Editorial
Greatest business trip ever I THINK BACK TO 2010 AS THE REMINISCING BEGINS By
Bob Ulrich
I
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.
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MTD November 2019
