Warren Tire Service can access a wide range of Goodyearsupplied training programs for its associates. “All of them are required to take Goodyear’s online courses and stay current,” says Bob. “Goodyear representatives also will come to our locations to go over selling techniques, social media marketing, new tires and other topics.” According to Bob, Goodyear also has one of the best sales incentive programs in the industry. “We do very well with signing up people for Goodyear’s credit card,” he notes. It’s another tool that helps get new customers into a Goodyear-branded product and gives them an incentive to return to us.” Warren Tire Service also is benefitting from Goodyear’s e-commerce program. “We’ve picked up new customers through the program,” says Bob. “It’s given us the opportunity to meet new people.” Although the company has started using social media to promote itself, Bob says that local print, radio and television continues to be its mainstay methods of advertising. They closely monitor results and makes changes as necessary to stay on the cutting edge. Warren Tire Service is also active on the commercial side of the business and, as Bob says, “We do a lot of national account business with Goodyear.” The dealership operates eight emergency road service trucks. “We use the Goodyear Smart Tech App to expedite the road service call process,” says Bob. A third generation of the Kellogg family — including Bob’s daughter, Megan Kellogg, and Denise’s son, Derek Potter — are now learning the family business. Bob is confident that Goodyear’s ongoing support will translate into continued growth and success. “We couldn’t ask for a better company to work with than Goodyear,” he says. ■

a golden retriever named Charlie who we love. My mom and dad are Gary and Katie Lambert, and my siblings are Gary and Tim. We all work in the business together, and it’s been fun being together. I also have two nieces, Nora and Anna.

this volume while maintaining the highest possible quality.

What attracted you to the industry?

Lots of meetings and lunches. I also work on many projects, including pricing optimization, leading development-related opportunities and assisting with high-level operational guidance. I help launch new businesses under our company umbrella. I help our customer service team be the best in the industry. I am also not afraid to get my hands dirty. I’ll spend about a month a year in the warehouse performing various laborious tasks. This is what helps me improve our culture and make our business an awesome place to work.

My family. I knew once I got to college, I wanted to be part of the family business. Once I saw my brother and cousin enter the business, I didn’t want to miss out on the fun and knew I had to join. It was the best decision I ever made.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

The biggest challenge I have in human resources is recruiting and retaining employees. The tire industry is a tough market and employees will job-hop all over for a minimal increase in pay. It’s hard to find loyal employees who want to make a career with you and retire.

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them? It’s a great industry to get into, but it’s hard work. The upside is that the potential to grow is unlimited if you work hard. The industry needs more young professionals.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

My great-grandfather, “Pop Pop.” He founded McCarthy Tire, and I would love to meet him!

If we gave you $1,000 and one hour, how would you spend the money?

Donate it to the various charity boards that I serve on.

What advice would you give your high school self? Always give 100%, no matter who is watching.

What’s your go-to song for a road trip playlist? “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.

Steve Hamilton CEO SD WHEEL CORP. ST. CHARLES, ILL. AGE: 35

What was your first job in the industry? Starting SD Wheel in 2003 at age 19.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? Rapid growth and operational challenges in equipping and motivating our staff. We’re mounting, balancing, and shipping around 2,000 wheels and tires per day, and it’s been tough to scale up to

How do you spend your workday?

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?

Mentoring people who do what I do today, across many different companies that my partners and I have started.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

A good culture. We’re building a diner in our primary operations area. It will have a full culinary kitchen with a chef to cook a meal, made from scratch, at no cost, for the entire crew a few times a week. We’ll also have a fountain drink dispenser, ice cream machine, and popcorn — all free! This is a small price to pay to thank our hardworking crew for all they do.

Tell us about your family.

I met my wife when I was 16 and she was 15. We’ve been together for about 20 years and married for 14. We have three kids: Logan, Jackson and Ava. We love to travel, and especially love Disney World. We love giving to those in need. I grew up on welfare, so I have a special place in my heart for those who struggle to get by.

Who’s your role model?

My wife’s grandfather, Jerry Benedyk, was a businessman with high morals and standards. He took me under his wing and showed me what it was like to work hard and reap the benefits. He also provided insight and contacts along the way that I still use today.

John McCarthy III

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. WILKES-BARRE, PA. AGE: 26

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

The biggest influence so far in my career has been my dad. It seems all his employees, suppliers and customers love him and speak so highly of him, so I strive every day to work on building relationships within our industry and company like he has. MTD November 2019

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What attracted you to the industry?

The fact that our company was looking to grow while many competitors had no succession plan was appealing.

What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

So far, my biggest accomplishment has been growing our company’s presence in the Philadelphia/south New Jersey market. In my new role, however, I hope to grow sales in some newer segments of ours, like mechanical service and industrial/forklift tires.

How do you spend your workday?

As of now, I am the regional sales manager for southeast Pennsylvania, New Jersey and northern Maryland. I spend my day riding with our sales reps or helping them solve issues with customers.

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?

Helping McCarthy Tire become more appealing to millennial job applicants.

Name a talent you wish you had.

Tell us about your family.

My mother, Fran, is president of Thompson Tire. My dad, Travis, owns and operates a construction company, Extreme Concrete and Construction. My younger brother, Matthew, is in high school.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

My mother has been the biggest influence. She started her career at the same age I was when I started. She has shown me what strength and leadership truly look like in this industry. She has been taking me to national conferences since I was 3 weeks old. She has influenced me to have a passion for the tire industry, but an even bigger passion to take care of those in our community.

Work-related, I wish I was a better communicator. Non work-related, I wish I was a better dancer. I have two left feet on the dance floor.

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

The worst generalization is that we are lazy and expect everything to be handed to us. I go to college with people my age who are working two and three jobs to get themselves through school. I feel that my generation works hard to fuel our economy and make a difference in our world. I think my generation is working hard at saving the planet and seeking fairness for those who deserve it. We might have the ease of technology that older generations did not have, but I think we are still working just as hard.

Probably playing sports while my dad coached. He was always coaching me — basketball, baseball. He literally never played soccer in his life but coached me in soccer somehow.

Tell us something about yourself others might not know.

I came in fourth place in my high school’s wing eating contest. Still very proud of that to this day!

What’s your go-to song for a road trip playlist?

I’m more of a podcast kind of person when in the car, but it would probably be “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

What advice would you give your high school self?

Stop shaving your head. Those pictures will haunt your Facebook forever.

Sydney Boyd

VICE PRESIDENT THOMPSON TIRE CO. INC. RADFORD, VA. AGE: 20

What was your first job in the industry?

My first job was as a saleswoman in one of our busiest locations. I started the summer I turned 16 and have been with the company ever since. I just completed my junior year as a business major and am now positioned at our corporate headquarters and tasked with

all aspects of managing our company.

I would like to be president of the company. I would like to see myself growing the company and expanding it regionally.

What’s the worst cliché made about your generation?

What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

My biggest accomplishment has been successfully hosting the Goodyear blimp. I oversaw the marketing and organization of the whole event. The best part was successfully hosting 4,300 children to come tour the blimp in a little over five hours. Seeing those children’s faces light up and their mouths drop to the ground made the entire ordeal worth it. Most kids where I am from will never get to see anything as special as the Goodyear blimp.

Tim Lambert

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. WILKES-BARRE, PA. AGE: 27

What’s the worst cliché made about your generation?

The worst generalization would be that my generation does not like to work, which is false. Yes, we like to travel and take time off, but at the same time, we get our jobs done. We put the hours in to be successful. With technology, we can work from anywhere. Older generations take a few bad eggs and claim we do not like MTD November 2019

to work. But from my point of view, we are always trying to make things more efficient and more effective.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

When I was in grade school, my family (cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfather and grandmother) would stay out at our lake house for the entire summer. We would swim, play games, go for ice cream, etc. It brought us all closer together and that is why I believe we work so well together. Our close bonds began when we were very young, and still continue today.

What advice would you give your high school self?

I would tell myself to always keep pushing yourself. There is no ceiling. Learn from adversity and hone in on what you can do better. The only person who can stop you from your goals is yourself. Never let anyone turn you away from that.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

Understanding sales and operations while maintaining a finance mindset. I try to understand and review how the day-to-day operations of the business coincide with sales. With understanding this relationship between the two of them and combining that with a finance background, I can give my insights and expertise on what will make our business grow.

Do you live by a mantra or motto?

“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” — Jim Valvano

Tell us something about yourself others might not know.

People know I am very passionate about sports. However, what one may not know is that I love all sports. I love to read up on unique sporting events that may not be on national television.

Ari Thielman

What attracted you to the industry?

My father attracted me to the industry. My father worked for Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. for over 16 years before opening his own independent tire and auto repair shop in 1978. Everything I have learned about the tire industry was because of him.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

Tuition reimbursement. You should learn something new every day. And bettering yourself for your company’s future should be rewarded.

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them?

You either love it or hate it. There is no in-between in this industry. I would say be prepared for long hours and working weekends. However, at the end of the day, there’s no greater feeling than knowing that a customer’s car is rolling safe on the road again.

Name a talent you wish you had.

To know what people are thinking.

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?

I expect to still be in the tire and automotive industry. Hopefully I will have taken over my father’s business by then. If not, I would like to be a regional manager for some independent tire store chain.

Tell us something about yourself others might not know. History was my favorite subject in school.

GENERAL MANAGER G.T. SILVER CITY TIRE CO. INC. MERIDEN, CONN. AGE: 33

What’s your favorite weekend activity?

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

Listen to your parents and teachers.

The growth of the internet. The growth of the internet has both helped us and hurt us. You can Google anything now and within seconds you have an answer. The internet has benefited us by offering the company built-in tire quoting that instantly gives the customer a complete quote. The website also allows the consumer to shop and book appointments 24 hours a day. The internet has hurt us by selling tires online. We no longer sell the consumer the tires; we just install their tires. The repair business has seen the same effect, both with online sales and parts stores checking

engine lights. Parts stores are now checking your codes for free with a $30 scan tool in hopes you will buy the parts they tell you to buy. On the shop end, we spend thousands on scan tools and thousands yearly to keep them updated. We lose out on the part sale.

Going to Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday nights.

What advice would you give your high school self?

Justin Chalk

VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT FOR TIREMASTER GTX ASA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS INC. BOISE, IDAHO AGE: 35

Who has had the biggest influence on your career? MTD November 2019

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The founder of Megabus Software, Jeff Malley, an icon of the industry who placed the first computerized point-of-sale machine into a tire store in 1979. Jeff had a profound influence on my belief and understanding of the industry and small/medium enterprises. I recall my earliest interactions with him instilling in me that computers are of no use without applications. If only we had invented the app store!

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

I have had the opportunity and privilege to deliver tire business solutions across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and North America. By far, the pace, size and maturity of the North American market provides endless challenges. Being responsible for maturing the TireMaster GTX product to the North American market in the areas of accounting, taxation and legislation, manufacturing, partnerships and supply chain interfaces has been an enormously demanding and rewarding challenge.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

I think flexibility around time and more outcome-based work practice is one of the most important benefits that can energize an employee and the workplace. Through different stages of my life, my ideal clock-on/clock-off times have been literally around the clock. The flexibility provided by my employer in my roles allowed me to not only satisfy the job requirement but excel.

Tell us about your family.

My wife, Edwina, and I have two young children, Annabelle and Harry. We also have a pet dog, Mala. In the last 12 months, we moved to Boise, Idaho, from Melbourne, Australia. While we miss our family and friends dearly, we are so happy to have landed in a great city. We love the outdoors nature of the town and its people and are really looking forward to a White Christmas!

Name a talent you wish you had.

I would love to be able to play “Stairway to Heaven” on the guitar.

What advice would you give your high school self? Either way, your hair is going to fall out!

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Nothing famous for me; just another night with close ones dear, eating grandma’s roast lamb would be priceless.

Trevor Adams

GENERAL MANAGER ADAMS TIREWORX LLC CASTRO VALLEY, CALIF. AGE: 25

How do you spend your workday?

My workday consists of opening and closing our stores, keeping up with the marketing and staying up-to-date on our numbers, while being in the front office 80% of the time, and serving our customers and helping out in the bays when needed.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? My biggest challenge right now is starting up a new store from scratch and trying to put a dent in the market.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

I would say training events. One of the perks of working at our stores is the consistent training we get through our parts vendors.

Tell us about your family.

I’ve been blessed with a great family with a long history. My grandfather started the business in 1965 and my dad took ownership in 2002. I work alongside my father and brother. I have two sisters and one other brother, as well.

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them?

Do not be afraid to ask questions about how the company is doing, how to do certain jobs, different methods and so on. Showing an interest in the business and the industry is a valuable trait.

If we gave you $1,000 and one hour, how would you spend the money?

I would call up my Snap-on rep and buy more tools.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

Going hunting with my dad and grandfather and the constant wheelies I would do to knock my dad off the ATV.

Do you live by a mantra or motto?

To love and treat everyone with respect as if they are your family.

Brady Hansen

RETAIL SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER COMMERCIAL TIRE INC. MERIDIAN, IDAHO AGE: 30 MTD November 2019

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What attracted you to the industry?

To be honest, I had no real intention of working in the automotive industry. However, after some thought, there isn’t much out there that isn’t dependent on tires, which made me reconsider!

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them?

Give it a chance! Tires may not seem all that exciting, but you’d be surprised how much technology is involved.

How do you spend your workday?

My current position here is retail sales and marketing manager. I wear a few hats, including, but not limited to, managing our online presence, leading our monthly employee retail committee meetings, organizing quarterly campaigns, managing sponsorship requests, and facilitating company-attended events.

What’s the worst cliché made about your generation?

It has to be that we don’t work hard. We work different. We are motivated differently. Just because we complete a task quickly doesn’t mean we didn’t do quality work. It just means we have an efficient tool at our disposal.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

I’m a sports guy, and a “cheesehead” at that, so I would have to opt for Vince Lombardi.

Tell us something about yourself others might not know.

I’m a passionate fantasy football player. I wasn’t blessed with the physical stature necessary to be on the field, so instead I’m a Pro Bowl-caliber armchair quarterback.

What’s the biggest issue facing the tire industry?

The marketing department at East Bay Tire does it all. We have zero need for outside assistance to execute any of our marketing programs. I have figured out a way to leverage the skills and talents of my current team to execute programs in-house. No longer do we need to partner with outside marketing firms to create, execute or track our programs. As such, vendors and manufacturers from all corners of the tire industry call on us to co-brand platforms and programs for mutual benefit. Lastly, and most meaningful to me, I have made huge strides in the way marketing programs are received at my company and with all the tire vendors we partner with. Marketing is designed to inform and create positive action, but it is also designed to delight and inspire. I’ve taken an ordinary annual sales meeting and have turned it into one of the best events in the industry, which grows every year. Industry leaders ask to attend, and some take personal time to fly across the country just to be part of the action.

If we gave you $1,000 and one hour, how would you spend the money?

I would grab my husband for a day date and enjoy some time without the kids.

How do you spend your workday?

I am responsible for leading and executing the marketing efforts for our 14 locations, which includes wholesale, commercial and retail activities for markets in Arizona, California and Hawaii. I also provide senior-level project support for our CEO and president on occasion. No two days are ever the same for me. I’ve tried to run a pretty stringent production calendar but have learned over the years that flexibility is the name of the game. As long as I check my voicemail, clear out my inbox, check in with all my managers and can keep the projects flowing, I’ve had a pretty successful workday.

Most of the issues are just things that force us to be more competitive, such as online prices. In addition, the more shops that pop up and drive prices down, the more we need to become more efficient in our processes.

What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?

What advice would you give your high school self?

Live it up. Don’t stress about what’s to come as it’s going to happen one way or another. Go out. Meet people. Make memories.

I would like to meet my great-grandfather and ask him what it was like imigrating to the U.S. with an infant in tow. I want to scream after a six-hour flight to the East Coast with my toddler.

Sarah Tolai

Phil Meade

MARKETING MANAGER EAST BAY TIRE CO. FAIRFIELD, CALIF. AGE: 39

What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

Hopefully getting to spend a bit more time traveling.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER SIMPLE TIRE LLC TREVOSE, PA. AGE: 27 MTD November 2019

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What did you do before you entered the tire industry?

I’ve had the pleasure of being in the tire industry since I graduated from college. Unsure of where to start my career after college, I found Josh and Andy Chalofsky when Simple Tire was just a handful of employees and haven’t looked back since.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

My mentor Josh Chalofsky, Simple Tire’s chief operating officer, has had the biggest influence on my career. He has played a critical role in my development from day-one in the industry.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

The greatest challenge I faced earlier in my career was understanding the importance of constantly innovating and pushing through barriers in an industry that is evolving.

Aside from the basics like health insurance, what’s the most important perk/benefit an employer should offer?

A flexible schedule to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Tell us about your family.

I have a wife, Abigail; a son, Philip; and a black Lab named Fern.

If we gave you $1,000 and one hour, how would you spend the money?

Might as well burn some rubber, so leave me a set of Toyo R888Rs and a track.

Do you live by a mantra or motto? Send it.

If a friend expressed an interest in joining the industry, what advice would you give them?

Keep an open mind and be agile as the industry is rapidly changing.

Michael Devers STORE MANAGER WILSON TIRE CO. LEBANON, N.H. AGE: 39

What was your first job in the industry?

My first job in the industry was selling tires. I was selling electronics at a national retailer when I sold the manager of Wilson Tire at the time a stereo system. He was impressed with my selling skills and offered me a job a few days later. I’ve been here ever since.

What’s the biggest issue facing the tire industry?

Training, or the lack of. We see all kinds of auto shops and dealer-

ships selling and installing the incorrect tires on their customers’ vehicles. It is a real disservice to customers and makes it harder for shops that do it the correct way.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

I would have to say Mark Pollard, the owner of Wilson Tire. He has pushed me when I needed pushing, but also allows room to grow.

What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

My biggest accomplishment is becoming a TIA Certified Instructor. It has helped make Wilson Tire a better company overall, and has allowed me to become a teacher, and give something back to the industry. Once a year, I even visit the Hartford Area Career and Tech Center to teach the auto tech class about the ins and outs of the tire industry.

Do you live by a mantra or motto?

You only get what you put into it. Life isn’t a free-for-all.

If tomorrow you could move into any other position in your company, what would you choose, and why?

I would just like to be the trainer. I love to teach, and I love teaching about tires!

What’s your favorite weekend activity?

My wife and I like exploring old cemeteries. The artwork on the stones is really neat.

What advice would you give your high school self? Trust your gut and stop second guessing yourself.

Matthew Thornhill

GENERAL MANAGER MCCARTHY TIRE SERVICE CO. INC. GREENVILLE, S.C. AGE: 27

What did you do before you entered the tire industry?

I’ve been in the tire industry basically since I could walk, starting at Southern Tire Mart and learning from my dad and Tommy Duff. I did have a five-year stint in the Army as a combat medic before coming back to the tire industry.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? Going to school and working after Hurricane Katrina. The damage and need were unbelievable.

What was your first job in the industry? Stacking car tires, as big as I could.

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How do you spend your workday?

who would it be?

What’s the biggest issue facing the tire industry?

Do you live by a mantra or motto?

I’m the general manager over two commercial/OTR locations and a retread plant. I handle day-to-day operations, customer service, ordering of product, retread production and sales improvement and growth. Finding youth in today’s world who are willing to work as hard as the generations before them. This is an aging industry that needs an injection of younger people with the drive to be great.

Name a talent you wish you had.

I wish I was better at golf so I wouldn’t embarrass myself at tournaments with customers.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

Nikola Tesla. I want to know what it’s like to be too intelligent for your era.

“The two most important days of your life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain

What’s your go-to song for a road trip playlist?

“September” by Earth Wind and Fire.

Going all over the country with my dad (Texas, Las Vegas, etc.), opening new locations at the start of Southern Tire Mart’s huge growth phase. I love making a difference all over the country.

What’s your favorite weekend activity?

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead,

Focus more on school and activities and less on fitting in. ■

LSU football on Saturday night!

What advice would you give your high school self?

MTD November 2019

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Past, Present, Future: Incoming TIA President Brian Rigney shares his perspective with, from left to right, Phyllis Newman, Allison Stephens and Emily Woodard, Dill customer service representatives.

GETTING THE WORD OUT DILL’S BRIAN RIGNEY WANTS TO MAKE THE ASSOCIATION’S VIEWS CLEAR By

Bob Ulrich

n talking with Brian Rigney, the incoming Tire Industry Association (TIA) president, it quickly became apparent he spends a lot of time with his family. One of the reasons is that he and his wife, Heather, have two young children: son, Ian, 7, and daughter, Lily, 5. Brian coaches Ian’s and Lilly’s respective baseball teams in the spring and their soccer

Getting to know: Brian Rigney Full name: Brian Patrick Rigney Age: 41 Family: Wife, Heather; son, Ian (7); daughter, Lily (5) Place of residence: Raleigh, N.C. Favorite sport: Soccer Educational background: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, University of Notre Dame; MBA focused on international business and entrepreneurship, Northwestern University

teams in the fall. He takes Ian to 6:30 a.m. hockey practice every Saturday and Sunday. If Lily has a gymnastics exhibition or dance recital, he is there. He says he started a garden “to help teach my children where food comes from.” He grows blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, zucchini, squash, peppers, and “a little of whatever they want to try.” He volunteers at his church, St. Francis of Assisi, with homeless shelters and children from third-world countries the beneficiaries of his altruism. The Rigneys also live in a very active neighborhood, and organize and host their fair share of get-togethers. He plays in a local tennis league, as well. Oh, and in his spare time, he is president of Dill Air Control Products LLC, which has been his full-time job for the last 11 years. Dill was started in 1909, 10 years before Modern Tire Dealer started publishing as Tires & Accessories. MTD managed to catch up with Rigney

during a rare window of free time to ask about his goals for TIA and its 13,327 members, plus a little about the 110-year-old company over which he presides. Ironically, when he takes the gavel from outgoing TIA President John Evankovich on Nov. 4, that window of free time will probably close. MTD: What do you hope to accomplish during your year as president of TIA? Rigney: On major topics that involve all of us, from manufacturers to dealers and everyone in between, including tire registration and tire aging, I will help TIA communicate our positions with the tire manufacturers and, where appropriate, regulators. I believe dealers and manufacturers are aligned on more than 90% of the topics in our industry, and I believe we can create solutions that will benefit drivers and remove uncertainty from tire dealers. Communication is open between the groups and ideas continue to be shared. I will work with our training committee to continue to improve our MTD November 2019

s i n c e

1 9 0 9

The cure then, the cure now. Some things never change.

Publication Date: 1928

Congratulations to Dillâ€™s President, Brian Rigney, as we celebrate his induction as President of the Tire Industry Association (TIA). Your dedicated service to our industry makes us proud! - Your Dill Family

www.DillValves.com

Past, Present, Future: Incoming TIA President content and the delivery of our content to best serve our membership. MTD: Do you plan to travel much on behalf of the association? Rigney: Yes. I currently travel for industry events, such as state association meetings, as well as meetings with tire manufacturers, to discuss key topics. I anticipate additional travel within the scope of the presidency and look forward to representing such a well-respected organization, especially during a historic year. TIA is celebrating 100 years in 2020, which represents an exciting time to reflect on the history of the organization while focusing on the challenges ahead. Since Dill reached 110 years in business in 2019, I understand the importance of looking back on past success while evaluating what is necessary to grow in the future. I firmly believe with the talented people in our industry, we can respect each other and reach a compromise. MTD: Is it fair to say your unique perspective on both the tire manufacturers’ issues (as a longtime rubber producer) and tire dealer issues (as a supplier) will help you get what you want done in the next 12 months? Rigney: I believe I have the ability to see issues from each person’s perspective. We make hundreds of millions of parts every year, so I understand the challenges in quality control, distribution, traceability, and training that manufacturers face. I also realize that successful tire dealers want business partners as suppliers, instead of simply the lowest price. When you run a retread shop or tire shop, you need manufacturers that will be there to

answer technical questions and train new employees. I also manage our business, so I realize the day-to-day challenges that a store owner faces. MTD: What are the most challenging issues faced by our industry’s product manufacturers today? Rigney: Developing new products to continue meeting challenging customer needs, managing inventory with proper lot control, and communicating the differences in the quality of their brand to tire dealers . MTD: What are the most challenging issues faced by retail, wholesale and commercial tire dealers today? Rigney: Recruiting and training continue to be critical. How can we train employees properly, and show them a pathway to career development? The front face of a company requires regular activity, from managing inventory visibility to responding to online reviews and monitoring sales tax rules in each state. TIA releases relevant state bills to members to help dealers stay aware and active in their communities. MTD: What is TIA doing to address small business issues on Capitol Hill? Rigney: TIA is active on regulatory and legislative issues, both as TIA and as a member of numerous small business issue coalitions. TIA is an active member of the Highway Users Alliance (infrastructure funding), Small Business Legislative Council (small business taxes, insurance, overtime regulations), Family Business Coalition (repeal of estate tax), Synthetic Turf Coalition (synthetic turf fields), OSHA Small Business Roundtable (inspection fines, new regulations), and the

Issues TIA considers significant

They range from estate taxes to the RPM Act Each year, the Tire Industry Association (TIA) publicizes position papers on the issues in which it is actively engaged, says incoming President Brian Rigney. For 2019, position papers address the following: • Estate taxes • LIFO (last in, first out accounting)

• Work Opportunity Tax Credit • Lawsuit abuse • Retroactive liability provisions of Superfund • Scrap tires and used oil • National Energy Bill • Urging strong enforcement of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act • Halting the activist

National Labor Relations Board’s efforts to ease unionization of businesses • Supporting the Motor Vehicle Owner’s Right to Repair Act • Marketplace Fairness Act • Overtime • RPM (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports) Act

WOTC Coalition (save the Work Opportunity Tax Credit). MTD: Any updates on the Affordable Care Act that will affect independent tire dealers? Rigney: The individual mandate was repealed, which may affect independent tire dealers. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the mandate was constitutional in 2012, but in December 2017, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which eliminated the individual mandate penalty, effective Jan. 1, 2019. Currently, the staff at TIA is working to repeal the Cadillac Tax, which may affect independent tire dealers. Finally, this fall Congress will consider prescription drug relief legislation, as well as surprise billing legislation. Both topics are relevant for tire dealers and their employees. MTD: Are tire tariffs a concern for the association? Rigney: Yes, they are a concern, but there is no consensus on what an industry position should be. There have seen four groups of tariffs and each affects our industry in various ways. Among our over 600 retread members, there is strong support for the Chinese tariffs on tires. Retreaders are placed in an unfair position without the tariffs because of the lower costs of government-subsidized new tires. Also, there is concern about the retreadability of some Chinese truck tire casings. TIA also has thousands of commercial tire members. Some commercial dealers like the competitively priced new Chinese tire options. Several tire manufacturers have expressed to TIA their opposition to the tire tariffs and one company has expressed its support. A very high percentage of retail dealer TIA members are active in automotive repair service. Those members have expressed opposition to the tariffs due to higher costs for automotive parts and tire-related tools, supplies, and equipment. Because the industry and membership are divided on the tariff issue, and while we understand the arguments on both sides of the issue and have worked with members on specific concerns, TIA has not taken a position either in support or in opposition to the tariffs. MTD: How did you become involved with the Tire Industry Association? Rigney: I was elected to the board in 2013. I learned about TIA through various training MTD November 2019

Rigney, right, talks with Robert Bradshear, valve core manufacturing supervisor.

Cindy Clark, TPMS machine operator, and Rigney check inventory.

sessions and materials and wanted to participate in supporting best-in-class training that could benefit tire dealers across all markets. MTD: What is your favorite part about being involved with the tire industry? Rigney: Hearing various opinions from around the world and coming together to seek solutions to complex topics. There is a passion in our industry to do things the right way, and TIA’s training supports that effort. Also, tire dealers respect manufacturers that go the extra mile. When we at Dill decided to in-source the manufacturing of air pressure gauges and air chucks in 2011, we received incredible support from tire dealers who value performance and durability over cost savings. Lastly, we are intertwined. For example, the valve stem is meant to last at least the life of the tire, but what is the life of the tire? As we continue to review proper recommendations for the life of the tire, analyzing the interaction between tires, wheels, valve stems, and the environment is critical. MTD: How long have you been with Dill? Rigney: Since 2000, with the last 11 as president. I began my career as a product design engineer, then moved into a technical sales position before being promoted to president. I have worked in our manufacturing environment during the majority of my career, which has allowed me to learn our machining and assembly capabilities and work with our wonderful manufacturing team. MTD: What is Dill’s secret to surviving for 110 years? Rigney: Product innovation and employee loyalty. We have many employees with over w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

Kanisha Chavis, warehouse associate, receives hands-on help from Rigney.

40 years of service at Dill, and even a handful with over 50 years of service. We have an incredible team with a wealth of knowledge and experience. This allows us to be nimble in product development, since we know our manufacturing capability and deeply understand the product applications. We enjoy it when a customer challenges us to develop a product to solve a need that they have identified. When we developed Redi-Sensor 10 years ago, we received input from tire dealers, large and small, about how to make the sensor replacement procedure straightforward and easy to teach to technicians. We succeeded and continue to improve on our designs and production processes. MTD: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career? Rigney: In 2008, I managed a product recall of valve stems. The process required us to evaluate material science, lot control, and methods to gauge critical dimensions throughout the production cycle. We were able to institute robust design and material improvements to ensure consistent quality and longer performance.

MTD: Who has had the biggest influence on your career and how? Rigney: Our recently retired engineering director, Larry Schlesinger. He taught me to think through problems, test alternatives, and analyze information to make the best decisions. My family has always been supportive of my career. My wife, Heather, and children, Ian and Lily, understand that travel is important to share the message of Dill with the tire industry. When tire dealers and distributors visit Dill, they feel the energy from our team and notice the attention to quality. MTD: What advice do you have for young people just starting out in this industry? Rigney: Take the time to ask questions, meet people at various levels of organizations, and don’t be afraid to test your ideas. Even though something was tried before, there may be new technology or a better tool available to make the idea successful today. MTD: Where do you see yourself in 20 years? Rigney: Coaching, teaching, traveling with my wife and staying active in our church. ■

Past, Present,Future: National Tire Dealers’ Association

All-in from the start TIRES EDITOR JERRY SHAW HELPED CREATE AND NURTURE TIA’S PREDECESSOR By

Bob Ulrich

he first National Tire Dealers’ Association (NTDA) Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 18-20, 1921. The association was only eight months old at that time, having been organized earlier that year in Chicago. And Jerry Shaw was on site to report on and celebrate the event. “Report on” because he was editor of Tires magazine, which eventually morphed into Modern Tire Dealer. “Celebrate” because he played an integral role in the creation of the association. (Check out Shaw’s coverage of the NTDA’s organizational meetings starting on page 70.) Shaw’s contributions to the association cannot be understated. As editor of the first tire magazine written for independent tire dealers, he championed their causes. He threw his support behind the formation of local tire dealer associations, believing they could band together to form what was really needed — a national association. “If you don’t know how to go about forming an association, write to Tires. We will help you and explain how other tire men have done it,” he wrote in the July 1920 issue. Shaw did more than just talk about forming a national association. He also ran stories to help move the idea along. “How to Form an Association: Steps to be taken by tire dealers and vulcanizers in banding themselves to fight evils in the trade,” ran in August 1920. It was written by W.H. Metcalf, president of the Philadelphia Automobile Accessories Business Association. “The A.B.C. of a new association: Stepby-step suggestions to tire dealers planning an association,” ran the following month. It was written by Harry Gardner, executive secretary of the Automobile Dealers’ Association Inc. After its formation, the National Tire Dealers’ Association asked Tires to be its official mouthpiece. But Shaw realized the magazine would have to stay at arm’s length in order to maintain its unquestioned credibility. “It is indeed flattering to have a national

association desire to adopt us as its official mouth-piece,” he wrote in early 1921. “However, as The Trade Paper of the Tire Industry, Tires can render both the association and the tire industry at large a greater service through being unbiased in its views. “We believe that the national association, under the direction of men such as are now at its head, will function 100% for the benefit of the industry at large. But if the occasion arises when constructive criticism is needed, Tires wants to be in a position where it can criticize.” And when necessary, criticize he did. Whether taking to task the business practices of tire manufacturers, or the reporting of one of our competitors, he didn’t hold back. He even singled out independent tire dealers in our January 1933 issue: “During the last six years, the National Tire Dealers’ Association has been available as a means through which the retailers collectively could ameliorate their conditions. Thousands of dealers did join the NTDA, but they wanted quick action. They lost interest because the end of the year did not bring a noticeable improvement in their business. “They failed to renew their dues, which meant that the association was deprived of the resources necessary to work properly.” Shaw then made his plea. “We feel that it is about time that the independent merchants got back of the NTDA as they should and make it completely independent of the financial support of tire manufacturers. Renew your membership or become a member at once. It is good business.” In a letter to the editor in the March 1921 issue, Arthur Grede of Federal Tire & Supply Co. in Milwaukee spoke for many when he praised Shaw. “The manner in which you have handled the publicity for the National Association is very commendable and we feel sure that if it were not for Tires, there would not have been so much progress as there was. You are certainly doing a world of good for

Jerry Shaw was editor of the magazine that would become Modern Tire Dealer from 1919 until his death in 1954.

the tire business and we are sure your efforts are appreciated by all progressive tire dealers.” The association, renamed the National Association of Independent Tire Dealers, honored Shaw at its 30th convention in October 1950 with a plaque in appreciation for the services he rendered. TIA took the acknowledgement a step further by electing him to the Tire Industry Hall of Fame in 2006. This unedited story, which Shaw shared with his readers in March 1921, tells you exactly what he thought about tire dealer associations. “There used to be a stage driver out West whose name was Old Bill. He was very proud of the way he could handle his whip and as he was driving along the dusty road one day, busily talking to the passenger beside him, he’d stop every so often to flick a fly off the horse’s back. He did it so dexterously that the passenger began to get interested. “A little further down the road, the passenger saw an insect sitting on a bush. “‘Bet you can’t get him,’ he said to Bill. “‘No, sir, and I ain’t a-going to try,’ was Bill’s reply. ‘Those flies I killed were lonesome and didn’t have no friends. But that there thing’s a hornet and he’s a-sitting on a nest full of friends. And I don’t bother him because he’s got an organization behind him.’ “Old Bill was a wise man. It certainly is a dangerous thing to trifle with anything that is backed by an organization. For organization is one of the most powerful forces in the world today.” ■ MTD November 2019

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Past, Present, Future: National Tire Dealers’ Association, 1921 Vol. II

NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1921

No. 7

National Dealers’ Association Organized at Chicago Delegates Representing Over 500 Tire Dealers Sponsor New Body Having for Its Aim Cooperation Between Dealers, Manufacturers and Consumers BY JEROME T. SHAW

ith a policy decidedly conservative as tires. If this policy is adopted it is and constructive as a working basis, believed that there will be a marked Purpose the National Tire Dealers’ Association reduction in the number of rebuilt tires This association is formed to advance was organized at a convention of dealers placed upon the market. In connection and safeguard the business interests of in Chicago, January 31, February 1 and 2. with this resolution it was suggested that tire dealers and to promote a cooperative Tom Whitehead, of Chicago, was elected the tire manufacturers consider a similar relationship between the manufacturer, president of the new body, while other policy in the treatment of tires turned in the tire dealer and the buying public. officers and directors were so selected on adjustments. It was pointed out that that the personnel of the executive offices this recommendation was not made with of the association represent as widely the idea of reducing the volume of tire separated sections of the country as possible. repair business, but covered only those tires which the dealer From the very opening of the convention, the gathering of ordinarily would classify and dispose of as junk. dealers was marked with keen enthusiasm and a desire to arrive In its interpretation of a legitimate tire merchant the assoat a point where closer cooperation between the tire dealers, the ciation had in mind the “fly-by-night” retailer and the grocer, tire manufacturers and the ultimate tire users could be assured. druggist, taxi-driver dealer when it held that, in its opinion, a According to the officers, the resolutions adopted during the legitimate tire merchant is one having a permanent place of course of the three-day session reflect the sentiments of the new business and making the major portion of his profits through organization in regard to its position in the tire industry. At first, the sale of tires. Factory branches and individuals whose sales it is held, it is the intention of the policies are dictated by manufacturers national association to place its own are not eligible to membership in branch of the industry upon a better the association. Concerns doing Officers general standard before any attempts an exclusively wholesale business President are made to present recommendations also are barred, but wholesalers or Thomas F. Whitehead, Chicago or grievances to others in the business. jobbers also selling at retail can Vice-President The first direct drive for the become members. R. F. Valentine, Cleveland elimination of the “gyp” dealer and Membership in the national Treasurer the manufacturers of questionable association is confined to local Henry O. Stenzel, Milwaukee product was made when the associaassociations. Individual dealers in Secretary tion recommended to its members localities where local associations Philip O. Deitsch, Cleveland that they so mutilate junk tires as to have not yet been organized are DIRECTORS FOR ONE YEAR make them unfit for further service required to join the nearest local Ed. P. Farley, Minneapolis A. B. Clarke, Kansas City

DIRECTORS FOR TWO YEARS Joseph Roberts, St. Louis R. J. Walters, Baltimore R. R. Woolley, Cincinnati

MTD November 2019

Past, Present, Future: National Tire Dealers’ Association, 1921

Thomas F. Whitehead, Chicago President

Henry O. Stenzel, Milwaukee Treasurer

R. F. Valentine, Cleveland Vice-President

body to share in the benefits of the national association. In this Rock, Ark., registered at the meetings. In all some 500 retail tire way it is expected that a greater interest will be developed in the merchants and vulcanizers were represented at the convention. formation of local associations. Because of the unfortunate death of his father, Frank Zeman, Before the national association was three days old it had president of the Chicago Tire Dealers’ Association who was obtained the stamp of approval from representative tire manuresponsible for most of the preliminary work on the convention, facturing companies. At a dinner on Wednesday night, Februwas unable to be in attendance on the opening day. Tom Whitehead, ary 2, representatives of the Firestone, Goodyear, Mason and vice-president of the Chicago body, therefore called the meeting Nebraska companies heartily endorsed the national association to order. Whitehead was selected as temporary chairman, and Fred movement and assured the dealers of their cooperation in making G. Erkert, secretary of the Chicago local, assumed the duties of the organization a success. All of the speakers pointed out the temporary secretary. Activities on the first afternoon consisted important part a national retailers’ associachiefly in the appointment of a committee to tion, functioning properly and not displaying draft the constitution and by-laws and another any evidence of selfish desires, could play committee to handle all resolutions offered in stabilizing conditions in the tire industry. by the delegates. The manufacturers said they would instruct The constitution committee comprised their sales-men to encourage all their dealers Ed. P. Farley, Minneapolis; R. F. Valentine, to join local tire dealers’ associations. Cleveland; M. L. O’Brien, Milwaukee; Frank At the Wednesday morning session of Zeman, Chicago; H. A. Winter, Kansas City; the convention, A. L. Viles, general manager R. J. Walters, Baltimore; and Whitehead, of the Rubber Association of America, the Chicago. The following were on the resolumembership of which includes 110 or more tions committee: Fred G. Erkert, Chicago; tire manufacturers, extended the cooperation Philip O. Deitsch, Cleveland; H. F. Lundberg, of his organization to the dealers. Minneapolis; P. J. Quigley, Memphis, and H. When the convention convened on Monday A. Ruhnke, Milwaukee. afternoon at the call of the Chicago Tire DealThe credentials committee reported that it ers’ Association delegates were present from had decided that the various local associations ten local associations, including Milwaukee, be allowed to have one vote at the convention Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, for each ten or major portion of ten members. Baltimore, Memphis, St. Louis, St. Paul and Individual dealers presented were allowed Cincinnati. In addition there were individual one vote under the formative rules. delegates from Jackson, Tenn., Melvin, III., During the afternoon representatives of each Philip O. Deitsch, Cleveland Secretary and Wallworth, Wis. Later a dealer from Little of the local associations were called upon to

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Past, Present, Future: National Tire Dealers’ Association, 1921 present their views covering the need for and the motive back of a national organization. It was the consensus of opinion that a national body could perform a valuable service for the tire industry at large through eradicating many of the evils that have placed it in a bad light in the eyes of the tire user. Most of the delegates declared that their local association had helped to improve conditions in their districts, but to be effective the reforms must be nation-wide in scope. In all of the talks, the idea of a stronger spirit of cooperation between the various branches of the industry in R. R. Woolley, Cincinnati the interest of the consumer Director was emphasized. One delegate started, “before we get through we want to do away with the fact that the average car owner considers a tire dealer a robber.” Another delegate declared “another thing the National Tire Dealers’ Association ought to do, and it is the only salvation I can see, is to help the tire companies get rid of the ‘gyp’!” R. R. Woolley, representing the Cincinnati association, struck a responsive chord when he declared that the main thing for a national association is not to try to eliminate the petty grievances of the local dealer, but to put through legislation beneficial to

R. J. Walters, Baltimore Director

the tire retailer and to fight such legislation as would be detrimental to his business. Woolley told of the general attitude of city authorities and state legislators toward the automotive industry when the question of taxes was considered and also of the important work that a national tire dealers association could do along this line. On Tuesday afternoon the constitution committee submitted its report which, with minor revisions, was adopted unanimously. The constitution is published elsewhere in this issue. It was declared by those in charge of drafting the constitution that it had been Joseph Roberts, St. Louis made as broad and flexible as Director possible so that the activities of the association would not be confined to so straight a line as to hinder general progress. With a working basis established, the convention got down to the business of electing offers. Milton Rosen, of St. Paul, nominated Whitehead for president and Walters of Baltimore nominated Valentine of Cleveland, but the latter withdrew and offered a motion that Whitehead’s election be unanimous. Valentine was nominated for vice-president by O’Brien of Milwaukee and was installed in that office by acclamation.

A. B. Clarke, Kansas City Director

Edward P. Farley, Minneapolis Director

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Past, Present, Future: National Tire Dealers’ Association, 1921

Resolutions That Outline Policies Cooperation HEREAS the legitimate tire merchants of the United States are banding themselves in a national body for the purposes of protection and to elevate the retail tire business, be it resolved that we as an organization are desirous of enlisting the full cooperation of the manufacturers to the end that our line of endeavor may be reverted from its present position of a game to a high standard of merchandising, and be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be submitted to each tire manufacturer.

Legitimate Tire Merchant HEREAS we believe the policies of a great many manufacturers have been unethical with reference to their interpretation of the legitimate tire merchant, therefore be it resolved that this association considers a tire merchant to be one who sells tires at retail and whose policies are not dictated by any manufacturer. The definition of a tire merchant shall be as of firms having a permanent place of business making their major profits from the sale of tires, tubes and tire accessories; also repair men and vulcanizers and such owners of garages who carry a stock of tires and tubes for resale.

Mutilation of Used Tires HEREAS it is the practice of some unscrupulous tire dealers to repair and replace upon the market worn out tires, be it resolved that this association recommend that all members mutilate by cutting in two all junk tires before disposing of said tires to anyone, and be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be mailed to the headquarters of each association with instructions to advise individual members of this action; be it also resolved that this association recommend to all tire manufacturers that they mutilate all tires received through adjustments in such manner as to render them unfit for use or repair; it is also recommended that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Tire Manufacturers’ Division of the Rubber Association of America and to the Mid-West Rubber Manufacturers’ Association.

Organization Expense HEREAS the Chicago Tire Dealers’ Association has under-written the expense of the formative meeting of the National Tire Dealer’s Association, be it resolved that this body take some action with reference to reimbursing the Chicago association for the money expended and be it further resolved that the resolution committee suggest reimbursement from the national treasury as soon as possible.

National Subjects HEREAS it is the intention to establish a national headquarters, be it resolved that any matters of national importance to the tire merchant be forwarded to this headquarters for consideration, and be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be mailed to each local association with instructions to advise individual members of this action.

Association Promotion HEREAS it being the desire of our present membership to make the national association as effective as possible, be it resolved that there be appointed in each city where there is an association a committee of at least one to promote interest in and assist in organizing local dealer associations in the adjoining territory.

O’Brien was nominated by Winter of Kansas City for treasurer, but withdrew in favor of Henry O. Stenzel, also of Milwaukee, who had been nominated by Rosen. Ed. P. Farley of Minneapolis and A. B. Clarke of Kansas City were elected directors for a term of one year, and Joseph Roberts of St. Louis, R. J. Walters of Baltimore and R. R. Woolley of Cincinnati were elected for a term of two years. The president and treasurer also are members of the board of directors. The board is delegated with power to select a secretary and at its first meeting it appointed Philip O. Deitsch to this position. Prior to taking up the report of the resolutions committee on Wednesday morning, the convention extended an invitation to A. L. Viles, of the Rubber Association of America, to address it. Viles expressed his pleasure at the indication of cooperation in the dealers’ end of the tire business and declared that heretofore there has been a lack of cooperation from the manufacturer down to the consumer. He explained that one of the basic things that lie behind any cooperative effort today is the necessity for sound fundamental practices, and told the dealers that the regulatory bodies of the government, like the Federal Trade Commission, the Interstate Commerce Commission and the State commissions of various kinds, were all brought into being and function because of the failure of manufacturing and merchandising businesses

Emblem HEREAS it is necessary for this organization to adopt a suitable emblem, be it resolved that the president be empowered to appoint a committee of three to decide upon an emblem best expressing the principles of the association and to be used on all stationery and advertising matter.

to bring about cooperation and lay down sound fundamental principles for themselves to follow. He said that any cooperative effort in any line of business is very great protection to the business and puts it on a sounder basis. Viles was asked about the situation created by the importation of the discarded A.E.F. tires from France, the dealers being particularly anxious to ascertain if there was any way in which they could help in solving this problem. As told elsewhere in TIRES, Viles explained the situation and the steps the manufacturers considered taking to protect the dealers and consumers from this merchandise. The rubber association official also explained how the manufacturers’ organization functioned and told the dealers how the two organizations might handle their mutual problems. Wednesday afternoon was devoted to discussions on several matters of general association interest during which it was decided to establish the headquarters of the organization at Cleveland. In the evening the delegates were the guests of the Chicago Tire Dealers’ Association at a dinner at the Morrison Hotel, after which they left for their respective cities. Full reports of the speeches made at the dinner are made elsewhere. It is provided in the constitution that the annual meetings be held in October or November, a period of the year when the average tire dealer is comparatively dull.

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Past, Present, Future: Tire Construction

TIRE TECHNOLOGY ‘BUILDING BLOCKS’ MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES INTO A TIRE, AND HOW THOSE ELEMENTS IMPACT VEHICLE PERFORMANCE By

Brad Wurst

he radial tire is a highly sophisticated, yet highly underrated, feat of engineering. Tire technology advances every year, with many resources being allocated to research and development, and yet tires are often overshadowed by the far flashier and more colorful vehicles upon which they are mounted. A single tire category is comprised of as many as 50 different raw materials across product lines, including polymers, carbon blacks, oils, pigments, anti-degradants, silicas, and other additives. The manufacturing process for a tire includes seven categories of processing: raw materials, mixing, extrusion, calendering, stock preparations, building, and curing. In addition to complex composition and construction, a tire’s intended function and service environment play a significant role in how it is designed. Tires are engineered differently for road and weather conditions, fuel efficiency requirements, preferred riding experience, speed, and many other considerations. This scarcely scratches the surface of how complex and advanced tire construction has become.

COMMON FOUNDATION

Most radial tires can be broken down into six crucial parts: belt package, body plies, bead, tread, sidewall, and innerliner. • Belt package. The tread may be the component that touches the road, but the

Here is a 3D rendering of a tire “stepdown” showing the different components of a radial tire.

unsung hero of the tire’s contact patch is to road irregularities, such as potholes and the belt package. Located directly beneath construction plates. Like the belt, the body the tread, the belt package is composed of ply should be resistant to fatigue. sheet-like rubber coating and stranded steel • Bead. The bead provides a secure attachcords. The cords are oriented at a bias angle, ment between the highly flexible tire and the providing a structural band and backbone rigid wheel by stiffening the lower sidewall for the tire. The belt package stiffens and and anchoring the body plies to maintain flattens the tread area, creating a rigid surface inflation pressure. Because the bead must to make contact with the road and improve resist both centrifugal forces exerted on the both vehicle handling and tire and forces caused by resistance to tire wear. MOST RADIAL TIRES CAN BE BROKEN inflation pressure pullBecause the belt package ing on ply cords, it must DOWN INTO SIX CRUCIAL PARTS: demonstrate very high weathers the repeated impact of bumps and BELT PACKAGE, BODY PLIES, BEAD, tensile strength. Most potholes, it must be stiff beads are composed of and resistant to bending TREAD, SIDEWALL, AND INNERLINER. bundled solid steel wire, fatigue. Belts also protect BRAD WURST, SMITHERS RAPRA embedded in a rubber the tire’s body plies. skim coating. • Body plies. Unlike • Tread. Arguably the steel cords of the belt, the most visually iconic the twisted cords of the body ply component of the radial tire, the run radially from one bead to the tread serves as the contact patch other around the tire, containing between the tire and the road. Both the forces generated by tire inflation the compound and pattern of the pressure. These cords are usually tread play vital roles in maintaining made from polyester, nylon, rayon, friction to keep the vehicle on its or other materials, and are imbedded trajectory regardless of adverse BRAD WURST in a protective, sheet-like rubber conditions, such as gravel, snow, ice, coating. In addition to containing forces mud, rain, or off-road terrain. The compound caused by tire inflation pressure, body plies should be resistant to wear and damage to exist to structurally join most of the other increase longevity and offer high friction components of a radial tire, so adherence and low rolling resistance. The tread patto rubber is a crucial property for body ply tern should be designed to evacuate water materials. Additionally, the body ply creates a efficiently and provide “biting edges” for connection between the tread and the vehicle snow and off-road travel. To some, the tread and allows the tire to react with more flexibility quickly communicates the tire’s brand and MTD November 2019

Discoverer AT3 LT TM

Stops on average at least 10 feet shorter on wet roads.*

IF STOPPING DISTANCE IS, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO YOU, THEN GO WITH THE COOPERS. —Uncle Cooper Uncle to Everyone

*Wet stopping distance based on the results for the Discoverer AT3XLT™ LT275/70R18 in comparative wet braking testing against four select competitor tires, April 2018. Individual on-road results may vary. © Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. All rights reserved.

Past, Present, Future: Tire Construction model. Many tire industry veterans can identify a tire from a quick glance at its tread pattern. • Sidewall. Tires are among the most heavily labeled products on the market, and a single sidewall can showcase logos, safety information, sizing, and other information required by end users. Additionally, the sidewall serves to protect the body ply and tire structure from abrasion, ozone, oxygen, and other hazards. • Innerliner. Tire inflation is critical to maintaining proper tire characteristics and serviceability and maximizing gas mileage. The innerliner works in tandem with the body ply to maintain tire inflation, providing a physical barrier against air and moisture permeation while the body ply provides the strength to contain the pressure. The innerliner is usually composed of two rubber sheet-like layers of one compound.

HOW COMPONENTS WORK TOGETHER

Each of these six components in the structure of a tire plays a crucial role in maintaining safety and function of the tire and vehicle, including the following dynamics: • Tire inflation. When a tire is inflated, internal pressure pushes belts and body plies outward. Each body ply cord is under nearly uniform tension, with one end being anchored at the bead and the other being pulled by the belt package. • Static load. When a static load is added to the inflated tire, each body ply cord con-

Radial tires take over Radials accounted for more than half of the replacement passenger tire market in the U.S. for the first time in 1980: Passenger tire construction/U.S. Year Type Replacement OE 1979 Bias 33% 15% Bias-belt 19% 9% Radial 48% 76% 1980 Bias 28% 18% Bias-belt 18% 1% Radial 54% 81% 1981 Bias 27% 16.5% Bias-belt 17% 0.5% Radial 56% 83% Radial original equipment tires first topped the 50% mark in 1975. SOURCE: MODERN TIRE DEALER FACTS ISSUES

Force and moment testing is a reliable way to assess and measure cornering forces and impacts, said Brad Wurst, tire engineer consultant at Smithers Rapra.

tinues to exert tensile loads on the bead, but the loads now vary by their location in the tire. Cord tension eases on cords at the bottom, where the tire rests against the road, but at the top of the tire, cord tension is increased slightly. This difference in cord forces generate a net upward force on the bead and wheel, as well. Vertical stiffness measurements and tire footprint “pressure maps” can help assess how a tire will wear over time, and how the tire/vehicle may handle and ride as a result of these forces. • Cornering. As a vehicle turns, its wheels point in one direction. But the tire and its contact patch stick to the road and travel in a slightly different direction and begin to deflect laterally. This lateral deflection is a result of cornering force. These lateral forces are then deflected through the tread, the body ply cords, the bead, the wheel, and the vehicle. Reliable ways to assess and measure cornering forces and impacts include force and moment testing, on-vehicle handling, and static lateral tire stiffness analysis. • Road bump. When a tire encounters a road bump or obstacle, the tread and belt package deflect and partially envelop the bump. How closely the tire conforms to the bump depends on the stiffness of the belt package and can directly impact the riding experience. Encountering a bump causes upward deflection of the tread and belt package, which reduces body ply cord tension at the bottom of the tire, resulting in a net upward force on the bead. This net upward force is then transmitted from the bead, through the wheel and then the vehicle. A stiffer belt package envelops less of the bump which transfers more of this force or jolt to the driver. A more compliant

tread package envelopes the bump more and minimize the force felt inside the car. • Acceleration/deceleration. When a vehicle accelerates, the bead is the first part of the tire to catch the increased torque from the axle. The bead follows the increased torque of the axle and distorts the body ply cords, which engage the contact patch with the road surface. The same process happens in reverse when a vehicle decelerates. Tire technology has evolved over the years as vehicle requirements and consumer preferences have changed. With the introduction of electric vehicles and autonomous technology, tire engineers are looking not only at adjustments to materials and construction, but also at the introduction of sensors to provide vehicle control systems with critical data. With so many vehicles and tires on the tire market, it is crucial for tire dealers to understand the baseline technology behind their tire inventory, so they can communicate value to customers and evaluate product options that are available to them. A strong grasp on the basic components of a radial tire and how those components work together will enable any dealer to achieve these objectives. ■ (What did tire dealers think about radial tires in 1977? See page 81.) Brad Wurst has nearly 30 years of domestic and international tire engineering experience, with expertise in tire development, tire performance enhancement and more. He joined Smithers Rapra Inc., a provider of testing and consulting services to the rubber and plastics industries, in 2018 as a tire engineering consultant, and focuses on providing guidance and solutions that address clients’ product development and quality-related challenges.

MTD November 2019

Past, Present, Future: Tire Construction in 1977

Dealers bare souls about radial tires! More than 25 years after it was first exported to the United States, the radial tire is expected to top the conventional bias-ply as the number-one replacement tire. Last year radial tires captured 34% of the huge replacement market, while this year they are expected to garner an estimated 38% of the market. Now, more than a decade since it all began domestically and after a production changeover costing manufacturers approximately $700 million, the radial revolution has truly come of age. An impact so great has never been felt as acutely by each and every tire dealer across the country. MTD’s latest spot-survey of dealers centers upon this impact and how they feel about the tire that’s changed their market so drastically. Are radial tires providing the mileage touted by manufacturers? What, if any, are the major problems encountered by consumers and dealers who have driven on, sold and serviced the tires? Is steel the ultimate answer for radial wearability and strength? MTD went to tire dealers from coast to coast. Many dealers, while praising their domestic tire lines, quietly concede that foreign producers still have the edge on American companies in quality. But, almost to a man, they agree that great strides have been made in recent years by domestic manufacturers. Questioned further, these dealers pointed to a number of other factors affecting their radial market: • Domestic manufacturers need to exercise more quality control in radial tire building, especially belt application. • Dealers selling foreign radials voiced disenchantment with some suppliers, feeling they offer no area protection to established, main-stay dealers. • Steel will more than likely remain the dominant belting material for a number of years. w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

• Consumers would realize their tires’ mileage potential if they would exercise more tire care and better vehicle maintenance. • More dealers are turning to lucrative automotive services to offset lower unit sales. What MTD found in the dealer interviews were some clearly defined problems related to radial tires, ranging from marketing strategy to manufacturing. The major shortcoming of domestically produced radial tires, dealers told MTD, is

a lack of quality control. “Belt placement, a manual operation, is the largest single problem I have seen with passenger radials,” reports dealer Edward Kemm, owner of Armor Tred Tire, Baltimore, Md. Kemm, a Goodyear, Firestone and Pirelli dealer, said the whole American philosophy of production is to blame for poorly made radial tires. “When we stop paying workers for productivity first, and start paying them instead

‘Look Buster, those expensive radials you sold me vibrate so much I can’t keep my hat on. Now you make it right or my husband will ask you to step outside.’

Past, Present, Future: Tire Construction in 1977 for quality, we will have better tires coming out of the American factories.” Kemm says the radials he sells are running out their projected mileage if properly maintained by the customer. “We ask our customers to come in once a month for an air pressure check, and every 5,000 miles for other car maintenance checks.” On the question of selling a customer a second set of radials after OE tires, Kemm says the dealer is in command on making the buying decision for the consumer on which type of radial he will buy the second time around – unless the customer is only going to keep the vehicle a short time longer. “We can usually sell them what we want but customers are usually shocked by the cost of steel-belted radial tires,” Kemm comments. Fred Gerstenfield Jr., owner of Fred’s Tire & Brake Service in Philadelphia, Pa., says most of the tire repair work he does – some 2,000 jobs a month – are on steel-belted radials. “I feel there isn’t a better tire manufactured for handling and a better ride but the domestic manufacturers are letting tires through their quality control that are not first quality. I get just as many steel-belted radials here with punctures to repair as other construction type tires – somewhere the consumer has gotten the idea that these steel-belted tires are puncture-proof and they aren’t. They aren’t advertised that way.” Gerstenfield said most of the customers at his Telstar dealership are not getting the 40,000 mileage out of their radials – probably an average of 30,000 miles instead. “I don’t even stock radial tires as most of my customers can’t afford them – I will order them special if the customer wants them.” Jack Lerman has a similar view. The Hercules, Michelin and Toyo dealer in Milwaukee, Wisc., says his foreign made radials seem to have met tougher quality control standards. “These tires are easier to balance and not nearly as frequently found to be out-of-round. What’s more, they seem to last longer and don’t have the shifting of belts that is so frequent in domestically made tires.” Lerman notes he has also found a second major element contributing to so-called outof-round tires – the out-of-round wheel. “I think the great majority of out-of-round tires are due to out-of-round wheels. It’s thoroughly

Radials will capture 75% of the OE market and 38% of the replacement market this year.

frustrating. We’ve been into computerized balancing for some time and we just got into tire-matching. It’s hell when someone buys two new tires and then you start finding eight out of 10 new wheels aren’t right. To complicate matters,” Lerman says, “replacement wheels are not any better.” Lerman says his dealership is doing everything possible to alert customers about proper tire/vehicle maintenance. “We tell them to watch the air pressure in their tires to protect their investment and our customers usually return within one year after buying tires for front-end, shock or brake work.” Steel remains the pace-setter in tire cord, Lerman says, and is outselling fiberglass-belted tires, but, he emphasizes, “I really don’t believe that there is one American manufacturer making a decent radial tire. Foreign-made radials represent the best investment for the consumer but too often the profit margin for dealers just isn’t there.” “The attitude exists that foreign-made

‘Poor quality control is domestic makers’ biggest stumbling block.’ radials are better – and that’s going to be hard to overcome,” says dealer Dick Huddle, Lancaster, Ohio, who markets Goodyear and McCreary tires. Huddle also cites poor quality control as the domestic radial-maker’s biggest stumbling block. “The quality control must be improved – there are just too many adjustments. Mileage is not the major problem – it’s crooked belts.” Huddle, who has expanded his allied services to include muffler work, says his inventory has gotten smaller because of radial cost. Huddle also says that customers usually want steel-belted radials after their OE radials have worn out. “We have to do a real job selling customers down to fiberglass, although I think there is a need and a market for the economy radial.” Harold Coker, a Goodrich, Michelin and Caravelle tire dealer from Chattanooga, Tenn., says his domestically-made tires still don’t offer the quality that his foreign brands do. “I believe my foreign-made tires are the best I sell, with Goodrich running a close second. Goodrich’s product has substantially improved in the last two or three years as far as mileage. MTD November 2019

Past, Present, Future: Tire Construction in 1977 “While we can’t really document it, we feel that radials do not hold their air as well as bias and belted tires do. As a result, customers may not check them frequently enough and mileage decreases.” When asked specifically what was wrong with domestically-made radials, dealers were quick to respond with double-edged answers. “We see an awful lot of radial problems, especially with twisted belts,” answers Ed Bey, vice president, sales of Carter Tire Co., Pontiac, Mich. The Dunlop and Michelin dealer suggests that American firms slow production so they can place more emphasis on improved belt application. Jerry Ponder, owner of King Tire Sales, Waco, Texas, reports that he has no problems getting 40,000 miles out of the Michelin, Lee, IRI and Medallion radials he sells. But he also believes there is a wide discrepancy between the quality of the foreign and domesticallymade radials. Ponder says he will not sell fiberglassbelted tires because he only wants to carry “top of the line tires – and fiberglass tires are more cheaply constructed.”

On the contrary, dealer Michael Jennings of Jennings Brothers Inc., Warwick, R.I., is one of the few tire dealers who will be glad to see steel “go by the boards,” as a belting material. “Our major problems with steel-belted tires,” says the Delta, Goodyear, and Seiberling dealer, “is vibration and radial pull. I don’t think manufacturers should have ever gotten into steel.” Jennings echos Ponder’s opinions on fiberglass – and comments on the effect of steel-radial advertising. “We don’t do much in fiberglass because the customer has the image of steel-belted quality firmly imbedded in his mind from so much media advertising. It’s hard to sell down to glass-belted tires.” A Michelin, Firestone, Uniroyal and Seiberling dealer in Aberdeen, Wash., Pat Earley of Earley Tire Co., reports that belt separation is his major problem with radials. “With the exception of Seiberling and Michelin, we have had an awful time with radials.” Earley recalls that when steel-belted radi-

als were first utilized by Detroit automakers, his dealership had four to six adjustments per week. Dealer Clarence Wisdom of Monroe, La., agrees that “two of the major foreign brands are better than our domestic tires. But that’s because the whole American radial tire industry is still learning.” Although not completely satisfied with the quality of American radials, Wisdom thinks that current American radial lines are running as long as manufacturers’ mileage claims. Wisdom is joined by dealers John E. Keeler, Keeler Tire Co., Sioux Falls, S.D., and D.F. Woodward of Western Tire Co., Farmington, N.M., who were less critical of American made radials. Both of these dealers say they believe domestic radials to be on even par with foreign made tires. Dealer L. Kay Willes, of Triple AAA Tire Service Inc., Fullerton, Calif., seems to sum up the majority opinion, however: ‘I don’t think steel-belted radials are the answer to all tire performance problems as manufacturers have led us to believe.”

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MTD November 2019

Past, Present, Future: Max Finkelstein Inc.

A CENTURY OLD – BUT JUST GETTING STARTED

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, MAX FINKELSTEIN LOOKS TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS By

Joy Kopcha

STARTING WITH HUSTLE AND SERVICE

Max and his younger brother, Irving, hustled to make a business out of those tires. “When

By the numbers Max Finkelstein Inc. is focused on responsible, profitable growth over the long haul. A few figures help to tell the story. • 1 million tires in stock • 100,000 square feet (average size of a distribution center) • 80,000 tires (average number of consumer and commercial tires in a distribution center) • 500 employees • 250 trucks • 1 retail store

PHOTOS COURTESY MAX FINKELSTEIN INC.

efore there was a tire business, there was a junk business, and Harry Finkelstein was known as a “junk man.” He tore apart used radiators and refrigerators and sold the metal to scrappers in New York. On Dec. 23, 1912, Harry Finkelstein died when a horse leading his wagon was spooked by a whistle and Harry was thrown from the wagon. His oldest son, Max, who was onboard, too, was injured, but survived. At age 15, Max Finkelstein became the man of the house, and his family’s business. During World War I, there was great demand for metal, which was recycled into ammunition and bombs. But after the war ended, the junk business wasn’t so profitable. So in 1919, Max Finkelstein placed a couple of used tires in front of the store and sold them. And that was the start of the Finkelstein family’s tire business. A century later, Max Finkelstein Inc. still claims that same street corner in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, and the fourth generation of Finkelsteins is at work in one of the country’s largest wholesale tire distribution companies.

Jerry Finkelstein, left, and Harold Finkelstein, right, celebrated 100 years of Max Finkelstein Inc. with Richard Kramer, chairman, CEO and president of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The company has been a Goodyear dealer for 96 years.

they got a customer — a live one — the first thing they did was jack up the car so (the customer) couldn’t take it out,” says Irving’s oldest son, Harold. The act may have appeared as their urgent response to a customer’s need, but it really was a distraction from a tire inventory problem — because there was no inventory. Max would leave Irving to attend to the store and the customer, and he’d jump on the train — which continues to rumble past the store — to go into Manhattan and buy the tires. He’d carry them underneath his arms, hop on the train and return to the store. “And that’s how they started.” The turn to wholesaling was just as simple. “Max couldn’t stand letting a bargain go by,” Harold says. If the price of buying 20 tires was better than buying a single tire, he’d buy 20. “But he had no customers, so he’d go back out and try to find other dealers who could use the tires. And that’s how they got into the wholesale business.” As adults, Harold and his brother, Jerry, officially joined the business in 1955 and 1957, respectively, though they had spent their childhoods growing up alongside their dad and uncle at work. Two more

generations have followed Harold and Jerry into the family business.

THE GOODYEAR CONNECTION

Each generation of the Finkelstein family has associated itself with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The connection goes back to 1923. Brian Finkelstein, vice president of sales and a member of the fourth generation, says the company’s 96 years with Goodyear is more than a number. “It means we’re a team and it’s a remarkable legacy that three generations can celebrate this year. They’ll always be our main supplier and partner.”

Max Finkelstein Inc. has begun its second century by expanding into new markets. This distribution center near Pittsburgh will allow the company to expand its relationship-based sales model to more independent retailers.

MTD November 2019

Work-life balance is an old issue Finkelstein developed win-win solution for employees, management

Irving (left) and Max Finkelstein learned from their mother, Fannie, that it was imperative they protect the family’s good name. That remains a focus 100 years later. Even when the company considered going by the shorter MFI, the family decided against it. Jerry Finkelstein asked, “Why change something that you are proud of?”

“Goodyear will always be our flagship brand,” says Ira Silver, CEO and president of Max Finkelstein. “When people hear the name Max Finkelstein, they immediately associate us with Goodyear.” Goodyear recognizes the unique relationship, too. In the foreword to a history book published this year detailing the Max Finkelstein story, Rich Kramer, chairman, CEO and president of Goodyear, wrote that the dealership “has been an integral part of Goodyear’s legacy for almost the entirety of our history.” That’s not an overstatement. In 1986, when Goodyear was a takeover target by Sir James Goldsmith, Harold and Jerry Finkelstein helped lead an army of Goodyear dealers in supporting the tire maker. They helped raise $80,000 to place a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal with this giant-sized headline: “Goodyear is being torn apart by a foreign invader.” In a thank you letter to the Finkelsteins, Goodyear’s president at the time, Tom Barrett, wrote that the advertisement “delivered one of the bloody blows” that convinced Goldsmith to end the hostile takeover. In the mid-1950s, Max Finkelstein dropped all its other brands to become a Goodyear-only tire dealer. Harold remembers, “Everybody said I was stupid.” But it worked. “We grew very well with Goodyear,” he says. It took three decades for Max Finkelstein to diversify and add other brands to its mix, and it wasn’t until 2018 that the tire distributor added another Tier 1 brand, Bridgestone, to its offerings. That’s just one sign the company isn’t afraid to adapt to the current market. Seven other brands were added between 2012 and 2018: Kumho, Aeolus, Kenda, w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

Presa, Americus, Falken and Firestone. And in 2019, the company stocks nearly two dozen brands across the consumer, truck, off-the-road, specialty, trailer and lawn and garden categories. Adding brands has come as Max Finkelstein has expanded its footprint with more warehouses, employees, routes and inventory. In 2008 the company had five distribution centers and recorded sales of $100 million. Since then, the company has quadrupled in size. “We will continue to work as a team and preserve what we have built over the past 100 years,” says Silver. More than preserving, the company is looking for more opportunities to grow. In September, the tire wholesaler opened a new warehouse near Pittsburgh, Pa., to push into new states and markets. It’s the company’s westernmost location, and it’s already serving customers in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. It’s proof that Max Finkelstein remains hungry. The company knows complacency isn’t an option in an industry where profit is driven by growth. But the company also isn’t hung up on adding a specific number of sites each year. It all depends on market conditions and potential. Some markets have been especially affected by industry disruption and consolidation, and leaders of Max Finkelstein see an opening for their strategy. So they take the risk, and believe their consistent game plan and execution will help them succeed. ■ Special thanks to Max Finkelstein for sharing its archives, and to Melanie Paticoff Grossman, author of “Max Finkelstein Inc. A Centennial Story.”

It was 1990. Jerry Finkelstein and his brother, Harold Finkelstein, were both working six days a week, and Jerry knew they needed to cut back. But their one retail store, which still stands, was open on Saturdays. Jerry said he wasn’t going to work Saturdays anymore. Harold balked, and said they had to be there to oversee their employees. Jerry said they had managers who could do the job, and that would give the two of them a better quality of life. Harold didn’t like the idea. A few days, later Jerry countered with another idea. “I think we should close Saturdays.” His brother was appalled and argued that the employees counted on those work hours. More time passed. Jerry offered another solution. What if they opened a half-hour earlier and closed a half-hour later on weekdays? The hourly employees would work more hours, and they’d also have Saturdays off. “That will help us hire people, too,” he said. “We are missing out on hiring the most qualified young people. Kids coming out of college don’t want to work six days a week anymore.” Harold agreed to give it a try. They closed on Saturdays. Business grew by 30% that year. Years later, Jerry told his brother he was going to stop working on Fridays. Harold shrugged. Months went by, and then Harold said he was going to do the same. What inspired the change? His wife, Marilyn, wanted to know why he was working while his brother Jerry was home with his wife, Estelle, on Fridays. “That’s how it went with my brother and me. We complemented each other and made decisions together. In this instance, together we figured out a way to give our associates the hours they needed, while getting more time for ourselves to spend with family and enjoy hobbies. By delegating greater responsibility to our associates, we were able to build a team of competent employees and managers that we were able to rely on when we weren’t personally in the office.”

Focus On Industry

‘We want to be the best in the value product tier’ SAILUN SHOWCASES ALL-SEASON TOURING AND LIGHT TRUCK TIRES, DISCUSSES NEXT GROWTH STEPS By

Greg Smith

ailun Tire Americas showcased its Inspire all-season touring tire and its Terramax HLT all-season light truck tire to key associates of its exclusive U.S. distributor, National Tire Wholesale, and their customers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in mid-September. The event, during which participants compared the Sailun tires against a Tier 1 brand, was designed “so that dealers got the chance for a hands-on, blind tire test to illustrate that the meaning of value is much more than just price-based,” says Mark Pereira, marketing communications manager for Sailun. Attendees drove Chevrolet Impala Premier sedans and BMW X3 xDrive30i CUVs on a tight autocross course set up in the speedway’s parking lot. Sidewalls were buffed to hide the identity of the tires, and drivers were asked to not look at the tires before they ranked them. At the end of the event, Sailun showed the results of the rankings, in which their tires performed very well versus the Tier 1 brand.

Sailun ‘inspires’ with its all-season touring tire The Inspire is an all-season touring tire designed for fitment on a wide range of popular compacts, sedans, SUVs and CUVs, according to Sailun officials. The tire features:

• 3D Mult-Sipe Te c h n o l o g y , which “expands and expels substances for confident performance that regenerates with tire wear,” according to Sailun officials.

The Inspire The new Sailun • Sailun’s proprie- Inspire comes in is currently availtary SertaGrip com- 48 popular sizes. able in 48 popular pound for increased OE replacement traction and control in both tire fitments, ranging from 14 wet and dry conditions, plus inches to 19 inches in diamlongevity; eter. Fifteen additional sizes, • The company’s SilentTread ranging from P225/55R16 to pattern, which uses staggered P255/45R20, are in developtuning technology and a vari- ment. The tire also comes with able pitch sequence for a a 70,000-mile/60-month limited quiet, comfortable ride, and; tread life warranty.

Sailun Tire Americas’ Brian Mielko, vice president of sales, and Mark Pereira, marketing communications manager, stand between the test vehicles during their company’s event in Atlanta.

But as Brian Mielko, vice president of sales for Sailun, said, “It’s great that we compared so well against the Tier 1 brand, but the price difference between the two is the issue for us.” Pereira said that in the Atlanta market, the Tier 1 brand was selling at a 70% premium versus Sailun’s Inspire tire and at an 80% premium versus the company’s Terramax HLT tire. “An event like this provides us with an opportunity to debunk the many myths out there about value tier brands and tires from overseas,” he told Modern Tire Dealer. “We get a chance to explain how the Sailun brand was created, how we deliver products with proven performance and high standards, and why Sailun is the top alternative to the big-name brands out there for drivers seeking to save some money without sacrificing safety, quality or performance.” During the event, Christine Rouleau, sales director for Sailun, said, “We want to be the best in the value product tier.” She used Modern Tire Dealer data that showed attendees Tier 3 and Tier 4 brands have continued to gain PLT market share steadily since 2013. During this time, those tiers have grown by almost 4%, now standing at about 30% of the market. Rouleau told NTW attendees that “you establish how you want to sell our brand in your markets.” At the same time, she said it was Sailun’s responsibility to supply quality, build trust and offer support to them. “We need to make sure you know and trust that we stand behind you and our products that you sell.” Sailun’s consumer market research shows that consumers depend on tire retailers for brand recommendations and at the same time are looking for a good value proposition, said Rouleau. She cited U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association statistics that show the U.S. replacement market for PLT growing from an expected 247 million units in 2019 to 250.4 million units in 2021, an annualized 0.9% growth rate. Within this same time period, she further pointed out that passenger tires would gradually decrease as a percent of the total, as light truck tires would increase. MTD November 2019

Sailun Terramax covers wide range of SUV/LT fitments Sailun is targeting the ever-growing SUV and light truck market with the new Terramax HLT, a premium, all-season tire that has been designed to deliver a quiet, stable ride thanks to its special, noise-reducing tread pattern. The Terramax HLT also features a large contact area for enhanced handling and tread wear, as well as four extra-wide tread

grooves that channel away water, giving vehicle owners “the traction they need to drive with confidence,” according to Sailun officials. The tire is currently available in more than 45 P-metric and LT sizes, ranging from 15 inches to 20 inches in diameter. Two new sizes, a 235/65R16/C and a P285/45R22, will join the line next year, say Sailun officials.

The Terramax HLT is Sailun’s new all-season offering for SUVs and light trucks.

A drift car, sponsored by Sailun, was on hand to give attendees a fun ride while also showing off the capabilities of Sailun’s Atrezzo UHP tire.

Drivers were asked to drive identical vehicles back-to-back to experience the performance differences between the Sailun tires and the Tier 1 tires.

Drivers were told to apply the brakes as hard as possible for the ABS system to kick in to show the tires’ wet grip.

Christine Rouleau, director of sales for Sailun, explained how the company has positioned itself in the value tier.

Adding further to the complexities of the market, Rouleau said that 15- and 16-inch rim diameters would continue to decrease as diameters continue to increase. She said 17-inch would remain the dominant size segment through 2021. Pereira said Sailun is committed to providing its dealers updated point-of-sale and merchandising, customer training, and customer incentives and promotions for its line of tires. This also includes more events, such as track days, sponsorships and customer co-op promotions. Sailun Tire Americas is part of Sailun Group Co. Ltd., which is based in Qingdao, China. Its parent company is Mesnac Co. Ltd., which was founded in the 1990s to develop and manufacture tire building equipment for the industry. In 2003, Sailun’s first plant was built in

China. Today, the company has five factories, with four based in China and one in Vietnam, said Rouleau. She said all of Sailun’s PLT tires are coming from its Vietnam-based plant, but “by the end of the year, all of our tires will come out of our Vietnam plant, except for a handful of tires.” The company also is in the process of building a new TBR plant in Vietnam as part of a joint venture with Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. Rouleau said Sailun is the 18th largest global tire company, with tires sold in 167 countries and research and development facilities located in Asia, Europe and North America. Sailun currently supplies 1.5% of the global aftermarket with PLT tires and 3.5% with TBR tires. Global sales have grown from $296.6 million (USD) in 2008 to $2.3 billion in 2018. ■

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

20 Group Insights

Are you selling yourself short? START PRICING FOR THE VALUE YOU DELIVER — NOW By

George Kingman

ver since the last recession, the national average net profit for tire dealers has hovered around 2.5% to 3%. Some overly optimistic survey results report that the national average is at 6%. However, we can roughly cut that number in half. After all, who takes the time to respond to surveys about net profit if you’re losing money, right? More often than not, many tire dealers don’t see their true net profit until

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halfway through the next year, when their accountants finally get through filing after two extensions. Sound familiar? That said, I am noticing some amazing things. For one, we have more and more top operators breaking 20% net profit. Less than three years ago, so many people would tell me that having a payroll benchmark of 45% of gross profit dollars was unrealistic. I was told that to achieve that number you’d have to cut payroll to the bone, and you’d lose all your good employees

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in a market where it is hard to find any employees. Then why am I seeing some people in the high 30’s? Please hear this loud and clear: The best way to manage payroll is by not cutting it, but by adding gross profit dollars! This isn’t some shady math trick. How do you add gross profit dollars? There are essentially three ways. The most difficult way is to sell more. I’m not saying it is horribly difficult, but it takes the most effort. A slightly easier way is to decrease your costs of goods sold (COGS). Speak with your suppliers and your parts vendors, eliminate shrinkage through controls, and maybe join a buying group. I say this is

DON’T LET THE 2% OF CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT PRICE SET YOUR PRICE FOR THE 98% OF CUSTOMERS WHO DON’T. easier because it requires several phone calls and process changes in a short period of time. And then you just maintain versus selling more, which is a daily effort that never stops. So, what is the third, and easiest, way? Raise your prices. Recognize that often, we are the ones standing in the way of success because we can’t believe someone would pay more for our services than what they would pay somebody down the street. Would you like something fun to do? Tell me that your labor rate cannot go above $100. My head will spin like a top as funny sparks shoot out of my ears like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon. MTD November 2019

7.5 IN

If you cannot be priced more than your so-called competition, why is it also true that some people pay $10, $30, even $50 more at other stores right down the street? The two-bay shop down the street that sells $50 alignments is not your competition. How does Outback sell steaks for more than IHOP? How does the drug store sell milk for more than the grocery store? Two words: convenience and value. Are you better than the store down the street? Is your equipment newer? Are your techs better trained with Automotive Service Excellence and Tire Industry Association certifications? If not, maybe start making improvements there. If yes, then charge for it. Don’t let the 2% of customers who complain about price set your price for the 98% of customers who don’t. My point is, where 45% used to be the benchmark, in today’s environment, you should push to get to 40%, and work very hard to at least get to 42%. Payroll isn’t the only benchmark you should set a stretch goal to obtain. For years, due to pressure from the Tier 1 tire manufacturers, we struggled to get to 25% tire gross profit. Now, due to the flood of Tier 3 tires on the market, we are seeing a lot of dealers breaking 30% plus, and those who are buying incredibly well with the right mix of product are nearing 40%. I don’t suggest getting 40% on Tier 1 products. But make sure you have the right tires and pricing strategy to ensure that you are getting a fair share of Tier 3 product, rather than letting them go somewhere else, or worse yet, employing a pricing strategy that is cost-plus. This requires some work, and often some professional guidance, to help you create a pricing strategy that may pay up to 50% on some tires, and only 15% on others. But this ensures that you are capitalizing on your market opportunities. Back to COGS. Parts should be another stretch goal — to 55% or even 60%. This is hard. You must provide exceptional service to achieve 60%, and you must have the right mix of maintenance services. If all you are doing is fixing broken cars, 55% or 60% is not attainable. Air filters, cabin filters, bulbs, coolant and other items are what allow you to achieve higher margins. I hope this has gotten you fired up. Maybe you think I’m crazy and don’t w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

understand the real world. But what I what is possible, if you must. The industry do know is the tire dealers who have the needs you to raise your game. And as always, highest customer satisfaction rates, the have another super-fantastic month of largest profit ratios and the biggest volume driving operational excellence! ■ are also the ones with the highest prices. If you aren’t getting 20% net, you are George Kingman is executive director of Dealer leaving opportunities on the table. This Strategic Planning, the DSP Group. He can be business doesn’t have to be as hard as we reached at George@dsp-20group.com, or (704) 4.5625506-2164. IN See the website www.20DSP.com. make it. Find someone to help you achieve

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Mergers and Acquisitions

Process vs. people?

YOU NEED BOTH TO RUN A PROFITABLE TIRE DEALERSHIP By

Michael McGregor

t was the strangest exit interview in my life. I was leaving for a start-up, so the CEO of my soon-to-be-former-employer knew he couldn’t talk me out of leaving. However, out of nowhere, he asked if I thought the overseas owners of his company would ever give him full authority to run it the way he wanted. I said, “No.” He then asked if I thought a CEO like him, who had run a large chain of tire and service shops, could succeed in a “regular retail” business. I answered, “Yes. It’s way harder to make a buck in the tire and service business than in a regular retail business.” Thirty days later, that CEO resigned and took a marginally profitable chain of roofing supply stores doing $1 billion in annual sales and built it into a $10 billion profitable powerhouse. I seriously doubt my input had anything to do with his leaving. But I was right in predicting his success. Is the reverse true? Can a retail executive easily succeed at tire and service operations? I think the jury is out on that one. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single example. Look at what happened to Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward Inc. They had a policy of rotating executives through apparel, tools and automotive, which, if you’re looking for someone to run the whole company, I guess makes sense. But they’d often rotate in an executive with no tire and service experience and keep that person in charge of automotive for a while. Some of those individuals helped drive those businesses into the ground. Where are Sears and Montgomery Ward now?

IN THE TRENCHES

Tire and service is more of a “process” business than a “retail” business. The only similarity is that both businesses have storefronts. The successful CEO I mentioned above essentially ran a chain of 1,500 job shops. Every store, every day, had to react to 30 or so completely different customer situations, following this same process: 1. The customer gets checked in by the sales staff for the service he or she came in for. 2. The vehicle inspection is sold or a courtesy check is presented by sales staff and approved by the customer. 3. The customer’s contact information and whereabouts for the next several hours are ascertained by the sales staff. 4. The customer’s car is pulled into the first available service bay by a technician. 5. The car is inspected by a technician in the first 25% of the window of time he has the car. 6. The inspection is priced out by sales staff or service manager. 7. The customer is tracked down and the work is approved or not.

To boost the revenue and profitability of your stores, have your employees follow the same process for each customer. Important steps include inspect, quote, get an approval, do the service, test drive, review — and thank the customer. How well this process is adhered to determines its success.

8. The approved work is communicated to the technicians, and the parts or tires are sourced by the sales staff or service manager. 9. The car is serviced by the technicians and is then test driven by the end of the day. 10. Work is reviewed, the customer cashes out and the staff thanks the customer. Whew! This can wear on you! It’s a hard process. God bless the people who do it every day with smiles on their faces. How well they do it determines the revenue and profitability of that store. I’m not sure a regular retail executive has the same appreciation for the people and processes found in a tire and service facility as the people and processes found in other businesses. Without trained, experienced people who can work those processes well, you’re nothing. It’s the people — not ads or merchandising — who generate revenue. Mess with a finely tuned store’s people and processes at your own peril. I’ve heard how one large nationwide retailer a few years back went through a “change is good” and “new thinking” phase, and systematically cleaned house of anyone with real tire and service experience. What a blunder! Previously, the people who managed that company never fired anyone, even employees who messed up royally. People were repurposed instead. An under-performing regional manager was turned into its best district manager. A poor performing district manager became MTD November 2019

Mergers and Acquisitions its best store manager. Sometimes people just need to be placed in positions where they can thrive. Finally, a word about financial executives. Compared to retail executives, financial executives are great at squeezing out a profit, but might not be so great at growing same-store sales. I’ve seen better results when they left the operation of stores to experienced underlings who knew how to grow sales. Experienced operators know you can’t grow sales without people. Look at any tire and service operator’s highest revenue store and you’ll see it has way more people employed than in a smaller revenue store. But getting to that point took a step-by-step approach of making sure the in-store process was right, making sure the right mix of salespeople and technicians were there, investing to increase the staff level to get capacity, and then maybe increasing the car count through targeted advertising to keep those new people busy. It involves spending on people in advance of revenue and then spending to get more car count. Financial executives hate that spending part. They’re better off not being involved in it. But once revenue grows, they sure know how squeeze out more profit! There are nuances to the tire and service business that take years to learn and appreciate. The successful CEO whom I mentioned at the start of this article also taught me that if you want to know what’s really wrong with a store, talk to the technicians first — and always shake their hands, regardless of how oily and dirty those hands might be.

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In addition, he taught me to study the process in the store in order to turn it into a smooth money-making machine. And he taught me that to get things running smoothly, you have to be in the stores all the time. You can’t learn those things by running a Best Buy or a Toys“R”Us. ■ Michael McGregor is a partner at Focus Investment Banking LLC (focusbankers. com/tire-and-service) and advises and assists multi-location tire dealers on mergers and acquisitions in the automotive aftermarket. For more information, contact him at michael.mcgregor@focusbankers.com.

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S a l e s Ta c t i c s

Trust trumps features and benefits FIRST, SEEK TO UNDERSTAND. THEN SELL By

Rick Phillips

ccording to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 150 million people currently employed in the U.S. Out of all those hard-working people, about 15 million or so consider themselves to be salespeople. So, essentially, one in every 10 working Americans is out there, trying to sell something for a living. Now, let’s play a word association game. If you took a random survey and asked people on the street to think of a salesperson, what words do you think might come to mind? “Trustworthy?” “Professional?” “Knowledgeable?” Perhaps someone with their “best interest” in mind? Probably not. In fact, you would likely hear something a lot less flattering. According to Daniel Pink, in his book, “To Sell Is Human,” nine out of 10 people have a negative perception of salespeople and generally don’t trust them. Moreover, he found that most salespeople don’t even trust other salespeople. The fact is, there are a lot of salespeople out there, but not all are of the same caliber.

THE CAUTIOUS CONSUMER

Consumers are not as rational as they like to think. Studies show that buying decisions are heavily influenced by a person’s behaviors and impulses, and even their mood. They act on emotion and then justify their actions with logic.

SLOW IT DOWN

By far, the most common error salespeople make is to jump right in and start trying to “sell” features and benefits before understanding the customer’s needs. In Steven Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Habit No. 5 is “seek first to understand, then be understood.” He talks about empathetic listening and creating an atmosphere of caring and problem-solving. When you are able to achieve this level of trust with a customer, you are no longer viewed as a salesperson. You are viewed as a trusted advisor. Take time to discover as much as possible about the customer’s problem before trying to present a solution and close the sale. The more time-invested in discovery, the less time will be needed for presentation. Trying to compensate for a lack of understanding by selling harder is a quick way to lose credibility and destroy trust. The customer will respond with stalls and objections. This, of course, is typically countered with some sort of additional discount or other concession in an attempt to preserve the sale. Sound familiar? People are busy. They just want to do business with someone they can trust and not have to worry about being taken advantage of. In today’s competitive environment, with countless brands looking for ways to stand out, being a trusted brand is a great differentiator. The more trust your customers have in you, the riskier your competitors seem in comparison. You are busy, as well. There are a lot of things competing for your attention. Make sure you prioritize effectively. Paying proper attention to your customers’ needs and earning their trust should be at the top of the list. Sell well! ■

BUYING DECISIONS ARE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY A PERSON’S BEHAVIORS AND IMPULSES, AND EVEN THEIR MOOD.

In 1962, President John Kennedy introduced something called the Consumer Bill of Rights. This was specifically designed to protect the consumer against malicious business practices. Despite this, a lot of people still feel a little sense of “caveat emptor,” a Latin phrase that means “buyer beware.” It’s based on the premise that the seller knows much more about what’s being purchased than the buyer, so it’s up to the buyer to perform due diligence before making a purchase. There are many resources available for consumers to utilize. We live in the most marketed society in the history of the world. It’s a very competitive, very crowded and very loud market. There is so much information out there that most consumers are as confused as they are informed. People are naturally skeptical of salespeople because they make a living competing with other salespeople for their attention and money. And make no mistake: The competition is fierce — to the point that many times, “selling” is now defined as “winning.” Consumers hear this and wonder which role they are supposed to play in the winner/loser equation.

KNOWING VS. CARING

It’s important to make a positive connection with your customer, or potential customer, as soon as they become engaged. The most effective way to do this is by taking a genuine interest in the specific problem they are trying to solve. This not only gives you credibility, but also helps establish trust. Once the customer knows you have their best interest in mind, and are not just trying to sell them something, the conversation changes.

Rick Phillips is CEO and president of Disruptive Concepts Consulting LLC, a Sandler Training firm based in San Antonio, Texas. He has 40 years of sales and marketing experience in the tire industry working for Yokohama Tire Corp., Triangle Tire USA and various independent tire dealers. For more information, visit www.disruptiveconcepts.sandler.com/about.

MTD November 2019

European Notebook

Up to 15% of the market and growing

MOBILE TIRE INSTALLATION PICKS UP STEAM IN EUROPE John Stone

ack in this column around two years ago, I reported on the increasing growth in mobile tire installation, or fitment, services throughout all European countries. This momentum continues to gather speed and interest. Everyday life in Europe is becoming more and more automated and time-related, and the automotive market is no exception. Since 2017, more and more tire retail outlets in almost every European country have given in to public demand and have introduced their own mobile tire fitting services. It is now believed that the mobile tire fitment market could account for as much as 10% to 15% of the overall new tire sales in Europe, although it is difficult to get an exact figure as many tire retailers do not segregate the income from sales outside of their tire centers. What is also interesting about this development is that although at first most mobile tire fitters visited the homes of their customers, the growing trend is to have new tires fitted in the office car park while customers are at work. It is estimated that home fitment still has the slight edge in popularity at 60%, but I can see a time in the not-too-distant future when the ratio will be equal. I recently surveyed exactly what has led to this potentially huge interest by motorists in having tires replaced outside the traditional retail center, where they waited while the work was carried out. It is very clear the increasingly popular online shopping “lifestyle” has had a major impact, as it is a convenient and time-saving way of buying a product and having it delivered to your door. So despite the need for tires also to be installed after their purchase, tire sales are also going down this modern route. In this new age of mobile tire fitment services, motorists can shop for replacement tires at their leisure on tire retailers’ websites, then have their choice of brand fitted either at their home or place of work. It is also interesting to note that the business fleet market is increasingly appreciating the many benefits of mobile tire fitment services, because as an employer with a team of sales representatives on the road, they can have their fleets’ tires checked and replaced where necessary — perhaps while holding their monthly sales meeting, for example. I also have examined how retail dealers feel about this growing new direction in new tire sales. Let’s not forget that mobile tire service is not a direct competitor or an alternative to more traditional tire and automotive

COURTESY OF JOHN STONE

Mobile tire fitting is an increasingly popular option in Europe.

stores, which will still be available to carry out those other, more heavy and complex tire services, such as alignment and outer body repairs. In fact, the general impression I have received from a number of both multi-national and independent tire dealers is of resounding enthusiasm as they appreciate the fact that there is a very real business potential in having a fleet of tire-fitting vehicles on the road, vehicles that are fully equipped and ready to replace tires at a location of the customer’s choice. Every day I see mobile tire technicians driving around in their fully equipped vans on their way to assist customers. Of course, as often happens with new concepts, there is a potential downside to this flexible service. In this case, it is tire technicians sometimes placing themselves in danger of being hit and injured by passing vehicles as they work on vehicles. However, new technology to remove this danger is already on its way. The main challenge I see with mobile tire-fitting vehicles is the amount of equipment they have had to carry onboard. But I have seen for myself that the inside of these vehicles, at least in Europe, is about to change dramatically as a new, revolutionary single unit covering all aspects of tire changing has recently become available. In my opinion, this will — in time — take the idea of having tires changed and replaced to an even greater level of efficiency and popularity. ■ John Stone has been working within the global tire industry for the past 28 years. In 2004 he launched his own consulting company, Sapphire Media Service, which caters to business media clients around the globe. Stone also writes for tire and automotive-related publications in Europe, South Africa and Asia.

MTD November 2019

TPMS

Chrysler Jeep and Renegade, 2015-2017 will take the place of the pressure reading if a sensor is not correctly operating. A five-sensor system is available for vehicles with a full-size spare wheel (in markets where provided). The sensors wirelessly transmit tire pressure information at a frequency of 433 MHz. The tire pressure sensors send a tire pressure sensor value every 30 seconds when the vehicle is in motion and approximately every 13 hours when the vehicle is not in motion. The sensors also transmit a unique ID code to differentiate the sensors from those on nearby vehicles.

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR WARNING INDICATORS

The TPMS will warn the driver of a low tire pressure if the tire pressure falls below SUBJECT VEHICLES: Chrysler Jeep and Jeep Renegade, 2015 – 2017. SPECIAL TOOLS NEEDED? A RKE-TPM 9936 analyzer may be used in conjunction with a scan tool.

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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he tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) on 2015–2017 Chrysler Jeeps and Jeep Renegades is provided as standard on all models and shows the tire pressure values through a dedicated submenu in the instrument panel display. Once the pressure value of a tire is influenced by deflation, the relative pressure value will flash in the instrument panel through the electronic vehicle information center (EVIC), which can be 3.5 inches or 7 inches (also called DID). The system also resets automatically after the wheels have been rotated, thus guaranteeing correct information about tire pressure and displaying it at all times in the EVIC. When tire pressure is 7-8 psi (48-55 kPa) below the specification listed on the label, the system emits an acoustic signal, illuminates the ISO low tire pressure warning light, and displays the pressure of the four active tires in the EVIC display. If a system fault is detected, the warning light will flash for 75 seconds, and then remains on continuously. Dashes

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TPMS the low-pressure warning limit for any reason, including low temperature effects and natural pressure loss through the tire. The TPMS will continue to warn the driver of low tire pressure as long as the condition exists, and will not turn off until the tire pressure is at or above the recommended cold placard pressure. Once the low tire pressure warning (tire pressure monitoring telltale light) illuminates, you must increase the tire pressure to the recommended cold placard pressure in order for the “tire pressure monitoring telltale light” to turn off. The system will automatically update and the tire pressure monitoring telltale light will turn off once the system receives the updated tire pressures. The vehicle may need to be driven for up to 20 minutes above 15 mph (24 km/h) in order for the TPMS to receive this information.

Figure 1: Identifying the tire pressure sensor components.

Figure 2: Removing and installing the tire pressure sensor.

TPMS RESET PROCEDURES

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TPMS INDICATOR

Once the low tire pressure warning (tire pressure monitoring telltale light) illuminates, you must increase the tire pressure to the recommended cold placard pressure in order for the tire pressure monitoring telltale light to turn off. The system will automatically update and the tire pressure monitoring telltale light will turn off once the system receives the updated tire pressures. The vehicle may need to be driven for up to 20 minutes above 15 mph (24 km/h) in order for the TPMS to receive this information.

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NOTE: A new sensor ID can be programmed directly into the right front hub by using a RKE-TPM analyzer in conjunction with a scan tool. Once the new sensor ID has been programmed, the RKE-TPM analyzer can be used to update the TPMS by activating the sensor. When a sensor is installed in a tire on the vehicle, the RF-Hub can automatically identify the sensor and its location during

the first ensuing drive cycle. Identification will take approximately 10 minutes but the speed of the vehicle must exceed 15 mph (24 km/h). The TPM-RKE 9936 analyzer can also be used to program the new sensor identification number in the RF-Hub module. Scan each TPMS sensor at each road wheel, and store each sensor ID in the correct location (left front, left rear, right front, right rear). Connect the TPM-RKE analyzer tool to the scan tool. Then follow the programming steps outlined in the diagnostic scan tool for “Program Tire Pressure Sensor ID w/ TPM Tool.” NOTE: The sensor IDs can also be programmed using a scan tool. Scan each TPMS sensor at each road wheel, and store each sensor ID in the correct location: left front, left rear, right front, right rear. Connect the scan tool. Then follow the programming steps outlined in the scan tool.

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. CAUTION: The TPMS has been optimized for the original equipment tires MTD November 2019

and wheels. TPMS pressures have been established for the tire size equipped on the vehicle. Undesirable system operation or sensor damage may result when using replacement equipment that is not of the same size, type or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause sensor damage. Do not use aftermarket tire sealants or balance beads if the vehicle is equipped with TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result. NOTE: If a tire pressure sensor has been replaced, the tire pressure sensors must be retrained. See â€œReset procedures.â€? NOTE: Wheels and tires are matchmounted at the factory. Before demounting 100 a tire from its wheel, a reference mark 5 should be placed on the tire at the9valve stem location, to ensure that it is remounted 75 in the original position on the wheel. For match-mounting procedures, refer to the appropriate manufacturer service information. 25 NOTE: Tire pressure may increase from 2 to 6 psi (14 to 41 kPa) during normal 5 driving conditions. Do NOT reduce this 0 normal pressure build up. NOTE: If tires require leak-testing, a water test may be used to check for a leak around the sensor, as long as any water at the valve core is removed when the procedure is completed. Water can be expelled from the core area by pushing in on the core for several seconds, allowing escaping air to drive out any moisture. Re-inflate the tire as necessary. Install the original valve stem cap.

contain tire pressure sensors, the system will not function properly and the driver will be continuously notified of a system malfunction. CAUTION: Any time a sensor is to be reinstalled in a wheel, a new valve stem assembly (2) must be installed to ensure air tight sealing (see Figure 1).

Removal 1) Remove the tire and wheel assembly from the vehicle. 2) Demount the tire from the wheel following the tire changer manufacturerâ€™s instructions while paying special attention to the following to avoid damaging the pressure sensor:

TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR

CAUTION: The sensors wirelessly transmit tire pressure information at a frequency of 433 MHz. Although additional sensors operating at 433 MHz are available and are used in other applications, they are 0 not interchangeable. Always make1 0sure the correct sensor is being used and be 95 sure to replace the sensor with the correct part number. 5 CAUTION: The cap used on this7 valve stem contains an O-ring seal to prevent contamination and moisture from entering the valve stem. Retain this valve stem 2 5 cap for reuse. Do not substitute a regular valve stem cap in its place. 5 CAUTION: Do not attempt to install 0 a tire pressure sensor in an aftermarket wheel. Use tire pressure sensors in original style factory wheels only. If aftermarket wheels are installed, and therefore do not w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

MTD nov 2019

101

TPMS of the tire. Proceed to demount the tire from the wheel. Use this process on both the upper and lower tire beads. 3) Remove the sensor to the valve stem retainer screw (4) and then remove the sensor (1) from the valve stem (2) as seen in Figure 1 on page 100. 4) Remove the valve stem from the wheel (see Figure 1).

CMY

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Installation NOTE: If replacing the tire pressure sensor, a new valve stem may be pre-mounted to the sensor as an assembly. When reusing Figure 3: Mounting the tire using a rotating wheel machine. the tire pressure sensor, the new valve stem may come with a mounting screw. When breaking the tire bead loose 1) Wipe the area clean around the from the wheel rim, avoid using the bead sensor/valve stem mounting hole in the breaker in the area of the sensor. That wheel. Make sure the surface of the wheel includes both the front and rear beads is not damaged. 2) Insert the new valve stem into the rim and pull through with a standard valve stem Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) columns are presented installation tool. 3) If replacing the in each issue of Modern Tire Dealer, courtesy of Mitchell 1. valve stem only, verify Here is a rundown of the columns in 2019 and 2018, available on www.moderntiredealer.com in the digital editions found at that the flat sides of the brass extension the bottom of our home page. All of our TPMS columns are available on demand, covering on the bottom of the well over 100 makes and models. Simply type in TPMS in the valve stem are at a 90 degree angle with the search bar. wheel (see Figure 2 on page 100). November 2019 Honda HR-V, model years 2016-2018 4) Position the pressure sensor over February 2019 Nissan Titan, 2004-2018 the brass extension. 5) Install the March 2019 Toyota Sienna 2007-18 retainer screw and April 2019 Ford Econoline (E150-E450): 2010-18 torque to 12 in.-lbs. 6) Mount the tire May 2019 Dodge Journey â€“ 2009-18 on the wheel following the tire changer manuJune 2019 Kia Sportage â€“ 2011-18 facturerâ€™s instructions, paying special attenJuly 2019 Land Rover/Range Rover line, 2006-18 tion to the following to avoid damaging the August 2019 Lexus RX Series, 2016-19 tire pressure sensor: September 2019 Ford Taurus, Police Sedan Rotating wheel tire and Lincoln MKS, 2011-19 changers October 2019 Chevrolet HHR and Malibu, 2007-2016 Once the wheel is mounted to the November 2018 Toyota Corolla 2008-2018, changer, position the and Corolla iM 2008-2017 sensor valve stem approximately 280 December 2018 Fiat 500 Series 2012-2018 degrees f rom the head of the changer

TPMS columns on demand

MTD November 2019

NOT ALL SENSORS ARE CREATED EQUAL! Non-OE manufactured TPMS does NOT operate the same as OE manufactured TPMS, often leading to: • Slower Auto-Location and Auto-Learn operation, displaying incorrect warnings and information • Slow Tire Fill Alerts, causing over-inflation • Slow or incorrect communication from the sensor to the vehicle, causing slower detection of pressure loss/ change in temperature, leading to tire damage

Figure 4: Mounting the tire using a rotating tool machine.

Torque specifications Component 2015 w/steel wheels All others

Ft.-lbs. 63 89

(N.m) (85) (121)

Torx screw

In.-lbs. 12

(N.m) (1.4)

in a clockwise direction before rotating the wheel (also in a clockwise direction) to mount the tire. Use this procedure on both the upper and lower tire beads (see Figure 3). Rotating tool tire changers Position the wheel on the changer so that the sensor valve stem is approximately 210 degrees from the head of the changer in a clockwise direction from the mounting end of the tool (see Figure 4). Make sure the sensor is clear of the lower bead breaker area to avoid damaging the sensor when the breaker rises. Rotate the tool in a counterclockwise direction to mount the tire. Use this procedure on both the upper and lower tire beads. 7) Adjust air pressure to specification. Make sure the original style valve stem cap is securely installed to keep moisture out of the sensor. Install the wheel and tire assembly on the vehicle. 8) Drive the vehicle for a minimum of 5 minutes while maintaining a continuous speed above 20 mph (32 km/h). During this time, the system will learn the new sensor ID code and will clear any DTCs automatically. If a sensor cannot be trained, see the appropriate manufacturer service information. ■

• Incorrect or missing OEM specific information, causing the light to illuminate prematurely • Incorrect messages when using the OBD module, due to lack of Controller Area Network (CAN) system knowledge. In certain cases, there is limited communication between TPMS sensors and the vehicle • Interference with other systems on the vehicle (trunk, lights, etc.), causing user annoyance and possible Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) • Inaccurate pressure readings, sensors can transmit less often than an OE manufactured sensor

QUALITY LIMITS LIABILITY!

Quality and coverage is OE VERIFIED because we are the OE MANUFACTURER.

EZ-sens r www.SchraderSensors.com

Information for this column comes from the tire pressure monitoring systems data in ProDemand®, Mitchell 1’s auto repair information software for domestic and import vehicles. Headquartered in Poway, Calif., Mitchell 1 has provided quality repair information solutions to the automotive industry since 1918. For more information, visit www. mitchell1.com. To read archived TPMS articles, visit www.moderntiredealer.com.

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

November 5-8, 2019 VISIT OUR BOOTH:

SEMA: 40089 AAPEX: 2843

103

Products Vogue marks anniversary with red-stripe tire Vogue Tyre and Rubber Co. is celebrating 105 years in business with a new, special edition tire that features a red stripe on its sidewall. The Limited Edition Red Stripe tire is available in three sizes: 235/55R17, 245/40R20 and 285/45R22. The red stripe replaces Vogue’s traditional gold stripe on the white sidewall, according to Vogue officials. VOGUE TYRE AND RUBBER CO. www.voguetyre.com

Bartec Rite-Sensor line is easily programmable Bartec USA LLC has introduced its own line of tire pressure monitoring system sensors under the Rite-Sensor brand. Rite-Sensor sensors are programmable, enabling technicians to use a Bartec Tech400SD or newer TPMS tool to configure them based on a vehicle’s make, model and year. They also come with dual valve options and represent a single SKU solution, which helps reduce inventory, according to Bartec officials. BARTEC USA LLC www.bartecusa.com

Mahle A/C units prevent refrigerant escape The latest air conditioning service units from Mahle GmbH are equipped with an automatic leakage test function that helps prevent refrigerant from escaping. They feature Mahle’s E3 technology, which includes the company’s patented E3 fill process that enables system filling regardless of vehicle and ambient temperature. Mahle’s E3 connect couplings also allow for complete refrigerant recovery from hose and service fittings. MAHLE GMBH www.us.mahle.com

Milwaukee impact wrench offers custom modes The new M18 Fuel 1/2-inch extended, anvil-controlled torque impact wrench from Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. lets users perform tire service without pneumatic hoses, compressors and torque sticks. Four customizable modes prevent overtightening by delivering unique torque outputs. The cordless wrench also comes with Milwaukee Tool’s One-Key digital platform for access to information. MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORP. www.milwaukeetool.com

Toyo Extensa A/S II covers 19 popular sizes The new Extensa A/S II from Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. is a value-oriented, all-season tire for passenger car, minivan, SUV, CUV and light truck applications. The tire delivers long tread life and a comfortable ride, as well as enhanced wet braking and handling and improved fuel efficiency, according to Toyo officials. It comes with up to a 75,000-mile tread wear warranty and is backed by the Toyo Tires 500 Mile Trial Offer. Ranging from 14 inches to 18 inches in diameter, the Extensa A/S II covers 19 of the top replacement tire sizes. TOYO TIRE U.S.A. CORP. www.toyotires.com

104

New Firestone ag tire provides longer life Bridgestone Americas Inc. has unveiled a new farm tire, the Firestone Maxi Traction. The tire features a tread pattern that is designed for improved wear rate and longer life, plus R-1W tread depth and a dual-angle tread pattern for increased contact with the soil and enhanced traction. The Maxi Traction also contains Bridgestone’s AD2 technology to help tractors carry heavier loads at lower air pressure levels, which reduces fuel consumption and minimizes soil compaction. BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS INC. www.bridgestoneamericas.com MTD November 2019

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

106

PAGE

WEBSITE

ADVERTISER

PAGE

WEBSITE

1-800EveryRimâ€” OEM Wheels

www.everyrim.com/MTD

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

www.goodyear.com

31 Incorporated

www.31inc.com

GRI Tires

www.gritires.com

ACIMA Credit

www.acimacredit.com/ merchant

Hamaton

102

www.hamaton-tpms.us.com

Hankook Tire

56-57 www.laufenn.com

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc.

www.bigraceweekend2020.com

Alliance Tire Group

www.atgtire.com

American Omni Trading

www.american-omni.com

American Omni Trading

www.thunderertireusa.com

Apollo Vredestein Tires Inc.

www.vredestein.com

Atturo Tire Corporation

www.atturo.com

AUTEL

41, 90, 100

www.autel.com

Bartec USA

101

www.ritesensor.com

BendPak Inc. Ranger Products

www.bendpak.com/touchless

BKT USA Inc.

www.bkt-tires.com

Blackburn OEM Wheel Solutions

www.blackburnwheels.com

Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer Nationwide Network

www.affiliatedretailer.net

CEAT Specialty Tires Inc.

www.ceatspecialty.com/us

Schrader Sensors

103

www.schradersensors.com

Chevron

www.havoline.com/ pitpack-MTD

Sentury Tire

www.delintetires.com

Sumitomo Tire

www.sumitomotrucktires.com

ClearContact

www.continentalclearcontact.com

Synchrony Financial

www.synchronybusinesscom/ auto

Continental Tire

www.continentaltire.com

Tire Profiles

www.tireprofiles.com

Cooper Tires

www.coopertire.com

Tires Direct Wholesale

www.tiresdirectwholesale.net

Dill Air Controls Products

www.dillvalves.com

Toyo Tires

www.toyotires.com

DSP 20 Group

105

www.20dsp.com

Travelstar Tires

www.travelstartires.com

Falken Tires

www.falkentire.com

Federal Tire

www.federaltire.com

VDO TPMS Replacement Parts

www.redi-sensor.com

Gaither Tool Company Inc.

www.gaithertool.com

West Creek Financial

www.westcreekfin.com/mtd

GT Radial

www.gtradial.com

ZC Rubber America Inc.

www.arisuntires.com

Independent Tire Dealers Group

www.itdgusa.com

JS Products

www.steelmantools.com

K & M Tire Inc.

www.kmtire.com

Kenda Tires USA

IBC

automotive.kendatire.com

Kumho Tire USA Inc.

www.kumhotireusa.com

Linglong Americas Inc.

www.linglongtire.com

Marangoni Tread N.A.

www.na.marangoni.com

Martins Industries

www.martinsindustriess.com

Maxxis Tires

www.maxxisaccelerate.com

Nexen Tire America Inc.

IFC

www.nexentireusacom/ nexenhero

Nexen Tire America Inc. Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.

25-28 www.nexentireusa.com OBC

www.nittotire.com

Plombco

www.plasteelwheelweights.com

Sailun Tire Americas

www.gosailun.com

MTD November 2019

full-service TIRE BUSINESS in western Kansas. Long-term and loyal employee base at each location. Property lease options will be considered. Businesses are offered individually or as a multi-location sale. Please contact us at

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

107

Advertising information (330) 899-2200 ext. 2217

MTD Classifieds TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

www.ezliftconveyors.com

2020

ADVERTISING DEADLINES Air Hydraulic Jacks 22T, 35T and 50T

Truck Tire Dunker with Lift

Model EZ-110D

January Issue closes December 20th

February Issue closes January 13th

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April Issue closes March 16th

Floor to Floor tire storage made safe, fast, and reliable with this conveyor! E-ZLIFT has been serving major tire retailers for over 30 years! Length selection guide and prices: Floor to Floor Distance

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Denver, CO USA

May Issue

MTP, INC.

closes April 15th

Phone: 1-800-645-1123 Supplying-Suppliers Since 1975 www.movittire.com Email: sales@movittire.com

June Issue closes May 15th

July Issue closes June 15th

PLACE YOUR AD HERE Let us help you sell your products and services today! PHONE: 330-899-2200, Ext. 2217 FAX: 330-899-2209 EMAIL: Bob.Marinez@bobit.com

August Issue closes July 15th

September Issue closes August 17th

October Issue closes September 9th

November Issue closes September 25th

December Issue closes November 13th 108

MTD November 2019