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
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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.
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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
