Modern Tire Dealer - June 2017

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Departments

Features 24 Leading the millennial generation You better have a plan, or you may get off track

4 Editorial A taboo topic — When pricing is mentioned, mum’s the word

6 moderntiredealer.com News and navigation tools for MTD ’s website

8 News/views Nokian to build its first North American plant

18 On the Rise Jeremy Burt, Burt Brothers Tire & Service Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah

20 Your marketplace Despite lackluster results, dealers still expect demand to increase

22 Numbers that count Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

45 Counter intelligence Please, not another customer service revolution

46 European notebook A worrying aspect of TPMS innovation

48 Business insight The new four-letter word in your shop: busy

Focus on dealers/industry 50 ‘Retreading is the key’ — TA Truck Service offers one stop, one solution for truck fleets

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54 After a long wait... Yokohama introduces the Geolandar M/T G003

Commercial Tire Dealer™ 27 No tariffs, no certainty for truck tires Manufacturers highlight top trends in the segment

36 Implement tires take on tougher stubble, bigger equipment and heavier loads Modern Tire Dealer is a proud member of: TRIB

56 Double the size — New Dunlap & Kyle facility increases efficiency 58 The new Firestone M/T2 is built to ‘attack the terrain’ 59 TPMS Honda Pilot and Ridgeline, 2005-2016

74 Your turn Amazon.com will be a rival to closely watch going forward

68 Products 70 Ad index 72 Classified

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Editorial

A taboo topic When pricing is mentioned, mum’s the word

W

hen tire dealers get together in an unexplained identical contract terms or price open forum, they can talk about behavior together with other factors, such as the almost anything. Stiff competition. lack of legitimate business explanation, unlawful Eroding or improving supplier-dealer relationprice fixing may be the reason,” says the FTC. ships. The effect low-cost Chinese tires are having “Invitations to coordinate prices also can raise on their businesses. concerns, as when one competitor announces They generally can be as pointed and as politipublicly that it is willing to end a price war if its cally incorrect as they want to be. Leave out profane rival is willing to do the same, and the terms are language, and their opinions are at the very least so specific that competitors may view this as an respected by the others in attendance, and at By Bob Ulrich offer to set prices jointly.” most greeted with wholehearted acceptance.

That is why tire dealers at the very least don’t But you can’t talk about pricing. Every year, successful discuss pricing in an open forum. It is also why tire manutire dealers share their secrets at the Global Tire Expo’s facturers have to be so careful when they announce price seminar of the same name in Las Vegas. The moderator increases. The flurry of tire price increases in the first five voices a disclaimer at the beginning of the seminar: You months of this year is a case in point. can’t ask questions about pricing.

Even though raw material costs have risen dramatically There is a reason it is a taboo subject. Even talking about in the previous 12 months, each tire manufacturer had to price may be interpreted as price fixing, which is illegal. be cautious when announcing a price increase.

And the government may be listening.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. was the first tire manuThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines facturer to announce a price hike this year. It went into price fixing as “an agreement effect Feb. 1. (At the time of — written, verbal or inferred the announcement, Goodyear from conduct — among comChairman, CEO and President petitors that raises, lowers or Rich Kramer said he anticistabilizes prices or competitive pated a $1 billion increase in terms.” Antitrust laws require raw material prices in 2017.) that each company establish As a Tier 1 company, Goodprices on its own, without year set the tone for the price agreeing with a competitor. increases that followed, not Here’s the FTC’s reasononly by its competitors, but ing. “When consumers make by support suppliers who also choices about what products have to deal with rising raw and services to buy, they expect that the price has been material costs. determined freely on the basis of supply and demand, not With the legality of these necessary price increases by an agreement among competitors. When competitors determined, there remains one sticking point to the agree to restrict competition, the result is often higher increases. Will they stick? prices. Accordingly, price fixing is a major concern of “Dealers continue to believe that the largely implemented government antitrust enforcement.” price hikes from leading tire manufacturers will end up It’s interesting how much the U.S. government’s rationale sticking,” says Nick Mitchell, managing director, research for imposing tariffs contradicts this reasoning, but I digress. analyst for Northcoast Research Holdings LLC. According to the FTC, an agreement among competitors However, because inventories are bloated from what to fix prices is almost always illegal, whether prices are fixed Mitchell calls “weak sell-out trends in the first quarter of “at a minimum, maximum or within some range. Illegal 2017,” some dealers are lowering prices to move inventory. price fixing occurs whenever two or more competitors That’s a business decision only they can make. agree to take actions that have the effect of raising, lowering The importance of pricing strategy by you or your or stabilizing the price of any product or service without suppliers cannot be overstated. Cooper Tire & Rubber any legitimate justification.”

Co. instituted an early price increase, at least compared to The government doesn’t have to uncover direct evidence its competitors, and as a result suffered a decrease in unit of guilt to find parties guilty of price fixing, either. An sales volume compared to the same period last year. ■ illegal price fixing agreement can be determined from circumstantial evidence.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at “For example, if direct competitors have a pattern of bob.ulrich@bobit.com.

The importance of pricing strategy by you or your suppliers cannot be overstated.

4

MTD June 2017

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Top news by the numbers

If it’s big news, MTD covers it on www.moderntiredealer.com. And there was a lot of it last month. Big investments in new tire plants and new warehouses, big store purchases, big sports marketing investments, big financial gains. And, unlike previous months, only one mention of tire prices — and it was about lower prices! Here are the top 10 news items on our website during May.

1. Pep Boys acquires 12 tire stores in Memphis 2. Dunlap & Kyle opens a tire warehouse in Madison, Tenn.

3. Goodyear goes ‘all in’ with patch on Cleveland Cavaliers jersey 4. Tire prices fell in April, but...

5. Survey says, online tire buyers like Simple Tire 6. Monro tops $1 billion in sales 7. Nokian plans U.S. tire factory 8. Omni United taps Caris to lead aggressive U.S. growth 9. Tireco promotes Brady to lead sales in the east 10. UHP tire sales boost Hankook’s 1Q results

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Home office 3515 Massillon Rd., Suite 350 Uniontown, OH 44685 (330) 899-2200, fax (330) 899-2209 Website: www.moderntiredealer.com

Publisher Greg Smith, ext. 2212 Greg.Smith@bobit.com

Editorial Editor: Robert J. Ulrich, ext. 2211 Bob.Ulrich@bobit.com Managing Editor: Lori L. Mavrigian, ext. 2216 Lori.Mavrigian@bobit.com Senior Editor & Digital Projects Editor: Joy Kopcha, ext. 2215 Joy.Kopcha@bobit.com Senior Editor: Ann Neal, ext. 2218 Ann.Neal@bobit.com

Production Art Director: Neal Weingart, ext. 2214 Neal.Weingart@bobit.com Production Manager: Karen Runion, ext. 2210 Karen.Runion@bobit.com

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MODERN TIRE DEALER (ISSN 00268496) (CDN IPM #40013413) (USPS #369-170) is published monthly by Bobit Business Media, 3520 Challenger St., Torrance, California 90503-1640. Periodicals postage paid at Torrance, CA 90503-9998 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MODERN TIRE DEALER, P.O. Box 1068, Skokie, IL 60076-8068. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for address changes to take effect. Subscriptions in the U.S. and its possessions, $65; Canadian, $99; Int’l surface mail, $99; Int’l airmail, $198. Single copies, $10, except the January Facts Issue, $30. Address all subscription correspondence to MODERN TIRE DEALER, P.O. Box 1068, Skokie, IL 60076-8068. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks to receive your first issue. Please address Editorial and Advertising correspondence to MODERN TIRE DEALER, 3515 Massillon Road, Suite 350, Uniontown, OH 44685-6217. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of Bobit Business Media. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission. For your information: We sometimes make our subscriber information (i.e. fax, e-mail or mailing address) available to carefully screened organizations whose products and services may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to have your information made available, please write MODERN TIRE DEALER, P.O. Box 1068, Skokie, IL 60076-8068.

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MTD June 2017

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News/views

Nokian to build its first North American plant It will be the 7th tire factory in Tennessee Nokian Tyres plc is the latest tire manufacturer to this region, namely, all-season tires and segments make a big investment in the North American tire within the all-season category, such as light truck market. The company is building a consumer tire tires. plant and a distribution center in Rhea County, “During the last few years we’ve expanded our Tenn., about 40 miles northeast of Chattanooga. product portfolio to cover much bigger segments The $360 million plant will have an initial capacity of all-season tires for the North American market,” of 4 million tires annually, and will make passenger says Pantioukhov. “They represent already a sigcar, SUV and light truck tires for customers in the nificant part of what we sell in North America, and U.S. and Canada. The distribution facility will have the growth is projected to come mostly from those the capacity to hold 600,000 tires. categories.

The company will “What we plan to do break ground in early is localize production of 2018, and producthose North Americantion lines should be specific products, which running by 2020. are exclusive or primarThere is room to ily sold in the North double or even triple American market.” production at the Heinonen says tire tire plant “to meet dealers have been askfuture demand,” the ing for more all-season company says. products. In the fourth “In addition to quarter of 2016 the increased capacity, company launched an the Dayton, Tenn., all-season ultra-high site’s proximity to performance tire, the North American zLine. “We follow the “Selecting a North American site shows our commitment to our customers will all-season market customers in one of our most important growth areas,” says Andrei Pantioukhov, interim CEO and president of Nokian. shorten lead and carefully, and there are delivery times,” still some segments says Tommi Heinonen, head of Nokian Tyres North in all-season where we need to bring our product America. “It’s our goal that the new plant will help us offering. We are slowly growing on those.” better serve our growing customer base throughout With that in mind, Nokian says dealers shouldn’t the U.S. and Canada by improving customer service expect to see the company’s flagship Hakkapeliitta and efficiencies.” winter tires “made-in-the-USA” anytime soon.

Nokian says building a plant for North America Pantioukhov admits “there is limited draw in the continues the company’s “strong year-over-year winter market because it has a limited scale in growth in both Canada and the U.S.” The company North America. It’s not the first priority to localize previously increased its warehouse capacity with the those products. First priority is to localize production opening of a Montreal-area distribution center. of North American products.”

Andrei Pantioukhov, the interim CEO and president Nokian says it considered 80 locations for its of Nokian, says having a plant dedicated to the North third tire plant, and called Dayton, Tenn., “clearly American market will help it achieve the company’s the best for our purposes.” In recent years, the big goal: “We should be able to double our sales in Volunteer State has become a hot spot for new tire North America in the next five years,” he says. production. When Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. searched In 2016 Nokian reported 11% of its net sales were for a location for its first North American tire factory, made in North America — about 153 million euros, it too landed in Tennessee, albeit 200 miles away or $161.8 million using the end-of-the-year currency near the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. Production rate. at Hankook’s site in Clarksville, Tenn., is underway.

Increasing sales at such a rapid pace will require With Nokian, Tennessee will be home to seven tire the company to continue to focus on tires specific to plants. — Joy Kopcha

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MTD June 2017

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News/views

bites

RMA has a new name The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has changed its name to the U.S.Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA).

RNR Tire Express awards car David Harrison, owner of the RNR Tire Express & Custom Wheels franchise in Jonesboro, Ark., picked one hardworking mom, Shereka Ray, from thousands of entries in a Mother’s Day contest to win a new car. Yokohama Tire Corp. donated the first set of replacement tires.

Las Vegas fleet of exotic cars will roll on Pirelli P Zero tires Pirelli Tire North America Inc. will provide its P Zero lineup of tires to Dream Racing, a premier driving experience company with a fleet of more than 50 exotic supercars and race cars.

The two parties have entered into a three-year agreement. Pirelli will provide tires to the Las Vegasbased driving company’s cars which include Lamborghini, Ferrari, Pirelli says the Dream Racing partnership helps it “continue to roll out new Porsche, McLaren and Aston Martin. Dream Racing is in its sixth products and operations” in the U.S. year and operates from a $300 million facility at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Retreaders petition President Trump on tariff decision

New communications director The Auto Care Association has named Stacey Miller director of communications. Her background includes influencer marketing through traditional and social media.

McCarthy Tire expands McCarthy Tire Service Co. has acquired the commercial division of Scranton-Dunlop Inc., which does business as Sandone Tire in Scranton, Pa. The company’s retail stores are not part of the deal.

Pirelli truck tire debuts Pirelli’s TP Commercial Solutions LLC is launching the first tire in its Tier 2 Formula brand — the Formula Driver II tire for long haul and regional all-position applications.

Plaza Tire adds outlet Plaza Tire Service Inc. has opened its first store in Springfield, Mo., which brings the company to 61 stores in four states.

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Marangoni Tread North America Inc. is leading an effort to prompt President Donald Trump to take action in response to the government’s decision not to impose tariffs on truck and bus tires from China.

Marangoni has created a petition on the White House website asking Trump to fill the vacant seat on the six-member International Trade Commission. One of its members, Dean Pinkert, recused himself from the truck tire investigation last year, and has since vacated his seat on the board.

Marangoni, which says it created the petition “on behalf of all of us that are in retreading and related industries” believes Pinkert’s absence “undoubtedly impacted the final determination.” Modern Tire Dealer contacted Pinkert, but he declined our opportunity for an interview.

The petition needs 99,999 signatures by June 25, 2017. If it reaches that goal, the administration will respond. (The number of signatures needed for a response is standard for all petitions filed.)

Tariffs on steel affect tire industry The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is investigating the national security implications of steel imports. The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has testified that consumers and the U.S. military depend on tires and the availability of certain imported steel is critical.

The USTMA, the new name for the Rubber Manufacturers Association, has asked that specific types of tire cord-quality steel wire rod, tire cord and bead wire be excluded from the DOC tariff investigation since domestic suppliers cannot meet volume and quality needs for this vital tire component.

“Tariffs or quotas on these products would significantly disrupt the production of tires in the United States, due to quality and supply limitations in domestically producing tire cord-quality steel wire rod to replace imported products,” testified Tracey Norberg, USTMA senior vice president and general counsel.

MTD June 2017

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News/views

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Nexen hosts Little Leaguers Nexen Tire America Inc. is sponsoring Little League Sundays at Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League baseball team, for the 2017 season. Nexen says more than 20,000 youths will participate.

Bauer Built awards students Since 1994 Bauer Built Inc. has recognized the children and grandchildren of its employees through the G. F. “Sam” and Ethel V. Bauer/Bauer Built Inc. Scholarship program. Four high school seniors each received $1,500 in 2017.

Bridgestone names CFO Amanda Mathis will now lead Bridgestone America Inc.’s financial team as chief financial officer (CFO). She has served as acting CFO since September 2016.

Tire Discounters expands Ohio-based Tire Discounters Inc. has opened its 11th store in the greater Nashville, Tenn., area. Tire Discounters has more than 100 locations.

ASA updates TireMaster ASA Automotive Systems Inc. has introduced TireMasterGTX pointof-sale and accounting software for mid-sized and enterprise-level retail/wholesale businesses.

GM endorses Hunter balancer General Motors Co. (GM) is calling the Road Force Elite wheel balancer from Hunter Engineering Co. an essential tool for use in its service facilities in the United States.

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OTR tire makers appeal tariffs Eight tire manufacturers who produce off-the-road tires in China and import them into the U.S. have filed complaints or other court papers saying the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) erred when it recalculated tariff rates.

The case isn’t related to the most recent tariff investigation on OTR tires, which was initiated in 2016 and finalized in February 2017.

Instead, it’s related to the original OTR tire tariff case, which dates back to 2008.

The DOC allows companies that are affected by tariff cases to request a review each year. Sometimes no one makes that request, but there was one in 2016, so the DOC has looked at import statistics and foreign subsidy programs to see what might have changed since the last investigation.

The DOC published the results of its investigation in April. The nine companies that have filed complaints are contesting those results.

Some are disputing the DOC’s move to increase the countervailing tariff, but others are contesting the anti-dumping rate, which actually dropped. In those cases, because the DOC can’t review figures for every single manufacturer, the companies are arguing that they shouldn’t be lumped in with others, or that the others’ rate was miscalculated.

Titan Tire Corp. and the United Steelworkers (USW) haven’t filed a full complaint yet, but their initial paperwork indicates they “contest certain aspects” of the DOC’s findings.

Here are the companies that have filed paperwork with the U.S. Court of International Trade to contest the April results: Aeolus Tyre Co. Ltd., Guizhou Tyre Co. Ltd., Qingdao Qihang Tyre Co. Ltd., Qingdao Free Trade Zone Full-World International Trading Co. Ltd., Tianjin United Tire & Rubber International Co. Ltd., Titan Tire Corp. and the USW, Trelleborg Wheel Systems (Xingtai) Co. Ltd., Weihai Zhongwei Rubber Co. Ltd. and Xuzhou Xugong Tyres Co. Ltd. — Joy Kopcha

ATD opens mixing center in Texas American Tire Distributors Inc. (ATD) has opened its fourth regional mixing center in the U.S. Large enough to hold nearly 1 million tires, the mixing center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area will replenish the inventories of 32 ATD distribution centers in the Southwest.

Known as the Alliance Regional Mixing Center, the space spans 756,000 square feet and serves as ATD’s hub for the southern region.

Located in Roanoke, Texas, the mixing center has the capacity to house up to 950,000 tires. About 100 loads of tires move in and out of the facility each week. ATD says the facility delivers tires in two days or less to 88% of its distribution centers.

ATD also operates mixing centers in Lincolnton, N.C. (near Charlotte); Findlay, Ohio (near Toledo); and Shafter, Calif. (north of Los Angeles).

The California site is the largest, with 1 million square feet.

ATD says the Texas location is ideal because of its access to land and rail transportation, as well as the competitive tax structure in Roanoke and Denton County. In addition, it is the company’s first to be located within a U.S. Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ). Locating within an FTZ enables ATD to contain costs to only the inventory that is being removed and shipped to its U.S. distribution centers. Nationally, ATD says it serves its customers “with more than 10 million square feet of inventory.”

MTD June 2017

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News/views

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Tri-Ace supports Baja 1000 Tri-Ace Wheel and Tire Corp. is offering a $50,000 prize to any Score International Baja 1000 team that wins the off-road contest in November. Participants must use Tri-Ace tires on their race car.

Triangle picks Tennessee Triangle Tire USA will open its first U.S. warehouse in Madison, Tenn., near Nashville.

Federal Tire wins award Federal Tire North America LLC reports its 595RS-RR UHP tire has won a Red Dot Design Award for its “refined outlook, exceptional steering and prolonged endurance.”

Constellation gets website The new Constellation truck tire line by Alliance Tire Group (ATG) now has its own website. The site, www.constellationtire.com, provides product details on the line’s 13 medium radial truck tires.

The Group honors suppliers The Automotive Parts Services Group (The Group) honored three suppliers for sales and service excellence: Remy Power Products LLC, Stant Corp. and Standard Motor Products Inc. Maryland bans lead Maryland is now the eighth state to enact a ban on lead wheel balance weights. The new Maryland state law has a compliance date of Jan. 1, 2018, for state-owned vehicles, and a compliance date of Jan. 1, 2020, for all new and used vehicles registered within the state.

Simple Tire supports vets During the 2017 Memorial Day weekend, Simple Tire LLC donated 5% of its sales to Wounded Warriors Family Support.

Contest helps shop switch Standard Motor Products Inc. (SMP) is offering technicians who purchase the new Four Seasons Vehicle Comfort Center shop kit chances to win a refrigerant machine. “The Future Is Now” promotion aims to help shops switch to R1234yf refrigerant and runs through Sept. 30, 2017.

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Max Finkelstein opens its 14th tire distribution center Max Finkelstein Inc. (MFI) has added an 80,000-square-foot distribution center to its network. The Winchester, Va., warehouse will serve the tire dealer’s growing business in northern Virginia, western Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

This new distribution center continues MFI’s expansion into the MidAtlantic market. Until now, the company’s 94,000-square-foot distribution center in Hanover, Md., outside of Baltimore, has serviced much of the area.

MFI’s business spans 13 states, from Virginia to Maine. The company operates from 14 distribution centers, totaling 1.4 million square feet of tire storage, and utilizes 180 delivery trucks. MFI, a fourMax Finkelstein is a big Goodyear dealer, generation tire dealership, and also identifies Pirelli, Kumho, Kenda and is based in Astoria, N.Y. Carlisle among its top brands.

Pep Boys buys 12 tire stores in Memphis area as Windom departs Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack has acquired 12 retail tire locations in the Memphis area with the purchase of Mathis Tire & Auto Service Inc. and Direct Tire Distributors Inc. The purchase includes a tire warehouse which houses over 6,000 tire units.

According Bill Ihnken, Pep Boys’ president of service, the purchase allows the company to “enter into a new market with Pep Boys’ service business while leveraging well-established locations with significant growth potential.”

Mathis Tire has been in business for 24 years, and has nine locations: four in Memphis, plus stores in Collierville and Bartlett Tenn., plus two stores in Southaven, Miss., and one in Olive Branch, Miss. In 2003, Mathis Tire purchased Direct Tire, a three-store tire dealer and tire wholesaler that has operated in the area for nearly 40 years.

“This purchase includes a large tire warehouse, which houses over 6,000 tire units,” says Daniel Ninivaggi, CEO of Icahn Automotive Group LLC, the parent company of Pep Boys. “We will grow its existing tire wholesale business and leverage this warehouse to launch a tire distribution operation in Memphis. This acquisition fits squarely into Pep Boys’ long-term strategy to grow its service and tire distribution business in target markets across the U.S.” In addition, the man tasked with leading the integration of Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack into investor Carl Icahn’s portfolio of auto parts businesses has left the company. Brent Windom has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Uni-Select Inc.’s Canadian Automotive Group.

Since early 2016 Windom has served as CEO and president of IEH Auto Parts LLC, which included Pep Boys and Auto Plus. He begins his new duties at Uni-Select Canada July 3.

MTD June 2017

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News/views

dates

July 14-15 Alabama Tire Dealers Association Convention, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala. (256) 616-3587 www.alatiredealers.com July 14-16 Georgia Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association Annual Conference, One Ocean Resort & Spa, Atlantic Beach, Fla. (770) 947-2323 www.gtdra.com August 21-23 China International Tire Expo 2017, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Shanghai, China +86 10 85898181 www.citexpo.com.cn August 24-26 The Great American Trucking Show, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, Texas (888) 982-2629 www.truckshow.com September 10-13 Custom Automotive Network Conference (CAN Connect), Embassy Suites Anaheim - South, Anaheim, Calif.

(760) 346-5647 www.customautomotivenetwork.com September 27-30, 2017 Automechanika Johannesburg, JHB Expo Centre, Nasrec www.automechanika.com October 29-31 Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association Annual Business & Education Conference, Venetian Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. (240) 333-1022 www.awda.org October 31-November 3 Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week including AAPEX, the SEMA Show and TIA’s Global Tire Expo, Las Vegas, Nev. (800) 876-8372 www.tireindustry.org

16

Monro’s comparable store tire sales drop double digits in 4Q Tire sales at Monro Muffler Brake Inc.’s comparable stores fell 11% in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017, capping off a year of lower tire sales in those same stores.

Overall comparable store sales were down 4.3%. Tire sales dropped 2% for the year, which ended March 25, 2017. The company says maintenance services fell 4%, alignments dropped 6%, brakes fell 8% and front end/shocks were down 10% in comparable stores for the year.

Monro’s acquisitions continued to help the company record better sales. For the fourth quarter, sales increased 10% to $252 million, compared to $229 million in 2016. The sales increase of $23 million was due to sales from new stores of $40.8 million, including sales from recent acquisitions of $35.1 million. For the same period, comparable store sales dropped 8%.

For the full year, net sales increased 8.3% to $1 billion, compared to $943.7 million for fiscal 2016. The $77.9 million sales increase was due to an increase in sales from new stores of $124.3 million, including sales from recent acquisitions of $102.5 million.

Net income for the fourth quarter was $9.7 million, compared to $13.9 million in the same period of the prior year.

Net income for fiscal 2017 was $61.5 million, compared to $66.8 million a year ago. Monro’s income-to-sales ratio for fiscal 2017 was 6%, down from 7.1% in 2016.

Comparable store sales have improved in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, according to John Van Heel, CEO and president. “Comparable store sales for fiscal April increased approximately 3% and are up approximately 2% month-to-date in fiscal May. Thus far in the first quarter, on a comparable store basis, we are also realizing higher margins in both our tire and service categories.” — Joy Kopcha

Goodyear puts logo on Cavs jersey Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is among the first companies to buy an advertisement on a National Basketball Association team’s jersey. The company has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2017-2018 season will be the first test of company sponsorships on jerseys. Goodyear did not disclose financial terms of the deal.

How to protect against a ransomware attack On May 12, 2017, a worldwide ransomware cyberattack affected businesses, governments and personal computers in 150 countries.

The April 2017 issue of Modern Tire Dealer explains how to protect your business from these computer threats.

In the MTD cover story, a tire dealer shares his missteps with hopes others don’t make the same mistakes. It’s timely information that’s available only in MTD’s April issue and on the MTD website. ■

MTD June 2017

JEREMY BURT Operations & marketing manager Burt Brothers Tire & Service Inc. Salt Lake City, Utah What was your first job in the industry?

I was a tire tech changing tires after school.

What attracted you to the industry?

It’s a family business that was I was raised in, and it lives in my blood.

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

The biggest issue I have faced in the industry is technology is behind the times compared to other industries. Our technology is complex and slow moving.

I am fast paced and encourage change that can make us better.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

My dad Wendel, who started Burt Brothers Tire and Service with his brother Ron. What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?

I would say our new website and the ability to sell tires online. It has moved our showroom into every person’s pocket with their smartphone. With any personal computing device, they can shop at their home on their terms.

At age 34, Jeremy Burt is part of the second generation of the Burt family working at Burt Brothers, which is made up of nine stores in the Salt Lake City area.

D

o you have a bright young leader like Burt working in your organization? Modern Tire Dealer wants to get to know the smart young leaders making a difference in the tire industry and propelling it into the future.

Point those who are On the Rise to our nomination form at www.moderntiredealer.com/ontheriseform.

18

MTD June 2017

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Despite lackluster results, dealers still expect demand to increase

A

ccording to the results of our survey, volumes did not accelerate in April. This concern demand for passenger and light truck appears to be manifesting as many dealers reported replacement tires declined again in an uptick in volume-based promos upstream April. Indeed, from a volume standpoint, the and rebates and price investments downstream dealers reported they sold 0.9% fewer tires in in the middle of April. While the manufacturers April relative to the previous year’s period. The continue to implement disciplined production soft results marked the fourth straight month of schedules at domestic plants in order to control lackluster results, including three consecutive inventory levels downstream, we think the market months of negative volumes. The weak results needs to see an uptick in sell-out trends before come despite weather patterns and the disburse- By Nick Mitchell the promotional activity moderates. ment of tax refunds normalizing.

While the tax refunds normalized in April, it is worth Monthly survey mentioning that some respondents speculated that the A number of independent tire dealers were surveyed late tax season resulted in consumers allocating more of concerning current business trends. Except for tire prices their tax refunds to other big-ticket items and less to car and costs, the results of the April 2017 survey are compared repairs and tires, which could explain why the industry with those of April 2016. Read complete survey results did not experience a sharp recovery in sell-out trends in on www.moderntiredealer.com.

April. Additionally, the dealers were quick to point out the lost volume associated with the unfavorable shift in Volume trends decline again in April the timing of Easter.

According to dealer reports, consumer demand for Dealers were unable to point to any specific cyclical or passenger and light truck replacement tires declined secular developments that might be pressuring sell-out in April compared to the prior year’s period. From a trends. In fact, the majority of the dealers continue to volume standpoint, the dealers reported they sold 0.9% speculate that underlying sales trends should benefit from fewer tires in April relative to the previous year’s period. a stronger consumer due to low energy costs and a solid The soft results marked the fourth straight month of lackluster results, including three consecutive months of negative volumes. Despite the lackluster results, we were encouraged that dealers still speculated volumes would increase going forward.

Dealers DEC JAN FEB MAR(R) APR(P) APR(16) Dealers reported trends turning flat in the commercial Passenger tire truck category, and weaker results persisting in the retread Will improve 50% 25% 67% 33% 33% 0% channel. In fact, the dealers reported medium truck replaceWill worsen 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 50% ment tire volumes were about the same as the prior year Will stay level 50% 75% 33% 67% 67% 50% in April after flat results in March and being up 0.9% in Truck tire February, while retread units were down 5.5%, continuing Will improve 50% 50% 40% 67% 67% 0% a stretch of declines, including four of the past five months.

How dealers view near-term business

Will worsen Will stay level R-Revised

0% 50%

25% 25%

0% 60%

0% 33%

0% 33%

50% 50%

P-Preliminary

labor market; favorable miles driven trends over the past 24 months; and an expanding car parc, especially the number of cars entering the first replacement cycle. The noticeable setback since the start of the year has left some dealers questioning whether their view of the market is correct.

From a pricing perspective, the poor results in April, despite a more normal operating environment, seem to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Recall that last month we estimated that industry-wide sell-in trends outpaced sell-out trends during the first months of the year, and flagged the risk that rising channel inventories could lead to higher promotional activity across the supply chain if

20

Dealer costs were slightly higher Dealers noted manufacturer pricing on value and branded products, on a net basis, increased 1.3% and 2%, respectively, in comparison with April 2016. It is important to remember that the first price increase in the channel (Goodyear’s) became effective in February 2017, with the majority of manufacturers following suit in March and April.

We will monitor upstream pricing closely moving forward as we have heard promotional activity picked up in the second half of the month. ■

Nick Mitchell is managing director, research analyst, for Northcoast Research Holdings LLC based in Cleveland, Ohio. Mitchell covers a variety of subsectors of the automotive industry.

MTD June 2017

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NumbersThatCount

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion.

7.8 million 5,000 Number of truck tire imports from China in 2016 (down from 9.4 million in 2015).

Source: Modern Tire Dealer’s 51st annual Facts Issue, January 2017.

Approximate number of tires Firestone brought to this year’s Indy 500.

284,000

Source: Firestone Racing.

$137.23

2016 average advertised tire price for a major brand tire, size 205/55R16.

Source: Modern Tire Dealer’s 51st annual Facts Issue, January 2017.

$3+

billion

Amount of money saved per year by the trucking industry by using retreaded tires.

Source: Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau.

61% $102,000

Percent of the U.S. consumer tire retail market share held by independent tire dealers.

Source: Modern Tire Dealer’s 51st annual Facts Issue, January 2017.

22

Amount Bauer Built Inc. has given in scholarships to the children and grandchildren of its employees since 1994.

Source: Bauer Built Inc.

Number of jobs in tire manufacturing, distribution and retailing in the U.S. Source: U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

69%

The percentage of vehicles in the U.S. that have at least one underinflated tire.

Source: U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

49% Percentage of new car buyers who cite expected reliability as the most important consideration when purchasing a new vehicle.

Source: J.D. Power research.

MTD June 2017

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feature

Leading the millennial generation You better have a plan, or you may get off track

By Mike Townsend

W

e hear others speak about the up and coming generation all the time. The millennial generation is most often spoken of in a negative way, mainly because negative press seems to get more attention than positive.

If you have a negative viewpoint, this article hopes to change your mind.

You may ask yourself why you should follow the advice you are about to receive. It’s very simple — the millennial generation is more than 70 million strong. It is made up of your future employees and your future customers. This generation not only represents the future of how work gets done, but also will be and currently is spending a lot of money as consumers.

You need to understand how to lead the millennial generation, and you must also understand how they buy.

Since leadership is influence, and leading others means getting them to do a job because they “want to” instead of because they “have to,” it is critical to understand that leading them is similar to a sales process. If you truly want your millennial followers to “buy in” to your corporate mission, they must understand the why.

most of the aforementioned generation wants to make an impact by working for a business that has a defined purpose.

Failure to communicate

Most tire retailers fail to motivate these individuals or attract the best millennial talent because of the failure to communicate their purpose and vision. For example, an automotive repair and tire store should create a culture of keeping cars safe and making them last longer.

With this laser focus many people, regardless of when they were born, will look for ways to make this happen. Furthermore, improving on current processes to achieve this mission is part of helping the millennial understand the “why” as well as keeping them engaged at a higher level.

As you may already know, millennials want instant gratification in virtually every area of their lives. (This has helped the restaurant business exceed the amount of dollars spent eating out vs. dollars spent in grocery stores!)

Many retailers can meet this need by increasing the amount of technology offered to the millennial employee. If you are not using a tablet device to engage your customers and your employThe millennial consumer ees (including shop employees), Millennials typically you will have a harder time buy through various touch attracting the best millennial points, smart phones, tablets, workers as well as customers. computers (laptops) and the The development of a milold fashioned face-to-face lennial employee also requires method. a similar engagement. Keep in They want information mind this is how they grew up. quickly, concisely and as Most don’t remember what life high tech as you can give it was like before smartphones. to them. They like apps and/ Developing a millennial and do millennial buyers want? They want information or anything that will make What making sure they are a valuable quickly, concisely and as high-tech as possible. their life easier, especially if asset to your store can be compliit makes buying from you more concise. cated but not impossible. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin The same is true of how they like to be recruited, trained, Atlantic, said, “Train people well enough so they can leave. on-boarded and led. The Amazon Go Store in Seattle, Wash., Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” is a perfect example of how millennials want to buy. Another Unfortunately, many retailers fail to invest the resources to proof is the rapid growth of online purchasing via Amazon.com maximize the performance of their employees. Chick fil-A and other sites that sell everything from tires to mattresses. is a perfect example of understanding that training is not Millennials are sometimes accused by their supervisors something you did, but something you do. of being entitled, self-interested, narcissistic, unfocused and lazy. I have found that some millennial workers may appear to Developing the millennial employee seem this way at first, but it is usually because their supervisor There are four dimensions for how we must develop this is trying to manage instead of lead/coach them. generation: parenting, technology, impatience and environment.

In today’s work environment, it is impossible to manage To lead millinennials you must understand that the parenting people. Even though you must manage processes, you should strategy that their parents believed in strongly actually failed. lead and/or coach your employees. I have discovered that We must understand that millennials did not choose this and

24

MTD June 2017

trophy for showing up. Some have told me that when a friend won first or second place and their awards for participating were almost identical, it made them feel awkward.

Second, we must understand technology has also made them the way they are. Not their fault either. I know that everyone must take responsibility for their actions, but many of this generation have an addiction to texting that can be harnessed to help you grow your business.

How many tire retailers utilize text messaging to increase sales or elevate the customer user experience?

Millennials also are challenged with social coping mechanisms as a result of too much technology as they were growing up. This can also be remedied with the right leadership process. Technology has given this generation everything they want except job satisfaction and strength of relationships.

Job satisfaction is a challenge because of their impatience. Most millennials only see the summit of the mountain, and very few leaders know how to help them reach it or understand why they should make it their goal.

They also desire to make an impact and be part of a vision greater than themselves.

Many companies fail to recognize this as an Baby boomers and millennials may have a failure to communicate. It helps to use the latest technology to attract the best employees and customers. important goal for this generation. that it was forced upon them by parents who told them they were special, they can have whatever they want and they may have passed a class because the teacher did not want to deal with an upset parent.

The participation trophy and/or medal for coming in last place was not their idea. In fact, many of the millennials I have spoken with over the years were embarrassed by getting a

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25

Leading millennials Even though many millennials only last one to three years in any job, it is important to view them differently. The investment on the front end has to be similar to investing in a new piece of equipment that will be depreciated over a few years.

Employers today need to teach and train their people to move up or move on.

Always keep in mind that your reputation as an employer will help you recruit more of the best millennials as well as help departing employees become lifelong customers. When they are treated well as employees as well as customers in your store, they will tell others through social media.

What it takes to lead millennials To lead this generation, you must understand these truths: 1. This is what we have and we must deal with it. Remember most of the way they are is not their fault.

2. Teach them what their parents should have taught them.

3. Show them how relationships are formed. Many desire to have deeper relationships but don’t understand how.

Take them to breakfast or lunch from time to time (could be a reward).

4. Show them the “mountain,” the summit to reach.

To lead this generation you must become a coach. That’s right — stop trying to manage and coach your employees.

Lead by example, praise, teach , reward, train and deploy the correct technology to help you accomplish your goals.

In order to be the best coach to a millennial, you must make sure you are leading on four dimensions.

1. Mental 2. Emotional 3. Physical 4. Spiritual

First

, to lead on the mental dimension we have to make sure we are constantly learning. I ask business professionals, salespeople and retail store owners all the time, “What was the last business, sales or self-help book you read?” I usually get the “deer in the headlights” look. “Who are you mentoring?”

Same response. “Do you have time for reflection?” Once again, same response. Fix this. Keep learning.

Second

, do you have strong passion for leading and loving your followers? If the answer is no, you should find something else to do. “What is your internal energy source?

Do you manage your emotions?” Note: People follow those who are passionate and genuinely love and care about others.

Third

, do you practice a physical discipline? Exercise, enough sleep and diet are important if you want to lead others effectively. If you are not leading by example, it will be difficult to coach your followers.

Fourth

, maintaining a spiritual discipline is also important if we plan to lead others (especially millennials). I was visiting Zig Ziglar at his office many years ago and he told me that he read the Bible’s Proverbs every day and repeated it every month (Proverbs has 31 chapters). When we function the correct way in this area it is impossible not motivate others and therefore lead them when times are tough.

As a leadership coach I meet many leaders who are in denial.

Here’s a scenario — let’s say they’re behind the wheel of a car.

Many leaders see themselves driving on a straight, flat road with plenty of time to arrive at their destination. They see themselves as having a full tank of fuel, perfect tires, perfect weather, no traffic and new wiper blades.

The reality is this: They are on a curvy mountain road with a lot of traffic, it is raining, they are running late, have bald tires, old wiper blades and not a clue as to what is about to happen as they round the next bend.

Even though it’s normal, it is important for leaders to know they must work at avoiding the hazards of poor leadership in the area of leading millennials. If they do not currently have a road map, they better have a good advisor. ■

Mike Townsend has 29 years of sales leadership and customer experience process training, 12 of them in the tire industry. As a Six Sigma black belt and professional trainer, Townsend says he “has witnessed every scenario and heard every objection in the retail tire environment across every state in the U.S.” He also is an expert at communicating and motivating the millennial workforce. For more information, call (865) 318-4588 or email him at mike@townsendstrategies.com.

26

MTD June 2017

Commercial Tire Dealer™

No tariffs, no certainty for truck tires Manufacturers highlight top trends in the segment

By Joy Kopcha

W

hen it comes to medium truck tires, fuel efficiency and cost-per-mile considerations remain priorities, but there are other trends driving the segment as well.

Heavier front axles on trucks are requiring higher load ratings on steer tires.

Fleets are adapting to wide-base tires.

Smart tires, outfitted with sensors, are monitoring everything from changes in a tire’s pressure to the truck’s load and speed. The data can help fleet managers calculate and understand the factors contributing to tire wear.

And those are just a few of the highlights. Fourteen tire manufacturers outlined the top trends in truck tires.

But there’s another force at play in the current truck tire market, one some might have thought was settled. Tariffs — and even a lack of tariffs — are creating uncertainty.

The decision in February 2017 by the International Trade Commission (ITC) not to impose tariffs on truck and bus tires from China was a stunner. There had been no indication leading up to the ITC’s vote that the case would go that way, and the early stage of the investigation indicated nearly all truck and bus tires from China would be subject to tariffs of around 50%. Dealers and tire distributors tried to beat what seemed like an inevitable price hike. Now they’re sitting on excess inventory as these imports are returning to the U.S. market.

Rick Phillips, vice president of sales for Triangle Tire USA, says that’s the biggest impact of the tariff decision.

“But going forward the impact of the decision will ultimately be determined by the end users buying the tires, and by the dealers delivering the tires.

“The market certainly has an appetite for products in this space and that is not diminishing, especially as many of the Chinese manufacturers improve the quality of their products.”

Bill Jepsen, commercial tire sales man-

www.moderntiredealer.com

ager for Kumho Tire USA Inc., agrees.

He calls the no-tariff vote a curve ball.

Dealers who brought in inventory before the ruling are sitting on it, and in some cases it’s losing value as Chinese tires are hitting the market again. “What this has

complicated that it is happening at a time when the cost of raw materials is increasing. The biggest challenge for our dealers seems to be the uncertainty.”

Walt Weller, senior vice president of China Manufacturers Alliance LLC

“Due to consistently lower diesel prices, many fleets are asking for tires that offer long tread wear and enhanced traction,” says Brian Buckham at Goodyear.

done is significantly reduced the price points on truck tires. The price increases of March and April are being given back with discounts by most tire brands.”

Dealers aren’t sure how to react, says Tom Clauer, manager of commercial and off-the-road product planning for Yokohama Tire Corp., “Over the course of the last 18 months, we have seen wide swings in the volume from China coming into the U.S. every month. It’s tough for dealers to understand if they should buy ahead, if there will be future availability, or if they should avoid being stuck with product at a higher-than-expected cost.

“We expect more Chinese product to come into the market, but it becomes

(CMA), thinks Chinese-made tires will continue to grow in the U.S. market, “although not as much as in the past due to shifts in production by Chinese manufacturers to other countries.” He foresees more Chinese manufacturers building plants in the U.S. CMA is a subsidiary of Double Coin Holdings Ltd., which is building its first manufacturing facility outside of China — in Thailand.

ALSO IN CTD 2017 U.S. replacement medium/heavy truck tire brand shares . . . 34 Implement tires take on tougher stubble, bigger equipment and heavier loads . . . 36

27

Truck tires That’s a move many manufacturers have made in recent years.

Bill Dashiell, senior vice president of TBC Corp.’s commercial tire division, says, “With the decision not to have duties, the industry in effect has only added TBR production capabilities to a situation that already had excess TBR capacity.”

Weller says there’s only one solution. “Although the lead time on a new manufacturing facility in the U.S. is a minimum of three years, it is the only way to avoid tariffs going forward.

Domestic manufacturers will continue to lose share due to the lack of significant increases in domestic supply (new plants).”

There’s not a consensus on what kinds of tires will come out of China, specifically, what level of quality those tires will offer. “We are already seeing an influx of products and offers back into the market,” says TBC’s Dashiell. “We are seeing rapidly accelerated competitive offers especially with Tier 4 products. Pricing is going to be very challenging in the short term for all segments with a slow market and the increase in Tier 3 and 4 tires into the market until we as an industry adjust to the new environment of increased TBR tire supply.”

“What I think we will see is fewer Chinese companies working the very bottom of the market,” says John Hull, national truck tire sales manager for Alliance Tire Americas Inc. “Looking longer-term, I think the Chinese manufacturers are going to establish their presence in the U.S. market in a much more traditional way — by building a corporate presence and customer support network here,” Hull says. “The tariff created a window, or a stimulus, for the Chinese manufacturers to re-think how they do business in America.

They will build manufacturing here, they’ll have American sales Richard Li of ZC Rubber expects forces, and they will low cost Chinese tires to regain become part of the their previous market share.

American industry.”

Richard Li, marketing director for the China-based Zhongce Rubber Group Co. Ltd. (ZC Rubber), says Chinese tire makers need to make improvements to grab more market share. “The market does need low cost tires, but the share is still limited. If Chinese tire manufacturers want more shares, they shall keep investing in technology, marketing and a distributor network.”

It’s agreed what segment of the industry will be hardest hit by the no-tariff rule: retreading. Marcus Hancock, vice president of technology for Omni United (S) Pte. Ltd., says even though retreaded tires offer advantages over imported tires, “the fact is that new, imported tires have improved quality and consistency over the past few years, and still offer economic advantages over retreaded tires. If the U.S. cost base was lower it would be a different story.”

Adam Murphy, vice president of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, a division of Michelin North America

28

Inc., expects Chinese tires to “continue to put pressure on the retread market, especially cap and casing.” Still, he says premium retread products “provide superior performance and value to low cost Chinese tires.”

Bryant Davis, vice president of sales for truck, bus and retreads at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC, agrees “Given current market dynamics, we believe it is important for us to work together as an industry to educate fleet customers on the benefits of retreads.”

That education is valuable, but Hancock from Omni United says there also needs to be room in the truck tire market for products that solve the needs of consumers, businesses and manufacturers. “There should be a place for Tier 1, 2 and 3 manufacturers in this segment of the tire market. Imposing a blanket tariff on one country will just push manufacturing to other, relatively low-cost countries, which defeats the purpose of the tariffs! If there is a strong push for ‘made in USA’, the cost of goods will increase as end consumers will have to bear the increase costs eventually. This issue will not go away.”

Truck tire trends Modern Tire Dealer asked tire manufacturers to identify two top trends in the medium truck tire market.

Hull, Alliance: We’re seeing more manufacturers looking to offer more sophisticated, application-specific products, such as truck tires with high-performance features like greater fuel economy and longer tread wear. That’s being led primarily by the Tier 1 manufacturers, who are working to hold onto their market share and defend their premiums by bringing new features and new levels of performance to the market. Those companies are introducing a new generation of manufacturing technologies that they can use to build more advanced tires. I believe we’ll be seeing some exciting technologies at the top end of the market in the next few years, and ultimately, that will work its way through the system to the Tier 2, 3 and 4 manufacturers, too.

On a more specific level, I think we’re seeing a move away from high-tread-depth tires toward lower tread depths with better engineering and compounds that will produce lower rolling resistance with additional mileage.

Davis, Bridgestone: One trend in the commercial trucking industry is new trucks with a higher front axle rating, i.e.

14,200 pounds. This is occurring to accommodate more fuel efficient truck designs. Up until now, steer tire sales have been predominantly 14 ply, but with new axle ratings, 16 ply tires will be required on these trucks. As this shift takes place, it is important for fleets to buy the proper ply rating for a heavier axle load.

We’re also seeing fleets use trucks in a wider operating environment. This is largely due to the ongoing driver shortage and an increase in utilization. For example, trucks that would typically travel from a plant to distribution center and back are making stops in a more regional environment. This type of usage is being described as a super-regional fleet. As such, truck tires must work across various environments and have multiple performance characteristics, including long wear, fuel efficiency and durability.

Weller, CMA: Trends include tires for heavier steer axles, and the shift of production from China to other markets. I believe

MTD June 2017

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Truck tires

About the tariff ruling, Toyo’s Mike Graber says, “It is too early to predict the impact. It is also a possibility that tariffs or duties on truck tires could be revisited by authorities at some point in the future.”

we will also see more manufacturers start production facilities in North America.

Gary Schroeder, director of truck and bus tire business, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.: Many initiatives focus on making tires more sustainable, with designs that improve fuel economy by reducing tire weight and rolling resistance. Traditionally, when trying to make advancements in one aspect of a tire, such as rolling resistance, the raw materials available and/or equipment available would make it difficult to not sacrifice another area of the tire’s performance.

However, with the advancements of raw material inputs and manufacturing processes, tire manufacturers have the ability to improve multiple attributes of a tire without sacrificing other attributes.

Brian Buckham, general manager of product marketing, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: Fleets are asking for tires that offer long tread wear and enhanced traction. However, they also recognize they will continue to need low rolling resistance tires that are SmartWay verified.

Tread wear, traction and low rolling

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resistance make up what we call the performance triangle. It is important to achieve the right balance between these performance benefits. In the past, when one benefit was optimized, other benefits of the performance triangle were reduced. This dynamic is much less prevalent these days.

Longer term, tire manufacturers are preparing for GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Phase 2 rolling resistance requirements, which are scheduled to begin in 2021. This will drive greater demand for tires that go beyond basic SmartWay verification, or what we call “super fuel” tires. Fleets also will demand super-fuel efficient retreads to meet increasingly stringent fuel efficiency requirements.

Pat Tripp, director of purchasing truck, bus and trailer tires, American Tire Distributors Inc., maker of Hercules tires: Just a few years ago many manufacturers were seemingly in a race to get patterns EPA SmartWay verified.

We now see more attention being placed on designing tires for longer tread life, even if it means sacrificing SmartWay

verification. Regional service applications need different tread patterns and compounds — tires that can withstand high scrub situations. So we have a number of tires that will be in the market soon that put a premium on longevity over low rolling resistance. Ultimately, the right tire for the application will enable the vehicle to work more efficiently and for longer periods between tire service.

Jepsen, Kumho: Trends include longer lasting, durable and even-wearing SmartWay-verified tires, as well as 16-ply steer tires due to more pollution mitigation equipment on semi-trucks.

Steve White, original equipment business strategy and planning manager, Michelin: With the multitude of uses for medium-duty trucks it is hard to generalize specific tire performance trends. It seems most customers are looking for a combination from three main performance attributes; robustness, long tread life or traction. Examples would be: resistance of the tire to damage and the need for traction for construction; robust side walls for curbing and long

MTD June 2017

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Truck tires tread life for urban delivery; or winter traction and long tread life for northern tow truck applications.

Murphy, Michelin: Connected tires provide key data that can be analyzed and leveraged to help fleets improve their operations. Nearly 100% of Michelin, BFGoodrich, and Uniroyal truck tires are produced with a RFID sensor embedded in them. A second key trend continues to be wide-base single tires, which continue to grow thanks to the value they bring to fleets that can benefit from the additional payload capacity and fuel efficiency benefits they bring.

Hancock, Omni United: Two of the top trends are driven from OE requirements and increasing regulations: lower rolling resistance tires and intelligent tires.

Modeling and special polymers and fillers are increasingly important in achieving low rolling resistance. A lot of effort goes into compounding with nano-polymers and sophisticated filler and cure systems used to maximize fuel savings as well as maintaining tread wear, grip, low heat build-up and other key characteristics.

This work will continue as regulations

32

Regardless of governmental regulations, Yokohama believes original equipment manufacturers will keep pushing fuel efficiency as a priority.

become more stringent and technology improves beyond SmartWay requirements and GHG Phase 2.

Intelligent tires are being designed and

engineered to give feedback to the fleet manager as well as the tire manufacturer.

With overall loads and the number of miles increasing each year, it’s important

MTD June 2017

Truck tires 2017 U.S. REPLACEMENT MEDIUM/HEAVY TRUCK TIRE BRAND SHARES (based on 18.6 million units)

Brand

2017

Bridgestone

16.0%

Michelin

16.0%

Goodyear

10.5%

Yokohama

9.0%

Firestone

7.0%

Continental

6.5%

Hankook

4.0%

Double Coin

3.0%

Hercules

2.5%

Roadmaster

2.5%

Toyo

2.5%

General

2.0%

Sailun

2.0%

Aeolus

1.5%

BFGoodrich

1.5%

Dayton

1.5%

Dynatrac

1.5%

Sumitomo

1.5%

Duraturn

1.0%

Dynacargo

1.0%

Gladiator

1.0%

Kelly

1.0%

Kumho

1.0%

RoadLux

1.0%

Samson

1.0%

Westlake

1.0%

Others

3.0%

All brands listed own at least 1% of the market.

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for fleet managers to understand the true cost per mile of the tires they use. Sensors can communicate tire pressure (and pressure drop), load carried, temperature of the cavity and more accurately measure tire wear.

This data can be used to optimize tire rotation, ensure correct pressures are maintained and also understand the relationship between vehicle speed, heat build-up and tire wear/fuel consumption. This technology will get more sophisticated and will be utilized by more fleets so they can minimize costs and maximize tire life.

Dashiell, TBC: Greater tread life is still a primary focus. Long haul steer tires are one area of focus for increased mileage. Long haul steer tires remain one of the hardest products to make perform to end user expectations; at times every manufacturer has struggled to develop a tire that works well, while many manufacturers still are unable to achieve target mileage for this category.

Most long haul steer tires are taken out of service prematurely due to irregular wear, and manufacturers are concentrating on ways to extend mileage by reducing irregular wear.

Steer tire life is especially important with some of the newer heavier front axle power units coming into the market.

These units require higher ply rated tires, making it even more critical to solve the irregular wear challenge for steer tires.

Mike Graber, senior manager of product planning and technical services, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: We definitely see a trend towards heavier front axles.

The result is more demand for higher load ratings on steer tires. Customers also are demanding long tread life to

go along with improved fuel efficiency; they are increasingly focused on the tire cost per mile.

Phillips, Triangle: Manufacturers continually try to bring a better tire to market, and the goal is always to deliver the lowest cost per mile as safely as possible. So tires that consume less fuel and can extend the casing life through retreading will certainly help a fleet lower their cost. There have been some major improvements over the years and the gains we are seeing now are nominal; but as technology improves we keep finding ways to improve tire performance and lower the total cost of ownership.

Clauer, Yokohama: Because fuel efficiency and tread life have been consistent targets in the industry, the introduction of those products remains a focus for Yokohama. We believe OEMs also will continue to push fuel efficiency requirements, and that benefit filters down to our customers. Ultimately, it comes down to the cost per mile and total cost of ownership for fleets. We can’t ignore rolling resistance or tread life.

Ultra-wide-base are trending, as we have seen growing acceptance by fleets across the country. We anticipate this segment will continue to grow, and we have more products slated to launch in the future. We’ve also seen a rise in increased load capacities for heavier steer axles resulting from the addition of emission devices in tractors, and 16-ply steer and all-position tires with additional load carrying capacities are becoming more common.

Li, ZC Rubber: We believe that long mileage will still be the key for fleets.

Improved fuel efficiency will be another focus for long haul trucks. ■

MTD June 2017

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Implement tires

Alliance Tire Americas says its 330 flotation tire has long been a staple of implement original equipment manufacturers for its massive load capacity, low inflation pressure and road speed of up to 31 mph.

Implement tires take on tougher stubble, bigger equipment and heavier loads

By Ann Neal

C

rop genetics improve farmers’ yields, but stronger plant stalks take a destructive toll on implement tires. Bigger implements boost agricultural output, but the extra weight increases the risk of soil compaction. Growers are asking tire dealers for solutions, especially to combat stubble damage.

There are more implement tire options designed to solve a specific issue or provide a specific benefit than ever before, according to James Tuschner. He is founder of Ag Tire Talk, a blog devoted to helping growers, tire dealers and equipment dealers understand the growing complexity in agricultural tires.

At Tuschner’s agtiretalk.com blog, tire damage caused by everstronger hybrid stubble is the biggest concern raised by growers.

For growers whose priority is stubble resistance, bias I-1 offerings now include specially formulated stubble resistant compounds

36

and additional belt construction to thwart punctures, according to Tuschner. If reducing soil compaction and attaining higher speed are priorities, radial D speed rated tires are now being offered in both IF and VF (Increased Flexion/Very High Flexion) ratings.

In addition, implement tire tread patterns are evolving from traditional straight rib to improve roll. A traditional straight rib tread design, especially in muddy conditions, tends to plow through the field as opposed to roll, exacerbating soil compaction.

New tread designs are engineered to continue rolling in varied conditions and applications, Tuschner says.

“The quest for implement tires to perform at higher speeds, with less soil compaction and with more stubble resistance will continue. Grower desire for more productivity with ever stronger hybrid crops is here to stay,” says Tuschner. “As a result, markets will continue to see a widening array of implement tire options to fit a specific need or solve a specific problem.”

MTD June 2017

At the original equipment level, Tuschner sees a shift from standard bias I-1 implement tires that have been in production for decades to the latest radial tires with larger cross sections, higher speed ratings, and IF/VF ratings, indicating a focus on higher speeds and reducing soil compaction.

Tuschner suggests dealers ask growers four questions to ensure the best tire for the application:

• Are you satisfied with the tire you are using now?

• Are you having issues with downtime caused by stubble-related punctures?

• Are you seeing yields go down dramatically in traffic paths from soil compaction?

• What is the application and speed you will be travelling?

Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT), notes that today’s implement machines weigh as much as 50,000 pounds. “The American farm is trending to large-scale production, which means larger machinery to cover more area in faster times. The massive implement machines need to be pulled by even bigger tractors, which leads to increased soil compaction,” he says.

“Traditional rib pattern-type implement tires must have significant increases in air pressure to accommodate these loads, which creates increased ground pressure. This causes the days of the simple, straight rib implement tires to be almost gone

Straight rib tires are going away Equipment is more specialized now than at any time in mechanized agricultural history, according to James Crouch, marketing specialist at Alliance Tire Americas Inc. Agricultural implements traditionally have been fitted with standard farm tires. “Over the years, implement manufacturers have recognized the value of engineering tires to optimize the performance of their machines. The need for implements to be transported at higher speeds has inspired additional innovation.”

The growing popularity of the high-clearance sprayer, which really boomed with the introduction of no-till farming and Roundup Ready crops, is a natural for tire specialization, according to Crouch. “These sprayers end up spending as much time or more on the road as in the field, so the old-school R1 or tractor tires just aren’t up to the job.”

He says tires like the Alliance Agriflex 363 are designed with that profile in mind. “The 363 is an IF tire that features a center rib of sturdy tread blocks that provides stability and lateral traction on the road but it still provides excellent in-field traction and self-cleaning.

Unlike a traditional ag tire, the 363’s heavy block-pattern center rib offers increased tread life and improved handling on the road.”

The Alliance 363 IF is a steel-belted radial.

“That feature, along with the extra-flexible sidewall, allows us to create a longer, more even footprint, which is great for traction in the field as well as on the road. The steel belts also dissipate heat for longer service life on sprayers with high road hours.”

Crouch says a similar design in the Alliance Multi-Use 550 provides better flotation and excellent snow performance. “We have seen the 550 used on equipment ranging from heavy planters to self-propelled sprayers and combines, even tractors.”

Christopher Durbin, manager-OE at

www.moderntiredealer.com

Conti Hybrid HT3 Performance in high scrub applications The Conti Hybrid HT3 offers an advanced tread compound designed for high scrub, trailer applications, while still maintaining low rolling resistance and mileage performance.

The narrow groove widths result in increased tread pattern volume and improved wear resistance when placed on spread axle trailers. The advanced sidewall thickness improves resistance to damage, cuts and abrasions.

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Implement tires as operating at necessary higher inflation pressures causes significant soil compaction and rutting in the field relating to decreased crop yield.”

To alleviate soil compaction, BKT is designing tires that carry heavy loads while reducing the amount of ground pressure.

BKT first addressed the need for a rejuvenated rib implement tire by designing the RIB 713, which utilizes IF technology to increase load capacities and transport speed abilities.

BKT has also recently introduced VF technology in the AW 711 radial implement tire. “The VF technology allows the tires to carry heavy loads at reduced air pressures, which helps to reduce the effects of ground pressure,” says Durbin.

“As with VF R1W tractor tires, VF metric implement tires can operate at 43% less air pressure than a traditional rib pattern of the same nominal overall diameter and section width for the load capacity requirement.” Durbin says that by using these new implement tires on towed equipment with higher horsepower tractors, the farmer can keep field productivity high and increase crop yields.

Axle load is increasing, according to Brad Harris, manager of global agricultural field engineering at the Firestone Ag division of Bridgestone Americas Inc. “Firestone Ag is seeing an increase of axle load on implement tires. While the load requirements on implement tires are continuing to increase, tire sizes are being kept the same to fit in the same dimensional windows. As equipment manufacturers increase the width of implements, up to 60 feet wide in the field, the implement must fold to widths of less than 20 feet to travel on the road. When an

40

implement folds, all of the weight is being carried by four tires.”

To address the issue of increased load, Firestone Ag has developed radial implement tires that follow IF and VF load formulas, according to Harris. IF and VF radial tires are standards that were adopted by the Tire and Rim Association in the late 2000s. BKT says a special tread compound gives the AW 711 radial implement tire “IF-marked tires an extended product life-cycle, whethcarry 20% more er it is used on soft or hard surfaces. load than a standard radial tire at the same inflation pressure, and VF-marked tires carry 40% more load than a standard radial tire at the same inflation pressure. These tires carry more load than same-sized bias tires at lower inflation pressures. Lower tire inflation pressure helps reduce soil contact pressures, which can improve crop yield. Radial implement tires also are D

MTD June 2017

speed rated (40 mph) so they can carry the heavier loads at higher transport speeds.”

Travis Little, product manager for ag and construction at Carlstar Group LLC, says implement tire products are a focus in the company’s expanding aftermarket portfolio. “Each implement tire is unique and customized in its use for the job it is doing. This customization can be seen in the development of the tire, the compounds and materials used as well as the design of the tread. These elements will always be a trend for tire manufacturers.”

Laurent Le Dortz, director of marketing for agricultural and compact product line for Michelin North America Inc., notes that bias tires are no longer sufficient to carry the weight of larger implements. Reduced compaction and other benefits of six or eight low-pressure radial tires on a tractor are negated when

European countries have been using central tires inflation systems (CTIS) to avoid compaction, reduce fuel consumption on the road and in the field, and improve tire tread wear.

The Michelin CargoxBib high flotation tire, launched two years ago in the North American market, is especially designed for manure tank applications. “It is the only implement tire on the market which has been designed to work with CTIS. It offers a really low pressure capacity in the field, high casing endurance, a special tread design to optimize tread resistance and self-clean, and has exceptional road handling.”

Bridgestone says its Firestone Destination Farm radial implement tires with AD2 technology are engineered to carry a given load at lower inflation pressures than conventional bias or radial implement tires.

it is pulling an implement fitted with eight, 12 or more high pressure bias tires.

To solve this issue, Michelin offers products such as the Michelin XP27 and Michelin CargoxBib heavy-duty and high flotation tires. “For manure tanks, bias tires are very large and have an impact on the soil by compacting it.

This affects the productivity and crop success,” says Le Dortz.

Manure spreaders in Europe have been equipped with low pressure radial tires for more than 20 years, according to Le Dortz. In addition, farmers in many

www.moderntiredealer.com

41

Implement tires Bob Snyder, regional sales manager at Specialty Tires of America Inc., says his company is seeing more demand for implement tires that are more resistant to stubble damage.

“Our latest development tire to have this type of protection is our Stalk Buster tire. This tire has an improved rubber compound for greater tire protection while providing better flotation. Soil compaction is a major issue for farmers and demand for flotation tires is increasing.”

Larger farms and faster and larger tractors pulling bigger equipment at higher speeds are the main reasons for more vehicle-specific implement tires and tread patterns, according to Bill Dashiell, senior vice president of TBC Corp.’s commercial tire division. “These changes in equipment and the desire to reduce time between fields require products that will go faster, have increased load capacities yet also provide soil compaction reduction.”

He says the Harvest King Field Pro Highway Service FI tire is designed to transport implements and wagons at highway speeds while providing the stubble resistance and side traction needed in the field and on the road. The Department of Transportation (DOT)-approved tire is rated for 62 mph.

There also is an increase in VF and IF high flexion tire technology. “These tires provide a flatter footprint, have a higher weight capacity and increased speed capability while requiring lower air pressures and significantly reduced soil compaction.

Zigzag designs are available with VF/IF technology which provide a smooth ride and increased stability on side hill usage.

TBC offers the BKT VF and IF line of products to support our customers’ needs for VF and IF products,” says Dashiell.

Scott Sloan, agricultural product manager at Titan International Inc., notes that equipment is larger, but not different from earlier editions. Planters are one example. “There are 36-row planters now versus eight-row or six-row planters,” he says. “OEs have been fitting their larger planters and tillage equipment with radial tires for about 10 years. The ground bearing pressures in a radial tire are a little bit lower than a standard bias tire in most applications.”

Implement tires have morphed into 18, 22.5 and 26.5 sizes on some of these larger pieces of equipment, according to Sloan. “There’s some implement tires that are almost 40 inches wide and 50 inches tall.”

Titan sees a market with the old bias sizes that need replaced. “So instead of a 12.5 L15, you have a 230.70-15 radial tire. There’s an aftermarket potential for radialization that we’re just starting to dip our toe in here at Titan,” says Sloan. “Over the last The DOT-approved Carlisle Farm five years, growers have Specialist F-1 tire is designed for become more aware of intermittent highway speeds.

42

the issues of compaction and trying to yield as much as they possibly can and every little bit helps. You can have a tire carrying a planter running at 90 psi; you can go to a radial tire that runs at 56 psi; it’s a larger footprint so you have a lot less ground compaction to carry that same load.”

Expect more purposebuilt tires What’s in the pipeline for implement tires? Michelin says the steel-belted Manufacturers told MTD radial CargoxBibHD2 high the move toward bigger flotation tire delivers high load tires for bigger machines, capacities at high speeds. heightened awareness of soil compaction, and the need for stubble-resistant products will lead to more purpose-built tires for implements.

Crouch, Alliance: Specialized patterns for manure tanks and skid steers are already very well accepted. With modern analytical tools, we know more than ever about issues like soil compaction that happen where tires interact with the ground’s surface, and we have become more skilled and creative at designing tires that perform better.

Compound development has also been a major focus.

Part of the goal has been to optimize tread compounds for the combination of on-road and off-road use, which requires the right blend of scrub resistance, puncture resistance and the prevention of heat buildup. Since seed companies have perfected corn hybrids that ward off insect pressure and corn and wheat varieties that resist snapping or falling over in windy conditions, the other major goal is preventing puncture.

That crop residue is like a field full of sharpened stakes after harvest, so rubber compound and construction have to be tougher than ever.

The bottom line is that equipment companies, tire experts and farmers are starting to recognize the immense value of selecting the best tire for the machine and the conditions — and that the best tire is not necessarily a traditional lug design.

Durbin, BKT: As world populations continue to increase, the demand for higher crop yields will push the limits of the machinery. Larger pieces of equipment are constantly being released which reduces input costs, i.e., man-hours and fuel usage. Implement tires will need to be technologically designed to combat against higher load capacities, stronger field stubble and increased transport distances. BKT is designing tires with IF and VF technology for the larger machines. BKT also uses stubble-resistant compounds in implement tires to resist against damage from today’s GMO crops. In addition, steel belts and radial technology have advanced the transport speeds of the implement equipment as well. Everything comes down to efficiency and productivity.

Harris, Bridgestone: As farm implements continue to get larger, the axle weights will continue to increase. Because of

MTD June 2017

the configuration of the implements, it is difficult to use a tire with a diameter taller than 47 inches.

Little, Carlstar: We focus our efforts on the technology and performance of the specific tire and the requirements of our customers and our end consumers. We also focus on the aftermarket to ensure that the customers who purchase our products can find them readily available in the aftermarket.

With a slight growth increase expected in the ag market in 2018, we will monitor original equipment and aftermarket trends.

Le Dortz, Michelin: Although the bias part of the market continues to be strong, I believe the advantages of yield, fuel saving, tread wear, casing endurance, comfort (for driver and machines) that radial tires exhibit will continue to make them more popular. Radial tires can be more expensive initially than bias but you need to look at the total value as a return on investment. Michelin radial tires price point can be higher; however, the value of ownership can be substantial.

Snyder, Specialty Tires of America: DOT-approved tires must be tested for speeds up to 55 miles per hour. There are many implement tires that are running on the highways that do not have this approval and this practice could be problematic if there is a tire failure. There is also equipment that is motorized using implement tires and these will need DOT approval.

Dashiell, TBC: Farms and equipment are both increasing in size and so will the need for farmers to have tires that will be able to handle higher speeds and weight capacities. Reducing soil compaction is a growing initiative and end user demand for VF/IF high flexion technologies will increase as a grow-

www.moderntiredealer.com

ing number of farm equipment manufacturers understand the payback on the investment in these high-tech tires will outweigh the cost of the initial investment in these tires. Europe has already heavily adopted VF and IF tires. While demand in North America is behind the adoption rate of Europe, the The American Farmer Stalk Buster from Specialty Tires of America number of VF and features a square tire profile shape IF tires sold will only for extra flotation with maximum continue to increase. stubble resistance.

Sloan, Titan: Demand for radial replacement tires for conventional bias tires is not big on the radar just yet. But I think it will be. In aftermarket sales right now, it’s probably 5% to 8% replacement with radial implements. We’re working on developing our own line of radial implement tires for the aftermarket. We’ve been supplying John Deere and Case and others on the OE side with radial implement tires since 2009. All the newer sizes that are going on John Deere planter or tillage equipment are not switchable with the tires that are currently on the older

43

Implement tires pieces of equipment. Instead of a 12.5-L15 conventional bias tire, we may have a 380.60-18 size radial tire, so they just can’t take the tire off the rim and put our tire on. That’s why we’re coming out with a radial equivalent later this year or early next that will fit right onto the wheel. The end user will not have to buy a new wheel and tire in order to switch to radial.

Tips for finding the best implement tire No grower wants to hear the words “flat tire” at planting or harvesting time. MTD asked manufacturers how tire dealers can better meet the needs of growers.

Crouch, Alliance: As with any consumer product, the most important thing for a salesperson is to understand the customer’s true needs. Some questions they need to consider asking are:

• How much do you plan to road this equipment?

• Do you plan to add any aftermarket equipment that will increase the machine’s weight?

• How fast will you pull the implement?

• Have you had tire problems in the past? What happened?

These questions will help steer the customer toward a tire that will fit their application. Especially with implement tires, replacing a worn out or failed tire with whatever came on the machine new can be less than ideal. For example, a fairly popular pattern on grain carts and manure tanks is a drive lug R-1W tractor tire. But these implements are often on free-rolling axles that don’t necessarily require that aggressive type of pattern.

By asking a few questions, a dealer can discover that an R-1W tire isn’t necessary and instead a less aggressive R3 pattern will often far surpass the farmer’s expectations.

Durbin, BKT: Tire dealers need to be sure to ask the customers as many questions as possible. The answers will help the dealer to know the challenges that must be faced.

A tire solution for one customer might not be the same for another. Market knowledge will provide the dealer the tools to stock the correct tires for their area.

Dealers should also have a complete understanding of tires’ effect on soil compaction. VF tires are more costly than traditional implement tires and require a new wheel (rim) in many cases. A dealer must have the knowledge to be able to discuss with the farmer the benefits of using the VF tires over traditional implement and show the farmer the return on investThe Harvest King Field Pro Highway ment for making the Service FI tire is DOT-rated for highchange. We suggest way use. TBC says it has superior working with a farmer load capacity over comparable I-1 and documenting the tires at field speeds.

44

changeover with that year’s harvest data and compare against previous harvests’ yields. In many cases, one usually sees a minimum of three times increase in crop yield over traditional implement tires.

That expected increase is usually significant enough to the farmer to make the investment in the change.

Harris, Bridgestone: We encourage The Stubble Guard tire from Titan features stubble-resistant comall dealers to talk with pounding, eight body plies and their customers about four Kevlar belts in the tread and the total value of an sidewalls for superior protection implement tire. With from sharp stalks. the current economic forecast in agriculture, customers don’t want to spend more money than they need to. While radial implement tires may cost more up front, they are designed to carry today’s heavier equipment loads, whereas a less-costly bias tire may be overloaded. This overloaded condition will cause the bias tire to be removed early and could end up costing the customer more in the long run.

Little, Carlstar: Closer collaboration with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure complete product information and training for staff. In addition, joint efforts to help identify and engage the end consumers with information in both the retail and digital space. Connecting the OE parts with the aftermarket replacement parts is also key.

Le Dortz, Michelin: Total cost of ownership and downtime are key taking into account all the benefits from the new generation of radial implement tires, such as Michelin CargoxBib high flotation and heavy duty.

Snyder, Specialty Tires of America: Dealers should work closely with their customers. Get familiar with their business and continually look for opportunities to help them. This in turn will help you.

Dashiell, TBC: The main sizes for implements remain 9.5L-15, 11L-15 and 12.5L-15. Now is the time to educate the dealer on the advantages of going radial, IF/VF technologies and improved tread designs. All of the new technologies provide less pressure, increased footprint, and better trailing performance under a wide array of conditions.

Sloan, Titan: It’s all about product knowledge. For example, stubble damage on tires is one of growers’ biggest concerns.

The OEs use a highway service tire on planters. That tire’s not designed to handle the stubble and residue. The reason OEs use that highway tire is that we as an industry allow them 20% plus-up in the load-carrying capacity of that tire if they operate under 30 miles per hour. For the OEs, it’s an easy engineering decision to put a highway service tire in a certain position and get 20% more capacity. Unfortunately, that tire’s not designed to handle that stubble. That’s why we developed our Stubble Guard line seven years ago for the heavier stubble residue. ■

MTD June 2017

Counter intelligence

Please, not another customerservice revolution How the ‘User Experience’ will trump price by 2020

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ike I’ve said before, I read a lot. Every of the downtown plaza, there are two Starbucks day I receive emails that offer interesting locations directly across from each other, not and fact-filled information gleaned from more than 100 yards apart. I always choose one recent studies. There is no shortage of findings over the other. Why? One has better parking and opinions about the importance of giving behind the store (easier egress), the layout of the improved attention to the customer experience. store is nicer, and the rest rooms are bigger and From time to time I secretly say to myself, in cleaner. The products are the same, the prices the privacy of my own mind, “I’m tired of bending are the same; however, the experience is not just over backwards. When are customers going to different, but better in my mind. appreciate the extra effort?” Sometimes I say to By Wayne Williams Consumers will typically choose one location myself, “Who cares about studies? Who cares over another depending on a variety of personal about customer service? Who are these people anyway? preferences. The tire dealership that meets their needs, They’ve never sold a tire in their life.” Usually, however, their preferences, their individual feelings will win the sale.

I quickly snap out of it because I know true customer Because we don’t know which category is more important service is more than a mantra or a mission statement. It’s at any given moment, we need to be competitive in all three the lifeblood of any customer-facing organization. areas. According to the article, a consumer’s experience That being said, I just finished reading a 24-page report is going to be more important than price and product by on the UX Revolution. Do you the year 2020. know what “UX” stands for? UX At first I say, “How do they know stands for “User Experience,” and that? Is this even possible? Isn’t price simply stated, it’s the customer’s always number one?” As I thought experience when using a website, about this prediction, I remembered a customer’s online experience. a veteran salesman asked me one In past articles, we’ve discussed time, “Do you make money when the fact that more and more conyou sell to your friends or enemies?” sumers search the internet for The answer is easy; your enemies pre-purchase information. It’s don’t buy from you. It’s the same generally understood today that with experience, like rock-paper80% of tire shoppers do initial scissors, bad experiences outweigh research online. Of course, online price and product. It’s very hard to is pre-personal contact, pre-phone, sell around a bad reputation built on and pre-visit. The article made bad experiences, even if your prices clear the importance of a good UX and products are right. experience and how that might Another example, there is an influence a call or visit.

Italian restaurant near my home, Having said that, every tire dealer has a product, a price very convenient. The price is good, the food is good, and and an experience. The big winners today and in the future the experience is not. I no longer go there. As I read the will be the dealers that deliver on all three: price, product, article and pondered it, I realized that this is not new and experience. The shift is taking place now. Consumers news; it’s always been a combination of price, product and today decide what to buy and then where to buy it. service. What struck me was the shift toward the increased Let me give you a simple example. I don’t like to buy important of experience.

Starbucks coffee; I like to drink it. My wife, on the other Look at the illustration. This is important for us to hand, digs the whole experience. While standing in line, she consider if, in fact, this shift is happening, and there is likes to fiddle with the mugs, you know, the $5 mugs that plenty of evidence to support such. A simple 180 degree sell for $10.95. She likes to grab an extra bag of Decaf Caffe’ turn in either direction puts experience on top. The sweet Verona or Mocha Flavored Coffee, you know, just in case. spot is the center where it all intersects. ■ Though we are standing side-by-side at the same Starbucks, at the same time, we are experiencing the store differently.

Wayne Williams is president of ExSell Marketing Inc., a In downtown Orange, Calif., founded in 1869, my wife “counter intelligence” firm based in La Habra, Calif. He can and I enjoy visiting our favorite antique shops. In the middle be reached at exsellmkting@gmail.com.

www.moderntiredealer.com

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European notebook

A worrying aspect of TPMS innovation It’s still the nut behind the wheel that’s the problem

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o say that over the past few years tire safety Therefore, new vehicles registered over the past has become one of the most important couple of years are now being subjected to their very (and some would say, very focused) asfirst MOT test which stipulates that a car “must have pects of the market in Europe would be a complete a fully functioning TPMS to pass the test.” However, understatement.

I have learned that recent independent statistics This attitude has been primarily driven by the reveal that an extremely high number of vehicles are ongoing increase in tire pressure monitoring systems failing the MOT test due to defects in their TPMS. (TPMS) fitted to new vehicles right across the UK More than 23,000 vehicles had to take a re-test of and most European countries. It is no secret that the MOT following the detection of TPMS issues Europe picked up on TPMS from the U.S., where it By John Stone in 2016, compared to just 7,000 failures in 2015 — has been present since the 1990s. Now, however, the resulting in a massive rise of 212% in the space of U.S. and Europe are at the same level of innovation as it is being just 12 months. (To the dismay of drivers, the cost for the produced and implemented by global-oriented companies. test runs from $39 USD to as much as $71!)

As can sometimes happen, the innovation of TPMS has created its own surprising problems.

Safety feature ignored The TPMS became a mandatory fitment on all new passenger The TPMS was initially introduced as an important tire cars in November 2014, initially in the UK and then across safety feature to help reduce the number of vehicles being Europe. But during the past couple of years there has been an driven with incorrect tire pressures. It seems very surprising increasing surge in tire failures in the Ministry of Transport and worrying that such a vital safety feature should cause a (MOT) test (which is compulsory for all vehicles over three serious problem and even more shocking, it appears the reason years old) which can be directly connected to the TPMS. for this serious development lies with drivers and not their cars.

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MTD June 2017

According to TyreSafe — a leading and influential organization in tire safety procedures in the UK and Europe — the whole point of the TPMS is to effectively reduce the number of tire-related incidents on the roads and allow drivers to be fully aware if their tire pressures are not at the right level.

However, it seems the problem lies in the fact that an increasing number of drivers are ignoring the information and continue to drive on regardless — in many cases on seriously under-inflated tires.

It seems remarkable that despite having such innovative tire technology at their disposal and the convenience of a warning light on their dashboard, drivers are simply not bothering to take notice when the TPMS

dangers of a non-functioning TPMS is to introduce a serious fine for anyone caught driving with not just badly worn or defective tires, but also under-inflated tires. This may seem a drastic step to take but just maybe it will make people aware of the importance of TPMS and actually take notice of them. ■ John Stone has been working within the global tire industry for the past 26 years. In 2004 he launched his own consulting company, Sapphire Media Services, which caters to business media clients around the globe.

See how you can avoid assembly damage www.hunter.com/mtd

This shows the results of under-inflated tires, what a TPMS strives to prevent.

appears to be not functioning properly or is giving an indication that there is a clear variance in tire pressure.

Certainly in the UK, TyreSafe has clearly tried to improve this appalling attitude by drivers toward tire pressures by publishing poster campaigns and media advertisements warning against the obvious dangers of driving on under-inflated tires. But disturbingly, the age-old mentality by vehicle owners that “unless a tire is flat they can still safely drive on it” is still very much in alive and kicking.

In most cases drivers learn the hard way by having to re-submit their cars for another MOT test, but the fact still remains that serious and fatal accidents on our roads are increasingly being caused by under-inflated tires.

At the moment, drivers are just inconvenienced by an MOT test failure, but perhaps one way to make them fully appreciate the very real

www.moderntiredealer.com

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Business insight

The new four-letter word in your shop: busy Take the 30-day challenge to eliminate the status quo

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can’t understand why there is no profit, we hear from potential members that they just can’t are so busy.” “I need to hire more staff; we come to a meeting. Why? Yup, they are busy. are so busy.” “How are you doing?” “Man, it’s They just can’t step away from the business for great we are so busy.” “Hey, you need to spend three days. But they need help, they aren’t making more time working on your business rather than the margins they should be, their payroll is out in your business.” “I can’t, I am so busy!” of control, the competition is eating them alive.

Busy. A small business four-letter word that But they sure are busy. causes a lot of pain. Who can argue with busy?

Let’s take the next 30 days and start challenging Busy means making money, right? each other to see if we are productive. Replace Wrong. Busy is nothing more than activity. By Dennis McCarron that curse word with being productive. “I am Whether that activity is profitable is whether to doing the most productive thing on my to do list call it productive or a waste of time. I would like to suggest at this moment.” “I have a billion things to do this week, to everyone reading this to take a challenge for 30 days: but I am going to make sure I do the ones that get me the Give up the word busy. Put a curse jar in the shop, charge best return on my time.” anyone $5 if they utter the new profanity, and donate Let’s be extremely clear about why being productive is any money on the 31st day to a local charity or school. more important than being busy.

I want our industry to eliminate the word “busy” from Fifty years ago, you would hear people say: TIME = our vocabulary.

MONEY. That calculation has changed. Today, In our 20 Group meetings, if someone says and increasing exponentially in the years to a bad word, they owe the treacome: TIME > MONEY. Much greater. surer $5. I’m “I don’t have enough time to get all the things done I need to do” is what we all hear, from everyone, all the time. We hear it from customers, as well.

They are increasingly putting demands on us to improve our processes so that it favorably impacts their downtime. No one likes waiting. No one likes standing in a line. It’s a waste of time.

Challenge yourselves to stop the status quo. Do something different with and about your business starting today.

Don’t accept busy as an answer.

Start accepting more appointments to better organize your day (reducing “busy times”). Challenge any long-held belief that it “can’t be done that way because it never was before.” thinking of adding the You may just open wide a system that lets you be more word busy to that list made famous by productive and less busy.

George Carlin. Busy doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t That being the case, the best option is to start making a matter if someone is busy. What they need to do is prioritize conscious effort to prioritize what is valuable to you and the multiple tasks they must do each day and give the the business and, just as importantly, when an employee business the most bang for the buck. tells you they are busy, to question exactly what they I once had an employee call me two hours after closing mean by that. the store to complain he couldn’t find a missing dollar while And hold the curse jar open for their $5 deposit. ■ counting the drawer.

I’m sure he was busy the whole time counting and lookDennis McCarron is executive director of Dealer Strategic ing for that dollar. But as an hourly employee, he was not Planning Inc., a company that manages multiple tire dealer productive. He cost me $8 looking for the $1.

20 Groups in the U.S. (www.dsp-20group.com). To contact When recruiting for members to our 20 Groups, I often McCarron, email him at dennis@dsp-20group.com.

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MTD June 2017

Focus on industry

‘Retreading is the key’ TA Truck Service offers one stop, one solution for truck fleets

By Greg Smith

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t the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) SEMA Show held in Las Vegas last fall, TravelCenters of America LLC announced the formation of its TA Truck Service Commercial Tire Network (TA). With the company’s 244 existing truck stop locations, that propelled TA Truck Service to the top of the charts as the country’s largest commercial tire dealer.

For 40-plus years, TravelCenters had operated truck stops across the country, so it had a natural relationship with fleets of all sizes and independent operators as well. Kevin Carr, director-tire division of TA Truck Service, spoke in April at the North American Tire & Retreading Expo and shared some background into why TA Truck Service was launched, how the company views the marketplace and where it might be headed.

“Our desire was to find a way to offer more solutions to our current customers, garner new business through those same type of solutions offerings, and find a way to attract more business, and satisfy customers with that business,” said Carr. The company found that the majority of their fleet customers were buying fuel from them, but went elsewhere for tires and other services.

Since time is money, Carr said “the path we took was how do we bring everything together to offer one stop, one solution, and one way of doing things that would free up time, be cost effective to the customer and by the same token, help build up the industry and find ways to generate more business for our industry.

“We’ve created a sell-out program, a repurposing retail program at our locations that allows our customers to come in, look at different categories of tires at one price, no matter what position, what size, and make a choice on the product they want to fit the needs they have, instead of being forced into a particular tire and particular price,” he elaborated.

TA Truck Service already offered fuel and service along with some national accounts programs for fleets, “but we weren’t able to go out and do the things that a commercial tire dealer does that our customers wanted — can we deliver tires, can we drop them off, can we carry retreads, can we carry retreads out to their locations?”

One stop shop After TA Truck Service worked with a number of nationwide fleets, and met with fleet decision makers and maintenance managers, Carr said the company knew “retreading is the key.”

“We came up with a plan that was – why open our own retread facility?” Carr said they knew there were plenty of companies fighting to produce retreads and gain market share to be profitable and successful. “We made a decision to support that industry,” said Carr.

TA Truck Service has partnerships with multiple retread-

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TravelCenters’ Kevin Carr offered insights into TA Truck Service at the North American Tire & Retreading Expo.

ers to provide them the benefits of having their own retread shop(s). “We were able to utilize someone else’s facility, someone else’s people, someone else’s investment that they put into their business, and support them through our business efforts,” said Carr.

“We’re new to the game of retreading when it comes to retread management. But we definitely are effective as we move forward. Again, I think it’s because of the partners. We have the luxury today of having multiple retread partners and brands.

We’re not done. We’re looking to have a bit more offering on another side of our business and we build it specifically to the customer,” Carr said.

Words of advice So far, Carr believes the TA Truck Service model is working for them. He said they are fortunate because they are large enough and have a dealer council made up of fleet executives that meet twice a year. The council is an open dialog where TA Truck Service executives listen to their fleet customers.

MTD June 2017

Photo provided by Travel Centers of America LLC

Focus on industry

TA Truck Service now has 1,090 service bays in its network and employs nearly 3,000 technicians. The company plans to feature Goodyear, Marathon, Kelly, BFGoodrich, Cooper (Roadstar), Yokohama and Continental brand tires and retreads.

Plans also were in the works to start selling Pirelli and Formula brands later this year, .

“A lot of great things we’re doing today, whether it be better maintenance programs, service equipment, tools, and services we offer, it comes directly from them,” said Carr.

Carr said TA Truck Service’s size allows it to offer multiple tire and retread brand offerings instead of being locked into one or two main brands. (At TA Truck Service’s launch last year, the company planned to feature Goodyear, BFGoodrich, Cooper (Roadstar), Yokohama and Continental brand tires.

The largest announced partner, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., was to supply a full line of Goodyear, Marathon and Kelly tires available across the United States. At the time, the company was planning to start selling Pirelli and Formula tires this year.

TA Truck Service’s sales pitch to fleets, according to Carr, is its ability to be able to offer a full range of tire brands along with national account programs in addition to the other services that already existed at their truck stop chain.

“A driver can come into our shop, get some fuel, get some tires, find some work when we’re doing the tires, we can do the repair right there. While that’s going on, he can take a shower, get a bite to eat, buy a card for his wife, and then drive out the door and go home, all in one stop.

“We went from having one brand of retread to multiple.

We went from being able to just drop off or deliver a retread on the roadside any time of day to being able today to deliver to you, manage your own casings, repack our own casings, all the things that a fleet desires that limited us from that ability to do business with them to a greater capacity,” said Carr.

have, work with the partners who jumped up and worked with us . When we look at the Chinese import tires, to speak directly, we look at the brands if we bring them in that are reputable here in the United States, and have big companies here in the United States,” said Carr. “They operate here in the United States. There’s some here today we would choose to work with but I don’t believe you’ll see a day we jump into the race to the bottom.”

The TA Truck Service network includes 244 truck service facilities, 1,090 repair bays, nearly 3,000 technicians, more than 2,200 RoadSquad Connect emergency roadside assistance vehicles and a growing fleet of OnSite mobile maintenance vehicles.

With 244 outlets, the TA Truck Service Commercial Tire Network now holds the top spot on the Modern Tire Dealer Top 25 U.S. Commercial Tire Dealers ranking. Southern Tire Mart moves to No. 2 with 73 commercial outlets. Best-One Tire Group is now No. 3 with 74 commercial outlets and 123 combination stores. In the No. 4 spot is Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc. with 407 combination stores. Pomp’s Tire Service is No. 5 with 25 commercial outlets and 49 combination stores. ■

The way forward As TA Truck Service moves forward, Carr said they want to constantly find ways to reshape, modernize, be faster, be quicker, be more efficient, but always around listening to the customer every day. He said the company is currently searching for more efficient ways to handle scrap tire disposal.

Carr also weighed in on the current discussion regarding Chinese truck tires.

“We have not jumped on the low-cost tires being imported today. We’ve stayed to this day true with the brands we brought in. Our goal is to really develop and work with brands we

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TA Truck Service Commercial Tire Network now holds the top spot on MTD ’s Top 25 Commercial Tire Dealers ranking with 244 outlets. Watch for an update in our October issue.

MTD June 2017

Focus on industry

After a long wait...

Yokohama introduces the Geolandar M/T G003

By Bob Ulrich

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okohama Tire Corp. has been producing off-road tires since 1982, when the Super Digger was launched.

Thirty-five years later, the company still offers the Y829 Super Digger III bias off-road racing tire in size 33x10.50-15!

The Geolandar M/T directional tire was introduced in 1998. Yokohama tweaked the design and compounding in 2004; the resulting M/T+ G001 became a new SKU number, but was hardly a new tire.

More than two decades have passed since the creation of the original Geolandar M/T, which makes the new Geolandar M/T G003 highly anticipated by Yokohama dealers in the U.S. The M/T G003 features a non-directional tread pattern and is equal to or superior in every way to the tire it replaces, the G001, says Bob Abram, senior manager of product planning.

“The directional tread design of the old G001 wasn’t playing with customers or dealers. Getting the looks right of this tire was important because we knew what happens when you don’t get the looks right, even if the performance is pretty good.”

Features and benefits Yokohama says the Geolandar M/T G003 is superior to the G001 not only in mud traction but also in dry braking and snow braking. It also weighs less, which results in greater fuel efficiency.

The tire’s dry, mud and wet traction were engineered using a triple-polymer tread compound combined with optimized sipes and “an ideal” block-to-void ratio. The tread also features an advanced variable pitch pattern that Abram says will be a big selling point for Yokohama dealers.

“One of the things that came out of our research with consumers and dealers alike is they want a quiet tire — for a mud tire. They don’t expect it to be touring tire quiet, but they would like to use it as an extra selling feature.

“We’ve got a new multi-pitch variation that helps keep the noise down. That helps even out those peak harmonics, which are what make a lot of the noise when the tire is rolling at highway speeds.”

Yokohama’s new Geo-Shield construction incorporates multiple sidewall plies, steel belts, a full nylon cap and a high turn-up carcass into the design. All Load Range E and D sizes feature three-ply technology.

“The three-ply is important as a marketing tool,” he says. “It gives consumers confidence that we have extra strength in the sidewall to protect against punctures and to hold up to heavy use. Also, that full nylon cap helps you avoid tread punctures, so there is an extra layer of protection there.”

Abram says sidewall durability is not a major concern for the urban cowboy, but “is a huge issue for people who are really beating up and using their vehicles off-road.”

The G003’s Sidewall Armor not only protects the sidewall

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“The sidewall armor really creates a unique ‘pop’ from the sidewall,” says Yokohama’s Bob Abram. “We think this is also going to be a very important feature for our dealers to sell this tire, and to attract consumers to it.”

against impacts, but also adds traction elements to the design.

And it gives the tire a unique, aggressive look.

“We were trying to avoid coming out with an M/T tire that was so ‘me, too,’ that looked just like the Toyo Open Country M/T or the Hankook Dynapro MT RT03 or BFGoodrich T/A KM2, for example. We didn’t want that to happen, but we also wanted to say to the extreme off-roader, ‘We have something extra for you.’”

By the end of the year, the Geolandar M/T G003 will be available in 37 Q-rated sizes, with rim diameters ranging from 15 to 20 inches. They will be introduced in three waves, broken out by the following load ranges: July 1: 18 LRE, 1 LRC, 1 LRD (including LT255/75R17 LRC, LT275/65R20 LRE and LT305/55R20 LRE).

September 1: 8 LRE, 4 LRC. November 1: 3 LRC, 2 LRE.

Yokohama backs the tire with a 30-day money-back trial pledge.

According to Abram, the mud-terrain segment in the U.S. accounted for more than 3.6 million tires in 2016, compared to more than 2.8 million in 2012.

The top five selling light trucks in 2016 were the Ford F Series, Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra and the Jeep Wrangler. Those vehicles “are right in our wheelhouse of what we want as potential fitments for this Geolandar mud tire,” he says. So are some specialized vehicles designed for more rugged duty like the F-150 Raptor, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. ■

MTD June 2017

Only MOOG ball studs are proven to be OE or better. ®

*

MAS, Centric and Mevotech Supreme claim “OE or better” but when put through independent metallurgical testing, they failed.

BALL STUDS TESTED THAT CLAIM TO BE OE OR BETTER Ford® F-150

Chevy® Silverado

Toyota® Camry

MAS Centric

N/A

Mevotech Supreme

When ball studs fail, bad things happen.

That’s why at MOOG we invest so much time and money to test the performance of MOOG and other chassis brands. MOOG ball studs meet or exceed the OE standard.

The difference is huge because inferior chassis parts may put your customers, and your reputation, at risk.

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*Results shown are based on independent testing conducted by St. Louis Test Laboratories, Inc. and analyzed by Anderson & Associates, Inc. on studs in ball joints for the 2007 Toyota Camry, 2013 Ford F-150 and 2007 Chevrolet Silverado in accordance with ASTM 415-15, ASTM E340-15, and ASTM E18-16 standard test methods. MOOG, MAS, Mevotech Supreme and Centric ball joint stud metallurgy was compared to the OE (original equipment) stud metallurgy. Stud metallurgy was analyzed by evaluating chemical composition, heat treatment, shot peening and the impact of those factors on stud fatigue life.

©2017 Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC. MOOG and MOOG Go The Extra Mile are trademarks owned by Federal-Mogul LLC, or one or more of its subsidiaries, in one or more countries. All other trademarks shown are the property of their respective owners.

Catastrophic Failure

Dangerous Loss of Control

Accidents

Unwanted Repairs

Focus on dealers

Double the size New Dunlap & Kyle facility increases efficiency

By Bob Ulrich

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he new Dunlap & Kyle warehouse in Madison, Tenn., gives General Manager Adam Waldrup almost everything he needs to take care of his customers. It doubles the size of the company’s former warehouse in the greater Nashville area. It was designed for efficiency, with permanent racking and automatic lighting. There is also wire guidance between aisles for the forklifts.

“Whenever you’re driving forklifts down aisles that are just seven-feet wide, it’s easy to beat up the racking,” he says. “With this system, they can actually pull from the left and right side and don’t have to worry about guiding the forklift.”

There is even room to grow. The company only uses half of the 500,000-square-foot warehouse, and leases out the rest.

Dynamic routing in the metropolitan area needs to be improved, however.

“We’ve got these set routes throughout the city, and I’d like to come up with more of a dynamic way of delivering,” says Waldrup. “Sometimes a truck will go out, and it’s on this set route. It may go 40 miles and just have five or six stops. We need to do a better job of routing in the city or coming up with a dynamic routing system.

“If it’s done right, you can come up with a 10- or 12-mile route and you’re just not driving from one end of the city to the other hauling nothing but air. And we could actually take a truck off the road each day if we could do a better job of delivering.”

Waldrup says he delivers two or three times a day to some of his larger customers in the city.

“In the metro areas you have to, or they’re not even thinking about you. We just don’t have the stocking dealers we used to.

They’re relying on deliveries multiple times per day.”

Order times for same-day deliveries vary, according to Waldrup.

“It changes. We have hotshots throughout the city, which is what I want to replace with the dynamic routing. It’s like 10, 12 or 2 depending on the location. We have more intermediate routes that are maybe 50 or 60 miles away. We can get most of those guys two times a day. Everybody within 125 or 150 miles is getting daily delivery.” That includes the 11 Dunlap & Kyle stores within an 80-mile radius of the warehouse.

Orders made by 5:15 p.m. will be loaded on a truck and delivered the next day.

“At our other warehouse, we only had four loading bays.

We were staying late at night because we’d load trucks, then have to pull them out and bring more in to finish loading.

Now we’re running with 14 bays. We have a lot more staging area. We’re getting out at 7 p.m. instead of 9 or 10 with the same amount of sales.”

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“We have the capacity to do $6 million a month,” says Dunlap & Kyle Tire Co. Inc. General Manager Adam Waldrup.

In addition to Tennessee, Waldrup says his truck drivers deliver to Kentucky — “We run into our Cincinnati warehouse up around Louisville” — the far southern tip of Indiana, and northern Alabama to the Tennessee River. “We also have a way of getting tires to North Carolina, a small part of it that nobody else goes to. And we cover northern Georgia.” ■

Madison warehouse facts Size: 250,000 square feet Height: 22 feet, six inches Tires: passenger, LT, truck, farm, OTR, specialty.

Main brands: Toyo, Hankook, Kumho, Kenda, Federal, Falken,Yokohama, Bridgestone, Duro, BKT, Alliance, Firestone and “lots of American Omni.”

Inventory: $9.7 million Annual turnover rate: 6 times Loading bays: 14 Delivery trucks: 22-23

MTD June 2017

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Focus on industry

The new Firestone M/T2 is built to ‘attack the terrain’

By Ann Neal

T

he new Firestone Destination M/T2 tire from Bridgestone Americas Inc. is designed to provide maximum traction for 4x4 vehicles, pickup trucks and SUVs in off-road conditions.

The next-generation tire replaces the Firestone Destination M/T, which came out in 2002. Bridgestone says the M/T2 tire “does everything better” than its predecessor. Advances in tire technology, especially compounding, are responsible for improvements in off-road, snow and wet performance.

A new tread compound, three-ply sidewall construction and more aggressive upper sidewall lugs give the Destination M/T2 increased traction in mud and offer stronger resistance to chips and tears.

To maximize traction in mud, Bridgestone placed the tire lugs at 23-degree angles, an innovation borrowed from its farm tractor tires. The “23-degree attack angles” provide more pulling power through rough terrain, according to the company.

Stone and mud rejectors help keep the tread clear of debris.

The Firestone Destination M/T2 tire has 20% more biting edges than the predecessor tire for better grip on slick, wet surfaces and in snow conditions. The company also added sipes for better snow traction capability compared to the prior tire.

In addition, the Firestone Destination M/T2 tire is studdable.

Two types of buyers Product manager Justin Hayes told Modern Tire Dealer two types of drivers will buy the Firestone Destination M/T2 tire.

One purchaser “really cares” about performance and off-road traction capability.

“For that type of customer we’ve significantly improved the off-road performance capabilities versus the current generation Destination M/T on dry rocks, wet rocks, creeks, mud and sand. In all of these types of off-road conditions, the traction capabilities of the Destination M/T2 have been improved.”

Hayes says the other type of driver who would purchase an M/T tire primarily cares about the look of the product.

“For this type of driver the Destination M/T2 has a much more aggressive look and design than the previous generation product. The tread area has been totally redesigned. The off

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The new Firestone Destination M/T2 tire will be offered in 29 sizes versus 23 for the prior generation tire.

shoulder area has more rubber and a more protruding image for the driver who wants the tire to look aggressive.”

Hayes specified two areas of “marked improvement” versus the earlier tire. The combination of the new tread compound and new lug design significantly improved chip tear and lug tear performance. The addition of siping to the tread pattern is a contributing factor to improved snow handling capability.

The Firestone Destination M/T2 tire is available in 29 sizes for 15- to 22-inch wheels. The fitments include three 37-inch tires. Delivery to stores begins in July. Most of the tires will be made at the Bridgestone plant in Joliette, Quebec.

Hayes says the Destination M/T2 pricing will be similar to its predecessor, giving drivers additional performance and capability at no additional cost.

“For the Destination M/T2 we targeted best-in-class performance without charging the highest price in the industry.

We feel this product will offer tremendous value for someone looking for an M/T tire.”

Key fitments for the Destination M/T2 are the Toyota Tacoma TRD, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Rubicon. The M/T2 will compete against the BFGoodrich T/A KM2 and the Toyo Open Country M/T. “We built a tough tire that attacks the terrain,” says Erik Seidel, president, consumer replacement tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.

“Overlanders and weekend warriors expect their tires to perform across a wide range of intense conditions, and the Destination M/T2 delivers an incredible off-road driving experience.” ■

MTD June 2017

TPMS

Honda Pilot and Ridgeline, 2005-2016 Aluminum valve stem nuts should be replaced with plastic tire valve caps SUBJECT VEHICLES: Honda Pilot and Ridgeline, 2005-2016 RELEARN PROCEDURE? Yes. SPECIAL TOOLS NEEDED? Yes, you must use the Honda

Diagnostic System (HDS) or an OBD-II compatible scan tool.

MODEL COVERAGE: 2005-16 Honda Pilot and 2006-14 Honda Ridgeline

If the Honda’s TPMS detects less than 24 psi, it alerts the driver by turning on the low pressure indicator symbol.

www.moderntiredealer.com

59

Illustrations courtesy of American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

TPMS

Figure 2: Removing the tire from the wheel (2 of 2).

Figure 1: Removing the tire from the wheel (1 of 2).

W

henever the engine is running, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) control unit continuously monitors all four tires and the system. If it detects less than 24 psi (168 kPa) in a tire, it alerts the driver by turning on the low pressure indicator, turning on the appropriate tire(s) indicator on the multi-information display, and setting a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) in the control unit. When the tire pressure is increased to more than 29 psi (198 kPa), the control unit will turn off the indicators and store the DTC(s). When two or more tire pressures are low, the low pressure indicator comes on about five seconds before the appropriate tire indicator. Once low pressure is detected, the system scans all four pressure sensors to ensure that it turns on the correct tire indicator. If a problem is detected in the system, the TPMS indicator will come on. If low tire pressure and a problem in the system are detected, only the TPMS indicator comes on.

When the system detects a problem, the TPMS control unit sets a code, but shifts to fail-safe mode, and does not alert the driver to low tire pressures. If the TPMS control unit loses power or fails, the TPMS indicator will come on, but no DTC will be set.

Each sensor is an integrated unit made up of the tire valve stem, a pressure sensor and a transmitter. The unit is attached to the inside of the wheel, around the valve stem. Each low pressure sensor has its own ID to prevent jamming by similar systems on other vehicles.

After memorizing all of the sensor IDs, the control unit receives only those specific signals. An ID can be memorized manually or automatically. An initiator for each wheel (located in the wheel housing) is hardwired to the control unit. Every time the ignition is turned ON (II), the control unit asks each initiator for a sensor ID. The initiators then transmit the sensor IDs, and the control unit receives and memorizes them. The control unit then knows which ID belongs to each tire location.

This recurring ID confirmation prevents any confusion in the system as a result of normal tire rotation.

60

Tire pressure monitor warning indicators NOTE: Tire pressures will increase slightly as the temperature in the tires rises during driving at highway speeds. Pressures also will increase or decrease slightly with changes in outside air temperature. A temperature change of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) will change tire pressure by about 1.5 psi (10 kPa). If the temperature drops and then rises, tire pressure could decrease just enough to turn on the low pressure and tire(s) indicators, but later increase enough to turn them off. To resolve a complaint of such intermittent indications, confirm and clear the stored DTC(s) and check the tire pressures.

Then explain to the customer how temperature changes can affect the system, especially when tire pressures are near the low end of the TPMS normal range at around 24-32 psi (168-220 kPa).

NOTE: If the outside temperature is at or below -40 degrees F (-40 degrees C), the system may not function properly.

If low tire pressure indicator and multi-information display indicator(s) are lit continuously due to low pressure in one or more tires, adjust tire inflation to proper pressure as indicated on the tire and loading information placard. The light will remain on until tire pressure is properly set. If the warning light is still lit or the TPMS indicator is lit continuously, there is a problem in the TPMS. See appropriate manufacturer service information. If a problem is detected in the system, the TPMS indicator will come on. If low tire pressure and a problem in the system are detected, only the TPMS indicator comes on. When the system detects a problem, the TPMS control unit sets a code, but shifts to fail-safe mode, and does not alert the driver to low tire pressures. If the TPMS control unit loses power or fails, the TPMS indicator will come on, but no DTC will be set.

Reset procedures NOTE: When a tire pressure sensor is replaced or tires are rotated, the sensor ID must be memorized by the TPMS

MTD June 2017

TPMS control unit. See “Memorizing sensor ID (automatically).”

If the TPMS control unit has also been replaced, the Honda Diagnostic System (HDS) or an OBD-II compatible scan tool must be used to program information into the new TPMS control unit. See “Memorizing sensor ID (using HDS).”

NOTE: If a flat tire is replaced with the spare tire, and the flat tire is stored in the cargo area, the low pressure indicator will stay on but the appropriate tire indicator will go off. This prevents the customer from thinking there is a problem with the spare tire. When the flat tire is taken out of the vehicle for repair, the TPMS indicator will come on because the system is no longer receiving the signal from the tire’s transmitter.

NOTE: Misalignment of the control unit and initiators could interfere with sending and receiving signals. Ensure the brackets on the TPMS control unit and front initiators are not bent.

If the low tire pressure indicator and multi-information display indicator(s) are lit continuously due to low pressure in one or more tires, adjust tire inflation to the proper pressure as indicated on the tire and loading information placard.

The light will go out once the tire pressure is properly set, after driving the vehicle at a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) or more.

Tire pressure sensor registration NOTE: To ensure the control unit memorizes the correct ID, the vehicle with the new sensor must be at least 10 ft. (3 m) from any other TPMS pressure sensor not installed on that vehicle.

Figure 3: Removing the seized valve stem

is still having trouble learning IDs, refer to appropriate service information.

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

Demounting/mounting procedures Memorizing sensor ID (automatically) 1) After rotating the tires or replacing a tire pressure sensor, drive the vehicle for at least 40 seconds at a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) or more, and all of the sensor IDs will be memorized automatically.

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

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.

NOTE: When a tire pressure sensor is replaced or tires are rotated, the sensor ID must be memorized by the TPMS control unit. See “Reset procedures.”

NOTE: Vehicles equipped with TPMS must use wheels made for the system, or the system will not work.

Memorizing sensor ID (using HDS) 1) With the ignition switch in the OFF position, connect the HDS to the 16-pin Data Link Connector (DLC) located under the left side of the dashboard.

2) Turn the ignition switch to the ON position, and memorize the ID of the tire pressure sensor by following the screen prompts on the HDS. If all IDs are memorized properly, go to step 4. If the TPMS control unit fails to memorize one or more sensor IDs during the learning process, go to the next step.

3) If one or more IDs fail to learn, causing DTCs to set, the HDS will provide a procedure to fix this that involves raising the vehicle. To solve this problem much faster, perform the following: • Using HDS, clear all DTCs. • Using an assistant, start the learning process while driving the vehicle under 10 mph.

• The TPMS control unit should now learn all four sensor IDs. If the TPMS control unit

62

Figure 4: An exploded view of the tire pressure sensor.

MTD June 2017

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TPMS On the Pilot, the TPMS wheel is marked with the letters “TPMS,” and a counterweight is cast into the opposite side of the spoke to balance the weight of the sensor.

On the Ridgeline, aluminum wheels will have counterweights on two spokes, and steel wheels will have a “SJC” stamp.

Tire pressure sensor CAUTION: Fluid sealant used to repair a punctured tire can damage the tire pressure sensor mounted on each wheel. It can prevent the system from detecting the correct tire pressure and set a DTC even though the system is normal.

CAUTION: On some earlier models, valve stem nuts are made of aluminum.

Figure 5: Installing a tire pressure sensor.

These caps can corrode and become difficult to remove, especially in areas of the country 3) Remove tire valve cap and valve core, and let the tire deflate. where road salt is commonly used in winter.

4) Remove any balance weights, and then remove the tire Aluminum valve stem nuts should be replaced with plastic from the wheel. tire valve caps available from the manufacturer (Acura Service Note these items to avoid damaging the tire pressure sensor: Bulletin 05-045; Nov. 11, 2005).

• Do the outside of the wheel first.

Removal Position the wheel as shown in Figure 1 (page 60) so the 1) Raise the vehicle, and support it with safety stands in the valve stem is 90 degrees from the bead breaker. proper locations.

• DO NOT position the bead breaker of the tire changer too 2) Remove the wheel with the faulty sensor. close to the rim. Position the wheel so the tire machine and tire iron are next to the valve stem, and will move away from it when the machine starts.

Then remove the tire from the wheel (see Figure 2 on page 60).

SCHRADER’S SINGLE SKU SOLUTION TO TPMS

5) Remove and discard the valve stem nut, and then remove the tire pressure sensor and valve stem from the wheel and go to step 7.

If the valve stem nut cannot be removed by hand, spray the valve stem with rust penetrant, and then carefully remove the cap with pliers. If the valve stem nut is seized on the valve stem, go to the next step.

6) Slowly turn the valve stem counterclockwise until the tire pressure sensor drops off the end of the valve stem. Discard the screw, but keep the sensor. Ensure the valve stem grommet is removed. Being careful not to damage the wheel, use a power drill with an 11 mm drill bit to drill out the hole in the valve stem ball just enough to remove valve stem from wheel (see Figure 3, page 62). NOTE: The valve stem grommet might stay in the wheel; make sure to remove it.

7) Remove and discard the valve stem and screw from the tire pressure sensor (see Figure 4, page 62).

Installation NOTE: Use a new nut, valve stem and screw.

1) Assemble the new valve stem, new screw, and the sensortransmitter (see Figure 4).

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

3) Install the tire pressure sensor to the wheel, and tighten the valve nut finger tight. Make sure the sensor is resting on the wheel (see Figure 5).

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MTD June 2017

TPMS 4) Tighten the valve nut to 35 in.-lbs. (4 N.m) while holding the tire pressure sensor toward the wheel and taking the following precautions:

8) Remove the safety stands, and lower the vehicle.

9) Memorize the pressure sensor ID(s). See “Reset procedures.” ■

• Do not reuse any nuts that have been tightened (even one time) to the specified torque, as they are deformed inside.

• Do not use air or electric impact tools to tighten a valve stem nut.

• Tightening the nut beyond the specified torque can damage the nut.

• You may hear a snap or pop as you tighten the nut. This is normal.

• Make sure that there is no space between the sensor and the wheel.

Torque specifications

5) Lube the tire bead, and position the wheel so the tire machine and tire iron are next to the valve stem and will move away from it when the machine starts. Then install the tire onto the wheel (see Figure 2).

NOTE: Make sure the tire bead is seated on both sides of the rim uniformly.

6) Inflate the tire to 44 psi (300 kPa) to seat the tire bead to the rim, then adjust the tire pressure to specification as indicated on the tire and loading information placard, and install the valve stem cap.

7) Check and adjust the wheel balance, then install the wheels to the vehicle.

Exhibition: July 26-28, 2017

Component Wheel nut All other models

Ft.-lbs. (N.m) 2005-08 Pilot 80 (108) 94 (127)

Tire pressure sensor nut*

In.-lbs (N.m) 1 35 (4)

* Do not reuse any nuts that have been tightened (even one time) to the specified torque, as they are deformed inside. Do not use air or electric impact tools to tighten a valve stem nut. Tightening the nut beyond the specified torque can damage the nut. You may hear a snap or pop as you tighten the nut (this is normal). Make sure that there is no space between the sensor and the wheel.

Information for this column comes from Mitchell 1’s “Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Guide” for domestic and import vehicles. Headquartered in Poway, Calif., Mitchell 1 has provided quality repair information solutions to the automotive industry for more than 80 years.

For more information, visit www.mitchell1.com.

For archived TPMS articles, visit www.moderntiredealer.com.

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MTD June 2017

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Products Cooper introduces Evolution H/T

Charging platform supports networked applications

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s new Evolution H/T all-season highway tire covers 28 sizes for the CUV, SUV and light-duty pickup truck market.

The company says it competes at a mid-range price point, and offers grip, stability and comfort. The Evolution H/T features StabilEdge technology for enhanced handling and dry tracking stability and 3D Micro-Gauge siping to maintain wet traction and superior handling. A silica tread compound and tread profile provide even wear and long tread life. The new tire, which replaces the Discoverer H/T, has a 60,000-mile warranty.

COOPER TIRE & RUBBER CO. www.us.coopertire.com

The new MCC-070 Controlled Charger from Midtronics Inc. is designed to be an economical, easy-to-use charging solution with easy-to-integrate wireless capabilities. The company says the MCC-070 offers safe controlled charging to quickly service different battery types (regular lead-acid, AGM, EFB, Li-ion), app-driven charging routines, and wireless connectivity to support tracking and management of battery service data and automated software updates. The MCC charging platform integrates seamlessly with other compatible Midtronics battery service equipment and the cloud-based Midtronics Battery Management Information System (BMIS). The MCC-070 is also functional as a standalone product.

MIDTRONICS INC. www.midtronics.com/transportation

New Wagner lamps are designed for longer service Federal-Mogul Motorparts has introduced a line of Wagner premium replacement headlamp capsules, miniature lamps and sealed beam headlamps. The company says the new Wagner LongLife HD lamps provide two to four times longer life compared to standard bulbs in over-the-road trucking applications, utility and municipal fleet vehicles and passenger vehicles. Wagner LongLife HD lamps include construction features suited to vehicles operated in challenging environments. All LongLife HD lamps are equipped with extra-strength filaments, while many also feature a patented fifth lead support wire to further enhance durability and vehicle uptime.

FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS www.wagnerbrake.com/products/lighting.html

Leak detection kit services commercial vehicles Tracer Products’ Tracerline TP-8657 air conditioning and fluid leak detection kit for commercial vehicles includes a cordless leak detection flashlight and fluorescent dye approved by original equipment manufacturers. The TP-8657 OEM-Grade A/C and Fluid Leak Detection Kit features the Opti-Pro Plus cordless, rechargeable, violet light LED leak detection flashlight and OEM-approved fluorescent dye. The company says its EZ-Ject dye injector is the easiest, most accurate and most compact method of adding dye to any truck, bus, train, off-road and refrigerated transport vehicle’s A/C system.

TRACER PRODUCTS www.tracerline.com

Additive cleans entire cooling system Dirt in the cooling system causes consequential damage, including increased wear on the water pump, according to Liqui Moly GmbH. The Liqui Moly radiator cleaner resolves problems at their root. It is an easy and affordable way to remove deposits and dirt from the cooling circuit.

Liqui Moly radiator cleaner is added to the cooling water, the radiator is switched on and the motor left to run. The active ingredients dissolve deposits, slime and dirt. After 10 to 30 minutes these are drained together with the old cooling water and the system is rinsed with water.

LIQUI MOLY GMBH www.liqui-moly.com

68

Service Line has manual parts washer Service Line’s Renegade TMB 4000 manual parts washer for general repair cleaning is a practical alternative to washing parts with solvents.

The company says the washer for heavy-duty applications is a lowmaintenance, cost-effective solution for a variety of industrial and grease-busting operations. The Renegade TMB 4000 includes an adjustable fountain nozzle, 1/2inch polyethylene construction, heavy-duty casters, 20-gallon holding tank, low water alarm and shut down system, and an adjustable thermostat.

Renegade parts washers are designed to work with Renegade solvent-free detergents for maximum cleaning without residue buildup.

SERVICE LINE INC. www.renegadepartswashers.com

MTD June 2017

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70

ADVERTISER

PAGE

WEBSITE

31 Incorporated

15

www.31inc.com

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Inc.

49

www.perfectstopsummerpromo.com

Autel Intelligent Technology Inc.

63

www.autel.com

Automechanika Chicago

66

www.naceautomechanika.com

Bartec USA

59

www.bartecusa.com

BKT USA Inc.

11

www.bkt-tires.com

Continental Gold Retailer Program

23

www.contilink.com

Continental Tire, Commercial Vehicle Tires

37

www.continental-truck.com

Dealer Strategic Planning Inc.

71

www.dsp-20group.com

Double Coin Tires

25

www.doublecointires.com

Falken Tires

17

www.falkentire.com

Firestone Tire

29

www.firestonetire.com

Gaither Tool Company Inc.

34

www.gaithertool.com

Hankook Tire America Corporation

38-39

www.laufenn.com

Hunter Engineering Company

47

www.hunter.com/mtd

ITM TPMS

61

www.itmtpms.com

K & M Tire Inc.

19

www.kmtire.com

Kenda Tire USA

IBC

automotive.kendatire.com

Kumho Tire USA Inc.

21

www.kumhotireusa.com

Marangoni Tread North America Inc.

33

www.na-marangoni.com

Maxxis International-USA

65

www.maxxis.com

Michelin North America Inc.

9

www.michelinman.com/ps4s

MOOG Steering & Suspension

55

www.moogparts.com

Nexen Tire America Inc.

IFC

www.nexentireusa.com

Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.

OBC

www.nittotire.com

Pro Comp Tires

26

www.procompusa.com

Reliable Int’l Exhibition Services Co. Ltd.

32

www.citexpo.com.cn

Rotary

7

www.rotarywheelservice.com/mtd

Schrader Performance Sensors

64

www.schraderinternational.com

SEMA Show

69

www.SEMAshow.com

Sentury Tire Americas

53

www.delintetires.com

Snap Finance

57

www.snapfinance.com

Standard Motor Products Inc.

67

www.standardbrand.com

STEELMAN Select TPMS, by JS Products

43

www.steelmanpro.com

Sumitomo Tire

5

www.sumitomotire.com

Sumitomo Tire

31

www.sumitomotrucktires.com

TBC Brands

13

www.tbcbrands.com

TBC Brands

35

www.tbcbrands.com

TBC Brands

51

www.gosailun.com

Vee Rubber America Inc.

46

www.veerubberus.com

ZC Rubber America Inc.

41

www.arisuntires.com

MTD June 2017

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MTD June 2017

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73

Your turn

Amazon.com will be a rival to closely watch going forward Just read your March editorial about the next big tire competitor Amazon. I agree they will get into the tire business and very successfully.

You mentioned Target and tires being a bad fit for their marketing image and message. You are probably correct since way back in the day Target did have tire and auto service. In about 1984, shortly after I came to Tire Kingdom, they got out and never looked back.

The same thing happened in a few regional department stores: Hecht Co. in D.C. as well as WT Grant and HL Greene.

Woolworth/Woolco also had a bad experience in the tire and service business.

What baffles me is with the Sears Roebuck success in catalog stores how did all the genius execs not see and react to Amazon?

Catalog and online commerce are pretty close cousins.

Derrill DeRamus, Retail Division, Compliance and Quality Assurance TBC Corp.

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Comments from our website Concerning Bob Ulrich’s March editorial “Your next great competitor is... The odds favor Amazon.com over Sears Automotive”: Although Amazon is building out its own distribution network, part of what makes the Amazon formula work is to remain relatively asset light. It’s estimated that about 40% of Amazon’s revenue comes from its 3rd party seller platform. In other words, Amazon is going to sell stuff (tires, knives, etc.) with or without the approval of the manufacturer.

To fight that is a waste of time and energy. It is true that the tire manufacturers have expressed no interest in selling to Amazon thus far. I anticipate that will remain the case for at least the top five manufacturers.

That said, there is no shortage of distributors who fulfill for Amazon. What actually holds Amazon back is its absolute and unwavering focus on their customer at the expense of its vendors and their profit margins.

Name withheld upon request

Concerning the On the Rise article from the February issue on “Closing for the weekend to keep employees”: I don’t understand how closing Saturday, the day many customers are off work makes sense. We operate three locations and are open 12 hours M-F and 11 hours on Saturday.

We employ 47 people. Every employee, Managers, customer service and technicians work five days.

Many have voiced satisfaction at having a day off during the week. I think businesses that close Saturday are thinking of their personal convenience and not the customer.

Denny Bucher, Co-owner Family Tire & Auto Service Jacksonville, New Bern and Morehead City, N.C.

Concerning Wayne Williams’ April article on “The sales counter moved again: And the sales floor is now on the smartphone”: Years ago I never thought people would shop tires online, although Tire Rack, in a way, was proving it way in advance with mail order. Then I thought people would never shop for a used or reconditioned OEM wheel online, which is our product. Well, I was terribly wrong on both counts, and we have been investing heavily. Another great article, Wayne!

Billy Eordekian, President 1-800EveryRim Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

Question of the month Each month we ask members of our National Advisory Council (NAC) a question or questions on a current hot topic. Recently we asked, “If you could have dinner with a famous person — living or dead — who would that be? Why that person? What would you ask them?” Here is one of their responses.

Jesus Christ. Hands down. He’s the most important figure in history. I’d ask Jesus where He was between his bodily death and his glorious resurrection — I’ve always, selfishly, wanted to know. It’s a tenet of my faith that “To be absent in the body, is to be present with the Lord.” So, I’ve always wondered where he was during those three days while his body lay in the grave before being resurrected.(I realize this response may not be politically correct, but you asked for an honest response.) If I had the chance, I couldn’t pass on this one. Jesus Christ, hands down.

We also asked council members what was on their mind.

Internet sales are killing the brick and mortar stores. They have caused an uneven playing field by not charging the consumer sales tax. From tire suppliers to parts suppliers, selling online and not charging sales tax is BS! Brick and mortar stores have been the backbone of this country in terms of employing people!

Contact your senators and congressmen to address this issue!

Jerry Reygaert, Owner Reys Auto & Tire Shelby Township, Mich.

Join Modern Tire Dealer’s National Advisory Council

Each month, Modern Tire Dealer is guided and influenced by a select group of readers — members of our National Advisory Council. These members’ opinions are the heart of the monthly Your Marketplace column, compiled by industry analyst Nick Mitchell. If you’d like to join this prestigious group, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you. Contact Editor Bob Ulrich at Bob.Ulrich@bobit.com or call (330) 899-2200, ext. 11.

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MTD June 2017

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